Calling Londoners

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Hi. Planning some time in London over the summer and hoping to find new places/things. We've done all the obvious stuff.

If I tell you what we like, I'm hoping people might be able to come up with some lovely ideas for us! No kids.

Museums - favourites are the Wellcome, the Hunterian (sadly still closed, iirc), John Soanes, Maritime. Would visit Tate/National/V&A etc but only for special exhibitions. Will probably do the Royal Academy summer exhibition with maybe afternoon tea at The Wolseley or F&M on one afternoon. Or maybe Sketch???

Walks - love Highgate cemetery. Really enjoyed a walk from St Katherine's Docks, along through Wapping, Limehouse Basin etc as far as the cable cars. Greenwich park and river also a favourite, as is Richmond Park and river (the latter we've done as far as Ham House previously). Enjoyed a Fleet Street/Lincolns Inn etc walk previously, and also the canal walks from Kings Cross to Camden and to Islington. Love Primrose Hill. Wondering about a Rotherhithe walk maybe? I'm a big fan of old brick/warehouses etc!

Maybe somewhere like Leighton House, or Strawberry Hill or Hampton Court?

Beaches - we often go to Brighton on the train if we're staying in London. Is there anywhere else we might consider?

Theatre - the summer doesn't tend to be the best time for theatre, I know. Any gems we should be looking out for?

Food - thinking of trying The Gate on this trip. Anybody been? Also maybe either the Cinnamon Club, Trishna or Quilon. We'll probably go to Zedel because it's fun and the prices are relatively sensible. Any recs for great restaurants with really good set menus or lunch deals, maybe? Or low-key, small nice restaurants for casual dinners?

Chilled bars and old pubs - we usually go to Spiritland because we tend to stay in Kings Cross. Love a historical old pub though, especially if relatively quiet.

Thanks in advance to anybody who can help! :)

Pm

Have you spend much time East? You can walk along Regents canal east from Camden to Limehouse

• Saturday markets at Broadway market
• Sunday, go to Bricklane markets (and have a salt beef beigal whilst there) and Columbia rd flower market
• Spitalfields market and very close to Denis severs house
• Victoria park to explore
• I too was going to suggest the Viktor Wynd museum of curiosities
• The V&A museum of childhood is very near all the above, but currently closed for refurbishment
• Tower Hamlets cemetery park is so interesting to walk about. They have an annual festival, but just walking around, seeing how nature has taken over the gravestones and shaped the landscape is beautiful

Polka theatre Wimbledon? How old are kids?

Greenwich
Fan Museum (Bottom of Crooms Hill)
Cutty Sark
Boat from Greenwich to Tower Pier (I think)
Lovely Riverside Walk and The Trafalgar Tavern (further along isThe Cutty Sark pub)
St Alphage's Church
Bus ride away The O2 and the Underground Station North Greenwich

The Op says No Kids

Abba. Amazing show. Tickets on Ticketmaster. The Abba Arena is next to fhe Olympic Park.

The postal museum is good.
www.postalmuseum.org/

These are great. Thanks so much everyone.

Done a fair few of them - the Greenwich pubs, the KC nature reserve, lots of the city centre walks (have got some great walks books but any excuse to buy another!).

Going further east sounds good. I’ve got a book of things to do in East London so might plan out a walk that ends at Denis Severs’ house.

OH has just mentioned the nature reserve at Barnes. Worth a visit?

Haha
I like Your Humour (the walking boots part)
Wherever you end up visiting, OP, I hope you both have a great Time

I think you mean the Wetland Centre. Yes, it's worth a visit but not much else to see nearby. Although you could walk over the bridge to Hammersmith and have a mosey along that part of the river.

I think the wetland centre is expensive & not great personally

Thanks. Doesn't sound like the wetlands centre is worth bothering with then.

I'm not sure when you said you were coming @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie but if it's in the next two weeks I would avoid anywhere further SW on the District Line (Chelsea onwards) because transport will be full to overcapacity and roads will be grinding to a halt due to the combination of The Hampton Court Flower Show and the Wimbledon Championships. That takes out Wimbledon, Kingston, Putney, Barnes, Hammersmith (the bloody Bridge is still closed I think). You would be OK with the South Ken museums.

It might be nice to have a look at some of the organised London Walks. I'll remember in a minute the name of a company I know and will pop back to post it .

The other thing that might be quite nice to do is to have a walk around places like Lincoln's Inn, Grays Inn, Middle and Inner Temple, etc - some lovely gardens and old buildings. You could also take in the public gallery at the High Court.

Southwark Cathedral and the areas around it are also nice - there's a little market and the South Bank is brilliant for a wander. Easily combined with St Dunstans above which looks well worth a visit. If you like cats, there's the cat cafe in Brick Lane. No hairs in your tea - promise.

If you’re here when the courts are open (ie not during August) then Temple Church has some beautiful lunchtime recitals, which are normally free.

Heading East, The Water House Project in Hackney is incredible. It’s about £90 for lunch and £135 (I think?) for dinner, but that includes paired wines. I’ve been a few times - although never to the new setting - and it has blown me away every time.

Another vote for the Horniman, and worth seeing what the British Library have on - their Treasures permanent collection is one of my favourite places.

The Foundling Museum is really moving, and beautifully done. It isn’t a cheerful way to spend a day, but I am so glad I went.

Thank you. Coming in August.

Have done the church - it's beautiful.

Eating is great, so thank you for the recs. Will check them all out now.

Would prefer self-guided walks tbh, rather than a guide.

Have done Southwalk walks lots and South Bank, and Lincolns Inn.

Dare I say that I don't like cats much?

Checking out all the food recs now! Thanks everyone.

Bumping this, in the hope that I haven't pissed off anybody who likes cats.

If you go and Hampstead, hop onto the overground to Highbury and Islington for a visit to the Estorick Collection (a small museum of twentieth century Italian fine art), it has some real gems. And a charming cafe attached.

No of course you didn't. The summer exhibition will be on at the Royal Academy. Always worth a visit imo. And nice to nip into Fortnums afterwards to buy four truffles (2 each), tea in a Fortnums tin caddy (everyone needs one), cheese from Paxton and Whitfield on Jermyn Street (leave Fortnums by the back entrance) - turn right along to St James's Street then left into St James's Park and if you are lucky there'll be a band playing on the bandstand :), wander through the park towards Buck House and up to Hyde Park to Serpentine and watch people in paddle boats or even hire one.

Or you could do Somerset House and The Courtauld (Tom's Terrace is nice for lunch) then have a wander along the river, cross the bridge and schmurgle along the Southbank. There are some nice restaurants dotted along there. There might be a nice concert on at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Oh also check out The White Bear in Kennington. Has some really good fringe theatre and is a nice pub with typical pub food.

Thank you. :)

Summer exhibition and F&M definitely on the list. Trying to decide whether to have afternoon tea at F&M or elsewhere.

Done the park walks and Southbank lots of times, and they'll probably feature in some way.

Not been to the Estorik Collection, so that might be worth a look.

I think I'd chose the Savoy over Fortnums for afternoon tea.

I can Second this

My Cousin had afternoon tea at the Savoy in April
Loved It. The whole experience.