Lunch, a mooch and a museum

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

My ideal way of visiting London is to do it in half day ‘chunks’ by choosing an area, having a wander and having lunch, afternoon tea or coffee and cake (or a pint). Extra points for a museum, a beautiful church, a graveyard or anything literary, historical or geeky.

On our next trip, we’ll have 4 ‘chunks’ to fill.

I’ve booked Trishna in Marylebone for lunch on one of the days, so we can go to the Wallace Collection and the park and Daynt books. Has anyone been to Trishna? Anything else nearby that I might not know about?

Any ideas for other ‘chunks’ including restaurants, cafes or pubs much appreciated.

Highgate cemetery and Hampstead Heath?
South bank and the Tate?

I recommend Andrew Duncan's books of walks in London. I've done several of his City ones and really enjoyed them.

How about the Mithraeum and a wander round Smithfield? Go into St Bartholomew the Great Church, see if the Charterhouse is open, maybe St John's Gate? There are a zillion places to eat around Smithfield in particular. Cloth is a lovely one.

thank you both.

I’ve got a few of the books, and have done lots of mooches. The books are brilliant and I need to get them out again before we go, but real life restaurant and cafe restaurants in the different areas would be brilliant.

Highgate cemetery is one of my favourite London spots.

Done the Mithraeum, but not the Charterhouse so will add that and Cloth to the list of possibilities.

I should have said that I’m a vegetarian, so unfortunately, having looked at the menu, Cloth isn’t great for me.

Three 'chunk' day ideas.

A walk along the river, Borough market for lunch, Southwark Cathedral (fabulous history, architecture and loads of mudlark history) and Southwark Cathedral cafe for tea and cake either in the garden or the lovely cafe.

On Sunday - A mooch through Columbia Road Flower Market, A visit to Denis Severs House then lunch a wander and afternoon tea at Spitalfields Market.

If you enjoy gardens - Start at The Garden Museum for coffee and cake in their cafe. Enjoy the museum and make sure to go up the tower for amazing views of Lambeth Palace, the river and the houses of parliament. Cross Lambeth Bridge and walk along the river at Milbank. Lunch at The Tate. Then on to Chelsea Physic Garden. Stroll out to Kings Road for a beer.

For your Marylebone chunk, Chiltern St for coffee/snack at Monocle, Air Mail or Chiltern Deli. Also just a lovely area with nice shops and pretty streets (and great for people watching!).

Fall out of South Kensington tube and you are in a lovely pedestrianised restaurant area. V&A, natural history museum right there. Hyde park for a wander.

Lunch at the crypt St Martins in the Fields, they have music recitals too, visit the national portrait gallery which is opposite, walk through to the river and take afternoon tea in Greenwich.

Ooh yes to Monocle - it’s so pretty!

These are great. Thanks.

We will be there Monday to Wednesday, so unfortunately Dennis Severs and the flower market are out, but both have been on my list for a long time.

Southwalk cathedral is a beauty, but I’m not a fan of Borough market, I must admit. Much prefer areas away from the crowds. Give me a quiet cemetery over a street food market, any day! 😂

If the days will include Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat/Sun, Leighton House and Sambourne House are a short walk apart and great fun. https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/ Plenty to look at in the Kensington area, and no shortage of restaurants and cafes.

Another museum we visited recently which was much,much more enjoyable than I was expecting: https://handelhendrix.org/ It probably helps to like the music of one or both of them, which we do! Plenty to see in the Bond Street area too.

An old favourite: Sir John Soane's House, Lincoln's Inn Fields. I love mooching around the Inns of Court and all the little alleys and cut throughs in the City.

I should also have said that we’ve done the big obvious ones (V&A, Tate, Greenwich etc) loads of times.

We’re actually staying in Greenwich because there’s a couple of off the beaten track pubs there that we like, but other than pubs and an hour or two in the park, we won’t bother with much. Is Woolwich Arsenal worth a look?

I think we might do Lincoln’s Inn and the Hunterian (not been since it reopened) before lunch in Trishna.

I can't recommend Denis Severs House enough. Definitely worth a visit when you get the chance.

I've a day in Greenwich soon @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie , which are the pubs you'd recommend?

Hi Remus! Have you tried the London Museum Docklands? Their latest exhibition on mudlarking (on till next April) is amazing. I wouldn’t try the Museum cafe itself but lots of places to eat in that area.

Not very close to each other, but our two favourites are the Cutty Sark and the Ashburnham arms. The latter is a neighbourhood bar well off the Tourist Trail.

We also like to sit inside the Trafalgar and ignore the braying crowd squeezed outside.

This is a good call. Thank you!

I see someone already recommended the Garden Museum. It’s actually in an old church and is really lovely. Plus the food in the cafe is great. That part of the river is nice and quiet for a stroll too.

Love the Cutty Sark. Haven't been to the Ashburnham Arms, will check it out. Thanks for coming back to me.

Another interesting museum, but not sure about area/places to eat nearby:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard

I think OH might like the museum and I would like the church, so that's a possibility.

Looks lovely, but only open on Sundays at the moment, it seems..

I'd also recommend the maritime museum and dp loves Goddard's for pie and mash! I like the latter for pudding and custard, but absolutely not for the pie and mash. It's usually full of bemused tourists picking at their mash, so good for people watching. If you can get to a quiet bit of the park early, the birds sometimes come and sit on your hand, which is pretty amazing.

Then I'd suggest Southwark Cathedral for coffee, walk to Bermondsey High Street to take in the new Cosprop exhibition at the Fashion Museum and then lunch in one of the restaurants around Borough market (Padella?) THere is also the Crossbones graveyard in Bermondsey.

The Cosprop exhibition has had good reviews - has costumes from Emma, Pridge & Prejudice, Room with a view, Mrs Harris went to Paris etc.