To ask for help for a cheap day out near Tower Bridge

[Tereseta]

I'm taking my OH to London for his birthday and we are staying one night by Tower Bridge. We have no idea of where things are London and are on a minimal budget. Are there any free/low cost places near there to visit. Also are there many places to eat and drink round there or will we need to travel. Sorry, very clueless and have ended up in a Google black hole.

Which side of the river are you staying on? This is what I would do, assuming you're starting from the south side:

Walk across Tower Bridge (skip if you're already on the north)
Wander around the Tower of London grounds
Catch the river boat (Clipper) to Blackfriars
Walk west through the Temple area (if he's into Templar stuff) or down Fleet Street/the Strand
Cross Waterloo bridge because from the middle you have the absolutely most iconic views of London in both directions, it's breathtaking

For lunch the Southbank street food market
www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/cafes-restaurants-bars/scfood-market

Good food with cheapish options

Then walk down to Imperial War Museum

For dinner you have every chain restaurant you can think of in the area plus lots of gastropub options

But I'd try Casa do Frango near Borough Market, it's a Portuguese tapas place with great food and a romantic feel that would be lovely for a birthday

@Tereseta....... If you are looking for a place to eat after visiting the Imperial War Museum, I'd recommend Tas on the Cut - a few minutes walk from the Old Vic.

@chickenslovechickens

I used to live close to Tower Bridge but now live in Essex. My recommendation would be Bodeans to eat, it's fantastic and I really miss going there!

bodeansbbq.com

That is right up his alley! Going to try to book for the Saturday 😍

This is why I love mumsnet! Amazing suggestions, I've got a pad and pen and I'm making a plan from all of these ideas! He's going to be surprised as he knows we are doing it on the cheap so he won't be expecting much
it's his 50th so I would like to make it as good as possible! The reason we are skint is because he is a carer for his mum and looks after our daughter while I work so he deserves a nice break

If he likes steak, Blacklock City is supposed to be amazing. It's on my list for my next visit!

Another vote for Thames Clipper Boat. I even think they sell beer and wine on there. Great for public transport!

Wander round St Katherine’s Dock.

Have a look for deals on Travelzoo.

Van Gogg Alive experience is good if it’s still on when you go. £24 each plus transport.

Westminster Abbey worth a mooch around if that’s your thing. A bit of a history lesson. £18 per person.

Bodensbbq is fantastic

I worked in London 2 maybe 3 days a week for 5 years near Tower Hill. I had a concert cancelled so ended up there as a tourist

I absolutely recommend doing a hop on hop off bus. You’ll see so much more. Miles wise places in London aren’t far away but can takes ages to get there with all the roads to cross and people around

You could try and book a table for a drink or meal in skygarden

I absolutely recommend doing a hop on hop off bus. You’ll see so much more. Miles wise places in London aren’t far away but can takes ages to get there with all the roads to cross and people around

A bit pricey though, isn't it - OP is on a tight budget. The No. 11 bus covers a lot of the same ground. St. Paul's to King's Road, then the 360 (I think...) to Royal Albert Hall/Albert Memorial/Hyde Park.

Any number of buses from there to Hyde Park Corner (or walk 10 minutes, or pass by the Serpentine if time...), then 14 or 22 or 38 etc to Piccadilly Circus/Trafalgar Square (or walk and go via Green Park, Buck House, St James's Park.

All, and much else for the daily capped Oyster fare!

@Tereseta - check out services at Westminster Abbey. A unique experience - and a chance to visit the Abbey for free:

www.westminster-abbey.org/worship-music/services-times

I bloody love London!!

Great suggestions already but you could possibly also get the old routemaster bus from the Tower (no. 15 bus) - go upstairs and sit at the front - it takes you all the way to Trafalgar Square (or get from Trafalgar Square to Tower Bridge after strolling there from the imperial war museum?).

London is fab to just walk around or view from the bus!

Have a great time!

Walk round St Katharine's Dock(lots of bars and restaurants), London Wall, Mithraeum, Museum of London, South Bank between Tate Modern and National Theatre where there are usually lots of street food vans and entertainers.

Agree with tate modern, its free and you can head to viewing gallery and that is cool. The cable cars are cool too and cheap but a bit of a trek. Bodeans is a good shout but we always liked belgo centraal by covent garden. Close enough to trafalgar square so you can hang out round their for a bit

Saturday morning at Spa Terminus market in Bermondsey for coffee and freshly baked pastries- not as packed as Borough Market but many of the same small producers.
Also some lovely restaurants along The Cut near Waterloo, as a previous poster mentioned Tas is great!
Also Hawksmoor in Borough Market is amazing, expensive for dinner but more reasonable for lunch.
@DollyPartBaked, sadly that Konditor and Cook closed

FlowerArranger fair enough I didn’t realise it was that pricey these days. I enjoyed the commentary and lack of walking

Also if you want to go to a restaurant and haven’t booked there is an app called walk up. Gets you on the wait list for places nearby, mostly chains but others too.

Belgo have closed in Covent Garden, I don't know if the other branches remain.

I'd say try not to pack too much in and just enjoy the people watching and wandering about.

There are apps with free walking tours on, there are lots of little places around the area you're staying, ancient churches, the crazy new buildings.

freetoursbyfoot.com/temple-church-london/

jay55 i didnt know that about belgos...sad...ate their many times

Yes there are loads of great suggestions on this thread but a lot of them are quite pricey.... The great thing about being a history buff is that you can have a great time just wandering around London for free : )

As above, I'd spend the morning walking around the oldest parts of London north of the river, get some cheapish street food for lunch, go to the war museum, then sure BBQ for dinner -- sounds like a fab day!

There is also a Texas BBQ place near Borough Market that's supposed to be amazing

The Museum of London is within walking distance of Tower Bridge and is another free option.

And come back and tell us what you did and how it went!

@dreamingbohemian Texas Joe's? They have two places now, so, so good!

If you decide to book a restaurant at Skygarden, do mention on your booking notes it’s a special birthday!

No guarantee but I did this and asked if it was possible to have a table with a great view, one near to a window. This happened and they also brought out a little cake and candle for me which was totally unexpected but so lovely.

If he likes war stuff the Churchill War Rooms at Westminster are FASCINATING - catch the Clipper boat from Tower Bridge to Westminster.

Museum of London, fire of London memorial (although I think this is closed at the moment), totally agree with @FlowerArranger about number 11 bus, walk all around the docks and long Thames till you get to lambeth bridge, potter in borough market, have brunch at breakfast club London bridge. And any other food at pret because they are everywhere, cheap and good. Ah would love a good day in London town.