London at Christmas

[mattressspring]

I'm having my first December trip to London this year, what should I not miss?

For context it's 2 non drinking adults.

Enjoy! Here are a few of my favourite London things

• ice skating at Somerset house
• Kew Gardens light show
• theatres / ballet - snowman, nutcracker, pantomime etc
• dinner in one of the big old grand dining rooms (the Delaunay has lovely gingerbread houses in too but the food is a bit average - better for brunch, brasserie zedal
• Covent Garden for shopping

I’ve just booked the Kew Gardens Christmas light trail and was shocked to see a lot of the weekend slots are already sold out! I’ve been to a few lights trails over the years and Kew Gardens is easily the best, though not cheap. It’s a multi sensory, engineering work of genius

I shall watch this thread with interest!

Pop into Fortnum & Mason - it's just lovely to look around

The window displays and Christmas departments at Selfridges, Harrods, Liberty’s and Harvery Nichols are well worth just looking at/browsing round.
Catch a double decker down Oxford and Regent Street just after dark for the lights.

Do walk round the lights. Start at Selfridges and end up at the strand with detours around carnaby street and Piccadilly for fortnums windows. Then head into Covent Garden for the big tree, displays and something to eat.

Ooooh, I’m going to London in December too. I fully intend to hit Harrods Christmas decorations hard.

Afternoon tea is lovely. Have a look at Sketch, Claridges, Fortnum, The Langham, The Ritz. You’ll need to book soon for Christmas dates

Covent Garden is a lovely area to wander around (watch your handbag though!!). Clos Magiore is a fabulous dinner place

There is also the ice skating rink and a huge and beautiful merry-go-round in the grounds of the Natural History Museum. It’s a gorgeous and very photogenic setting.

Be prepared to be vastly underwhelmed by the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square :( (an annual gift from the Norwegians)

And F and M Christmas windows are legendary. F and M and Liberty have the best Christmas decorations to buy.

while in F and M pop into nearby Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy for something for yourself, I like their wax wardrobe scenters. Actually I like most
of their stuff, it is probably more truthful to say I can afford their wax wardrobe scenters. And then walk down the arcade near to the RA ( can’t remember the name,) the one with the gorgeous macaron shop and see how posh shops do Christmas .

Just so you know the Ice Rink at the NHM is no more due to environmental unfriendliness. They are creating a wild garden instead

Winter wonderland but not on a weekend evening as it will be rammed

@viques Burlington Arcade

Love the idea of the wardrobe wax scent. Off to Google 😊

Nooooooo! Step back from the abyss…….

Fortnum and Masons is a must.

The top deck of a normal bus is great for seeing Christmas lights while giving your feet a rest (routes such as the 139, 9, 24).

The big department store windows.

You can normally have a festive meal on a Thames cruise.

I love Covent Garden around Christmas.

Borough market, food galore.

There will be Christmas markets on south bank Leicester Square ( this one extends to Trafalgar Square too so you can see the big tree at the same time).

The museum of the home is great at Christmas. Rooms from various periods in history all decorated in the style of the time. I always pick up some lovely decorations there.

Hamleys is good for reliving a childhood Christmas, but get there elevator in the day, as early as you can as it gets so busy it's completely unenjoyable.

Christmas at Kew is amazing, but tickets can go fast...