An afternoon in London

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Will be arriving at lunchtime and will have 5/6 hours available.

The ideal scenario would be an exhibition/museum, a mooch in a bookshop or Liberty or somewhere of that ilk, plus a really nice late lunch and then maybe a bar.

Any suggestions? Budget is reasonable but not unlimited.

4 o' clock would be the perfect time for afternoon tea at the Wolseley.

Sorry OP, I’m going to derail your thread - tell me if you want me to start my own.

Sadly we are a party of 7 and all the big hotels (Savoy, Ritz, Claridges etc) have a maximum table size of 6.

We are meeting DD’s BF’s parents who are from the USA so we’d like to take them somewhere nice and touristy but not tacky. And I don’t like heights so The Shard is out!

I’m hoping to piggy back on some of the suggestions for the OP.

@BoJoSecretGF Have you actually spoken to the hotels as that doesn’t sound right- we had a table for 10 at Claridges recently and the Ritz will definitely do 8. They may not have them on the website though.

Derail away @BoJoSecretGF unless you'd actually LIKE to be Bo Jo's secret GF, in which case get off my thread and take yourself to hospital immediately.

Drink on the royal opera house terrace (it’s not that high) food at clos maggiore or rules (for the Englishness) or J sheekey. I really like the London transport museum too-it’s not just for kids! You could do the portrait gallery. Afternoon tea at the horse guards hotel?

@BoJoSecretGF we had a table of 10 at the Ritz but had to call and book direct.

We are booked for the Sony world photography exhibition at Somerset House towards the end of Easter break.

I'd really recommend the Courtauld Gallery which has just re-opened in Somerset House. It's very compact with a nice collection of famous impressionist paintings and the building itself and staircase inside is beautiful. Close enough to Covent Garden for lunch/shopping or even afternoon tea at the Savoy or the Waldorf.

I love the Foundling Museum. The green space around it is lovely too, such as the incredible Brunswick plane tree in Brunswick Square Gardens. Then some good mooching potential around the leafy Bloomsbury streets, such as Woburn Walk (good negronis in the Resting hare) which would lead you nicely to the Kimpton Fitzroy on Russell Square with its range of smart bars & restaurants to choose from.

@BoJoSecretGF

Placemarking as I am doing the same in a couple of weeks.

Are there any good all day restaurants who would be open around 4pm?

Pontis at the back of oxford circus

Thanks OP - no I’m not really his secret GF otherwise the man would not be breathing!

Afternoon teas - I went via the website so thanks for the heads up about phoning directly.

I have a friend who is considerably fitter and more agile than me and she climbed the 02 and then took an afternoon tea bus. Sounds epic (but not for us this time).

If you are travelling after 10 April then you can see the upcoming Raphael exhibition at the National Gallery & have lunch in Covent Garden.

I’m not really his secret GF otherwise the man would not be breathing!

Nice ideas here, thanks. Gutted that I can't get tickets for Van Gogh at the Courtauld.

Portrait Gallery is closed, sadly.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Portrait Gallery is closed, sadly.

Raphael will be on at the National, the one across the road from the Portrait.

I’m not really into Old Master stuff though. Could send OH and take myself shopping!

Yes, I prefer post 1900 myself.

So OH tells me that Raphael is his thang, so he's going. Looks like I'll have to go to Liberty, after all, then.

@Alwayspaintyournails

We are booked for the Sony world photography exhibition at Somerset House towards the end of Easter break.

This looks great but doesn't fit our dates, unfortunately.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

So OH tells me that Raphael is his thang, so he's going. Looks like I'll have to go to Liberty, after all, then.

Fantastic!