2 days alone in London

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I'm treating myself to a couple of days in London just before Christmas, whilst dp is still at work.

I'm booking an exhibition at the Royal Academy and will do Liberty/F&M Christmas decoration sections. Wondering about also doing the Hieroglyphs exhibition at the British Museum and a mooch around Bloomsbury too.

Any other ideas, please? Is there anywhere I could have afternoon tea, a lovely lunch or an early dinner alone, without feeling like a plonker?

I really want to go, but I think DP would be cross if I went without him! I might go anyway. We went to Roti King last time we were in the area, in the summer.

Yautcha do an amazing looking dim sum experience, but for a minimum of two. Will save that one for when I'm not alone.

Sounds lovely! If you are going to the Royal Academy, Fortnum’s is worth a visit, particularly at Christmas, followed by a walk through Burlington Arcade. Heywood Hill on Curzon Street is a great bookshop. www.heywoodhill.com/
Sir John Soane’s Museum is wonderful. As you are staying in King’s Cross, it might be worth visiting the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. An amazing and fascinating building - it has a huge lounge area, and lots of restaurants. www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/lonpr-st-pancras-renaissance-hotel-london/overview/
We enjoyed the Booking Office - and they certainly do afternoon tea in the Hanson.
Hope you have a wonderful time!

The Hanson looks lovely, but they don't serve afternoon tea on a Monday, unfortunately, which is when I'd have to do it. F&M definitely on the list already! The bookshop looks amazing - thank you.

If you like Roti King, have you tried Hoppers? There is one at kings cross.

Ah that’s a shame. Do Fortnum’s do tea?
Glad you like the look of Heywood Hill. If by any chance you are a Mitford fan, it is of particular interest. www.heywoodhill.com/about

Not a Mitford fan.

Fortnums do tea but it's very expensive and I've been lucky enough to do it twice in the last year or so. I'd like one around the £40 mark if alone, which is why The Wolseley might suit, but it would be nice to try somewhere new.

I've been to Hoppers. It was okay, but I found it very rushed and as if they just wanted to keep turning tables. Would prefer somewhere a bit calmer!

Love the story of, 'Wandering people' on the website.
How lovely to be a wandering person in a bookshop.

I'm here for work and eating by myself at the ivy by tower bridge and it's LOVELY!

That sounds nice. Glad you're having a lovely meal.

Things I'd love to do would be, Harrods, Selfridges.

Soho for cocktails.

The one musical I would love to see would be Pretty Woman (I think it's in the Savoy).

Dining alone in London would not be even noticed. Just book a table in advance if it's somewhere posh. Pub grub is fine too.

Is it weekend or weekdays?

Do you have a budget?

Where are you staying? Are you English? Are you familiar with London?

I'm very English and very familiar with London!

Budget is flexible, but not infinite.

www.standard.co.uk/events

Sign up to the evening standard for the events.

There are other emails I receive about what's on in London.

www.groupon.co.uk/search?query=afternoon+tea+london Offers for afternoon tea.

Borough market is nice for street food.

Greenwich market is similar stuff.

Camden Town similar.

Oh well, you probably know it better than me then. Touristy stuff is out.

I would go and mooch n The Wallace Collection (my favourite London museum)

What about the Dior Windows & Exhibition at Harrods ?

Covent Garden and Seven Diaks

Marylebone for mooch and food

Duke of York's and Chelsea for lights

Have a fab time

Thanks @PaidthepiperTuneismine

Has anybody eaten at Trishna in Marylebone (or anywhere else nice in Marylebone?) and/or The Dean Street Townhouse in Soho?

The library room at the standard kx is the best place to go for breakfast imo.

V and a is musicals re-imagined and Korea!

Seven Dials market good for lunch or bag one of 14 seats at the Barbary. Almost everyone is alone, food stunning and lots to see. That's in Neil's yard.

Lucky you btw! Liberty Xmas shop is lovely, got some good baubles in again and time out market in Oxford St good for a pit stop.

I’ve been looking for an excuse to go to the Standard! Can’t find a library menu online though.

We stayed in The Standard. I'm now ruined for anywhere else.

Not jealous!*
*Very jealous

I hope to at least have a drink there.

I know not for you…but may be helpful for others. Spent a week in London for work recently so had evenings free. I went to the theatre or a film every night. Not like me at all to do that on my own. But so many people were on their own it didn’t feel weird at all. It’s really easy to get a single ticket. Agree with Come From Away, it was brilliant.

Also ate on own in loads of different places …the Mayfair Mercato place was one I didn’t get to but looks great.

If you can fit it in, I would really recommend a trip to Dennis Severs' house dennissevershouse.co.uk/book/ (you will have to book). An eighteenth century house that tells the story of an imaginary Huguenot family that might have lived there- each room is set up as if the family might just have stepped out and, as you go up each floor, a new stage of the family's history is revealed. It is particularly atmospheric at Christmas- a truly immersive experience for anyone interested in history and how we live. I can't recommend it enough. I've done it twice- once a guided tour and once a "silent night" (self-guided in silence), both times on my own.

For dinner, how about the Wolseley? It's always buzzy which makes it ideal for solo dining.

A nice twofer is the Mithraeum www.londonmithraeum.com/temple-of-mithras/?utm_medium=Adwords_SEM&utm_source=pdsrch&utm_content=Mithraeum&utm_campaign=617486&tactic=617486&gclid=CjwKCAiAjs2bBhACEiwALTBWZdVQN6MwVWASw3lcLDLYk1frMBr09sqZdpg0mNaR6R7oOxxj6IncEhoC3t8QAvD_BwE and the beautiful St Stephen Walbrook ststephenwalbrook.net/# (Wren's best church).

The RA has a lovely restaurant. Kings Cross and Coal Drop Yard has lots of lovely restaurants - I'd happily eat in any on my own. But it really depends what food you like. I'm not do good on afternoon tea though.

So envious OP! I lived in London in my early 20s & did loads on my own - some days I walked for miles. Got very good at finding free places to go too. I live in Cornwall now which is beautiful but I do miss city life.
You can get cheap theatre tickets from a booth in Leicester Square. Have a wonderful time!

Thanks for these.

A few have been mentioned already and The Wolseley is already a possibility, although I'd prefer to try somewhere I haven't been to before.

Have done the Mithraeum before. Liked it a lot, but not enough to go back!

Dennis S not open when I'm there, annoyingly, as I've been trying to go for years!