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! :)

OH likely to be in trainers. Not sure if the Savoy would let us in?

My friend was turned away from the bar at the Savoy for wearing Timberlands when it was snowing outside, so probably no to trainers?

Hammersmith Bridge is completely shut and has been for years now…

This place in Covent Garden does afternoon tea all themed around tea, sounds weird but is actually delicious:

g.co/kgs/SSCbE6

We like similar things. I love Kew Gardens. I like Kenwood house and Hampstead Heath and swimming in the ponds.

I like Tate Britain, Hayward Gallery and the Photographers Gallery. The Wallace Collection is nice for a cuppa and Marylebone High Street is nice for a browse. Also Somerset House is nice for a meal, drink or snack.

Coal Drop Yard in Kings Cross is great and lots of good places to eat - book well in advance. I like Granary Square Brasserie.

Another vote for Dennis Severs.

Snap - I was just about to suggest Coal Drop Yard /Granary Square at King’s Cross. Some lovely shops and restaurants. A good market at the weekend and it’s just a lovely space.

Outdoor food market that is.

Lovely walk from Tower Bridge, through Bermondsey to Rotherhithe where you will find a few historical (quiet) pubs along the way.

Bermondsey Beer mile has been mentioned. Really good food market at the weekend around that area - Maltby Street.

If you go to Bermondsey, check out the Fashion Museum. Fabulous exhibitions on throughout the year:

fashiontextilemuseum.org/exhibitions

And while you are in the area The Textile Museum usually has really interesting exhibitions.

@reshetima crossposted!

Snap!

Historical quiet pubs sound good. The Mayflower?

Done the Textiles museum before but it's not really OH's 'thang'.

Must admit I could live without ever seeing a street food market again tbh.

Eltham Palace!

The Garden Museum is lovely and the restaurant is good for a light lunch, nice for a walk along the south bank... start there (Lambeth) and make your way to Borough Market for dinner, down into Bermondsey Street where there is José, Pizarro, Casse Croute and more... and warehouses!

Also, The Museum Of The Home, formerly the Geffrye Museum might interest you, plus it's east which might be a change?
And Rochelle canteen for lunch in Shoreditch would tie in well. A proper gem

Me again. The Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury? And you could walk onto Ye Olde Mitre off Hatton Garden. Very special historical old pub on an alley, Ely Court, with lots of interesting history.

Done Museum of the Home and Foundling Museum before. Really liked the former especially and not been since the refurb.

Love the warehouses/brick around Bermondsey but always SO many people!

Should've said that we're veggie, so tapas places/French often have quite a restricted menu for us, unfortunately.

That pub sounds interesting.

Rochelle Canteen also looks interesting.

Although Rochelle Canteen quite limited on veggie stuff too, by the look of it.

No, it is open to pedestrians and cyclists.

If you come west (to Kew Gardens, or Hampton Court Palace, both wonderful), we have a couple of great quirky museums, practically next door to one another: the Musical Museum, which has a huge collection of mechanical music machines and music recording, and also the London Museum of Water and Steam, exhibiting the history of London's waterworks, including some incredible pump engines. Also lovely walks on the river path from Kew Bridge back to Hammersmith, where you'll find some great riverside pubs.

As you are coming in August you could visit Hampton Court (Palace and Gardens). I'm not sure if they will have any events on. There's also Southside House in Wimbledon, the Common, the Lawn Tennis Museum and the Buddhist Temple tucked away in Wimbledon Village is very serine and and lovely. If you are on that side of London there's also the Chelsea Physic Garden.

Some of my fav places currently to eat are Brat in Shoreditch, Noble Rot and Maison Francois (just behind F&M). I eat fish so worth checking out the menus but my fav things at each of them were veggie options and all have excellent wine lists. I also really like the Market Hall opposite Victoria for a street food market but has nice sitting areas and a cute roof terrace - tacos and dim sum both really good. There is a similar one at Seven Dials but the seating area is a bit more of a canteen, worth it for the bao buns though and plenty of good veggie options as so many places to choose from.

You can’t beat the terrace at the back of Gordon’s on a sunny evening.