Calling any London experts

[LittleEsme]

I'm staying in London (Acton) for the weekend and would love a list of places to go and eat.

Money isn't exactly flush so I'm not after anything expensive but I don't want to take me and my teenager to Burger King for instance. We should be getting into Acton late Friday afternoon and I imagined dropping off our stuff and heading on the tube for a few hours.

Does anyone have any suggestions for things to see (we love markets, bookshops, street food etc)? Is Portobello/Camden market and Brick Lane worth a visit?

We haven't booked anything for Saturday night but would any of you have any suggestions? DD is 15
So nothing like clubbing or bars, but a sneaky cocktail wouldn't go amiss.

I'd really like to hear your suggestions. This has come totally out of the blue and I've barely had time to plan!

There's a restaurant in Acton called RodFai Thai Street Food that's great if you need to eat nearer to where you're staying at any point. There's also very good sushi around the West Acton area, I think there is one right near the tube station.

They're a bit more authentic/less touristy than places like Seven dials food market.

Central line to Liverpool St and then a short walk to the walkie talkie tower for Sky Garden. If they don't have tickets you can book the restaurant for lunch maybe. There is another new tower with a free viewing deck in The City but the name escapes me. From there walk down to Monument (could climb it) then to Tower Hill over the bridge and walk along the river to Tate Modern or even Southbank.

Or from Sky Garden you could head over towards Brick Lane.

Or get the number 15 bus back from The City to the West End. It goes past St Paul's and is a lovely route.

For a different but tasty cheap eat you could try shawarma on Edgware Rd so you're not that far away from Acton after.

You could do the national portrait gallery on the Friday night (open to 9pm).

Then wander over to homeslice Neal's yard for pizza and cocktails.

Flat Iron is great for steak it's not crazy expensive and you get free ice cream! They have lots around. Or she might like Pho which is a Vietnamese chain.

I'm sure she will like Spitalfields market

Quite like that stretch of the canal but it's personal taste. I like a good urban walk and seeing the city from a different perspective. Doesn't have to be 'pretty'. Not particularly dangerous assuming not alone / in the dark!

Op spittle fields is near Liverpool Street, you could do that food court (delicious) market and the sky garden in one fairly convenient swoop.

Skip the sky garden (you need tickets anyway) and head to the garden at 120 Fenchurch st. Free to go up and 360 degree views across London.

You can take food up there or there's a coffee place too. Perfect place to eat lunch or have a coffee in the sunshine.

There is another new tower with a free viewing deck in The City but the name escapes me

It's called the Lookout. You have to book but it's free, and less likely to be rammed because it's brand new.
https://www.8bishopsgate.com/lookout

@BettyBoozer agree abs isn't that the place above the amazing ledenhall market? Also close ish to spittle field, it's more modern op and exciting

@EquinoxVOx yes, just around the corner from leadenhall market.

Nobody really seems to know about it so it's never that busy. I work in the sky garden building. It prefer to wonder over there for lunch when I'm in the office.

St Dunstan in the East is also another oasis in the City for a fab lunch spot.

Ah gosh everyone, thanks tons to every single one of you. This is immensely helpful and appreciated.

The sky garden is full so I considered a late night table to get a burger Saturday night but it's about £60 a head!

Great to know that there are other viewing points - I'm going to look into these after work,

Massive 💐 to you all x

I'd definitely take a trip into Chinatown - loads of fun cheap eats there and some great shops to have a mooch around. Teenagers seem to love it 😊

It's going to be warm this weekend so eatign and drinking outside will be nice - so I would recommend a stroll along the Southbank - the Tate Modern is great, the Southbank area has lots going on including food market on Friday and Saturday evenings with pleny of affordable street food options (and a cocktail bar!).

If you want a view you could go up the Shard (tickets have to be booked) https://www.theviewfromtheshard.com/

Don’t eat in Sky Garden. Apart from the expense the food isn’t outstandingly amazing for the price. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice enough but I’d expect a ‘wow’ for the price and we didn’t get that when we dined there about a month ago.

Would definitely recommend Flatiron though. Good price and good food. Very busy so make sure you book if you want to go

Thank you!