Where to spend an evening alone in London.

[qwertyasdfgzxcv]

Tomorrow I have an appointment in London which is done by 4.30pm but my return coach from Victoria isn't until 8.45pmish.

What can I do until then to stay safe? I will be on my own. Maybe someone can suggest a hotel lobby that I can sit and read a book in.

Any advice gratefully received.

There is lots of seating in places likes the Southbank Centre, National Theatre or the Barbican.

Cardinal place around the corner has shops/eateries and safe enough to pass the time and grab a light dinner in your own.

Why not use the time to browse the shops or go to a Museum? All the big London museums and galleries are free and fairly conveniently situated. If it was me, I'd spend an hour or so mooching round the shops in Covent Garden, then go to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, then get a bus from there to Victoria. Or go to Evensong at Westminster Abbey which is near Victoria.

If you're set on the sitting quietly and reading idea then the foyer at the South Bank Centre would work.

Safe?! Bit dramatic! If you just want to read a book I'd go sit in a coffee shop. But if it was me I'd see if any of the galleries or museums are open late for a walk around.

Seems a bit of a waste of an evening in Central London to just sit in a hotel lobby. You’ll be perfectly safe!

Laughing at "stay safe", I lived in London for 20 years and managed never to come a cropper!

Where is your appointment? My choice of activity for a couple of hours would be an art exhibition, solo afternoon tea and shopping! The Royal Academy, Hatchards and Fortnum & Mason would be nice. Or the Kings Road and Saatchi Gallery if you want to be near ish Victoria.

Where is your appointment?

I was there for work in December and hoped on the tube to regent street. Or as pp said one of the galleries?

The British Library next to St Pancras is nice, and often open till 8.

Where is your appointment? No point slogging down to a museum miles from Victoria and then rushing back.

Agree, I'd either wander down the King's Road, or go central and shop for a couple of hours.

You’ll be safe everywhere in central London, @qwertyasdfgzxcv - there will literally be millions of people around, shopping or going in and out of galleries, coffee shops, gyms, clubs, whatever.

If you could say what you yourself enjoy doing, posters could make suggestions more tailored to you. (I appreciate you may be weary after your appointment - in that case I’m particularly fond of the Barbican for doing nothing in company - though you could see if they have a film on that works for your schedule.)

Stay safe? What does you thinks going to happen to you?!

There’s a good cinema (the Curzon) near Victoria if you wanted to do something, and plenty of restaurants- in your shoes I’d probably do a film and dinner if I didn’t want to travel much on the Tube.

I wouldn’t worry about safety - the biggest risk is pickpocketing, but that’s easily avoided if you keep your bag close.

There are a lot of free museums and art exhibitions - maybe see if any are open until late?

Stay safe? You aren't in Beirut!
Go for a wander, museums, art gallery, pub , have an early dinner

You'll be safe anywhere and everywhere, OP. Don't be so dramatic! Just go for a drink and then have a meal. Not an issue.

Being a profligate type I’d choose my pastime regardless of location and just leave time for a cab back to Victoria (if necessary).

Do whatever you like?

Go shopping, a gallery, museum, cinema, go for sushi.

As long as you don’t wave your phone around or join an Albanian drug gang you’ll be fine.

Have a wander around Covent Garden and then jump in a black cab to Victoria

Royal Festival Hall foyer.

Any large bookshop.

Cardinal Place.

Methodist Central Hall basement cafe.

John Lewis Benugo cafe.

St Martin in the Fields Crypt cafe.

Friends meeting house.

Wellcome Collection.

If you’re in Covent Garden the Royal Opera House cafe is a fun place to spend a couple of hours. Pavement level, no opera ticket required. From late afternoon onwards it gradually fills up with people popping in for a post work / shopping coffee and then arriving for wine and a snack pre-performance. There’s such a diversity of outfits, and so much gossip to eavesdrop on …

It's not a war zone! Why are you focussing on staying safe? Maybe reframe your outlook. 'What can I do to enjoy a blissful 3 hours to myself in our capital city?

You could walk up to Buckingham Palace and get a coffee in St James Park/Green Park.

You could walk to the Tate Britain. You could hop on a bus to Oxford Street for the January Sales.

Loads of options!

Agree with the people and ideas above, make it an experience!

There are free exhibitions at Southbank Centre open till six and then loads of places to sit. Always busy, safe and buzzing.

Evensong (free) at Westminster Abbey is at 5 pm and that's near Victoria. Then grab a meal somewhere in Cardinal Place as someone mentioned before.

The National Portrait Gallery is excellent, free, and open till 9 pm on Saturdays.

There are always buskers in Covent Garden (inside and outside) so that is busy and interesting.

Depending where your appointment is, you could spend some time bus-hopping to look at the Christmas lights: https://londonist.com/london/christmas-in-london/how-to-see-london-s-christmas-lights-by-bus

What I would say about Victoria Coach station is it is not that lively directly around there. Victoria train station is busier and brighter so I would not get to the coach station too early (they also don't like you arriving early as it's not that big)

Oh yes! Big bookshop....

Foyles is open till 9 pm and I reckon I could live there permanently so could definitely spend three hours. https://www.foyles.co.uk/shops/london-charing-cross-road

Waterstones Piccadilly is also open till 9 pm and is the biggest book store in Europe: https://www.waterstones.com/bookshops/piccadilly

(The Covent Garden Waterstones is also open till 9 pm and could be combined with the busker watching above - not as big though).

Go out for dinner or to a gallery?
Why would you not be safe?

I would change my travel plans rather than spend hours sitting in a hotel lobby. That is utterly weird. With 4 hours from 4pm - 8pm in London I would wander about, see the sights, a bit of shopping. Go for a meal/coffee. I can't imagine any of that involving feeling unsafe.