London

[Lifeispassingby]

DH and I are heading to London this weekend. We’ve never really been recently but I am familiar with lots of it from the past. We are staying near Buckingham palace, arriving into Victoria about 9:30am on Friday. We have London eye booked for 7pm on Friday eve, and London zoo booked for Saturday, with train home leaving Victoria about 5pm on Saturday. We would like to do Westminster abbey as well at some point.
Does anyone with better knowledge than me have any suggestions of places to eat/drink/visit/do etc?

What sort of things do you enjoy doing at home? The things you’ve mentioned are fine but are super touristy so won’t really give you a true “London” experience if that’s what you’re looking for?

We live very rurally at home and have a very quiet life so enjoy touristy city breaks to be honest!

What is your food budget and what kind of food do you like? No point me suggesting Hoppers (Sri Lankan) or Kiln (thai/Burmese) if you don't like spicy food, for example!

After the London eye get a cab to Covent Garden, have some drinks/dinner around there. It’s really lovely. Covent Garden market is also lovely and open in the evening.

Saturday lunch at the Shard? Oblix east or west are great, it means a that you get to view from the shard without booking a ticket. Tube or taxi to London Bridge, then before/after lunch go to Borough market, it’s right by London Bridge.

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Wherever you go, definitely book. Hard to recommend without knowing your budget, but I like Pizza Pilgrims, Polpo, Shackfuyu, Dishoom, Hoppers, Swift bar, Cork & Bottle (all Soho / Covent Garden). There's quite a lot near the London Eye like Skylon, Brasserie Blanc, lots of chains like Las Iguanas, Sea Containers. And don't get a cab from London Eye to Covent Garden.... it's about 5 min walk across the bridge.

We're in London today as tourists. Battersea Power station is worth a look round!

We haven't gone in the lift up the chimney. Might book for next time

If the hotel is near Buckingham Palace I would walk through to Green Park and onto The Mall into Whitehall. If the weather is nice and its not far from Victoria. It's also an easy walk to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. You could time it that you visit Westminster Abbey, Big Ben then walk over the bridge towards The London Eye for your evening visit, there are plenty of places to eat and drink around that area and you could finish up with a walk along Southbank, visit the Festival hall. On Saturday after London Zoo I would either head towards Little Venice which is lovely and has some great river restaurants or walk through Regents Park, down to Hyde Park and go back to Victoria. Shepherds Market behind the Hilton hotel on Park Lane is worth a visit for specialist shops and nice food. Which hotel are you staying at? is it walkable?

It's worth walking to the London Eye from the pedestrian bridge from Embankment. We're Londoners and if going to South Bank and West End we like to walk between them.

Quite a lot of eateries at the South Bank near the London Eye, best to book. Archduke is a nice steakhouse that usually has live jazz as well.

There is a David Bowie exhibition on at Southbank till 6pm and a spring fair at Battersea Power Station

I'm a Londoner and whenever I have visitors I take them for a walk along the Southbank and then a trip down the river on the Thames Clipper- all free/ low cost and you get to experience all the sights and sounds of this beautiful city

A walk along the South Bank in the evening when all the buildings and bridges are lit up is lovely - and free!

Don't get a cab from the London Eye to Covent Garden. It's only a short walk and a nice one at that, over the bridge and across the Strand. No need to fork out for cabs and be stuck in traffic. Central London is great to explore on foot.

The cafe at St Martin in the Fields always does a good lunch I have found.