Lunch, a mooch and a museum

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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.

Theres a nice French cafe near Marylebone https://www.sofrench.co.uk

The Soho vegetarian restaurant Mildred's now has branches in other places and is reliably pretty good https://www.mildreds.com/

Also, from my earlier post about the Smithfield/Clerkenwell area, Apulia is a nice Italian restaurant (surprise!) which has plenty of veggie options (I'm a fish-but-not-meat-eater).

Thanks, both. Been to Mildred’s a fair few times. Will have a look at the others.

I’ve just discovered that St Marylebone church is where Robert Browning and Elizabeth married. It’s immediately been elevated to the top of my list!

How about a chunk around King’s Cross? You could do either the London canal museum or an exhibition / tour at the British library with lunch or tea at granary square and a mooch around the shops and stalls at granary square / walk by the canal?

Thank you. Done KC multiple times, as we often stay in the Premier Inn Hub there. It’s been changed beyond recognition from its previous persona!

Definitely looking for more off the beaten path ideas, if possible.

Handy map of museums in London Handy website altogether.

Thank you. I’ll have a proper play with the map when I get home from work tonight.

It might be a bit out of date as it’s still listing the Museum of London as being at Barbican when that’s been closed for a couple of years, so check the individual websites before you go.

The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in Notting Hill used to be great - I haven’t been recently but a glance at their website suggests it still is!

Im planning Columbia Road and the Garden Museum next time we go, as it’s a Sunday it works out well but hoping neither is too crowded.

The Museum of Brands is still great. If you choose that, there are loads of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the area.

Strakers and Acre (Golborne Road)
Holy Carrot (Portobello Rd)
Mazi and Suzie Tros (both modern Greek, Notting Hill Gate area)
Akub (Notting Hill Gate area)
Gold (Portobello Road)
The Permit Room (Dishoom's upscale restaurant, Portobello Road)

Oh, another thing that is great is Wilton's Music Hall - about 10 mins walk from Tower Hill Tube. If they've got something on that appeals to you then definitely go there! And of course there's the new V&A depot in East London.

Or in West London, you could go to Leighton House and the Linley Samborne house, both very interesting, or further out to Pitzhanger Manor and Boston Manor, rather grander and older.

There are several cafes in the shopping centre next to Brunswick Gardens which all do a range of veggie food. Something slightly different would be Seed Cafe & bookshop at the Quaker meeting house

If you go to the Soane house (its free) you can mooch around the Inns of Court and there is a nice cafe at the Royal College of Surgeons.

This is a good website for some slightly more off-piste suggestions: https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/

Bermondsey Street, just near London Bridge station, has the White Cube Gallery Bermondsey, with changing exhibitions, and the Fashion and Textile Museum (founded by Zandra Rhodes) if that is your sort of thing. There are lots of restaurants along the road, but my top tip would be Hakata Ramen, which has a very good veggie/vegan section of the menu.

If you were there at the weekend it is a short walk to Maltby Street, which has a good food market. I think some of the shops and restaurants in the railway arches are open during the week too. And of course it is all close to the Thames near Tower Bridge for generally walking and mooching.

Or if you are up for venturing further into south London, how about a mooch and lunch along Lordship Lane in East Dulwith (Kartuli is a Georgian restaurant with good veggie options, but there are tons of places around there), then walk or hop on a bus to the Dulwich Picture Gallery, or the Horniman museum? Nice gardens around there too.

I was just coming on to recommend the Horniman. I Was there last month such an interesting museum.

Covent Garden, pasta at Bancone , National Portrait gallery

Try and catch a curator talk or tour at the gallery - I joined one by chance and it was excellent.

Events Calendar - National Portrait Gallery

These are great. Not been to either of those.

I’m very fond of Ian. Thanks for reminding me of him.

Brilliant. Done John Diane before but would love a mooch around the inns of court if we can time it right whilst we visit the Hunterian.

Who the fuck is John Diane?! John Soanes is what stupid autocorrect adapted!

We’re hoping to be able to grab tickets for Bowie at V&A East, but I think they will be like gold dust.

Oh wow. Thanks so much for this list.

If you do venture into South-East London, this is really good and on a direct bus route from the Horniman Museum (the P4, single decker). They describe themselves as plant-based, so I assume vegan, not vegetarian. The opening hours would need checking as they don't open for lunch every day. https://www.amrutha.co.uk/honor-oak/

It's very close to Honor Oak station on the main line to London Bridge and the Windrush line (Overground) which would give you one way to get back to Greenwich (with a change or two, but not a long or tricky journey).