Would anyone like to help us plan an afternoon/evening in London please?

[Passingout]

We’d be so grateful! We’re from ‘up North’ and don’t really know London at all but will find ourselves nearby on a Friday afternoon/ evening soon to coincide with our anniversary so would love to travel into London and do something lovely. Were not bothered about squeezing museums in but love a wander round some interesting shops/market and then would love dinner somewhere maybe with views or just somewhere nice (probably not Indian/Chinese as I have food intolerances and dietary issues which they don’t work well with).

We’d probably get to Waterloo station for 2:30ish and have no clue where to go from there! Do we head to Covent Garden? Camden Market? No clue! Open and very grateful indeed for any suggestions (and how to get there for dummies would be a huge bonus!)

Thanks so much in advance!

If the weather is nice then a wander along the south bank from Westminster up to tate modern and then over the bridge to StPauls is always going to be lovely.

There are lots of chain places to eat on the way but you could pop into something in the Borough Market area for something non chainy.

I'm not mad keen on covent garden.

Or walk through the parks past Buckingham Palace.

If you want did want a museum a small different museum try the Sir John soames museum. Or the Wallace collection (nice restaurant).

If you do decide you fancy museums some of them have Friday late opening hours.

https://www.lastminute.com/travel-inspiration/cultural-explorer/london-late-nights-at-the-museums

I wouldn't bother with Covent Garden either.

Give Camden Market a miss. Borough market nearer and better.

It would be helpful to know what food intolerances you have so we can guide you? Indian and Chinese are completely different cuisines.

Thanks. They are, but I can’t eat rice or noodles which makes those cuisines less appealing to me without those.

Covent Garden is walking distance from Waterloo, just cross Waterloo Bridge to the Strand (east side of bridge has best views of the City and St Paul's), then short walk to CG. North of CG is Neal Street and Seven Dials area, which is nice for a wander and browsing shops.

Is there anything particular you want to see? You could head east along the Thames South Bank as far as Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe, then across the Millennium footbridge to St Paul's and along Fleet Street to the Strand and CG.

Seven Dials area is nice for a mooch. A few indie type shops etc. Compagnie Sur Vins Surnaturel is a lovely little wine bar hidden away there, good for a drink. How much do you want to spend on supper? £££ and views try SushiSamba at Heron Tower or the restaurant at the SkyGarden or if nice weather maybe somewhere on the river eg Skylon or Sea Containers House.

If you can’t eat noodles is pasta also out?

A walk along the Southbank is nice - you can walk there from Waterloo and can cross a bridge to see St Paul's (not free to go in).

There's Brasserie Blanc near Waterloo for French brasserie food or some chains along the river.

Or walk up to Covent Garden and to Piccadilly and then there's Fortnum and Mason and also a walk past the Ritz.

If you want to do proper sightseeing, walking from Trafalgar Square through Admiralty Arch and along the Mall is the best way to approach Buckingham Palace, then veer off to the left to walk around the lake in St James' Park back towards Whitehall. If you want a longer walk head right via the back streets to Parliament Square and then up Whitehall passing the Cenotaph and entrance to Downing Street before reaching Trafalgar Square again.

Or for the shorter version, head from the park through Horseguards to get to Whitehall closer to Trafalgar Square.

If you’re from ‘up North’ are you definitely coming in to Waterloo? That’s not generally the station that northern routes use.

If it is definitely Waterloo, I’d agree with others about walking along the Southbank to Borough Market, have a bit of a mooch round there and then find somewhere near the river to eat.

Or get the boat up to Greenwich and poke around Greenwich Market

Thanks. Yeah, definitely Waterloo. Were from up North but won’t be coming from up North that day iyswim.

Battersea power station is cool. Great restaurants and you could book a virtual reality session at DNA VR! We did (2 oldies 🤣).
Book a comedy night in town - it's cheap.
Afternoon tea with a Groupon.
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I was just about to say afternoon tea in a nice hotel? Lots to choose from snd it can make a nice calm place to rest and revive a bit after, say, Borough Market. (Which is great, but busy!)

Thanks so much everyone! We’re thinking walk down Southbank to Borough Market, maybe up to Tower Bridge, then OXO Tower restaurant for dinner? Anyone been? Thank you-I knew you’d help us out!

That sounds like a nice afternoon Op.

A comment on restaurants, the general rule of thumb is the higher you go/better the views, the worse the good. Just to bear in mind, if you’d rather have a cracking meal versus the sights.