148 ROYAL EXCHANGE HISTORIC BUILDING ST STEPHEN WALBROOK CHURCH Map p418 (www.theroyalexchange.co.uk; Royal Map p418 (%020-7626 9000; www.ststephen- Exchange, EC3; hshops 10am-6pm, restaurants walbrook.net; 39 Walbrook, EC4; h10am-4pm 8am-11pm Mon-Fri; tBank) The Royal Ex- Mon-Thu, to 3pm Fri; tBank) Just south of change was founded by Thomas Gresham Mansion House, St Stephen Walbrook (1679) in 1564, and this imposing, colonnaded is considered to be the finest of Wren’s City building at the juncture of Threadneedle churches and, as it was his first experiment St and Cornhill is the third building on with a dome, a forerunner to St Paul’s Ca- the site – the first was officially opened by thedral. Sixteen pillars with Corinthian Elizabeth I in 1570. It ceased functioning as capitals support the dome, and the modern a financial institution in the 1980s and now travertine marble altar, nicknamed ‘the houses posh shops, cafes and restaurants. Camembert’, is by sculptor Henry Moore. MANSION HOUSE HISTORIC BUILDING ST MARY-LE-BOW CHURCH Map p418 (%020-7397 9306; www.cityoflondon. Map p418 (%020-7248 5139; www.stmarylebow. gov.uk/about-the-city/the-lord-mayor/mansion- co.uk; Cheapside, EC2; h7.30am-6pm Mon-Wed, house; btwn King William St & Walbrook; tours to 6.30pm Thu, to 4pm Fri; tSt Paul’s, Bank) One adult/concession £7/5; hguided tour 2pm Tue; of Wren’s great churches, St Mary-le-Bow Th e Cit y S ights tBank) Opposite the Bank of England (1673) is famous as the church with the bells stands porticoed Mansion House, the of- that still dictate who is – and who is not – a ficial residence of the Lord Mayor of Lon- true cockney – it’s said that a true cockney don since 1752. Built by George Dance the has to have been born within earshot of Bow Elder, its magnificent interiors, including Bells. The church’s delicate steeple showing an impressive art collection and stunning the four classical orders is one of Wren’s fin- banqueting hall, can be visited on a weekly est works. tour, which leaves from the porch entrance on Walbrook. The 40 tickets are sold on a GUILDHALL HISTORIC BUILDING first-come-first-served basis. Check the Map p418 (%020-7606 3030; www.guildhall.city- oflondon.gov.uk; Gresham St, EC2; tBank) F website for advance closure notices. MONUMENT DON’T MISS... This huge 1677 column, known simply as the Monument, ¨¨Fantastic views is a memorial to the Great Fire of London of 1666, whose ¨¨Relief of Charles II impact on London’s history cannot be overstated. The ¨¨Claiming your Doric column made of Portland stone is 4.5m wide and certificate 60.6m tall – the exact distance it stands from the bakery in Pudding Lane where the fire is thought to have started. PRACTICALITIES Much of medieval London was destroyed in the fire, ¨¨Map p418, E3 with 13,200 houses reduced to rubble and an estimated ¨¨www.themonument. 70,000 people made homeless (though only a half- info dozen died). A relief at the base shows Charles II direct- ¨¨Fish Street Hill, EC3 ing the fire-fighting operations. ¨¨adult/child £4/2, incl Tower Bridge Exhibition The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher £10.50/4.70 Wren and Dr Robert Hooke and is topped with a gilded ¨¨h9.30am-6pm Apr- bronze urn of flames that some think looks like a big Sep, to 5.30pm Oct-Mar gold pincushion. Although Lilliputian by today’s stand- ¨¨tMonument ards, the ‘Fish St Pillar’ (as Hooke called it) would have towered over London when it was built. Climbing up the column’s 311 spiral steps rewards you with some of the best 360-degree views over Lon- don (due to its central location as much as to its height). And after your descent, you’ll also be the proud owner of a certificate that commemorates your achievement.
Bang in the centre of the Square Mile, the 149 Guildhall has been the City’s seat of govern- The archaeological remains of the long- ment for more than 800 years. The present sought Roman amphitheatre (or coliseum) building dates from the early 15th century, were only discovered in 1988 when work making it the only existing secular stone finally began on a new gallery after the structure to have survived the Great Fire original’s destruction in the Blitz. While of 1666, although it was severely damaged only a few remnants of the stone walls lin- both then and during the Blitz of 1940. ing the eastern entrance still stand, they’re imaginatively fleshed out with a black-and- Check in at reception to visit the impres- fluorescent-green trompe l’oeil of the miss- sive Great Hall, where you can see the ban- ing seating, and computer-meshed outlines ners and shields of London’s 12 principal liv- of spectators and gladiators. Markings on ery companies, or guilds, which used to wield the square outside the Guildhall indicate the absolute power throughout the City. The lord original extent and scale of the amphithea- mayor and two sheriffs are still elected annu- tre, which could seat up to 6000 spectators. ally in the vast open hall. Among the monu- ments to look out for are statues of Winston ST LAWRENCE JEWRY CHURCH Churchill, Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wel- lington and Prime Minister William Pitt the Map p418 (%020-7600 9478; www.stlawrencejew- Elder. In the upper gallery, at the western ry.org.uk; Guildhall Yard, EC2; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri; end, are statues of the biblical giants Gog and tBank) The Corporation of London’s well- Th e Cit y S ights Magog, traditionally considered to be guard- preserved official church was built by Chris- ians of the City – today’s figures replaced topher Wren in 1677, but almost completely similar 18th-century statues destroyed in the destroyed during WWII bombing. Its im- Blitz. The Guildhall’s stained glass was also maculate alabaster walls and gilt trimmings blown out during the Blitz, but a modern do its restorers proud. Free piano recitals are window in the southwestern corner depicts held each Monday at 1pm; organ recitals are the City’s history – look out for a picture of at the same time on Tuesday. London’s most famous lord mayor, Richard The first part of the church’s name refers ‘Dick’ Whittington, with his famous cat, a to a 3rd-century Christian martyr executed scene of the Great Fire and even the Lloyd’s on a sizzling gridiron. The second part tells of London building. us that this was once part of the Jewish quar- ter – the centre being Old Jewry, the street to the southeast. The Jews were expelled from England by Edward I in 1290 and did not re- GUILDHALL GALLERIES & ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE GALLERY turn until the late 17th century. Map p418 (%020-7332 3646; www.cityoflondon. ARCHITECTURE gov.uk/guildhallgalleries; Guildhall Yard, EC2; BARBICAN h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun; tBank) Map p418 (%020-7638 4141; www.barbican. org.uk; Silk St, EC2; architectural tours adult/ F The Guildhall Art Gallery provides a child £12.50/10; harts centre 9am-11pm Mon- fascinating look at the politics of the Square Sat, from 10am Sun, architectural tours 6pm or Mile over the past few centuries, with a great collection of paintings of London in 7pm Tue & Thu, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm Sat & Sun; W; tBarbican, Moorgate) Londoners remain the 18th and 19th centuries, while the new fairly divided about the architectural value City of London Heritage Gallery displays documents from the archives. Below the of this vast complex built after WWII, but the Barbican remains the City’s preeminent gallery is London’s Roman Amphitheatre cultural centre, counting the main Barbi- dating back to the early 2nd century AD. can Hall, two theatres, a state-of-the-art Among the art gallery’s works is The De- feat of the Floating Batteries (1791) by the cinema complex and two well-regarded art galleries: the 3rd-floor Barbican Gallery the American artist John Singleton Copley, (h10am-6pm Sat-Wed, to 9pm Thu & Fri) and the which depicts the British victory at Gibraltar in 1782. This huge oil painting was removed Curve (h11am-8pm Sat-Wed, to 9pm Thu & Fri) on the ground floor. to safety just a month before the gallery was Built on a huge bomb site abandoned hit by a German bomb in 1941 – it spent 50 years rolled up before restoration in 1999. since WWII and opened progressively be- tween 1969 and 1982, the vast housing and Sharing the same space, the heritage cultural complex is named after a Roman gallery displays such documents as a 1967 charter from William the Conqueror and a fortification that once stood here protect- ing ancient Londinium. It incorporates John 1297 copy of the Magna Carta.
150 Built on the site of the notorious St Bar- Milton’s parish church, St Giles Cripplegate tholomew’s Fair, where witches were burned (%020-7638 1997; www.stgilescripplegate.com; at the stake, this is where Scottish independ- Fore St, EC2; h11am-4pm Mon-Fri; tBarbican), ence leader William Wallace was executed in into its avant-garde (for the time) design and 1305 (there’s a plaque on the wall of St Bart’s embellishes its public areas with lakes and Hospital, south of the market, ending with ponds ringed with benches. Apartments in the Gaelic words ‘Bas agus Buaidh’ or ‘Death the three high-rise towers that surround the and Victory’), as well as the place where one cultural centre are some of the City’s most of the leaders of the Peasants’ Revolt, Wat Ty- sought-after living spaces. Guided architec- ler, met his end in 1381. Described in terms of tural tours are fascinating and the best way pure horror by Dickens in Oliver Twist, this to make sense of the purpose and beauty of was once the armpit of London, where animal the estate. excrement and entrails created a sea of filth. Getting around the Barbican can be frus- The market itself is a colourful building de- tratingly difficult. There are stairs from Bar- signed in 1868 by Horace Jones, who also de- bican tube station that take you up onto the signed Leadenhall Market and Tower Bridge. elevated walkways, from where a yellow line Th e Cit y S ightson the floor guides you to the arts complex. GOLDEN BOY OF PYE CORNER MONUMENT More straightforward is to walk through the Map p418 (cnr Cock Lane & Giltspur St, EC1; tSt Beech St road tunnel to the Silk St entrance. Paul’s, Barbican) This small statue of a cor- pulent boy opposite St Bartholomew’s Hos- ST BARTHOLOMEW-THE-GREAT CHURCH pital has a strange dedication: ‘In memory Map p418 (%020-7606 5171; www.greatstbarts. put up for the fire of London occasioned by com; West Smithfield, EC1; adult/concession the sin of gluttony 1666’. All becomes clear, £4/3.50; h8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-4pm however, when you realise the Great Fire Sat, 8.30am-8pm Sun; tFarringdon, Barbican) started in a bakery on Pudding Lane and Dating to 1123 and adjoining one of London’s burned itself out in what was once called oldest hospitals, St Bartholomew-the-Great Pye (Pie) Corner. This was interpreted as a is worth more than a fleeting visit. The au- sign the fire was an act of God as punish- thentic Norman arches and other details lend ment for the gluttony of Londoners. this holy space an ancient calm. Approaching from nearby Smithfield Market through the POSTMAN’S PARK PARK restored 13th-century half-timbered archway is like walking back in time. Map p418 (btwn King Edward & St Martin’s-le- Grand Sts, EC1; tSt Paul’s) This peaceful The church was originally part of the patch of greenery, just north of what was monastery of Augustinian Canons, but be- once London’s General Post Office on St came the parish church of Smithfield in 1539 Martin’s-le-Grand St, contains the unu- when King Henry VIII dissolved the monas- sual Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice, a teries. William Hogarth was baptised here loggia with 54 ceramic plaques describing and the young American statesman Benja- deeds of bravery by ordinary people who min Franklin worked in the yard as an ap- died saving the lives of others and who prentice printer. The church has been used as might otherwise have been forgotten. a setting for many films and TV productions, The memorial was the brainchild of the including Four Weddings and a Funeral, artist George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) and Shakespeare in Love and Sherlock Holmes. was unveiled in 1900. His wife, Mary, over- The Cloister Cafe (h8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, saw the ongoing project after his death but 9.30am-6.30pm Sun; tBarbican) is great for a the memorial was all but abandoned when meal or snack. she died in 1938. Only two plaques have been SMITHFIELD MARKET MARKET added since that time, most recently in 2009. Map p418 (www.smithfieldmarket.com; West It is dedicated to Leigh Pitt, a print techni- Smithfield, EC1; h2-10am Mon-Fri; tFarringdon) cian who died in 2007 while trying to rescue Smithfield is central London’s last surviv- a nine-year-old boy who was drowning in a ing meat market. Its name derives from canal in southeast London. ‘smooth field’, where animals could graze, although its history is far from pastoral as CENTRAL CRIMINAL this was once a place where public execu- COURT (OLD BAILEY) HISTORIC BUILDING tions were held. Visit the market by 7am at Map p418 (%020-7248 3277; www.cityoflondon. gov.uk; cnr Newgate & Old Bailey Sts; h9.45am- the latest to see it in full swing.
1pm & 2-4pm Mon-Fri; tSt Paul’s) F Taking 151 in a trial in what’s nicknamed the Old Bailey dome is not blindfolded (against undue in- leaves watching a TV courtroom drama for fluence, as is traditionally the case). dust. Even if you end up sitting in on a fairly run-of-the-mill trial, simply being in the HOLBORN VIADUCT BRIDGE court where such people as the Kray broth- ers and Oscar Wilde (in an earlier building Map p418 (tSt Paul’s, Farringdon) This fine on this site) once appeared is memorable. iron bridge was built in an effort to smart- en up the area, as well as to link Holborn The daily register of cases is outside, to and Newgate St above what had been a the right of the main doorway on Old Bailey valley created by the River Fleet. The four St; the public-gallery entrance is via War- bronze statues represent commerce and ag- wick Ct a few steps to the south. Choose riculture (on the southern side) and science from among 18 courts, of which the oldest and fine art (on the north). – courts one to four – usually have the most interesting cases. As cameras, video equip- DR JOHNSON’S HOUSE MUSEUM ment, mobile phones, large bags and food and drink are all forbidden inside, and there Map p418 (www.drjohnsonshouse.org; 17 Gough are no cloakrooms or lockers, it’s important Sq, EC4; adult/child £4.50/1.50, audioguide £2; not to take these with you. If you’re inter- h11am-5.30pm Mon-Sat May-Sep, to 5pm Oct- ested in a high-profile trial, get here early. Apr; tChancery Lane) This wonderful house, built in 1700, is a rare surviving example Th e Cit y S ights The Central Criminal Court gets its nick- of a Georgian mansion in the City. It was name from the street on which it stands: the home of the great Georgian wit Samu- baillie was Norman French for ‘enclosed el Johnson, the author of the first serious courtyard’. The current building opened dictionary of the English language and the in 1907 on the combined site of a previous man who famously proclaimed, ‘When a court and Newgate Prison. Intriguingly the man is tired of London, he is tired of life’. figure of justice holding a sword and scales The house contains antique furniture and in her hands above the building’s copper artefacts from Dr Johnson’s life, including a chair from his local pub, the Old Cock Tav- ern on Fleet St, and numerous paintings of MUSEUM OF LONDON DON’T MISS... One of the capital’s best museums, this is a fascinat- ¨¨Victorian walk ing walk through the City’s various incarnations from ¨¨Rhinebeck Pano- Anglo-Saxon village to 21st-century metropolis. rama ¨¨Wellclose Square The first gallery, London Before London, brings to prison cell life the ancient settlements that predated the capital ¨¨Roman London and is followed by the Roman era, which is full of excel- ¨¨1348 Black Death lent displays, models and archaeological finds. The video rest of the floor takes you through the Saxon, medieval (don’t miss the 1348 Black Death video), Tudor and PRACTICALITIES Stuart periods, culminating in the Great Fire of 1666. ¨¨Map p418, D1 After a glimpse of the real Roman wall from the ¨¨www.museumoflon- window, head down to the modern galleries where, in don.org.uk Expanding City, you’ll find exquisite fashion and jewel- ¨¨150 London Wall, EC2 lery, the graffitied walls of a prison cell (1750) and the ¨¨admission free Rhinebeck Panorama, a detailed watercolour of London ¨¨h10am-6pm in 1806–07. After the re-created Georgian Pleasure ¨¨tBarbican Gardens, you emerge onto a glorious Victorian street. Highlights include a 1908 taxi cab, a 1928 art-deco lift from Selfridges and costumes worn by East End Pearly Kings and Queens. The testimonies of ordinary people from WWII are particularly moving. Highlights tours depart daily at 11am, noon, 3pm and 4pm.
152 the lexographer and his associates, includ- Its most obvious points of interest are the ing his black manservant Francis Barber life-size stone effigies of nine 13th-century and his clerk and biographer James Boswell. knights lying on the floor of the Round. Some of them are cross-legged, but contra- On the upper floors there are leaflets ry to popular belief this doesn’t necessarily describing how Dr Johnson and six clerks mean they were crusaders. It’s one of just (Boswell wasn’t among them yet) developed four round churches left in England. the first English dictionary in the house’s attic during the period he lived here from 5 EATING 1748 to 1759, as well as a copy of the first edi- tion of the dictionary from 1755. Children The financial heart of London will love the Georgian dress-up clothes, and there are also temporary exhibits. ST BRIDE’S, FLEET STREET CHURCH unsurprisingly caters for a well-heeled crowd and it can be a tough place to Map p418 (%020-7427 0133; www.stbrides.com; find a meal at the weekend, if not on a Bride Lane, EC4; tours £6; h8.30am-5pm Mon- weekday evening. You’ll find plenty of Fri, hours vary Sat, 11am-5.30pm Sun; tSt Paul’s, places to choose from, however, in One Blackfriars) Printing presses fell silent on Fleet New Change (p135). During the week, Th e Cit y E ating St in the 1980s, but St Bride’s, designed by Leadenhall Market (p147) stalls offer Christopher Wren in 1672 and his tallest (and a delicious array of food, from steaming most expensive) church after St Paul’s Ca- noodles to mountains of sarnies thedral, is still referred to as the ‘journalists’ (sandwiches) at lunchtime. church’. There’s a moving chapel in the north aisle honouring journalists who’ve died or CAFÉ BELOW CAFE £ been injured in the course of their work. Map p418 (%020-7329 0789; www.cafebelow.co.uk; The spire, added in 1703, is said to have in- St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside, EC2; mains £8.75-11.25, spired the design of the tiered wedding cake. 3-course set dinner £20; h7.30am-2.30pm Mon & The church was hit by bombs in December Tue, to 9.15pm Wed-Fri; v; tMansion House, St 1940, and the interior layout is wood-p anelled, Paul’s) This atmospheric cafe-restaurant, in modern and not particularly attractive. the crypt of one of London’s most famous In the 11th-century crypt, however, there’s churches offers excellent value and such tasty a well-presented history of the church, its dishes as pan-fried sea bream with chermou- surrounding areas and the printing industry la (spicy North African sauce) and aubergine – don’t miss the Roman pavement from the Parmigiana. There are as many vegetarian 2nd century AD. Guided tours depart at 3pm choices as meat ones. Summer sees tables on Tuesday, but check the website for details. outside in the shady courtyard. TEMPLE CHURCH CHURCH BEA’S OF BLOOMSBURY CAFE £ Map p406 (%020-7353 3470; www.temple- Map p418 (%020-7242 8330; www.beasofblooms- church.com; adult/child £5/free; h10am-1pm bury.com; 83WatlingSt,EC4; teas£9-24; h7.30am- & 2-4pm Mon-Fri, hours & days vary; tTemple) 7pm Mon-Fri, from 10.30am Sat & Sun; tSt Paul’s) This magnificent church was built by the Bea’s made its name with its signature cup- secretive Knights Templar, an order of cru- cakes, so it was only natural for it to offer sading monks founded in the 12th century a full afternoon tea, too. This branch of the to protect pilgrims travelling to and from Bloomsbury institution is tiny but original, Jerusalem. Today the sprawling oasis of with great cake displays and boutique decor. fine buildings and pleasant, traffic-free It’s at One New Change and is an excellent green space is home to two Inns of Court: place to refuel after visiting St Paul’s. Inner Temple and Middle Temple. A key scene of The Da Vinci Code was set here. DUCK & WAFFLE BRASSERIE ££ The Temple Church has a distinctive de- Map p418 (%020-3640 7310; www.duckandwaf- fle.com; 40th fl, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, sign and is in two parts: the Round (con- EC2; mains £10-19; h24hr; tLiverpool St) If you secrated in 1185 and modelled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem) like your views with sustenance round the clock, this is the place for you. Perched atop adjoins the Chancel (built in 1240), which is Heron Tower, just down from Liverpool the heart of the modern church. Both parts were severely damaged by a bomb in 1941 St Station, it serves European and British dishes (shellfish, roast chicken, some unu- and have been completely reconstructed.
sual seafood concoctions such as pollack 153 meatballs) in small and large sizes by day, tTower Hill) The location of this minimalist waffles by night, and round-the-clocktails. new build on the Thames, at the foot of Tow- er Bridge, is hard to beat – indeed, the res- WINE LIBRARY MODERN EUROPEAN ££ taurant’s bar actually spreads into an arch under Tower Bridge. The food – mostly clas- Map p418 (%020-7481 0415; www.winelibrary. sic British (Morecambe Bay potted shrimp, co.uk; 43 Trinity Sq, EC3; set meal £18; h11.30am- fish and chips, high-end pies) – matches the 3pm Mon, to 8pm Tue-Fri; tTower Hill) This is a A-list spot. great place for a light but boozy lunch oppo- site the Tower. Buy a bottle of wine at retail The restaurant’s odd name comes from a price (no mark-up, £8 corkage fee) from the character in the Canterbury Tales by Geof- large selection on offer at the vaulted-cellar frey Chaucer who, as comptroller of the cus- restaurant and then snack on a set plate of toms for the port of London (his day job), delicious pâtés, cheeses and salads. Reser- oversaw the construction of Tower Wharf in vations are recommended at lunch. the late 14th century. WHITE SWAN GASTROPUB ££ FOLLY INTERNATIONAL ££ Map p418 (%020-7242 9696; www.thewhiteswan- Map p418 (%0845 468 0102; www.thefollybar. london.com; 108 New Fetter Lane, EC4; mains £14- Th e Cit y D r inking & N ightlife com; 41 Gracechurch St, EC3; mains £9-25; h7.30am-late Mon-Fri, from 10am Sat & Sun; 24; hnoon-3pm & 6-10pm Mon-Fri; tChancery Lane) Though it may look like just another tMonument) Love, love, love this ‘secret gar- City pub from the street, the White Swan is den’ cafe-restaurant-cum-bar on two levels filled with greenery (both real and faux) anything but typical – a smart downstairs bar that serves excellent pub food (mains £13 to and picnic-table seating. The aptly named £19) under the watchful eyes of animal prints Folly has a full menu on offer, with a strong emphasis on burgers and steaks, and its and trophies, including a swan, and an up- stairs dining room with a classic, meaty Brit- desserts are positively sinful. It has an ex- ish menu (two-/three-course meal £29/34). cellent wine and champagne selection, too. CITY SOCIAL MODERN BRITISH £££ MIYAMA JAPANESE ££ Map p418 (%020-7877 7703; http://citysociallon- Map p418 (%020-7489 1937; www.miyama- don.com; Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Dt, EC2; mains restaurant.co.uk; 17 Godliman St, EC4; mains £13.50-23; h11.30am-2.30pm & 5.45-9.30pm £18-38; hnoon-3pm & 6-11.30pm Mon-Sat; tLiv- erpool St) Should you need to impress some- Mon-Fri; tSt Paul’s) Always one of our favour- one – even yourself – bring him, her and/or ite Japanese restaurants, and virtually in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, Miyama said self to this glamour puss on the 24th floor of Tower 42. Come for the stunning offers something for everyone from soba and City views (including ones from the toilets), udon noodles to sushi and bento boxes. But find us for the most part in the teppan bar in the art-deco decor, the chef’s table with room for 10 soon-to-be-new best friends and the basement, where the teppanyaki (from Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred dishes. £30) offers some of the best value in the City. There are lots of safe-as-houses pasta and grill choices, but we’ll go every time CAMINO MONUMENTO SPANISH ££ for the superb Lancashire saddle of rabbit, Map p418 (%020-7841 7335; www.camino. Romney Marsh lamb fillet, or one of the uk.com; 15 Mincing Lane, EC3; mains £13.50- 22.50; hnoon-11pm Mon-Fri; tMonument) With three or four fish dishes. an enormous map of the Iberian peninsula on one wall and its illustrative name, there’s no doubt you’re in a Spanish restaurant. 6 DRINKING & Stick with the tapas (£4 to £13.50), which NIGHTLIFE might be del asador (from the grill) such as Rioja chorizo with roasted piquillo peppers oSKY POD BAR, CAFE or more prosaic bodega (cellar) ones such as Map p418 (%0333-772 0020; http://skygarden. london/sky-pod-bar; 20 Fenchurch St, EC3; h7am- manchego cheese with quince jelly. 2am Mon-Fri, 8am-2am Sat, 9am-9pm Sun; tMonu- oPERKIN REVELLER BRASSERIE ££ ment) One of the best places in the City to get high is the Sky Pod in the Sky Garden on level Map p418 (%020-3166 6949; www.perkinreveller. 35 of the so-called Walkie Talkie. The views co.uk; The Wharf, Tower of London, EC3; mains £15.50-25.50; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun; are nothing short of phenomenal – especially
154 e# 0 200 m 0 0.1 miles ¥# Barbican Beech St Chiswell St &~#2 Long La #5 #5 Wilson St #1 #3 #4 Moorgate Finsbury Liverpool St ¥# Circus ¥# £# London Wall Bil liter St King William StAldersgateWormwood St Wood St Little Britain Moorgate #6 ishopsgate 'Camomei€le St 0000000000#70000000000 St Mary Ax 0000St0000Paul's ¥# Gresham St Lothbury B #11 Cheapside Poultry #8 Cornhill Leadenhall St Queen Victoria St CITY ¥# LBoamnkbard St #10 ¥# #9 Lime Queen St cechurch St Mansion Walbrook¥# Cannon St St House Gra 22Neighbourhood Walk Wren-designed church destroyed in a WWII A Taste of the City bombing in 1940. Turn left into Love Lane and right into Aldermanbury – the impres- START ST BARTHOLOMEW-THE-GREAT END 30 ST MARY AXE (THE GHERKIN) sive 15th-century 7Guildhall (p148) is on LENGTH 1.5 MILES; THREE HOURS your left. Crossing its courtyard – note the The City of London has as much history in black outline of the Roman amphitheatre its Square Mile as the rest of London put – continue east onto Gresham St, taking a together, and this walk picks out just a few right into Prince’s St and emerging onto the of its highlights. Start by exploring 12th- busy Bank intersection lined with neoclas- sical temples to commerce. Behind the century 1St Bartholomew-the-Great Duke of Wellington statue is a metal pyra- mid detailing the many significant build- (p150), whose atmospheric interior has been used frequently as a film set. Head ings here. From the 8Royal Exchange through the Tudor gatehouse and turn right towards the colourful Victorian arches of (p148), follow Cornhill and take a right down Gracechurch St. Turn left into wonderful 2Smithfield Market (p150). Take a right 9Leadenhall Market (p147), roughly down Long Lane and another at Aldersgate St. Follow the roundabout to the right and where the Roman forum once stood. As you nip up the stairs (or take the lift) to the leave the market’s far end, aLloyd’s of 3Museum of London (p151). Explore London (p146) displays its innards for all to the museum’s excellent galleries or head to see. Once you turn left onto Lime St, b30 the right to the ruins of the 4Roman City St Mary Axe (p146), or ‘the Gherkin’, Walls and behind them the distinctive tow- looms before you. Built nearly 900 years af- ter St Bartholomew-the-Great, it’s tangible ers of the 5Barbican (p149). Turn right testimony to the City’s ability to constantly at Wood St to find the remaining 6Tower reinvent itself. of St Alban (1698), all that’s left of a
from the open-air South Terrace – the gardens 155 are lush and it’s the only place where this ob- this award-winning pub certainly looks and structive building won’t be in your face. feels comfortable in the former headquar- ters of NatWest Bank (1893) with its domed Enjoy a cocktail or a light meal (break- skylight and beautifully appointed main bar. fast £5.50, sandwiches and salads from This is a favourite of City boys and girls, who £4.75). More substantial meals are available come for the good range of real ales and the above in the Sky Garden’s Darwin Brasse- speciality pies (from £11.25). rie (level 36) and the Fenchurch Seafood Bar & Grill (level 37). But we prefer this cafe YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE PUB and bar where the seating is free and the atmosphere relaxed. The only drawback is Map p418 (%020-7353 6170; Wine Office Court, 145 that without a restaurant reservation, entry Fleet St, EC4; h11.30am-11pm Mon-Fri, noon-11pm is ticketed (see website) from 10am to 6pm Sat; tChancery Lane) The entrance to this weekdays and 11am to 9pm on Saturday and historic pub is via a narrow alley off Fleet St. Sunday. Outside those hours, be prepared to Over its long history, locals have included Dr queue (and perhaps be disappointed). Johnson, Thackeray and Dickens. Despite (or possibly because of) this, the Cheshire feels today like a bit of a museum. Nevertheless it’s one of London’s most famous pubs and well JAMAICA WINE HOUSE PUB Th e Cit y E nte r ta inment Map p418 (www.shepherdneame.co.uk/pubs/ worth popping in for a pint. london/jamaica-wine-house; 12 St Michael’s Al- ley, EC3; h11am-11pm Mon-Fri; tBank) Not a PUB SHIP wine bar at all, but a historic Victorian pub, Map p418 (%020-7702 4422; www.shipec3.co.uk; 3 Hart St, EC3; h11.30am-11pm Mon-Fri; tTower the ‘Jam Pot’ stands on the site of what was Hill) This small and now very smart pub London’s first coffee house (1652), places that were often just fronts for brothels. At with a nautical theme is a short walk from Tower Hill and an oasis of calm away from the end of a narrow alley, this is a difficult the hubbub of the Tower. The Upper Deck place to find but well worth it. dining room looks like a film set and serves better-than-average pub grub. MADISON COCKTAIL BAR Map p418 (%020-3693 5160; www.madison- london.net; Roof Terrace, One New Change, EC4; h8am-midnight Mon-Wed, to 2am Thu-Sat, 9am- 3 ENTERTAINMENT 9pm Sun; tSt Paul’s) Perched atop One New Change with a full-frontal view of St Paul’s BARBICAN PERFORMING ARTS and beyond, Madison offers one of the larg- Map p418 (%0845 121 6823, box office 10am- est public open-air roof terraces you’ll ever 8pm Mon-Sat, from 11am Sun 020-7638 8891; encounter. There’s a full restaurant and bar www.barbican.org.uk; Silk St, EC2; tBarbican) on one side and a cocktail bar with outdoor Home to the wonderful London Symphony seating on the other. We come for the latter. Orchestra and its associate orchestra, the less-known BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BLACKFRIAR PUB arts centre also hosts scores of other lead- Map p418 (%020-7236 5474; www.nicholsons ing musicians, focusing in particular on pubs.co.uk/theblackfriarblackfriarslondon; 174 Queen Victoria St, EC4V; h10am-11.30pm Mon-Fri, jazz, folk, world and soul artists. Dance is another strong point here. 11am-11.30pm Sat, noon-11pm Sun; tBlackfriars) It may look like the corpulent friar above the entrance just stepped out of this olde- 7 SHOPPING worlde pub just north of Blackfriars station, but the interior is actually an art-nouveau makeover from 1905. Built on the site of a oSILVER VAULTS CRAFT monastery of Dominicans (who wore black Map p418 (%020-7242 3844; http://silvervaults london.com; 53-63 Chancery Lane, WC2; h9am- robes), the theme is appealingly celebrated 5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat; tChancery Lane) The throughout the pub. Good selection of ales. 30-odd shops that work out of these secure subterranean vaults make up the largest col- COUNTING HOUSE PUB lection of silver under one roof in the world. Map p418 (www.the-counting-house.com; 50 Corn- The different businesses tend to specialise in hill, EC3; h11am-11pm Mon-Fri; W; tBank, Monu- ment) With its counters and basement vaults, particular types of silverware – from cutlery sets to picture frames and lots of jewellery.
1 56 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd The South Bank WATERLOO | BANKSIDE & SOUTHWARK | LONDON BRIDGE | BERMONDSEY | ROTHERHITHE Neighbourhood Top Five 5 Getting a Bard’s- 1 Finding out what all the 3 Stimulating your taste fuss is about by exploring buds on a gastronomic tour eye view of Elizabethan the magnificent modern-art of discovery at Borough theatrics at the magnificent collection at the peerless Market (p162). Shakespeare’s Globe Tate Modern (p158). (p160). 4 Sipping a coffee or 2 Revolving in leisurely cocktail at Oblix (p170) in fashion above London’s the Shard for riveting views panoramic cityscape in the of the city. iconic London Eye (p161). e# 0 500 m QueCenITVYictoria St Lombard St 0 0.25 miles ch Aldwy Strand Queen St Victoria Embankment Blackfriars Millennium Upper Thames St Bridge Bridge London Victoria River Thames Southwark Bridge Embankment 1# Bridge Gardens Waterloo Bridge 5# Blackfriars RdStamford St Southwark Ü#HiBgohroSutgh Waterloo Rd Cathedral Southwark Waterloo Rd SOUTHWARK St 3# Oblix Jubilee SOUTH Union St St Thom4#as St BANK 2# Gardens York Rd The Cut â# Rd Tabard St London BOROUGH Bridge Borough Long La Dungeon Lam Baylis Rd Southwark Palace Rd Westminster Bridge Rd Causeway beth LAMBETH London Rd Great Dover St Archbishop's Lambeth Rd Newington Harper Rd Park For more detail of this area see Map p420A
Explore: The South Bank 157 Once neglected beyond its arts venues, the South Bank Lonely Planet’s has transformed into one of London’s must-see neigh- Top Tip bourhoods. A roll call of riverside sights stretches along the Thames, commencing with the London Eye, running To collect the main sights, past the cultural enclave of the Southbank Centre and on trace the Silver Jubilee Walk to the Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge and Shake- and the South Bank section speare’s Globe. It continues: waterside pubs, a cathedral, of the Thames Path along one of London’s most-visited food markets, London’s the southern riverbank, but tallest building, a handful of fun diversions for kids and do venture further inland for irrepressible kidults and the increasingly hip neighbour- the best eating and drinking. hood of Bermondsey. A stunning panorama unfolds on the far side of the Thames, as head-swivelling architec- 5 Best Places ture rises up on either bank. to Eat The drawcard sights stretch west–east in a manage- ¨¨Arabica Bar & Kitchen able riverside melange, so doing it on foot is the best way. (p167) Located roughly halfway between the London Eye and Tower Bridge, the Tate Modern is by far the most time- ¨¨Union Street Cafe intensive sight, and can easily hollow out a day’s sight- (p167) seeing; two to three days for the South Bank is optimum but if you’re in a rush, one day may do for a (frazzling) ¨¨Skylon (p167) whistle-stop look at the main sights. ¨¨Baltic (p167) ¨¨Watch House (p167) Local Life For reviews, see p166 A The South Bank ¨Hang-outs Cool Londoners love Maltby Street Market (p173) for its gourmet sandwiches, crazy cocktails and 6 Best Places rollicking atmosphere. to Drink ¨Museums Locals earmark Friday and Saturday late- night opening (till 10pm) at the Tate Modern (p158), ¨¨Wine Pantry when the art crowds have thinned. ¨Artisan food & drink Be it for their next dinner ¨¨Scootercaffe (p169) party or just a treat, Londoners love buying delicious products at Borough Market (p162), trying English ¨¨40 Maltby Street wines at the Wine Pantry (p170) or craft beers from (p170) the Bermondsey Beer Mile (p171). ¨¨Oblix (p170) Getting There & Away ¨¨Mayflower (p170) ¨Underground The South Bank is lashed into the tube For reviews, see p169 A system by stations at Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge and Bermondsey, all on the Jubilee Line; the 1 Best Northern Line runs through London Bridge and Theatres Waterloo (the Bakerloo line runs through the latter). ¨On Foot Cross to South Bank from the City over ¨¨Shakespeare’s Globe & Tower Bridge or the Millennium Bridge, or from the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse West End across Waterloo Bridge. Each offers sublime (p171) views of the city. ¨Bicycle Jump on a Santander Bike and wheel it! ¨¨National Theatre ¨Bus The Riverside RV1 runs around the South Bank (p171) and Bankside, linking all the main sights (running between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway). ¨¨Young Vic (p172) ¨¨Old Vic (p172) For reviews, see p171 A
TATE MODERN The public’s love affair with this phenomenally DON’T MISS... JOHN HARPER / GETTY IMAGES © successful modern-art gallery shows no sign of ¨¨Turbine Hall cooling more than 15 years after it opened. In fact, ¨¨Special Exhibitions so enraptured are art goers with the Tate Modern that over 60 million visitors have flocked to the ¨¨Views of St Paul’s former power station since it opened in 2000. To from level 3 balconies accommodate this exceptional popularity, the Tate is expanding: the museum is converting the power PRACTICALITIES station’s three huge subterranean oil tanks and building a daring 11-storey geometric extension at the ¨¨Map p420, D3 back. Grand opening planned for 2016. ¨¨www.tate.org.uk Power Station ¨¨Queen’s Walk, SE1 ¨¨admission free The 200m-long Tate Modern is an imposing sight. The conversion of the empty Bankside Power Station – all 4.2 ¨¨h10am-6pm Sun-Thu, million bricks of it – into an art gallery was a masterstroke to 10pm Fri & Sat of design. The ‘Tate Modern effect’ is clearly as much about ¨¨Wc the building and its location (cue the ever popular balco- ¨¨tBlackfriars, South- nies on level 3 with magnificent views of St Paul’s) as the wark, London Bridge mostly 20th-century art inside. The new Tate Modern Pro- ject extension will similarly be constructed of brick, but artistically devised as a lattice through which interior lights will be visible at eventide. Turbine Hall The first thing to greet you as you pour down the ramp off Holland St (the main entrance) is the astounding 3300-sq-metre Turbine Hall (enter from the river entrance and you’ll end up on more-muted level 2). Originally housing the power station’s humungous electric- ity generators, this vast space has become the commanding venue for large-scale installa- tion art and temporary exhibitions. Some art critics swipe at its populism, particularly the ‘participatory art’ (Carsten Höller’s funfair-like slides Test Site; Doris Salcedo’s enormous
159 Shibboleth fissure in the floor; and Robert Morris’ FURTHER Th e So u th Ba n k Tate M o de r n climbable geometric sculpture), but others insist this INFORMATION makes art more accessible. Originally visitors were invited to trample over Ai Weiwei’s thoughtful and Audioguides (in five compelling Sunflower Seeds – a huge carpet of hand- languages) are available painted ceramic seeds – until it was discovered peo- for £4 – they contain ple were making off with them in their shoes and explanations about 50 turn-ups (to later appear on eBay) and the dust emit- artworks across the ted by the ‘seeds’ was diagnosed a health risk. galleries and offer sug- gested tours for adults Permanent Collection or children. Free guided highlights tours depart Tate Modern’s permanent collection is arranged at 11am, noon, 2pm and by both theme and chronology on levels 2, 3 and 4. 3pm daily. More than 60,000 works are on constant rotation, which can be frustrating if you’d like to see one Swiss architects particular piece, but is thrilling for repeat visitors. Herzog & de Meuron Helpfully, you can check the excellent website to see scooped the prestig- whether a specific work is on display – and where. ious Pritzker Prize for their transforma- The curators have at their disposal paintings tion of empty Bank- by Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, side Power Station, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, as which closed in 1981. well as pieces by Joseph Beuys, Damien Hirst, Re- Leaving the build- becca Horn, Claes Oldenburg and Auguste Rodin. ing’s single central 99m-high chimney, Level 2: Poetry & Dream; Making adding a two-storey Trace glass box onto the roof and employ- This collection submerges the viewer in the world of ing the cavernous surrealism and the dreamlike mindscapes of Yves Turbine Hall as a dra- Tanguy, Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí and other artists. matic entrance space It seeks to show visitors how contemporary art has were three strokes grown from the past and can, in turn, provide new of genius. They also insights. In Making Traces, visitors will get a sense designed the new of the artist in action, with pieces illustrating the Tate extension, open- process of creating. The display is centred around ing in 2016. Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals. TATE TO TATE BOAT Level 4: Evolution of Abstraction & Radical Art For the most scenic of culture trips, take Focussing on the evolution of abstract art since the the Tate Boat (Map beginning of the 20th century, including cubism, p420; www.tate.org.uk/ geometric abstraction and minimalism, Structure visit/tate-boat; one way & Clarity includes work by early adopters such as adult/child £6.50/3.25) Matisse, Braque and Picasso (Seated Nude). Energy between the Bankside & Process highlights Arte Povera, a revolutionary Pier at Tate Modern and Italian art movement from the 1960s, as its main the Millbank Pier at its focus. sister-museum, Tate Britain (p92). Special Exhibitions Special exhibitions (levels 2 and 3, subject to admis- sion charge) have included retrospectives on Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, Frida Kahlo, Roy Lichten- stein, August Strindberg, Nazism and ‘Degenerate’ Art, and Joan Miró.
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE Unlike other venues for Shakespearean plays, the DON’T MISS... ERIC NATHAN / GETTY IMAGES © new Globe was designed to resemble the original as ¨¨Exhibition Hall and closely as possible, painstakingly constructed with Tour 600 oak pegs (not a nail or a screw in the house), specially fired Tudor bricks and thatching reeds from ¨¨Interior of the Globe Norfolk that pigeons supposedly don’t like. Even the Theatre plaster contains goat hair, lime and sand, as it did in ¨¨Sam Wanamaker Shakespeare’s time. It even means having the arena Playhouse open to the fickle London skies and roar of passing aircraft, leaving the 700 ‘groundlings’ to stand in PRACTICALITIES London’s notorious downpours. ¨¨Map p420, D3 Despite the worldwide popularity of Shakespeare over ¨¨www.shakespeares- the centuries, the Globe was almost a distant memory globe.com when American actor (and, later, film director) Sam Wa- ¨¨21 New Globe Walk, namaker came searching for it in 1949. Undeterred by the SE1 fact that the theatre’s foundations had vanished beneath a ¨¨adult/child £13.50/8 row of heritage-listed Georgian houses, Wanamaker set up the Globe Playhouse Trust in 1970 and began fundraising for a memorial theatre. Work started only 200m from the ¨¨h9am-5.30pm original Globe site in 1987, but Wanamaker died four years before it opened in 1997. ¨¨c The Globe also opened the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse ¨¨tBlackfriars, South- in 2014, an indoor Jacobean theatre. Shakespeare wrote for wark or London Bridge both outdoor and indoor theatre and the playhouse had always been part of the Globe’s ambitions. Visits include tours of the Globe (which depart half-hourly, generally in the morning so as not to clash with performances) and sometimes the Playhouse, as well as access to the exhibition space beneath the theatre, which has fascinating exhibits about Shakespeare and theatre in the 17th century (including costumes and props), and fun live talks and demonstrations. Or you can of course take in a play (p171).
LONDON EYE EURASIA PRESS / GETTY IMAGES © It’s hard to remember what London looked like before DID YOU KNOW? the landmark London Eye (officially the Coca-Cola London Eye) began twirling at the southwestern end of The London Eye has Jubilee Gardens in 2000. Not only has it fundamentally been the focal point of altered the South Bank skyline but, standing 135m tall the capital’s celebrated in a fairly flat city, it is visible from numerous locations. New Year’s Eve fire- works, which begin A ride – or ‘flight’, as it is called here – in one of the after Big Ben, across wheel’s 32 glass-enclosed eye pods takes a gracefully slow the river, has rung 30 minutes and, weather permitting, you can see 25 miles the 12 gong. In 2014, in every direction from the top of the eye. Don’t let poor 12,000 fireworks were weather put you off however: the close-up views of West- launched from the minster, just across the river, are probably the highlight of wheel. the ride. Interactive tablets provide great information (in six languages) about landmarks as they come up in the PRACTICALITIES skyline. ¨¨Map p420, A4 At peak times (July, August and school holidays) it may ¨¨%0871 781 3000 feel like you’ll spend more time in the queue than in the ¨¨www.londoneye.com pod. Save money and time by buying tickets online, or ¨¨adult/child cough up an extra £10 to showcase your fast-track swagger. £21.50/15.50 Alternatively, visit before 11am or after 3pm to avoid peak ¨¨h10am-8pm density. ¨¨tWaterloo
BOROUGH MARKET Located here in some form or another since the 13th DON’T MISS... RICHARD I’ANSON / GETTY IMAGES © century, ‘London’s Larder’ has enjoyed an astonishing ¨¨Free samples renaissance in the past 15 years. Always overflowing with food lovers, inveterate gastronomes, wide-eyed ¨¨Eating takeaway in visitors and Londoners in search of inspiration for Southwark Cathedral their next dinner party, this fantastic market has gardens become firmly established as a sight in its own right. ¨¨Foodscapes (really!) The market specialises in high-end fresh products so you’ll find the usual assortment of fruit and vegetable stalls, cheesemongers, butchers, fishmongers, bakeries as PRACTICALITIES well as delis and gourmet stalls selling spices, nuts, pre- ¨¨Map p420, E4 serves and condiments. Prices tend to be high but many ¨¨www.boroughmarket. traders offer free samples, a great perk for visitors and lo- org.uk cals alike. ¨¨8 Southwark St, SE1 ¨¨h10am-5pm Wed & Food window-shopping (and sampling) over, you’ll be Thu, to 6pm Fri, 8am- able to grab lunch in one of the myriad of takeaway stalls 5pm Sat – anything from sizzling gourmet sausages, chorizo sand- wiches, falafel wraps and raclette portions (cheese melted over cured meats and potatoes). There also seems to be an ¨¨tLondon Bridge unreasonable number of cake stalls – walking out without a treat will be a challenge! Many of the lunch stalls cluster in Green Market (the area closest to Southwark Cathedral). If you’d rather eat indoors, there are some fantastic cafes and restaurants too – try Monmouth Coffee (Map p420; www. monmouthcoffee.co.uk; 2 Park St, SE1; flat white £2.50; h7.30am-6pm; tLondon Bridge) or Arabica Bar & Kitchen (p167). The market simply heaves on Saturdays, so get here early for the best pickings or enjoy the craze at lunch time: if you’d like some elbow space to enjoy your takeaway, head to Southwark Cathedral (p165) gardens or walk five minutes in either direction along the Thames for river views. Note that although the full market runs from Wednesday to Saturday, some traders and takeaway stalls do open Mondays and Tuesdays.
1 SIGHTS 163 ing and visual arts, is the Royal Festival 1 Waterloo Hall. Its gently curved facade of glass and Portland stone is more humane than its ROUPELL ST STREET 1970s Brutalist neighbours. It is one of Lon- don’s leading music venues and the epicen- Map p420 (Roupell St, SE1; tWaterloo) Water- tre of life on this part of the South Bank, loo station isn’t exactly scenic, but wander hosting cafes, restaurants, shops and bars. around the back steets of this transport hub and you’ll find some amazing architecture. Just north, the austere Queen Elizabeth Roupell St is an astonishingly pretty row of Hall is a Brutalist icon, the second-largest workers’ cottages, all dark bricks and col- concert venue in the centre, hosting cham- oured doors, dating back to the 1820s. The ber orchestras, quartets, dance performanc- street is so uniform it looks like a film set. es, choirs and sometimes opera. Underneath The same architecture extends to Theed its elevated floor is a graffiti-decorated and Whittlesey Sts (which run parallel skateboarders’ hang-out. to Roupell St to the north). The terraced houses were developed for artisan workers The opinion-dividing 1968 Hayward by John Palmer Roupell, a gold refiner, be- Gallery, another Brutalist beauty, is a lead- tween the 1820s and the 1840s. They have ing contemporary-art exhibition space. The QEH and Hayward Gallery closed in September 2015 for two years to receive a 21st century facelift. survived WWII damage and the many de- NATIONAL THEATRE THEATRE velopments of the area intact. Map p420 (%020-7452 3000; www.nationalthea- tre.org.uk; South Bank, SE1; tWaterloo) The na- Th e So u th Ba n k S i ghts SOUTHBANK CENTRE CONCERT HALL tion’s flagship theatre complex comprises Map p420 (%020-7960 4200; www.southbank- three auditoriums for performances (p171). centre.co.uk; Belvedere Rd, SE1; Wc; tWater- loo) The flagship venue of the Southbank Fantastic backstage tours (adult/child £9/8), lasting 1¼ hours, are available. Every tour is Centre, Europe’s largest centre for perform- different but you’re likely to see rehearsals, LONDON DUNGEON DON’T MISS... This attraction has been milking it since 1974, spawning ¨¨Jack the Ripper six other ‘dungeons’ in the UK and Europe. It’s a highly ¨¨Sweeney Todd entertaining whirlwind through London’s most famous ¨¨The Judge historical anecdotes – the Gunpowder plot, the Great ¨¨Drop Dead Drop Plague, Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd and his cronies Ride – narrated through a combination of rides, actors and special effects. There is great audience participation, PRACTICALITIES so prepare for a few startled screams (yours or other people’s)! ¨¨Map p420, A5 ¨¨www.thedungeons. The best bits are the vaudevillian delights of being com/london sentenced by a mad, bewigged judge on trumped-up ¨¨County Hall, West- charges, the utterly disorientating Whitechapel laby- minster Bridge Rd, SE1 rinth, the unnervingly sweet Mrs Lovett, and the Drop ¨¨adult/child Dead Drop Ride that has you ‘plummeting’ to your death £25.95/20.95 by hanging from the gallows. ¨¨h10am-5pm, to 6pm Sat & Sun It takes about 90 minutes to work your way through ¨¨tWaterloo, the gory dungeon. Buy tickets online to avoid the mam- Westminster moth queues and save a few pounds too. Note that children younger than eight might find some of the at- tractions too scary.
164 MILLENNIUM BRIDGE BRIDGE changes of sets or bump into actors in the corridors. There is generally one tour a day, Map p420 (tSt Paul’s, Blackfriars) The elegant sometimes more. Consult the website for ex- Millennium Bridge staples the south bank act times and make sure you book. of the Thames, in front of Tate Modern, with the north bank, at the steps of Pe- LONDON SEA LIFE AQUARIUM AQUARIUM ter’s Hill below St Paul’s Cathedral. The Mapp420 (www.visitsealife.com; CountyHall,West- low-slung frame designed by Sir Norman minster Bridge Rd, SE1; adult/child £23.50/16.95; Foster and Antony Caro looks spectacular, h10am-7pm; tWaterloo, Westminster) Displays particularly lit up at night with fibre optics. look somewhat dated, but there are a cou- The view of St Paul’s from the South ple of stand-out sights, including the shark Bank is one of London’s iconic images. tunnel, ray lagoon and the Gentoo penguin enclosures (penguins jump and dive at mes- GOLDEN HINDE HISTORIC SHIP merising speed). Feeds and talks are sched- uled throughout the day so your chances of Map p420 (%020-7403 0123; www.goldenhinde. catching one during your visit are high. com; St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral St, SE1; self- guided tours adult/child £6/4.50, events adult/ child £7/5; h10am-5.30pm; c; tLondon Bridge) Stepping aboard this replica of Sir Francis LEAKE STREET GRAFFITI TUNNEL PUBLIC ART Drake’s famous Tudor ship will inspire genu- Map p420 (Leake St; tWaterloo) F A dingy ine admiration for the admiral and his rath- road under the disused Eurostar platforms at Waterloo station (enter from Lower Marsh or er short (average height: 1.6m) crew, which counted between 40 and 60. It was in a tiny York Rd) seems an unlikely place to find art, five-deck galleon just like this that Drake Th e So u th Ba n k S i ghts but the walls of the 200-metre long Leake Street Tunnel are covered with some serious- and his crew circumnavigated the globe from 1577 to 1580. Visitors can explore the ly impressive spray-painted works. Opened ship by themselves or join a guided tour led by famous street artist Banksy in 2008, the tunnel still sees new taggers and artists turn by a costumed actor – children love these. As well as guided tours, Golden Hinde up daily. Banksy’s work is long gone, but you runs a number of events designed for chil- can watch the artists in action as they paint over what was put up yesterday. dren where they can go on a treasure hunt, fire the cannons, raise the anchor, take part in games and listen to riveting stories. Check COUNTY HALL HISTORIC BUILDING the website for schedule and bookings. Map p420 (Westminster Bridge Rd, SE1; tWest- minster, Waterloo) Begun in 1909 but not com- pleted until 1922, this grand building with 1 London Bridge its curved, colonnaded facade was the home of the London County Council, subsequently the Greater London Council, until 1986. It SHARD NOTABLE BUILDING now houses a number of attractions. Map p420 (www.theviewfromtheshard.com; 32 London Bridge St, SE1; adult/child £29.95/23.95; h10am-10pm; tLondon Bridge) Puncturing the skies above London, the dramatic 1 Bankside & Southwark splinter-like form of the Shard has rapidly become an icon of London. The viewing TATE MODERN MUSEUM platforms on floors 68, 69 and 72 are open See p158. to the public and the views are, as you’d ex- pect from a 244m vantage point, sweeping, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE HISTORIC BUILDING but they come at a hefty price – book online See p160. at least a day in advance to save £5. To take in the view for less, visit one of the building’s restaurants or bars; you’ll MILLENNIUM BRIDGE pay less than half the viewing platform tick- et price for breakfast or a cocktail at Aqua The Millennium Bridge got off on the Shard (Map p420; www.aquashard.co.uk; 31st fl, wrong footing when it was closed just 31 St Thomas St, SE1; hbar noon-1am, restaurant three days after opening in June 2000 7am-11pm Mon-Sat, 9am-11pm Sun; tLondon due to an alarming swing; a costly Bridge) or Oblix (p170) where the views are 18-month refit put things right. still spectacular.
165 SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL DON’T MISS... Th e So u th Ba n k S i ghts The earliest surviving parts of this relatively small ca- ¨¨Retrochoir thedral are the retrochoir at the eastern end, which ¨¨Ancient arcading contains four chapels and was part of the 13th-century ¨¨Great Screen Priory of St Mary Overie, some ancient arcading by the southwest door, 12th-century wall cores in the north PRACTICALITIES transept, and an arch that dates to the original Norman church. But most of the cathedral is Victorian. ¨¨Map p420, E3 ¨¨%020-7367 6700 Enter via the southwest door and immediately to the ¨¨cathedral.southwark. left is a length of arcading dating to the 13th century; anglican.org nearby is a selection of intriguing medieval roof boss- ¨¨Montague Close, SE1 es from the 15th century. Walk up the north aisle of the ¨¨h8am-6pm Mon-Fri, nave and on the left you’ll see the tomb of John Gower, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun; the 14th-century poet who was the first to write in Eng- evensong 5.30pm Tue, lish. Cross into the choir to admire the 16th-century Thur & Fri, 4pm Sat, Great Screen separating the choir from the retrochoir. 3pm Sun ¨¨tLondon Bridge In the south aisle of the nave have a look at the green alabaster monument to William Shakespeare. Beside the monument is a plaque to Sam Wanam- aker (1919–93), American playwright and founder of Shakespeare’s Globe (p160) theatre; nearby hangs a splendid icon of Jesus Christ illuminated by devotional candles. Do hunt down the exceedingly fine Elizabe- than sideboard in the north transept. HMS BELFAST SHIP famous span – from the Romans to Peter de Colechurch’s ‘Old London Bridge’ (1209) Map p420 (www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast; lined with shops, to the American Robert Queen’s Walk, SE1; adult/child £14.50/7.25; McCulloch, who bought the bridge in 1967 h10am-6pm Mar-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Feb; tLon- for US$2.50 and transported it to Arizona. don Bridge) HMS Belfast is a magnet for naval-gazing kids of all ages. This large, Things ratchet up as you descend into a light cruiser – launched in 1938 – served in series of tombs and plague pits dating as far WWII, helping to sink the German battle- back as the 14th century, where darkness, ship Scharnhorst, shelling the Normandy rodents (animatronics) and claustrophobia coast on D-Day and later participated in the meet zombies-from-nowhere (actors). It’s Korean War. Her 6in guns could bombard a all great, occasionally heart-in-the-mouth target 14 land miles distant. Displays offer entertainment. Save up to 20% (and the a great insight into what life on board was queues) by buying tickets online. like, in peace times and during military engagements. OLD OPERATING THEATRE There are excellent audioguides (includ- MUSEUM & HERB GARRET MUSEUM ed in your admission fee) featuring anec- Map p420 (www.thegarret.org.uk; 9a St Thomas St, SE1; adult/child £6.50/3.50; h10.30am-5pm; dotes from former crew members. tLondon Bridge) This unique museum, 32 LONDON BRIDGE EXPERIENCE steps up a spiral stairway in the tower of & LONDON TOMBS HISTORIC ATTRACTION St Thomas Church (1703), is the unlikely home of Britain’s oldest operating theatre. Map p420 (www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com; 2-4 Tooley St, SE1; adult/child £24/18; h10am- Rediscovered in 1956, the garret was used 5pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat & Sun; tLondon Bridge) by the apothecary of St Thomas’s Hospi- Stuffed away in the vaults beneath so- tal to store medicinal herbs. The museum called New London Bridge (dating back to looks back at the horror of 19th-century 1831), this historical attraction takes you medicine – all pre-ether, pre-chloroform on a whistle-stop tour of London’s most and pre-antiseptic.
166 1 Bermondsey in its Thames location; it will therefore be moving to new premises in Kensington in CITY HALL NOTABLE BUILDING late 2016. And of course it picked a design jewel: the former Commonwealth Institute Map p420 (www.london.gov.uk/city-hall; Queen’s building, a listed 1960s beauty, which has Walk, SE1; h8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri; tLondon been given a 21st century facelift for the Bridge) Home to the Mayor of London, bul- occasion. bous City Hall was designed by Foster and Partners and opened in 2002. The 45m, glass-clad building has been compared to 1 Rotherhithe a host of objects – from an onion, to Darth Vader’s helmet, a woodlouse and a ‘glass Nestled in a bend of the River Thames gonad’. The scoop amphitheatre outside the east of Bermondsey, the neighbourhood building is the venue for a variety of free en- of Rotherhithe makes for a fascinating de- tertainment in warmer weather, from music tour. The area was an important port along to theatre. Free exhibitions relating to Lon- the river and had working docks until the don are also periodically held at City Hall. 1970s, an architectural heritage that is still in evidence today in the shape of converted FASHION & TEXTILE MUSEUM MUSEUM warehouses and preserved wharves. Map p420 (%020-7407 8664; www.ftmlondon. org; 83 Bermondsey St, SE1; adult/child £8.80/ BRUNEL MUSEUM MUSEUM free; h11am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri, to 8pm Thu, to (www.brunel-museum.org.uk; Railway Ave, SE16; adult/child £3/free; h10am-5pm; tRotherhithe) The South Bank Eating 5pm Sat; tLondon Bridge) This brainchild of This small museum celebrates the world’s designer Zandra Rhodes has no permanent collection, just quarterly temporary exhibi- first underwater tunnel, built here in 1843. tions, which have included retrospectives The tunnel was the brainchild of engineer on Swedish fashion, the evolution of under- Marc Isambard Brunel (father of Isambard wear and 20th century art in textiles. Kingdom Brunel, another famous structur- al engineer), who had thought of a tunnel GALLERY as an alternative to a bridge to allay con- WHITE CUBE BERMONDSEY Map p420 (www.whitecube.com; 144-152 Ber- gestion on the Thames. The museum has mondsey St, SE1; h10am-6pm Tue-Sat, noon- 6pm Sun; tLondon Bridge) F The newest fascinating exhibits retracing the project’s (mis)fortunes and the pioneering technol- and largest of the White Cube galleries – the ogy used to dig the tunnel. brainchild of Jay Jopling, dealer to the stars Works started in 1825 and the tunnel, of the Brit Art movement who made his initially designed for pedestrians (it is now reputation in the 1990s by exhibiting then- used by trains), opened to great fanfare in unknown artists such as Damien Hirst and 1843. Guided tours (adult/child £10/free) Antony Gormley – this gallery impresses that include access to the tunnel shaft, the by its large exhibition spaces, which lend former Grand Entrance, meet at Bermond- themselves to monumental pieces or expan- sey tube station Mondays at 11am, Tuesdays sive installations using several mediums. at 4.30pm and Sundays at 10.45am. DESIGN MUSEUM MUSEUM Map p420 (www.designmuseum.org; 28 Shad 5 EATING Thames, SE1; adult/child £13/6.60; h10am- 5.45pm; tLondon Bridge) Dedicated to popu- larising the importance of good design in everyday life, the Design Museum has a re- volving programme of special exhibitions. 5 Waterloo Past shows have ranged from Manolo Blah- nik shoes to Formula One racing cars. The The area around the Southbank Centre is annual ‘Design of the Year’ exhibition show- full of chains – head ‘inland’ to discover au- cases the best and latest design innovations – thentic gastronomic gems. as the museum’s tagline has it, ‘someday, the KONDITOR & COOK BAKERY £ other museums will be showing this stuff’. The museum has a fantastic permanent Map p420 (www.konditorandcook.com; 22 Cornwall Rd, SE1; cakes £2-3, hot food £3.25-6.15; h7.30am- collection that it has struggled to showcase 7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; v;
tWaterloo) This elegant cake shop and bak- 167 ery produces wonderful cakes – lavender and mains £11-25, 1-/2-course lunch menu £12/19; orange, lemon and almond – massive rasp- hnoon-3pm & 6-11pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm & berry meringues, cookies and loaves of warm 6-10.30pm Sat, noon-5pm Sun; v c; tSouth- bread with olives, nuts and spices. It also wark) There’s not a scrap of snootiness about serves hot takeaway food such as quiches or this canteen-style Gordon Ramsay bistro. risottos, popular with local office workers The dining room works the industrial chic (daily menu posted on the website). look and staff are positively lovely. On the plate, it’s a yummy mix of classic antipas- oSKYLON MODERN EUROPEAN ££ ti, pasta, meats and more unusual Italian dishes. Sunday brunch deserves a special Map p420 (%020-7654 7800; www.skylon-res- mention: kids go free and, for £12, it’s free- taurant.co.uk; 3rd fl, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank flowing prosecco. Hurrah! Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1; grill 2-/3-course menu £18/21, restaurant 2-/3-course menu £42/48; hgrill noon-11pm Mon-Sat & noon-10.30pm Sun, 5 London Bridge restaurant noon-2.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm Mon- Sat & noon-4pm Sun; W; tWaterloo) This ex- oARABICA BAR cellent restaurant inside the Royal Festival Hall is divided into grill and fine-dining & KITCHEN MIDDLE EASTERN £££ sections by a large bar (p169). The decor Map p420 (%020-3011 5151; www.arabi- cabarandkitchen.com; 3 Rochester Walk, Bor- is cutting-edge 1950s: muted colours and ough Market, SE1; dishes £4-14; h11am-11pm period chairs (trendy then, trendier now) while floor-to-ceiling windows bathe you in Mon-Wed, 8.30am-11pm Thu-Sat; v; tLondon Bridge) Pan–Middle Eastern cuisine is a magnificent views of the Thames and the well rehearsed classic these days, but Ara- The South Bank Eating City. Booking is advised. bica Bar & Kitchen have managed to bring something fresh to their table: the decor is contemporary and bright, the food delicate 5 Bankside & Southwark and light, with an emphasis on sharing (two to three small dishes per person). The oBALTIC downside of this tapas approach is that the EASTERN EUROPEAN ££ Map p420 (%020-7928 1111; www.balticrestau- bill adds up quickly. rant.co.uk; 74 Blackfriars Rd, SE1; mains £10.50-19; hnoon-3pm & 5.30-11.15pm Tue-Sun, 5.30-11.15pm Mon; tSouthwark) In a bright and airy, high- 5 Bermondsey ceilinged dining room with glass roof and wooden beams, Baltic is travel on a plate: oWATCH HOUSE dill and beetroot, dumplings and blini, pickle CAFE £ and smoke, rich stews and braised meat. Map p420 (www.watchhousecoffee.com; 193 Ber- mondsey St, SE1; mains from £4.95; h7am-6pm From Poland to Georgia, the flavours are au- Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat, 9am-5pm Sun; v; tBor- thentic and the dishes beautifully presented. The wine and vodka lists are equally diverse. ough) Saying that the Watch House nails the sandwich wouldn’t really do justice to this tip-top cafe: the sandwiches really are deli- ANCHOR & HOPE GASTROPUB ££ cious (with artisan breads from a local bak- Map p420 (www.anchorandhopepub.co.uk; 36 er). But there is also great coffee, treats for The Cut, SE1; mains £12-20; hnoon-2.30pm Tue-Sat, 6-10.30pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-3pm Sun; the sweet-toothed, and the small but lovely setting: a renovated 19th-century watch tSouthwark) A stalwart of the South Bank house where guards looked out for grave food scene, the Anchor & Hope is a quintes- sential gastropub: elegant but not formal, robbers in the next-door cemetery. and utterly delicious (European fare with a M MANZE BRITISH £ British twist). Think salt marsh lamb shoul- der cooked for seven hours, wild rabbit with Map p420 (www.manze.co.uk; 87 Tower Bridge Rd, SE1; mains £2.95-6.65; h11am-2pm Mon-Thu, anchovies, almonds and rocket, and panna 10am-2.30pm Fri & Sat; tBorough) Dating to cotta with rhubarb compote. 1902, M Manze started off as an ice-cream seller before moving on to selling its legend- oUNION STREET CAFE ITALIAN £££ ary staples: pies (minced beef). It’s a classic Map p420 (%020-7592 7977; www.gordonramsay. operation, from the ageing tile work to the com/union-street-cafe; 47-51 Great Suffolk St, SE1; traditional working-man’s menu: pie and
168 HOLBORN e# 0 500 m 0 0.25 miles COVENT GARDEN ¥#Covent rSt and Blackfriars ¥# CITY Garden Upper Thames St Charing Waterloo Blackfriars River Southwark Cross Bridge Bridge Thames #8 Bridge St#00000a5m00000fWoraEdtaeSsrt#tlo6o #7 #9 London Bridge £# Park St '£#¥# ¥#Embankment #4 #14 SouthSwOaUrkTSHtWARK #10 #11 € 0000000000#1500000 Hungerford #3 York Rd Tenis on Way Blackfriars Rd #12 St Th¥##o13mLaBosrniSddtgoen Bridge Southwark Bridge Rd Southwark ¥# #2 ¥# Great Dover Waterloo Rd &~Westminster #1 Waterloo Borough ¥# ¥# Westminster al a ce Rd 000000000000 Bridge Borough Rd Long La ¥# St Lambeth ethP Lambeth LAMBETH Lamb North ¥# Lambeth Rd Bridge Elephant ¥# & Castle 22Neighbourhood Walk South Bank Stroll START WESTMINSTER TUBE STATION the 6Oxo Tower. After 20 to 30 minutes END LONDON BRIDGE TUBE STATION LENGTH 2.8 MILES; 3½ HOURS you’ll emerge in front of the imposing From Westminster tube station, cross the 7Tate Modern (p158). Opposite is the river on Westminster Bridge and admire the 8Millennium Bridge (p164), Sir Norman views of Big Ben. As you reach the South Bank, the first building you’ll walk past is the Foster’s ‘blade of light’. Just 100m past the Tate is the magnifi- sombre 1County Hall (p164), the seat of cently rebuilt 9Shakespeare’s Globe London’s local government from 1922 until Margaret Thatcher dissolved the Greater (p160). Walk under Southwark Bridge, London Council in 1986. which is beautifully lit at night, past the The 2London Eye (p161) gracefully perennially busy aAnchor pub, and rotates next to it and the atmosphere on down the maze of streets leading to this stretch of the river is always party-like, with ice-cream vans, street performers, bSouthwark Cathedral (p165). dozens of visitors and Londoners on their lunch-time run. Push on east past the Spreading around the railway arches 3Southbank Centre (p163) and pause is cBorough Market (p162), London’s to admire the acrobatics of local teenagers premier gourmet products market (and one at the graffitied skatepark underneath of its oldest), at its busiest on Fridays and Saturdays. Lording over this area is the 4Queen Elizabeth Hall (p163). dShard (p164), the EU’s tallest building. Carry on strolling along the river, past Pass London Bridge, and the intimidating the boutiques of 5Gabriel’s Wharf and eHMS Belfast (p165), for glorious views of Tower Bridge. You’ll also see fCity Hall (p166) on your right, nicknamed ‘the egg’ (or, more cheekily, ‘the testicle’). Then retrace your steps to the London Bridge tube station.
169 mash (£3.70), pie and liquor (£2.95), and you can take your eels jellied or stewed (£4.65). 6 Waterloo ZUCCA ITALIAN ££ oSCOOTERCAFFE CAFE, BAR Map p420 (%020-7378 6809; www.zuccalon- Map p420 (132 Lower Marsh, SE1; h8.30am-11pm don.com; 184 Bermondsey St, SE1; mains £12-19; hnoon-3pm Tue-Sun, 6-10pm Tue-Sat; v; tLon- Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat, 10am-11pm Sun; W; tWaterloo) A well-established fixture on don Bridge) In a crisp, minimalist dining room the up-and-coming Lower Marsh road, this with wrap-around bay windows and an open kitchen, an (almost) all-Italian staff serves funky cafe-bar and former scooter repair shop with a Piatti scooter in the window contemporary Italian fare. The pasta is made serves killer hot chocolates, coffee and dec- daily on the premises and the menu is kept deliberately short to promote freshness. adent cocktails. Unusually, you’re allowed to bring takeaway food. The tiny patio at the back is perfect to soak up the sun. CASSE-CROÛTE FRENCH ££ Map p420 (%020-7407 2140; www.cassecroute. SKYLON BAR co.uk; 109 Bermondsey St, SE1; mains £15; hnoon- 10pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun; tBorough, Lon- Map p420 (www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk; Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, don Bridge) You’ll have to keep reminding SE1; hnoon-1am Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; tWa- yourself that you are in London and not in France, so typical is the interior of French terloo) With its ravishing 1950s decor and show-stopping views, Skylon is a memora- brasseries and bistros. The fare too is quin- ble place to come for a drink or meal (p167). tessentially French, from lapin à la moutar- de (rabbit in mustard sauce), to île flottante You’ll have to come early to bag the tables Th e So u th Ba n k D r i n k i n g & N i ghtl i fe at the front with plunging views of the river (a soft-set meringue in vanilla custard) and however. Drinks-wise, just ask: from superb the all-French wine list. The all-day service however is definitely a London touch! seasonal cocktails to infusions and a stag- gering choice of whiskys (and whiskeys!). JOSE SPANISH ££ FOUR CORNERS CAFE CAFE Map p420 (www.josepizarro.com; 104 Bermondsey Map p420 (www.four-corners-cafe.com; 12 Lower St, SE1; tapas £4-12; hnoon-10.30pm Mon-Sat, to 5.30pm Sun; tLondon Bridge) From the tiled Marsh, SE1; h7.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat; W; tWaterloo) With its excellent coffee bar counter to the barrel table, the leg of and unusually large selection of teas, Four ham on its stand and the espresso machine behind the bar, Jose looks straight out of the Corners Cafe attracts a loyal following, but occasional visitors will feel at home with streets of Madrid or Valencia. The food too is the travel theme: from the map-lined cof- authentic: exquisitely tender pluma ibérica (grilled pork), garlic-rubbed pan con tomate fee counter to the old guidebook collection (some Lonely Planet numbers!), the place (toasted bread with puréed tomatoes) and of has a buzz. You can even trade your old course, jamón (ham) and chorizo. The wine (and sherry) list is exclusively guidebooks (if they don’t have it already) for free coffee! Spanish, with every wine available by the glass or bottle (a rare thing in London). KING’S ARMS PUB Map p420 (%020-7207 0784; www.theking- sarmslondon.co.uk; 25 Roupell St, SE1; h11am- 11pm Mon-Fri, noon-11pm Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun; 6 DRINKING & tWaterloo, Southwark) Relaxed and charm- NIGHTLIFE ing when not crowded, this neighbourhood boozer at the corner of a terraced Waterloo The South Bank is a strange combination backstreet was a funeral parlour in a previ- of good, down-to-earth boozers, which ous life. The large traditional bar area, serv- just happen to have been here for ing up a good selection of ales and bitters, hundreds of years, and modern bars – gives way to a fantastically odd conserva- all neon and alcopops – patronised by a tory bedecked with junk-store eclectica of younger, trendier crowd. local interest and serving decent Thai food.
170 6 Bankside & Southwark more than 130 beers – many of them inter- national craft brews – at any one time. There DANDELYAN & RUMPUS ROOM COCKTAIL BAR are 10 taps and the selection of craft beers, Map p420 (www.mondrianlondon.com; Mondrian real ales, lagers and ciders (with one-third London, 20 Upper Ground, SE1; h4pm-1am Mon- pint measures) changes constantly. It’s a tiny Wed, noon-1.30am Thu-Sat, noon-12.30am Sun; place yet always busy; the bamboo-decorat- tSouthwark) These two swanky hotel bars ed decking outside is especially popular. are perfect for a special night out. Riverside Dandelyan offers cocktails with unexpect- GEORGE INN PUB ed ingredients such as douglas fir, chalk bitters and dandelion capillaire, but the Map p420 (%020-7407 2056; www.national- real show-stopper is Rumpus Room (5pm trust.org.uk/george-inn; 77 Borough High St, SE1; to 1am Wednesday to Saturday) on the 12th h11am-11pm; tLondon Bridge) This magnifi- floor, with knock-out views and an empha- cent old boozer is London’s last surviving sis on bubblies. Dress to impress. Reserva- galleried coaching inn, dating from 1677 tions essential. (after a fire destroyed it the year before) and mentioned in Dickens’ Little Dorrit. It is on the site of the Tabard Inn, where the pil- grims in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales gath- ered before setting out (well lubricated, we 6 London Bridge suspect) on the road to Canterbury, Kent. The huge courtyard full of picnic tables oWINE PANTRY fills up on balmy evenings. WINE BAR Th e So u th Ba n k D r i n k i n g & N i ghtl i fe Map p420 (www.winepantry.co.uk; 1 Stoney St, SE1; tasting session £5; hnoon-8pm Thu-Fri, 11am-7pm Sat; tLondon Bridge) British and 6 Bermondsey proud, the Wine Pantry supports domestic winemakers with an exciting range of vin- o40 MALTBY STREET WINE BAR tages including Nyetimber, Bolney and Rid- geview. You can buy by the glass (£5 to £7) Map p420 (www.40maltbystreet.com; 40 Maltby and sit at one of the handful of tables on the St, SE1; h5.30-10pm Wed & Thu, 12.30-2pm & edge of Borough Market (p162). You’re wel- 5.30-10pm Fri, 11am-10pm Sat) This tunnel-like come to provide your own nibbles or grab a wine-bar-cum-kitchen sits under the rail- bottle to take away. way arches taking trains in and out of Lon- don Bridge. It is first and foremost a wine You can taste five wines for £5 if it’s quiet importer focusing on organic vintages but (best time to try is 3pm to 5pm). In winter, its hospitality venture has become incred- there’s a bubbling cauldron of mulled wine ibly popular. The wine recommendations for marketside quaffing. Tip: for an extra are obviously top-notch (most of them by £0.50, they’ll spike your mulled wine with the glass) and the food – simple, gourmet a shot of something stronger from a tempt- bistro fare – is spot on. ing top shelf. WOOLPACK PUB oOBLIX BAR Map p420 (www.woolpackbar.com; 98 Bermond- sey St, SE1; h11am-11pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-11.30pm Map p420 (www.oblixrestaurant.com; Level 32, Sat, 9.30am-10.30pm Sun; tLondon Bridge) This The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, SE1; hnoon-11pm; tLondon Bridge) On the 32nd floor of the lovely free house (a pub that doesn’t belong to a brewery) is a crowdpleaser: the British Shard, Oblix offers mesmerising vistas of food is good, the decor lovely – dark-wood London. You can come for anything from a coffee (£3.50) to a couple of cocktails (from panels downstairs, sumptuous Victorian wallpaper upstairs – the garden spacious, £10) and enjoy virtually the same views as and it shows football and rugby games. the official viewing galleries of the Shard (but at a reduced cost and with the added bonus of a drink!). Live music every night from 7pm. 6 Rotherhithe RAKE PUB oMAYFLOWER PUB Map p420 (%020-7407 0557; www.utobeer.co.uk; (www.mayflowerpub.com; 117 Rotherhithe St, 14 Winchester Walk, SE1; hnoon-11pm Mon-Sat, to SE16; h11am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm 10pm Sun; tLondon Bridge) The Rake offers Sun; tRotherhithe) This 15th-century pub
171 BERMONDSEY’S BEER MILE Craft beer is having its moment in London and Bermondsey is at the epicentre of this revival. There are seven microbreweries within a mile. They all produce a full range of beers – pale ales, porters, stouts, IPAs etc – and welcome discerning drinkers on Saturdays, generally from 11am to 4pm or 5pm. Try Southwark Brewing Company (Map p420; www.southwarkbrewing.co.uk; 46 Druid St, SE1; h11am-5pm Sat; tLondon Bridge), the newest kid on the block, located in a hangar-like space kitted out with big tables and sofas (you’re welcome to bring goodies from nearby Borough (p162) or Maltby Street (p173) markets to accompa- ny your beer). The London Pale Ale has a nice zing. Also good is Anspach & Hobday (Map p420; www.anspachandhobday.com; 118 Druid St, SE1; h5-9.30pm Fri, 11am-6pm Sat, noon-5pm Sun; tLondon Bridge). Porter (a dark, roasted beer) is the name of the game here. There is a nice outdoor seating area. is named after the vessel that took the pil- 3000 in its amphitheatre and is one of the Th e So u th Ba n k E n te r ta i n me n t grims to America in 1620. The ship set sail best places for catching world and classical from Rotherhithe, and Captain Christopher music artists. The sound is fantastic, the Jones supposedly charted out its course programming impeccable and there are here while supping schooners. There’s seat- frequent free gigs in the wonderfully ex- ing on a small back terrace, from which you pansive foyer. can view the Thames. The centre organises fantastic festivals, 3 ENTERTAINMENT including London Wonderground (dedicat- ed to circus and cabaret), Udderbelly (a fes- The South Bank of London is home tival of comedy in all its guises – stand up, to some heavy hitters when it comes music, mime etc) and Meltdown (a music to London’s theatre scene. Music and event curated by the best and most eclectic performing arts are big generally at the names in music – Yoko Ono in 2013, Mas- Southbank Centre. sive Attack in 2008, etc). SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATRE Map p420 (%020-7401 9919; www.shakespeares- globe.com; 21 New Globe Walk, SE1; seats £10-43, NATIONAL THEATRE THEATRE standing £5; tBlackfriars, London Bridge) If Map p420 (%020-7452 3000; www.nationalthea- you love Shakespeare and the theatre, the tre.org.uk; South Bank, SE1; tWaterloo) Eng- land’s flagship theatre showcases a mix of Globe (p160) will knock you off your feet. This authentic Shakespearean theatre is a classic and contemporary plays performed wooden O without a roof over the central by excellent casts in three theatres (Olivi- er, Lyttelton and Dorfman). Outstanding stage area, and although there are covered wooden bench seats in tiers around the artistic director Nicholas Hytner oversaw stage, many people (there’s room for 700) do a golden decade at the theatre, with land- mark productions such as War Horse. His as 17th-century ‘groundlings’ did, standing in front of the stage. replacement, Rufus Norris, started in April The theatre season runs from late April 2015. Travelex tickets costing just £15 are to mid-October and includes works by Shakespeare and his contemporaries such available to certain performances during as Christopher Marlowe. the peak period; same day tickets also cost £15. Under-18s pay half price. Because the building is quite open to the elements, you may have to wrap up. No umbrellas are allowed, but cheap raincoats SOUTHBANK CENTRE CONCERT VENUE are on sale. A warning: two pillars holding Map p420 (%0844 875 0073; www.southbank- up the stage canopy (the so-called Heav- centre.co.uk; Belvedere Rd, SE1; tWaterloo) The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall ens) obscure much of the view in section D; you’d almost do better to stand. (Map p420; %0844 875 0073; www.southbank- If you don’t like the idea of standing in the centre.co.uk; Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1; admission £6-60; W; tWaterloo) seats rain or sitting in the cold, opt for an indoor
172 Th e So u th Ba n k E n te r ta i n me n t ALL LONDON’S A STAGE Tom Bird is executive producer at Shakespeare’s Globe (p160) theatre. As well as working on productions in London (including international plays), his main responsi- bility is to take the Globe to the world, on tours, festivals and off-beat locations. Seating or Standing at the Globe? Standing! I absolutely love it. You can sit down in every other theatre but there is no- where in the world where standing offers the best seats in the house. And for just £5. North or South of the river? I lived in Hackney (North London) for years and moved to New Cross (South London) a couple of years ago. There are a lot of people who seem to be making that journey and I think southeast London is becoming very exciting. Weekend plans? I love swimming in the ponds (p254) in Hampstead Heath. It is so unique – there is nowhere else in the world like this and it’s a totally new way to discover the city. Top tip for visitors? My advice would be to get out of Zone 1 (the West End and the South Bank) and to explore areas on the edge of the centre, like Hackney, Hampstead or East London: that’s the London that tourists don’t always see. candle-lit play in the Sam Wanamaker Play- stood down in April 2015 and was suc- house, a Jacobean theatre similar to the one ceeded by Matthew Warchus (who directed Shakespeare would have used in winter. The Matilda the Musical and the film Pride). programming also includes opera. His aim is to bring an eclectic – and busier – programme to the theatre. BFI SOUTHBANK CINEMA Map p420 (%020-7928 3232; www.bfi.org.uk; YOUNG VIC THEATRE Belvedere Rd, SE1; tickets £8-12; h11am-11pm; Map p420 (%020-7922 2922; www.youngvic.org; tWaterloo) Tucked almost out of sight under 66 The Cut, SE1; tSouthwark, Waterloo) This the arches of Waterloo Bridge is the British ground-breaking theatre is as much about Film Institute, containing four cinemas showcasing and discovering new talent as that screen thousands of films each year it is about people discovering theatre. The (mostly arthouse), a gallery devoted to the Young Vic features actors, directors and moving image and the mediatheque, where plays from across the world, many of whom you watch film and TV highlights from the tackle contemporary political or cultural BFI National Archive. issues such as the death penalty, racism or There’s also a film store for books and corruption, often blending dance and music DVDs, a restaurant and a gorgeous cafe. with acting. Largely a repertory or art-house theatre, the Discounts are available for children, stu- BFI runs regular retrospectives and is the dents and over 60s. major venue for the BFI London Film Fes- tival, which screens some 300 films from BFI IMAX CINEMA CINEMA around the world in October every year. Map p420 (www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/bfi_imax; 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk, SE1; adult/child from £16.60/11.20; tWaterloo) The British Film OLD VIC THEATRE Map p420 (%0844 871 7628; www.oldvictheatre. Institute’s IMAX Cinema screens 2D and com; The Cut, SE1; tWaterloo) American ac- 3D documentaries about travel, space and tor Kevin Spacey took the theatrical helm wildlife, lasting anywhere from 40 minutes of this stalwart of the London theatre scene to 1½ hours, as well as recently released in 2003 and gave it a new lease of life. He blockbusters.
7 SHOPPING 173 that is Borough Market, Maltby Street Mar- Along with the following, check out the ket is becoming victim of its own success, cute boutiques at Gabriel’s Wharf and with brick and mortar shops and restau- the Oxo Tower. rants replacing the old workshops, and with throngs of visitors. That said, it is still LOVELY & BRITISH GIFTS much smaller than other popular London weekend markets and boasts some original Map p420 (%020-7378 6570; www.facebook. – and all top notch – food stalls (smoked com/LovelyandBritish; 132a Bermondsey St, salmon from east London, African burgers, SE1; h10am-3pm Mon, 11.30am-6pm Tue, 10am- seafood counters and lots of pastries). 6pm Wed-Fri, 10am-5.30pm Sat, 11am-4pm Sun; tLondon Bridge) As the name suggests, this For drinks, look no further than Little gorgeous Bermondsey boutique prides it- Bird Gin’s bar (Map p420; www.littlebirdgin. self on stocking prints, jewellery and home com; Maltby St, SE1; h10am-4pm Sat, from furnishings from British designers. It’s an 11am Sunday; tLondon Bridge), which uses its eclectic mix of vintage and new, with very eponymous gin (a small batch, citrusy gin reasonable prices. distilled in London) to make eye-poppingly good cocktails (£5 to £7) served in jam jars SOUTHBANK CENTRE SHOP HOMEWARES or apothecary’s glass bottles. Equally fan- Th e So u th Ba n k S h o pp i n g Map p420 (www.southbankcentre.co.uk; Festi- tastic is Jensen (Map p420; www.jensengin. val Tce, SE1; h10am-9pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat, com; 55 Stanworth St, SE1; h10am-4pm Sat; noon-8pm Sun; tWaterloo) This is the place tLondon Bridge), another gin specialist, this to come for quirky London books, ’50s-in- time with a distillery on the premises (bot- spired homewares, original prints and cre- tles £20 to £25, cocktails £4.95). Both al- ative gifts for children. The shop is rather low you to bring in your takeaway goodies eclectic but you’re sure to find unique gifts whilst you enjoy their cocktails. or souvenirs to take home. SOUTH BANK BOOK MARKET MARKET NATIONAL THEATRE GIFT SHOP BOOKS Map p420 (Riverside Walk, SE1; h11am-7pm, Map p420 (%020-7452 3456; www.nationalthea- shorter hours in winter; tWaterloo) The South tre.org.uk; South Bank, SE1; h9.30am-10.45pm Bank Book Market, with prints and second- Mon-Sat, 12-6pm Sun; tWaterloo) You’ll find hand books, takes place daily under the an extensive selection of books covering arches of Waterloo Bridge. You’ll find any- literature, history, art and more, as well as thing from fiction to children’s books, com- NT merchandise and unusual gifts. Jewel- ics and classics. lery and children’s gifts are lined up next to fold-out craft beer maps and skull-shaped BERMONDSEY MARKET MARKET erasers. Map p420 (Bermondsey Sq; h5am-3pm Fri; tBorough, Bermondsey) Reputedly it’s legal to sell stolen goods here before dawn, but MALTBY STREET MARKET MARKET late risers will find this market altogether Map p420 (www.maltby.st; Maltby St, SE1; h9am- upright and sedate, with cutlery and other 4pm Sat, 11am-4pm Sun; tLondon Bridge) Started as an alternative to the juggernaut old-fashioned silverware, antique porce- lain, paintings and some costume jewellery.
174 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Kensington & Hyde Park KNIGHTSBRIDGE | SOUTH KENSINGTON | HYDE PARK | KENSINGTON GARDENS | CHELSEA & BELGRAVIA | VICTORIA | PIMLICO Neighbourhood Top Five 1 Thumbing through an Natural History Museum 5 Shopping – or just encyclopaedic A–Z of deco- (p180). rative and design works window-shopping! – at 3 Enjoying a picnic in the extravagant Harrods from across the globe in the London’s green lung, Hyde (p194). Victoria & Albert Museum Park (p182). (p176). 4 Nurturing a wide-eyed 2 Becoming hypnotised fascination for the perplexi- by the awe-inspiring stone- ties of the world and the work and inexhaustible col- cosmos in the electrifying lection of the world-leading Science Museum (p184). BAYSWATERBayswater Rd e# 0 1 km SOHO KeGnasridnegntos n 0 0.5 miles 3#æ# Hyde Park La MAYFAIR Park PallJMAaMlSl ETS'S Kensington RPoounndd The Serpentine Apsley PiccadGiPllryaerekn Palace House â# St JPaamrkes's â# Lake KNIGHTSBRIDGE osveBuGcPakarilndagechneas m St James's Park Knightsbridge nor Pl Gr Brompton R5d# Victoria St Sloane St WESTMINSTER KENSINGTON 4#Fulham BELGRAVIA 2# Eaton Sq 1# Buckingham Palace Rd Cromwell Rd BelgrVaavuexRhdall Bridge Rd B r om pton Rd CHELSEA Ch els Old Rd ea Bridge PIMLICO Cheyne RGaanredlaegnhs Redcliffe Gardens King's Rd Rd ChelsReaivEermTbhaanmkems ent Gros v enor Rd Walk Battersea Nine Elms La Park BATTERSEA NINE ELMS For more detail of this area see Map p424A
Explore: Kensington & Hyde Park 175 You can navigate a serious learning-curve or at least catch Lonely Planet’s up on all you forgot since high school at South Kensing- Top Tip ton’s magnificent museums of the arts and sciences. You’ll need several days – and considerable calorific reserves – to Catch the Queen’s Life do them all justice. Museums open at 10am, so you don’t Guard (Household Cavalry) have to set your alarm too early, but being near the front departing for Horse Guards of the queue when the doors open gives useful elbow room. Parade at 10.28am (9.28am Sundays) from Hyde Park Shoppers will make an eager beeline for Knights- Barracks for the daily bridge, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, but there are tran- Changing of the Guard, per- quil shopping escapes – such as John Sandoe Books – to forming a ritual that dates to sidestep the maddening crowds. 1660. They troop via Hyde Park Corner, Constitution Earmark a sight-packed day for a visit to Hyde Park Hill and the Mall. It’s not as and conjoined Kensington Gardens – crucial to see why busy as the Changing of the Londoners love their green spaces. Begin by exploring Guard at Buckingham Pal- the opulence of Apsley House before walking across the ace and you can get closer park, via the Serpentine, to the Albert Memorial, Royal to the action. Albert Hall and Kensington Palace. 5 Best Places Outstanding restaurants will be with you every step to Eat of the way: Kensington, Knightsbridge and Chelsea take their dining particularly seriously, so some of your fond- ¨¨Tom’s Kitchen (p189) est memories could well be gastronomic, whether you’re grazing, snacking or plain feasting. ¨¨Rabbit (p192) Local Life ¨¨Dinner by Heston Blu- menthal (p191) ¨Hang-outs Join Londoners swooning before the lawn of Fulham Palace (p188), linger over coffee and cake at ¨¨Launceston Place Kensington & Hyde Park Tomtom Coffee House (p193) or snap your fingers with (p191) local jazz hounds at the swinging 606 Club (p194). ¨Museums Late-night Fridays at the Victoria & Albert ¨¨Pimlico Fresh (p192) (p176) mean fewer crowds (especially children) and locals can get a look-in. For reviews, see p189 A ¨Parks When the sun’s out, Londoners dust off their shades, get outdoors to expanses of green like Hyde Park 6 Best Places (p182) and lie on the grass reading chunky novels. to Drink Getting There & Away ¨¨Tomtom Coffee House (p193) ¨Underground Kensington and Hyde Park are well connected to the rest of London via stations at South ¨¨Phene (p193) Kensington, Sloane Sq, Victoria, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner. The main lines are Circle, District, ¨¨Queen’s Arms (p193) Piccadilly and Victoria. ¨Bus Handy routes include 74 from South Kensington to ¨¨Buddha Bar (p193) Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner; 52 from Victoria to High St Kensington; 360 from South Kensington to ¨¨Anglesea Arms (p193) Sloane Sq and Pimlico; and 11 from Fulham Broadway to King’s Road, Sloane Sq and Victoria. For reviews, see p193 A ¨Bicycle Santander Cycles (p67) are very handy for pedal-powering your way in, out and around the 7 Best neighbourhood. Shopping ¨¨Harrods (p194) ¨¨Conran Shop (p194) ¨¨Slightly Foxed on Gloucester Road (p195) ¨¨British Red Cross (p194) ¨¨Pickett (p195) For reviews, see p194 A
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM The Museum of Manufactures, as the V&A was known DON’T MISS... NANDO MACHADO / SHUTTERSTOCK © when it opened in 1852, was part of Prince Albert’s legacy to the nation in the aftermath of the successful ¨¨Jewellery Gallery Great Exhibition of 1851. Its original aims – which still ¨¨Raphael cartoons hold today – were the ‘improvement of public taste ¨¨Ardabil Carpet in design’ and ‘applications of fine art to objects of utility’. It’s done a fine job so far. PRACTICALITIES Collection ¨¨V&A ¨¨Map p424, C4 Through 146 galleries, the museum houses the world’s ¨¨www.vam.ac.uk greatest collection of decorative arts, from ancient Chinese ¨¨Cromwell Rd, SW7 ceramics to modernist architectural drawings, Korean ¨¨admission free bronze and Japanese swords, cartoons by Raphael, gowns ¨¨h10am-5.45pm Sat- from the Elizabethan era, ancient jewellery, a Sony Walk- Thu, to 10pm Fri man – and much, much more. Entrance ¨¨tSouth Kensington Entering under the stunning blue-and-yellow blown glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly, you can grab a museum map (£1 donation requested) at the information desk. (If the ‘Grand Entrance’ on Cromwell Rd is too busy, there’s another around the corner on Exhibition Rd, or you can enter from the tunnel in the basement, if arriving by tube.) Level 11 The street level is mostly devoted to art and design from India, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, as well as European art. One of the museum’s highlights is the Cast Courts in rooms 46a and 46b, containing staggering plaster casts collected in the Victo- rian era, such as Michelangelo’s David, acquired in 1858.
177 The TT Tsui Gallery (rooms 44 and 47e) displays V&A K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk V i ct o r i a & A l b e rt M u s e u m lovely pieces, including a beautifully lithe wooden ARCHITECTURE statue of Guanyin seated in lalitasana pose from AD 1200; also check out a leaf from the ‘Twenty views of Look around you at the the Yuanmingyuan Summer Palace’ (1781–86), re- fabric of the Victoria & vealing the Haiyantang and the 12 animal heads of Albert Museum – tiled the fountain (now ruins) in Beijing. Within the sub- staircases and floors, dued lighting of the Japan Gallery (room 45) stands painted, vaulted ceilings a fearsome suit of armour in the Domaru style. More and the astonishing than 400 objects are within the Islamic Middle East frescoes in the Leighton Gallery (room 42), including ceramics, textiles, car- Corridor – the museum pets, glass and woodwork from the 8th-century up is a work of art in itself. to the years before WWI. The exhibition’s highlight is the gorgeous mid-16th-century Ardabil Carpet. When militant suf- fragettes threatened For fresh air, the landscaped John Madejski Gar- to damage exhibits den is a lovely shaded inner courtyard. Cross it to at public museums reach the original Refreshment Rooms (Morris, in 1913, the V&A Gamble and Poynter Rooms), dating from the 1860s considered denying and redesigned by McInnes Usher McKnight Archi- women entry to the tects (MUMA), who also renovated the Medieval museum, but instead and Renaissance galleries (1350–1600) to the right opted for scrapping of the Grand Entrance. admission charges to the museum to boost Levels 2 & 4 visitor numbers and so help protect the The British Galleries, featuring every aspect of Brit- V&A’s collection. ish design from 1500 to 1900, are divided between levels 2 (1500–1760) and 4 (1760–1900). Level 4 also V&A TOURS boasts the Architecture Gallery (rooms 127 to 128a), which vividly describes architectural styles via Several free one-hour models and videos, and the spectacular brightly illu- guided tours leave the minated Contemporary Glass Gallery (room 129). main reception area every day. Times are Level 3 prominently displayed; alternatively, check the The Jewellery Gallery (rooms 91 to 93) is out- website for details. standing; the mezzanine level – accessed via the glass-and-perspex spiral staircase – glitters with The V&A’s temporary jewel-encrusted swords, watches and gold boxes. exhibitions are com- The Photographs Gallery (room 100) is one of the pelling and fun (note nation’s best, with access to more than 500,000 that admission fees images collected since the mid-19th century. Design apply). There are also Since 1946 (room 76) celebrates design classics talks, workshops, from a 1985 Sony credit-card radio to a 1992 Nike events and one of the ‘Air Max’ shoe, Peter Ghyczy’s Garden Egg Chair best museum shops from 1968 and the now ubiquitous selfie stick. around. Level 6 Among the pieces in the Ceramics Gallery (rooms 136 to 146) – the world’s largest – are standout items from the Middle East and Asia. The Dr Susan We- ber Gallery (rooms 133 to 135) celebrates furniture design over the past six centuries.
Victoria & Enter the V&A by the Grand Entrance off Crom- Albert Museum well Rd and immediately turn left to explore the HALF-DAY HIGHLIGHTS TOUR Islamic Middle East Gallery and to discover the The art- and design-packed V&A is vast: we have devised an easy-to-follow tour of sumptuous silk-and-wool Ardabil Carpet 1. the museum highlights to help cover some signature pieces while also allowing you to Among the pieces from South Asia in the appreciate some of the grandeur of the museum architecture. adjacent gallery is the terrifying automated Tipu’s Tiger 2. Continue to the outstanding Fashion Gallery 3 with its displays of clothing styles through the ages. The magnificent gallery opposite houses the Raphael Cartoons 4, large paintings by Raphael used to weave tapestries for the Vatican. Take the stairs to Level 2 and the Britain 1500–1760 Raphael Cartoons Fashion Gallery DAMIAN HARPER © These seven drawings by With clothing from the 18th Raphael, depicting the century to the present day, acts of St Peter and St this circular and chrono- Paul, were the full-scale logically arranged gallery preparatory works for seven showcases evening wear, tapestries that were woven undergarments and iconic for the Sistine Chapel in the fashion milestones, such as Vatican. 1960s dresses designed by Mary Quant. Britain 4 3 1500-1760 Gallery 2 Stairs to Stairs from Level 2 5 Level 1 1 John 6 Stairs to Madejski Garden Level 3 Main Gift Entrance Shop TT Tsui China collection Japan Gallery Cast Courts LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 The Ardabil Carpet Tipu’s Tiger GREG BALFOUR EVANS / ALAMY © One of the world’s most beautiful This disquieting 18th-century wood- carpets, the Ardabil was completed in and-metal mechanical automaton 1540, one of a pair commissioned by depicts a European being savaged by a Shah Tahmasp, ruler of Iran. The piece tiger. When a handle is turned, an organ is most astonishing for the artistry of hidden within the feline mimics the cries the detailing and the subtlety of design. of the dying man, whose arm also rises.
Gallery; turn left in the gallery to find the TOP TIPS Great Bed of Ware 5, beyond which » More Info Museum attendants are always at hand along the route. rests the exquisitely crafted artistry of » Photography Allowed in most galleries, except the Jewellery Gallery, the Raphael Henry VIII’s Writing Box 6. Head up the Cartoons and in exhibitions. » Evening Exploration Avoid daytime stairs into the Metalware Gallery on Level crowds: visit the V&A till 10pm on Friday. 3 for the Hereford Screen 7. Continue through the Ironwork and Sculpture Galleries and through the Leighton Corridor to the glittering Jewellery Gallery 8. Exit through the Stained Glass gallery, at the end of which you'll find stairs back down to level 1. The Great Bed of Ware Henry VIII’s Writing Box Created during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, its This exquisitely ornate walnut and oak 16th- headboard and bedposts are etched with ancient century writing box has been added to over the graffiti; the 16th-century oak Great Bed of Ware centuries, but the original decorative motifs are is famously name-dropped in Shakespeare’s superb, including Henry’s coat of arms, anked Twelfth Night. by Venus (holding Cupid) and Mars. Stairs to Other Levels 20th Century Gallery Stairs from Level 2 7 Jewellery Gallery National The beautifully illuminated Jewel- Art Library lery Gallery has a stunning collec- tion of items from ancient Greece Ironwork 8 to the modern day, including a Gallery dazzling gold Celtic breastplate, art-nouveau jewellery and animals Sculpture Leighton fashioned by Fabergé. Gallery Corridor LEVEL 4 Photographers The Hereford Screen Gallery Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, this awe-inspiring choir screen is a labour of love, originally fashioned for Hereford LEVEL 3 Cathedral. An almighty conception of wood, iron, copper, brass and hardstone, there were few parts of the V&A that DAMIAN HARPER © could support its great mass.
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM This colossal building is infused with the Victorian DON’T MISS... _ULTRAFORMA_ / GETTY IMAGES © spirit of collecting, cataloguing and interpreting the ¨¨Hintze Hall natural world. The museum building is as much a reason to visit as the world-famous collection within. ¨¨Treasures at Cadogan Gallery Hintze Hall ¨¨Dinosaurs Gallery ¨¨Darwin Centre This grand central hall resembles a cathedral nave – quite ¨¨Wildlife Photogra- fitting for a time when the natural sciences were challeng- pher of the Year ing the biblical tenets of Christian orthodoxy. Naturalist and first superintendent of the museum, Richard Owen, PRACTICALITIES celebrated the building as a ‘cathedral to nature’. ¨¨Map p424, C4 The hall is dominated by the dramatically overarching ¨¨www.nhm.ac.uk cast of a diplodocus skeleton (nicknamed Dippy), which ¨¨Cromwell Rd, SW7 has inspired generations of children to drag their parents ¨¨admission free to the fantastic Dinosaurs Gallery in the Blue Zone. In 2017, Dippy will be replaced by the skeleton of a blue whale, dis- played in a diving position for dramatic effect. Blue Zone ¨¨h10am-5.50pm Undoubtedly the museum’s star attraction, the Dinosaurs ¨¨W Gallery takes you on an impressive overhead walkway, past ¨¨tSouth Kensington a dromaeosaurus (a small and agile meat eater) before reach- ing a roaring animatronic T-rex and then winding its way through skeletons, fossils, casts and fascinating displays about how dinosaurs lived and died. Another highlight of this zone is the Mammals & Blue Whale Gallery, with its life-size blue whale model and extensive displays on cetaceans. The museum has also dedicated a gallery to Human Biology, where you’ll be able to understand more about what makes us tick (senses, hormones, our brain and so on). Green Zone While children love the Blue Zone, adults may prefer the Green Zone, especially the Treas- ures in Cadogan Gallery, on the first floor, which houses the museum’s most prized posses-
181 sions, each with a unique history. Exhibits include a SKATING AT THE K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk N at u ra l H i st o r y M u s e u m chunk of moon rock, an Emperor Penguin egg col- MUSEUM lected by Captain Scott’s expedition and a first edi- tion of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. From Halloween to January, a section by Equally rare and exceptional are the gems and the East Lawn of the rocks held in the Vault, including a Martian meteor- museum is transformed ite and the largest emerald ever found. into a glittering and highly popular ice rink, Take a moment to marvel at the trunk section of complete with a hot- a 1300 year-old giant sequoia tree on the second drinks stall. Our advice: floor: its size is mind-boggling. book your slot well ahead, browse the mu- Red Zone seum and skate later. This zone explores the ever-changing nature of our Children love the planet and the forces shaping it. The earthquake Natural History simulator (in the Volcanoes and Earthquakes Gal- Museum and there lery), which re-creates the 1995 Kobe earthquake are great resources in a grocery store, is a favourite, as is the From the for them: borrow an Beginning Gallery, which retraces Earth’s history. Explorer backpack (for under 7s, com- In Earth’s Treasury, you can find out more about plete with activity our planet’s mineral riches and how they are being booklet, explorer hat used in our every day lives – from jewellery to con- and binoculars!) or struction and electronics. buy a discover guide (£1): themes include Access to most of the galleries in the Red Zone is dinosaurs, mammals, via Earth Hall and a very tall escalator that disap- and rocks and soils pears into a large earth-metal sculpture. The most (available for ages intact stegosaurus fossil skeleton ever found is five to seven or eight displayed at the base. to 11). Orange Zone CLEVER SHOP The Darwin Centre is the beating heart of the muse- As well as the obliga- um: this is where the museum’s millions of specimens tory dinosaur figurines are kept and where its scientists work. The top two and animal soft toys, floors of the amazing ‘cocoon’ building are dedicated the museum’s shop to explaining the kind of research the museum does has a huge and brilliant – windows allow you to see the researchers at work. collection of children’s books about nature, If you’d like to find out more, pop into the At- animals and, of course, tenborough Studio (named after famous naturalist dinosaurs. On the adult and broadcaster David Attenborough) for one of the side, beautiful jewellery daily talks with the museum’s scientists. The studio and lovely stationery also shows films throughout the day. are treats to look out for. Exhibitions The museum hosts regular exhibitions (admission fees apply), some of them on a recurrent basis. Wild- life Photographer of the Year (adult/child £12.60/6.30; hNov-Aug), has show-stopping images, while Sensa- tional Butterflies (Map p424; adult/family £4.90/19.80; hApr–mid-Sep), a tunnel tent on the East Lawn that swarms with what must originally have been called ‘flutter-bys’, has become a firm summer favourite. Wildlife Gardens A slice of English countryside in SW7, these beauti- ful gardens encompass a range of British lowland habitats, including a meadow with farm gates and a bee tree where a colony of honey bees fills the air.
HYDE PARK London’s largest royal park spreads itself over 142 DON’T MISS... ALLAN BAXTER / GETTY IMAGES © hectares of neat gardens, wild expanses of overgrown grass and glorious trees. As well as being a fantastic ¨¨The Serpentine green space in the middle of London, it is home to a Galleries handful of fascinating sights. ¨¨Speakers’ Corner ¨¨Diana, Princess of Green Spaces Wales Memorial Foun- tain The eastern half of the park is covered with expansive lawns, which become one vast picnic-and-frolic area on PRACTICALITIES sunny days. The western half is more untamed, with plenty of trees and areas of wild grass. ¨¨Map p424, D2 ¨¨www.royalparks.org. If you’re after somewhere more colourful (and some uk/parks/hyde-park shade), head to the Rose Garden (Map p424; tHyde Park Cor- ¨¨h5am-midnight ner, Knightsbridge), a beautifully landscaped garden with flow- ¨¨tMarble Arch, Hyde ers year-round, ideal to sit and contemplate for a while. Park Corner, Queensway A little further west, you’ll find the Holocaust Memorial Garden (Map p424; tHyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge), a sim- ple stone marker in a grove of trees. Speakers’ Corner Frequented by Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell and William Morris, Speakers’ Corner (Map p424; Park Lane; tMarble Arch) in the northeastern corner is traditionally the spot for oratorical acrobatics and soapbox ranting. If you have something to get off your chest, do so on Sunday, although you’ll mainly have religious fanatics and hecklers for company. It’s the only place in Britain where demonstrators can assemble without police permis- sion. This concession was granted in 1872 after serious riots 17 years earlier had 150,000 people gathered to demonstrate against the Sunday Trading Bill before Parliament, only to be unexpectedly ambushed by police concealed within Marble Arch. The Serpentine Galleries Straddling the Serpentine lake, the Serpentine Galleries (Map p424; www.serpentinegalleries. org; Kensington Gardens, W2; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; W; tLancaster Gate, Knightsbridge) F may
183 look like quaint historical buildings but they are one HISTORY K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk H y d e Park of London’s most important contemporary art gal- leries. Damien Hirst, Andreas Gursky, Louise Bour- Henry VIII expropri- geois, Gabriel Orozco, Tomoko Takahashi and Jeff ated the park from the Koons have all exhibited here. church in 1536, after which it emerged as a The original exhibition space is the 1930s former hunting ground for kings tea pavilion located in Kensington Gardens. In 2013, and aristocrats; later it the gallery opened the Serpentine Sackler Gallery became a popular venue (Map p424; www.serpentinegalleries.org; West Carriage for duels, executions and Drive, W2; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; tLancaster Gate) F horse racing. It was the within the Magazine, a former gunpowder depot, first royal park to open across the Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park. Built in to the public in the early 1805, it has been augmented with a daring, undulat- 17th century, the famous ing extension designed by Pritzker Prize–winning venue of the Great Exhi- architect Zaha Hadid. bition in 1851, and during WWII it became a vast The galleries run a full programme of exhibitions, potato bed. These days, readings, talks and open-air cinema screenings. A it’s an occasional con- leading architect who has never previously built in the cert and music-festival UK is annually commissioned to build a new ‘Summer venue (Bruce Springs- Pavilion’ nearby, open from June to October. teen, The Rolling Stones, Madonna). The Serpentine Found the perfect Hyde Park is separated from Kensington Gardens by spot? Hire a deck the L-shaped Serpentine, a small lake once fed with chair (1/4 hours waters from the River Westbourne; the lake hosted £1.60/4.60). They are the Olympic triathlon and marathon swimming available throughout events in 2012. the park from March to October, weather per- You can have a swim too – between May and mitting. September – at the Serpentine Lido (Map p424; %020-7706 3422; Hyde Park, W2; adult/child £4.60/1.60; ROYAL GUN h10am-6pm daily Jun-Aug, Sat & Sun May; tHyde Park SALUTES Corner, Knightsbridge), where a swimming area within the lake is ring-fenced. There is also a paddling pool Royal Gun Salutes are for children. fired in Hyde Park on 10 June for the Duke of If you’d rather stay dry, rent a paddle boat from Edinburgh’s birthday the Serpentine boathouse (Map p424; %020-7262 and on 14 November for 1330; adult/child per 30min £10/4, per 1hr £12/5; tHyde the Prince of Wales’s Park Corner, Kinghtsbridge). birthday. The salutes are fired at midday Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial and include 41 rounds Fountain (21 is standard but be- ing a royal park, Hyde This memorial fountain (Map p424; tKnightsbridge) Park gets a bonus 20 is dedicated to the late Princess of Wales. Envisaged rounds). by the designer Kathryn Gustafson as a ‘moat with- out a castle’ and draped ‘like a necklace’ around the southwestern edge of Hyde Park near the Serpen- tine Bridge, the circular double stream is composed of 545 pieces of Cornish granite, its waters drawn from a chalk aquifer more than 100m below ground. Unusually, visitors are actively encouraged to splash about, to the delight of children. A solar shuttle (Map p424; %020-7262 1330; www. solarshuttle.co.uk; adult/child £5/3) ferries passengers from the Serpentine Boathouse to the fountain at weekends from March to September (every day from mid-July to late August).
SCIENCE MUSEUM With seven floors of interactive and educational DON’T MISS... MARCO PRATI / SHUTTERSTOCK © exhibits, this scientifically spellbinding museum will ¨¨Exploring Space mesmerise adults and children alike. Gallery The most popular galleries are on the ground floor, start- ¨¨Information Age ing with Exploring Space, featuring genuine rockets and Gallery satellites and a full size replica of ‘Eagle’, the lander that took Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon in 1969. ¨¨Making the Modern Next is the Making the Modern World Gallery, a visual World Gallery feast of locomotives, planes, cars, engines and other revo- lutionary inventions (penicillin, cameras etc). ¨¨Flight simulators The fantastic Information Age Gallery on level 2 show- cases how information and communication technologies PRACTICALITIES – from the telegraph to smartphones – have transformed our lives since the 19th century. Standout displays include ¨¨Map p424, C4 wireless sent by a sinking Titanic, the first BBC radio ¨¨www.sciencemuseum. broadcast and a Soviet BESM 1965 supercomputer. Also org.uk on level 2 is Media Space, a gallery dedicated to excellent ¨¨Exhibition Rd, SW7 photographic exhibitions from the National Photography ¨¨admission free Collection (adult/child £8/free). The 3rd-floor Flight Gallery (free tours 1pm most days) is a ¨¨h10am-6pm favourite place for children, with its gliders, hot-air balloons ¨¨W and aircraft, including the Gipsy Moth, which Amy Johnson ¨¨tSouth Kensington flew to Australia in 1930. This floor also features a Red Ar- rows 3D flight simulation theatre (adult/children £6/5) and a Fly 360-degree flight-simulator capsules (£12 per capsule). Launchpad, on the same floor, is stuffed with (free) hands-on gadgets exploring physics and the properties of liquids. Glimpses of Medical History on level 4 isn’t as high-tech as the rest of the museum but is highly evocative with models and life-size reconstructions showing how medicine – from dentistry to childbirth – was practised through the ages. If you’ve kids under the age of five, pop down to the basement and the Garden, where there’s a fun-filled play zone, including a water-play area, besieged by tots in orange water proof smocks.
1 SIGHTS 185 tics. The huge mushroom-like acoustic re- 1 Knightsbridge & South flectors first dangled from the ceiling in Kensington 1969, and a further massive refurbishment was completed in 2004. ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC MUSEUM MUSEUM VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM MUSEUM Map p424 (%020-7591 4842; www.rcm.ac.uk/ See p176. museum; Prince Consort Rd, SW7; h11.30am- 4.30pm Tue-Fri term time & summer; tSouth Kensington) F If you’ve a musical ear and NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM MUSEUM See p180. the vast museums of South Kensington have left your head spinning, a far smaller and SCIENCE MUSEUM MUSEUM more manageable collection can be discov- See p184. ered downstairs at the illustrious Royal Col- lege of Music. There are some fascinating WELLINGTON ARCH MUSEUM instruments on display, including a clavi- Map p424 (www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/ cytherium dated c 1480, one of the world’s places/wellington-arch/; Hyde Park Corner, W1; adult/child £4.30/2.60, with Apsley House £10/6; earliest guitars, a world-renowned portrait of Joseph Haydn, a host of Eastern Euro- h10am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 4pm Nov-Mar; tHyde pean plucked instruments and trombones Park Corner) Dominating the green space throttled by the Hyde Park Corner rounda- owned by Elgar and Holst. There is a small but comfortable Chil- bout, this imposing neoclassical 1826 arch dren’s Corner with activities and special dis- originally faced the Hyde Park Screen, but was shunted here in 1882 for road widen- plays. Guided tours of the museum cost £5 ing. Once a police station, it is now a gallery for an adult and must be booked in advance. If you find this interesting, consider a trip to with temporary exhibitions and a perma- the outstanding Horniman Museum (p277) nent display about the history of the arch. The open-air balconies (accessible by lift) in Forest Hill, which has a superlative collec- K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk S i ghts tion of instruments from around the world. afford unforgettable views of Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and the Mall. Originally crowned by a disproportion- BROMPTON ORATORY CHURCH ately large equestrian statue of the Duke of Map p424 (%020-7808 0900; www.brompton oratory.com; 215 Brompton Rd, SW7; h7am-8pm; Wellington, it was replaced by the current tSouth Kensington) Also known as the Lon- Peace Descending on the Quadriga of War in 1912, Europe’s largest bronze sculpture. don Oratory and the Oratory of St Philip Neri, this Roman Catholic church is second in size only to the incomplete Westminster ROYAL ALBERT HALL HISTORIC BUILDING Cathedral. Built in Italian baroque style in Map p424 (%box office 0845 401 5034; www.roy- 1884, the impressive interior is swathed in alalberthall.com; Kensington Gore, SW7; tSouth Kensington) Built in 1871 thanks in part to marble and statuary; much of the decora- tive work predates the church and was im- the proceeds of the 1851 Great Exhibition ported from Italian churches. Intriguingly, organised by Prince Albert (Queen Victo- ria’s husband), this huge, domed, red-brick the church was employed by the KGB dur- ing the Cold War as a dead-letter box. amphitheatre, adorned with a frieze of Min- ton tiles, is Britain’s most famous concert venue and home to the BBC’s Promenade Concerts (the Proms) every summer. Book RIVER WESTBOURNE an informative one-hour front-of-house guided tour (%0845 401 5045; adult/conces- One of London’s many underground sion £12.25/5.25; hhourly 10am-4.30pm), oper- rivers, the River Westbourne flows ating most days, to find out about the hall’s secretly through a highly visible steel intriguing history and royal connections. conduit above the platform of Sloane The hall was never intended as a concert Sq tube station, on its underground venue but as a ‘Hall of Arts and Sciences’, so journey to the Thames. The water- it spent the first 133 years of its existence course is also the source of the name tormenting everyone with shocking acous- Knightsbridge, a former crossing point of the river.
186 esque 275-acre gardens are technically part There is a busy schedule of services (five on of Kensington Palace. The park is a gorgeous collection of manicured lawns, tree-shaded weekdays, more at the weekend), including a avenues and basins. The largest is the Round Solemn Mass in Latin on Sundays (11am). Pond, close to the palace. Also worth a look are the lovely fountains in the Italian Gar- MICHELIN HOUSE HISTORIC BUILDING dens (Map p424), believed to be a gift from Albert to Queen Victoria. Map p424 (81 Fulham Rd, SW3; tSouth Kensing- ton) Built for Michelin between 1905 and The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial 1911 by François Espinasse, and completely Playground (Map p424; tQueensway), in the restored in 1985, the building blurs the styl- northwest corner of the gardens, has some ish line between art nouveau and art deco. pretty ambitious attractions for children. The iconic roly-poly Michelin Man (Biben- Next to the playground stands the delightful dum) appears in the exquisite modern Elfin Oak, a 900-year-old tree stump carved stained glass (the originals were removed with elves, gnomes, witches and small crea- at the outbreak of WWII and subsequently tures. George Frampton’s celebrated Peter vanished), while the lobby is decorated with Pan statue (Map p424; tLancaster Gate) is tiles showing early-20th-century cars. close to the lake. 1 Hyde Park & ALBERT MEMORIAL MONUMENT Kensington Gardens Map p424 (Kensington Gardens; tours adult/ concession £8/7; htours 2pm & 3pm 1st Sun of HYDE PARK PARK month Mar-Dec; tKnightsbridge, Gloucester Rd) See p182. This splendid Victorian confection on the southern edge of Kensington Gardens is as KENSINGTON GARDENS PARK Map p424 (www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kens- ostentatious as the subject. Queen Victoria’s ington-gardens; h6am-dusk; tQueensway, Lan- German husband Albert (1819–61), was pur- caster Gate) Immediately west of Hyde Park portedly humble. Albert explicitly insisted K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk S i ghts and across the Serpentine lake, these pictur- he did not want a monument; ignoring the APSLEY HOUSE DON’T MISS... This stunning house, containing exhibits about the Duke ¨¨Egyptian service of Wellington, victor of Waterloo against Napoleon Bon- ¨¨Canova’s statue of aparte, was once the first building to appear when en- Napoleon tering London from the west and was therefore known ¨¨Waterloo Gallery as ‘No 1 London’. Still one of London’s finest, Apsley paintings House was designed by Robert Adam for Baron Apsley in the late 18th century, but later sold to the first Duke of PRACTICALITIES Wellington, who lived here until he died in 1852. ¨¨Map p424, F3 In 1947, the house was given to the nation (although ¨¨www.english-heritage. the duke’s descendants still live in a flat here); 10 of its org.uk/visit/places/ rooms are open to the public. Wellington memorabilia, apsley-house/ including his death mask, fills the basement gallery, ¨¨149 Piccadilly, Hyde while there’s an astonishing collection of china and Park Corner, W1 silver, including a dazzling Egyptian service, a divorce ¨¨adult/child £8.30/5, gift (call it a golden handshake) from Napoleon to Jose- with Wellington Arch phine, which she declined. £10/6 ¨¨h11am-5pm Wed- The stairwell is dominated by Antonio Canova’s stag- Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm gering 3.4m-high statue of a fig-leafed Napoleon with Sat & Sun Nov-Mar titanic shoulders, adjudged by the subject as ‘too athletic’. ¨¨tHyde Park Corner The 1st-floor Waterloo Gallery contains paintings by Ve- lasquez, Rubens, Van Dyck, Brueghel, Murillo and Goya. A highlight is the Portuguese silver service, presented to Wellington in honour of his triumph over ‘Le Petit Caporal’.
187 KENSINGTON PALACE DON’T MISS... Built in 1605, the palace became the favourite royal resi- ¨¨Cupola Room dence under William and Mary of Orange in 1689, and ¨¨King’s Grand remained so until George III became king and relocated to Staircase Buckingham Palace. Today, it is still a royal residence, with ¨¨Victoria’s the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince Apartments William and his wife Catherine) and Prince Harry living here. PRACTICALITIES A large part of the palace is open to the public, includ- ing the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments. The King’s ¨¨Map p424, A2 State Apartments are the most lavish, starting with the ¨¨www.hrp.org.uk/ Grand Staircase, a dizzying feast of trompe l’oeil. The kensingtonpalace beautiful Cupola Room is arranged with gilded statues ¨¨Kensington Gardens, and a gorgeous painted ceiling. The Drawing Room is W8 beyond, where the king and courtiers would entertain ¨¨adult/child £17.50/ themselves with cards. free ¨¨h10am-6pm Mar- Visitors can also access Victoria’s Apartments Oct, to 5pm Nov-Feb where Queen Victoria (1819–1901) was born and lived ¨¨tHigh St Kensington until she became Queen. An informative narrative about her life is told through a few personal effects, extracts from her journals and plenty of visual props. A long-running exhibition about royal dress, Fashion Rules, is also on show, with dresses from Queen Elizabeth in the 1950s, her sister Princess Margaret in the 1960s and 1970s and Diana, Princess of Wales, in the 1980s. good prince’s wishes, the Lord Mayor in- Family and the ceremonial King’s Troop K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk S i ghts structed George Gilbert Scott to build the Royal Horse Artillery. 53m-high, gaudy Gothic memorial in 1872. Lending its name to the entire area, the An eye-opening blend of mosaic, gold arch contains three rooms (inaccessible to leaf, marble and Victorian bombast, the ren- the public) and was a police station from ovated monument is topped with a crucifix. 1851 to 1968 (two doors access the interior). The 4.25m-tall gilded statue of the prince, surrounded by 187 figures representing A ground plaque (Map p414) on the traffic the continents (Asia, Europe, Africa and island between Bayswater Rd and Edgware America), the arts, industry and science, Rd indicates the spot where the infamous Ty- was erected in 1876. The statue was painted burn Tree, a three-legged gallows, once stood. black for 80 years, originally – some say – to An estimated 50,000 people were executed disguise it from WWI Zeppelins (nonethe- here between 1571 and 1783, many having less, the memorial was selected by German been dragged from the Tower of London. bombers during WWII as a landmark). To During the 16th century many Catholics were step beyond the railings for a close-up of executed for their faith and it later became a the 64m-long Frieze of Parnassus along the place of Catholic pilgrimage. base, join one of the 45-minute tours. To the west of the arch stands a magnifi- MARBLE ARCH MONUMENT cent outsize bronze sculpture of a horse’s head called Still Water, created by Nic Map p414 (tMarble Arch) Designed by John Fiddian-G reen. Nash in 1828, this huge white arch was TYBURN CONVENT CONVENT moved here from its original spot in front Map p424 (%020-7723 7262; www.tyburncon- of Buckingham Palace in 1851, when ad- vent.org.uk; 8 Hyde Park Pl, W2; h6.30am- judged too unimposing an entrance to the 8.30pm; tMarble Arch) F A convent was royal manor. If you’re feeling anarchic, walk established here in 1903, close to the site through the central portal, a privilege re- of the Tyburn Tree gallows. The crypt con- served by (unenforced) law for the Royal tains the relics of 105 martyrs, along with
188 FULHAM PALACE Within stumbling distance of the Thames, Fulham Palace (www.fulhampalace.org; Bishop’s Ave, SW6; hpalace 12.30-4.30pm Mon-Thu, noon-5pm Sun, gardens dawn-dusk daily; tPutney Bridge) F was the summer home of the bishops of London from 704 to 1975. The building is an appealing blend of architectural styles immersed in beauti- ful gardens and, until 1924, when filled with rubble, enclosed by the longest moat in England. The oldest surviving palace chunk is the little red-brick Tudor gateway, while the main building dates from the mid-17th century, remodelled in the 19th century. The lovely courtyard draws watercolourists on sunny days and the genteel Draw- ing Room Café (www.fulhampalace.org; Fulham Palace; mains £5-12; h9.30am-5pm Apr- Oct, to 4pm Nov-Mar; tPutney Bridge) at the rear, looking out onto the gorgeous lawn, is a superlative spot for some carrot cake and a coffee. There’s also a pretty walled garden and, detached from the main house, a Tudor Revival chapel designed by Butterfield in 1866. There are two permanent displays inside the palace relating its history and that of its inhabitants. Guided tours (£5, 1½ hours, four to five tours per month) usually take in the Great Hall, the Victorian chapel, Bishop Sherlock’s Room and the Dining Room. There are also garden walks (£5, 1¼ hours); check the website for dates and times. The surrounding land, once totalling almost 15 hectares but now reduced to just over five, forms Bishop’s Park, a beautiful park with a lovely promenade along the river and the usual assortment of playgrounds, fountains and cafes. paintings commemorating their lives and The last green-haired Mohawk punks – once recording their deaths. Crypt tours run tourist sights in themselves – shuffled off at 10.30am, 3.30pm and 5.30pm daily. A sometime in the 1990s. Today it’s all Bang closed order of Benedictine sisters still & Olufsen, Kurt Geiger and a sprinkling of K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk S i ghts forms a community here. specialist shops; even pet canines are slim The brick building at No 10, next door, and snappily dressed. is considered by some to be the smallest In the 17th century, Charles II fashioned house in London, with a width of a mere a love nest here for himself and his mistress three foot six inches. Nell Gwyn, an orange-seller turned actress at the Drury Lane Theatre. Heading back to Hampton Court Palace at eventide, Charles 1 Chelsea & Belgravia would employ a farmer’s track that inevita- bly came to be known as the King’s Road. SAATCHI GALLERY GALLERY Map p424 (www.saatchigallery.com; Duke of York’s ROYAL HOSPITAL HQ, King’s Rd, SW3; h10am-6pm; tSloane Sq) HISTORIC BUILDINGS F This enticing gallery hosts temporary CHELSEA exhibitions of experimental and thought- provoking work across a variety of media. Map p424 (www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk; Royal The white and sanded bare-floorboard gal- Hospital Rd, SW3; hgrounds 10am-noon & 2-4pm leries are magnificently presented, but save Mon-Sat, museum 10am-noon & 2-4pm Mon-Fri; some wonder for Gallery 15, where Richard tSloane Sq) F Designed by Christopher Wilson’s 20:50 is on permanent display. Wren, this superb structure was built in Mesmerising, impassive and ineffable, it’s a 1692 to provide shelter for ex-servicemen. riveting tour de force. A cool shop chips in Since the reign of Charles II it has housed on the first floor. hundreds of war veterans, known as Chel- sea Pensioners. They’re fondly regarded as national treasures, and cut striking figures in the dark-blue greatcoats (in winter) or STREET scarlet frock coats (in summer) that they KING’S ROAD Map p424 (tSloane Sq) At the counter- wear on ceremonial occasions. cultural forefront of London fashion dur- The museum contains a huge collection of ing the technicolour ’60s and anarchic war medals bequeathed by former residents ’70s, King’s Road today is more a stamping and plenty of information about the institu- ground for the leisure-class shopping set. tion’s history and its residents. Visitors can
also peek at the hospital’s Great Hall refec- 189 tory, Octagon Porch, chapel and courtyards. bombed in 1941) include more than one hun- dred monuments dating from 1433 to 1957, Former Prime Minister Margaret including Thomas More (1532) and Henry Thatcher is buried here, in the old cem- James (1916). Don’t miss the chained books etery. The extensive grounds are home to at the western end of the southern aisle, the the Chelsea Flower Show, the annual jam- only ones of their kind in a London church. boree of the gardening world, held in May. The central tome is a ‘Vinegar Bible’ from CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN GARDENS 1717 (so-named after an erratum in Luke, chapter 20), alongside a ‘Book of Common Map p424 (www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk; 66 Prayer’ from 1723 and a 1683 copy of ‘Homi- Royal Hospital Rd, SW3; adult/child £9.90/6.60; lies’. Also look out for fragments of 17th cen- h11am-6pm Tue-Fri & Sun Apr-Oct, 9.30am-4pm tury Flemish stained glass, of exceptional Mon-Fri Nov-Mar; tSloane Sq) This walled clarity and artistry. pocket of botanical enchantment was estab- lished by the Apothecaries’ Society in 1676 for NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM MUSEUM students working on medicinal plants and Map p424 (%020-7730 0717; www.nam.ac.uk; healing. One of Europe’s oldest of its kind, Royal Hospital Rd, SW3; tSloane Sq) This mu- the small grounds are a compendium of bot- seum tells the history of the British army, any, from carnivorous pitcher plants to rich and its role in past and modern history, yellow flag irises, a cork oak from Portugal, from the perspective of its servicemen and delightful ferns, and rare trees and shrubs. servicewomen. The museum was closed at The fascinating pharmaceutical garden the time of writing for major renovations grows plants used in contemporary West- and planned to reopen with a bang in 2016. ern medicine; the world medicine garden has a selection of plants used by indigenous peoples in Australia, China, India, New 5 EATING Zealand and North America; and there’s a heady perfume and aromatherapy garden. Quality and cashola being such easy Enter from Swan Walk. Free tours are held bedfellows, you’ll find some of London’s K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk Eat i ng three times daily and a host of courses and finest establishments in the smart hotels lectures detail plant remedies. and ritzy mews of Chelsea, Belgravia and Knightsbridge, but there’s choice in all CARLYLE’S HOUSE HISTORIC BUILDING budget ranges. Chic and cosmopolitan South Kensington has always been Map p424 (%020-7352 7087; www.nationaltrust. reliable for pan-European options. org.uk/carlyles-house; 24 Cheyne Row, SW3; adult/ child £5.10/2.60; h11am-5pm Wed-Sun Mar-Oct; tSloane Sq) From 1834 until his death in 1881, the eminent Victorian essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle dwelt in this three- 5 Knightsbridge & South storey terrace house, bought by his parents Kensington when it was surrounded by open fields in what was then a deeply unfashionable part of V&A CAFÉ CAFE £ town. The lovely Queen Ann house – built in Map p424 (Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, SW7; mains £6.95-11.50; h10am-5.15pm Sat-Thu, 1708 – is magnificently preserved as it looked to 9.30pm Fri; W; tSouth Kensington) There is in 1895, when it became London’s first liter- ary shrine. It’s not big but has been left much plenty of hot and cold food to choose from at the V&A Café and although the quality is as it was when Carlyle was living here and nothing to rave about, the setting most defi- Chopin, Tennyson and Dickens came to call. nitely is: the extraordinarily decorated Mor- ris, Gamble & Poynter Rooms (1860) show CHELSEA OLD CHURCH CHURCH Victorian Gothic style at its best. Map p424 (%020-7795 1019; www.chelseaold- church.org.uk; cnr Old Church St & Embankment, SW3; h2-4pm Tue-Thu; tSouth Kensington, oTOM’S KITCHEN MODERN EUROPEAN ££ Sloane Sq) This beautiful and original Map p424 (%020-7349 0202; www.tomskitchen. co.uk/chelsea; 27 Cale St, SW3; mains £10.50-28, church stands behind a bronze monument 2-/3-course lunch menu £16.50/19.50; h8am- to Thomas More (1477–1535), who had a close association with it. Original features 2.30pm & 6-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3.30pm & 6-10.30pm Sat & Sun; Wv; tSouth Kensington) of the largely rebuilt church (it was badly
190 Bayswater Lancaster The Ring 00000000000000000000000000000000 ¥# Park La Bayswater Rd &~Gate BAYSWATER ¥# Queensway ¥# #1 Kensington Church St The Long Water #2 #3 Hyde Park RPoounndd Kensington #4 Serpentine Rd Gardens The Serpentine W Carriage Dr #5 Rotten Row KENSINGTON Kens000000in000000g#t6000000on000000Gore Knightsbridge ¥# Kensington High St Canning Queen's Gate Victoria Knightsbridge Passage Palace Gate Glouces ter RdGve Canning Pl #7 KNIGHTSBRIDGE Sloane St #8 Brompton Rd #9 QueeGndsngsate 000000000000#1'0€0000 e# 0 500 m 0 0.25 miles Gloucester Rd ¥# SOUTH Cromwell Rd KENSINGTON ¥# South Kensington 22Neighbourhood Walk rial (p186), a Victorian Gothic confection Gardens and Mews commemorating the Prince Consort. Carry on west through the park and exit at Palace START LANCASTER GATE TUBE STATION Gate. Walk down and turn right onto Canning END NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Place. Take a moment to admire the gor- LENGTH 3.5KM; 1½ HOURS geous 7Canning Mews to your right: you Begin outside Lancaster Gate tube sta- tion and head to the park. Bear left at the can just picture the horses and carriages. Turn left onto Canning Passage and 1Italian Gardens (p186) (thought to be then left again onto Victoria Grove. The a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria) boutiques and wisteria-clad houses on this and follow the path along Long Water until little square look straight out of a Cotswold you reach 2The Arch, a large marble village. Bear right along 8Launceston statue by Henry Moore. There are fantastic Place and walk on past ivy-covered walls views of Kensington Palace, the Tudors’ and exquisite houses: this is some of the favourite palace and current residence of most coveted real estate in London. Take a Princes William and Harry. As you reach small detour down 9Kynance Mews on the road, look left at the 3Serpentine the right (there is a public right of way until Sackler Gallery (p183), a former gun depot about halfway down the mews) to see the with a modern extension designed by prize- storybook cottages. winning architect Zaha Hadid. Take a left at Cornwall Gardens; cross Cross the 4Bridge over the Serpen- to Queen’s Gate Gardens, then turn right at Queen’s Gate (all these streets are lined tine – the lake separates Hyde Park from with white stuccoed buildings typical of the Kensington Gardens – and take in the views. Turn right into Kensington Gardens, walk area): the aNatural History Museum past the 5Serpentine Gallery (p182), a is just ahead of you. The main entrance is a little further on Cromwell Rd. famous contemporary art gallery, and make your way south to the 6Albert Memo-
S Recipe for success: mix one part relaxed 191 and smiling staff, one part light and airy de- 3pm & 6-11pm; W; tKnightsbridge) A modern- cor to two parts divine food and voila, you day take on the traditional Japanese izakaya have Tom’s Kitchen. Classics such as grilled (‘a place to stay and drink sake’), where steaks, burgers, slow-cooked lamb and chick- drinking and eating harmonise, Zuma oozes en schnitzel are cooked to perfection, while style. The robata (chargrilled) dishes are the seasonal fares such as the home-made ricotta star of the show; wash them down with one or baked scallops with sea herbs are sublime. of the 40 types of sake on offer. Booking is advised, although there are walk-in spaces at The restaurant goes to great lengths to the robata and sushi counters. support British farmers, growers and fish- ers. You can read about its suppliers online, LAUNCESTON PLACE MODERN BRITISH £££ or in little cards in the restaurant. Map p424 (%020-7937 6912; www.launceston- place-restaurant.co.uk; 1a Launceston Pl, W8; 3-course lunch/Sun lunch/dinner £28.50/40/ OGNISKO POLISH ££ Map p424 (%020-7589 0101; www.ognisko 55; h6-11pm Tue, noon-4pm & 6-11pm Wed-Sun; v; tGloucester Rd, High St Kensington) This ex- restaurant.co.uk; 55 Prince’s Gate, Exhibition Rd, ceptionally handsome, superchic Michelin- SW7; mains £11-17; h12.30-3pm & 5.30-11.15pm; tSouth Kensington) Ognisko has been a stal- starred restaurant is hidden away on a wart of the Polish community in London picture-postcard Kensington street of Ed- since 1940 (it’s part of the Polish Hearth wardian houses. Prepared by Yorkshire chef Club). The grand dining room is stunning, Tim Allen, the food belongs within the acme bathed in light from tall windows and of gastronomic pleasures, and is accompa- adorned with modern art and chandeliers, nied by an award-winning wine list. The ad- and the food couldn’t be more authentic: venturous will aim for the six-course tasting try the delicious pierogi (dumplings stuffed menu (£70; vegetarian version available). with cheese and potatoes) or the blinis. BAR BOULUD INTERNATIONAL £££ L’ETO CAFE ££ Map p424 (www.barboulud.com/london; Man- Map p424 (www.letocaffe.co.uk; 243 Brompton darin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightbridge, SW1; K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk Eat i ng mains £15-34, 2-/3-course lunch menu £17/19; Rd, SW3; mains £11.50-19.95; h9am-10pm Sun- hnoon-11pm; Wv; tKnightsbridge) Combin- Wed, to 11pm Thu-Sat; Wv; tSouth Kensington, Knightsbridge) With its all-day service, this ing French gastronomy with American in- upmarket cafe has found an excellent niche fluences must have raised a few chef’s hats between the museum district of South Kens- in Daniel Boulud’s native France, but diners ington and the shopping vortex of Knights- vote with their forks and the coq au vin is bridge. The salad bar and eye-popping as popular (and delicious) as the burgers sweets counter are great, although the à la (the Frenchie, with pork belly and morbier carte menu is good too, if a little overpriced. cheese, is excellent). The drinks list is just as trans-Atlantic oDINNER BY HESTON with a spectacular cellar (the wine list is 27 BLUMENTHAL MODERN BRITISH £££ pages long) and equally great cocktails (the Map p424 (%020-7201 3833; www.dinnerby- white cosmopolitan, with vodka, elderflow- heston.com; Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 er liqueur and white cranberry, is to die for). Knightsbridge, SW1; 3-course set lunch £38, mains £28-42; hnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-10.30pm; W; BRITISH £££ RIB ROOM tKnightsbridge) Sumptuously presented Din- Map p424 (%020-7858 7250; www.theribroom. co.uk; Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Cadogan Place, ner is a gastronomic tour de force, taking SW1; mains from £26, 2-/3-course set lunch £28/ diners on a journey through British culinary history (with inventive modern inflections). 34; h7-11am, noon-2.45pm & 6.30-10pm; W; tKnightsbridge) Head chef Ian Rudge’s fault- Dishes carry historical dates to convey con- less preparation is the cornerstone of the text, while the restaurant interior is a design triumph, from the glass-walled kitchen and much-lauded carnivorous menu at the re- styled Rib Room, busy satiating Knights- its overhead clock mechanism to the large bridge diners on steaks, cutlets, roast rib of windows looking onto the park. Book ahead. beef and oysters since the swinging ’60s. Pric- es may give pause for thought, but the food is ZUMA JAPANESE £££ Map p424 (%020-7584 1010; www.zumarestau- superlative (set lunches soften the assault on rant.com; 5 Raphael St, SW7; mains £15-75; hnoon- your wallet) and service is outstanding.
192 5 Hyde Park & 5 Chelsea & Belgravia Kensington Gardens oRABBIT MODERN BRITISH ££ MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL ££ Map p424 (www.rabbit-restaurant.com; 172 King’s Rd, SW3; mains £6-24; hnoon-midnight Tue-Sat, Map p424 (%020-7298 7552; www.magazine- 6-11pm Mon, noon-4pm Sun; v; tSloane Sq) restaurant.co.uk; Serpentine Sackler Gallery, West Carriage Dr, W2; mains £13-24, 2-/3-course lunch Three brothers grew up on a farm. One became a farmer, another a butcher, while menu £17.50/21.50; h8am-6pm Tue-Sat, from the third worked in hospitality. Noticing 9am Sun; tLancaster Gate, Knightsbridge) Lo- cated in the ethereally beautiful extension how complementary their trades were, they teamed up and founded Rabbit. Genius! of the Serpentine Sackler Gallery (p183), Rabbit is a breath of fresh air in upmarket Magazine is no ordinary museum cafe. The food is as contemporary and elegant as the Chelsea: the restaurant rocks the agri-chic (yes) look and the creative, seasonal mod- building, and artworks from current ex- ern British cuisine is fabulous. hibitions add yet another dimension. The afternoon tea (£17.50) is particularly origi- The drinks list is just as good, with a great selection of wines from the family vineyard nal: out with cucumber sandwiches, in with in Sussex, and local beers and ciders. beef tartare and goat’s curd. Magazine opens for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays from April to September, PAINTED HERON INDIAN ££ with the added bonus of live music. Map p424 (%020-7351 5232; www.thepaintedher- on.com; 112 Cheyne Walk, SW10; mains £13.50-20, 2-course lunch menu £15.94; h11.30am-3.30pm ORANGERY CAFE ££ & 6-11pm; v; tSloane Sq) The rather formal Map p424 (%020-3166 6113; www.orangerykens- setting – starched white tablecloths, cubby ingtonpalace.co.uk; Kensington Palace, Kens- ington Gardens, W8; mains £12.50-16, afternoon holes and leather banquettes – is softened by intimate lighting in the evenings and K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk Eat i ng tea £26; h10am-6pm; v; tQueensway, High affable service on all occasions. As for the St Kensington) The Orangery, housed in an 18th-century conservatory on the grounds food, it’s a delight, from classics such as biryani and tikka masala to Modern Indian of Kensington Palace, is lovely for a late innovations such as venison curry with red breakfast or lunch, but the standout experi- ence here is afternoon tea. Book ahead to wine and chocolate samosas for dessert. bag a table on the beautiful terrace. MEDLAR MODERN EUROPEAN £££ MIN JIANG CHINESE £££ Map p424 (%020-7349 1900; www.medlarres- taurant.co.uk; 438 King’s Rd, SW10; 3-course Map p424 (%020-7361 1988; www.minjiang.co.uk; lunch £28-30, dinner £35-45; hnoon-3pm & Royal Garden Hotel, 10th fl, 2-24 Kensington High St, W8; mains £12-68; hnoon-3pm & 6-10.30pm; 6.30-10.30pm; tFulham Broadway, Sloane Sq) With its uncontrived yet crisply modern v; tHigh St Kensington) Min Jiang serves up green-on-grey design, Medlar has quickly seafood, excellent wood-fired Peking duck (half/whole £32/58) and sumptuously regal become a King’s Rd sensation. With no à la carte menu and scant pretentiousness, the views over Kensington Palace and Gardens. prix fixe modern European cuisine is de- The menu is diverse, with a sporadic accent on spice (the Min Jiang is a river in Sichuan). lightfully assured: the menu changes with the season but tries hard to promote Brit- ish ingredients as well as underrated meats such as pigeon and guinea fowl. FINE BUT AFFORDABLE 5 Victoria & Pimlico DINING oPIMLICO FRESH CAFE £ Chelsea and Kensington have some of the finest – and most expensive – res- Map p424 (86 Wilton Rd, SW1; mains from £4.50; taurants in London. One way of enjoy- h7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun; ing them without breaking the bank is tVictoria) This friendly two-room cafe will to go for the set lunch menus, which see you right whether you need breakfast offer great value (two to three courses (French toast, bowls of porridge laced with for less than £30).
193 honey or maple syrup), lunch (home-made QUEEN’S ARMS PUB quiches and soups, ‘things’ on toast) or just a good old latte and cake. Map p424 (www.thequeensarmskensington.co.uk; 30 Queen’s Gate Mews, SW7; hnoon-11pm; tGloucester Rd) Just around the corner from DAYLESFORD ORGANIC DELI ££ the Royal Albert Hall, this godsend of a Map p424 (%020-7881 8060; www.daylesford blue-grey painted pub in an adorable cob- organic.com; 44b Pimlico Rd, SW1; mains £8-17; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; v; tSloane bled mews setting off bustling Queen’s Gate beckons with a cosy interior and a right Sq) A chomping ground for the Chelsea and royal selection of ales and ciders on tap. Pimlico set, with a deli counter, a farmhouse shop and a modernist cafe serving delicious BUDDHA BAR BAR breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas. Map p424 (%020-3667 5222; www.buddhabar- london.com; 145 Knightsbridge, SW1; cocktails CHINESE £££ from £11; h5-11.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-11.30pm HUNAN Map p424 (%020-7730 5712; www.hunanlondon. Sun; tKnightsbridge) When you’ve shopped com; 51 Pimlico Rd, SW1; set lunch/dinner from £34.80/55.80; h12.30-2pm & 6.30-11pm Mon- your legs off in Knightsbridge, this serene Pan-Asian zone welcomes you into a world Sat; v; tSloane Sq) In business for more than of Chinese birdcage lanterns, subdued three decades, this understated Chinese res- taurant imaginatively exercises a no-menu lighting, tucked-away corners and booths, perfect for sipping on a raspberry saketini policy, so just present your preferences and and chilling out. let the dachu (chef) get cracking. A meal will comprise 12 to 18 small, tapas-style dishes – ANGLESEA ARMS PUB many with a pronounced Taiwan accent – to Map p424 (www.metropolitanpubcompany.com/ encourage a spectrum of flavour and colour. our-pubs/the-anglesea-arms/; 15 Selwood Tce, Vegetarian options available. SW7; h11am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun; tSouth Kensington) Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same 6 DRINKING & road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk D r i nk i ng & N i ght l i f e NIGHTLIFE pub boasts a haunted cellar and a strong showing of beers, while the terrace out front oTOMTOM COFFEE HOUSE CAFE swarms with punters in warmer months. Map p424 (www.tomtom.co.uk; 114 Ebury St, SW1; h8am-6pm Sun-Tue, to 9pm Wed-Sat, shorter ZUMA BAR hours in winter; tVictoria) Tomtom has built Map p424 (www.zumarestaurant.com; 5 Raphael its reputation on its amazing coffee: not St, SW7; h6-11.30pm; W; tKnightsbridge) After only are the drinks fabulously presented the hectic shopping swirl of Knightsbridge, (forget ferns and hearts in your latte, here the stylish simplicity and muted elegance it’s peacocks fanning their tails), the selec- of Zuma is refreshingly soothing. As are the tion is dizzying, from the usual espresso- ambitious 40-plus varieties of sake and ex- based suspects to filter, and a full choice of quisitely presented cocktails (many blended beans. You can even spice things up with a with Japanese spirits) served to the assorted bonus tot of cognac or scotch (£3). high-rollers at the bar. The cafe also serves lovely food through- out the day, from toasties on sourdough DRAYTON ARMS PUB bread to home-made pies (mains £5 to £10). Map p424 (%020-7835 2301; www.thedrayton armssw5.co.uk; 153 Old Brompton Rd, SW5; hnoon-midnight Mon-Fri, from 10am Sat & Sun; PHENE BAR Map p424 (www.thephene.com; 9 Phene St, SW3; tGloucester Rd) This vast, comely Victorian hnoon-11pm Mon-Fri, from 11am Sat & Sun; W; corner boozer is delightful inside and out, tSloane Sq) This beautiful bar/pub in the with some bijou art-nouveau features (sinu- heart of Chelsea is a hit – from the red ban- ous tendrils and curlicues above the win- quette in the stylish dining room to the ele- dows and the doors), contemporary art on gant terrace for summer evenings, the range the walls, a fabulous coffered ceiling and a of beers brewed by the capital’s many small heated beer garden. The crowd is both hip breweries and the original G&Ts (lots of dif- and down-to-earth; great beer and wine ferent gins and flavoured tonics). selection.
194 ington) Ciné Lumière is attached to South Kensington’s French Institute, and its large 3 ENTERTAINMENT art-deco 300-seat salle (cinema) screens great international seasons (including the ROYAL ALBERT HALL CONCERT VENUE London Spanish Film Festival) and French and other foreign films subtitled in English. Map p424 (%0845 401 5034; www.royalalberthall. com; Kensington Gore, SW7; tSouth Kensington) This splendid Victorian concert hall hosts classical music, rock and other performanc- es, but is most famously the venue for the BBC-sponsored Proms. Booking is possible, 7 SHOPPING but from mid-July to mid-September Proms punters also queue for £5 standing (or ‘prom- Frequented by models, celebrities and enading’) tickets that go on sale one hour Russian oligarchs, and awash with new before curtain-up. Otherwise, the box office money (much from abroad), this well- and prepaid ticket collection counter are heeled part of town is all about high both through door 12 (south side of the hall). fashion, glam shops, groomed shoppers and iconic top-end department stores. 606 CLUB BLUES, JAZZ Even the charity shops along the chic King’s Rd resemble fashion boutiques. (%020-7352 5953; www.606club.co.uk; 90 Lots Rd, SW10; h7-11.15pm Sun-Thu, 8pm-12.30am Fri & Sat; dImperial Wharf) Named after its old address on King’s Rd which cast a spell over HARRODS DEPARTMENT STORE jazz lovers London-wide back in the ’80s, Map p424 (www.harrods.com; 87-135 Brompton Rd, SW1; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-6pm this fantastic, tucked-away basement jazz Sun; tKnightsbridge) Garish and stylish in club and restaurant gives centre stage to contemporary British-based jazz musicians equal measures, perennially crowded Har- rods is an obligatory stop for visitors, from nightly. The club can only serve alcohol to the cash-strapped to the big, big spenders. people who are dining and it is highly ad- visable to book to get a table. The stock is astonishing, as are many of the price tags. High on kitsch, the ‘Egyptian K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk Ent e rta i nm e nt There is no entry charge, but a music fee Elevator’ resembles something out of an In- (£10 Sunday to Thursday and £12 Friday and Saturday) will be added to your food/ diana Jones epic, while the memorial foun- tain to Dodi and Di (lower ground floor) drink bill at the end of the evening; it’s open merely adds surrealism. for occasional Sunday lunches. Many visitors don’t make it past the ground floor where designer bags, the myr- ROYAL COURT THEATRE THEATRE iad scents from the perfume hall and the Map p424 (%020-7565 5000; www.royalcourt mouth-watering food hall provide plenty of theatre.com; Sloane Sq, SW1; tickets £12-35; tSloane Sq) Equally renowned for staging entertainment. The latter actually makes for an excellent, and surprisingly affordable, op- innovative new plays and old classics, the tion for a picnic in nearby Hyde Park. Royal Court is among London’s most pro- gressive theatres and has continued to foster major writing talent across the UK. There CONRAN SHOP DESIGN are two auditoriums, the main Jerwood Map p424 (www.conranshop.co.uk; Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, SW3; h10am-6pm Mon, Theatre Downstairs, and the much smaller Tue, Fri & Sat, to 7pm Wed & Thu, noon-6pm Sun; studio Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Tickets for Monday performances are all £10. tSouth Kensington) The original design store (going strong since 1987), the Conran Shop is a treasure trove of beautiful things – from CADOGAN HALL CONCERT VENUE radios to sunglasses, kitchenware to chil- Map p424 (%020-7730 4500; www.cadoganhall. dren’s toys and books, bathroom accessories com; 5 Sloane Tce, SW1; tickets £15-40; tSloane Sq) Home of the Royal Philharmonic Orches- to greeting cards. tra, Cadogan Hall is a major venue for opera, BRITISH RED CROSS VINTAGE classical music and choral music, with occa- sional dance, rock, jazz and family concerts. Map p424 (69-71 Old Church St, SW3; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat; tSloane Sq) The motto ‘One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure’ couldn’t CINÉ LUMIÈRE CINEMA be truer in this part of London, where the Map p424 (%020-7871 3515; www.institut-fran- ‘rubbish’ is made up of designer gowns and cais.org.uk; 17 Queensberry Pl, SW7; tSouth Kens- cashmere jumpers. Obviously the price tags
are a little higher than in your run-of-the- 195 mill charity shop (£40 rather than £5 for a toria or Pimlico) A potently inviting pong jumper or jacket) but it’s still a bargain for greets you as you near this cheesemonger the quality. with its 500 varieties of mostly English and French cheeses. Ask the knowledgable staff SLIGHTLY FOXED ON for recommendations (and taste as you go!) and stock up for a picnic in a London park. GLOUCESTER ROAD BOOKS Map p424 (%020-7370 3503; www.foxedbooks. LIMELIGHT MOVIE ART VINTAGE com; 123 Gloucester Rd, SW7; h10am-7pm Mon- Map p424 (%020-7751 5584; www.limelightmov- Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; tGloucester Rd) Once ieart.com; 313 King’s Rd, SW3; h11.30am-6pm owned by a nephew of Graham Greene and Mon-Sat; tSloane Sq, South Kensington) This run by the namesake literary quarterly, this spiffing poster shop is a necessary stop for delightfully calming two-floor oasis of lit- collectors of vintage celluloid memorabilia, erature has a strong lean towards second- nostalgic browsers or film buffs. Prints hand titles (in good condition). There’s also are all original and prices start at around a selection of new books, many with hand- £70 for the smaller formats (such as lobby written reviews from the staff, children’s cards) but can go into four figures for larg- books and a slab or two of Slightly Foxed’s er, rarer posters. own publications. JOHN SANDOE BOOKS BOOKS PICKETT GIFTS Map p424 (www.johnsandoe.com; 10 Blacklands Map p424 (www.pickett.co.uk; cnr Sloane St & Tce, SW3; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sloane Tce, SW1; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, Sun; tSloane Sq) The perfect antidote to im- 10am-6pm Sat; tSloane Sq) S Walking into personal book superstores, this atmospheric Pickett as an adult is a bit like walking little bookshop is a treasure trove of literary into a sweet shop as a child: the exquisite gems and hidden surprises. In business for leather goods are all so colourful and beau- decades, loyal customers swear by it and the tiful, you don’t really know where to start. knowledgable booksellers spill forth with Choice items include the perfectly finished well-read pointers. handbags, the exquisite roll-up backgam- K e nsi n gto n & H y d e Pa rk S h o pp i ng mon sets and the men’s grooming sets. All LULU GUINNESS FASHION leather goods are made in Britain. Map p424 (%020-7823 4828; www.luluguin- ness.com; 3 Ellis St, SW1; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat; tSloane Sq) Quirky, whimsical and eye- T2 FOOD & DRINK catching British designs, from small evening Map p424 (www.t2tea.com; 96 Kings Rd, SW3; bags resembling bright lips to fun umbrellas h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; tSloane Sq) and cosmetic bags. This Australian brand is the tea lovers’ an- swer to the coffee craze of the last few years. SHANGHAI TANG CLOTHING There are dozens of blends from around the world to choose from, which all come pack- Map p424 (www.shanghaitang.com; 6a/b Sloane aged in funky, bright orange cardboard box- St; h10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; es. The original teaware is another draw. tKnightsbridge) Traditionally Chinese in- spired and superswish silk scarves, qipao (cheongsam), elegant Chinese jackets, deli- JO LOVES BEAUTY Map p424 (www.joloves.com; 42 Elizabeth St, SW1; cious tops, exquisite cardigans, gorgeous h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun; tVictoria) handbags and clutches, many served up in The latest venture of famed British scent- trademark vibrant colours. maker Jo Malone, Jo Loves features the entre- preneur’s signature candles, fragrances and HARVEY NICHOLS DEPARTMENT STORE bath products in a range of delicate scents – Map p424 (www.harveynichols.com; 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1; h10am-8pm Mon-Sat, Arabian amber, white rose and lemon leaves, 11.30am-6pm Sun; tKnightsbridge) At Lon- oud and mango. All products come exqui- sitely wrapped in red boxes with black bows. don’s temple of high fashion, you’ll find Chloé and Balenciaga bags, the city’s best denim range, a massive make-up hall with RIPPON CHEESE FOOD Map p424 (%020-7931 0628; www.rippon- exclusive lines and great jewellery. The food cheeselondon.com; 26 Upper Tachbrook St, SW1; hall and in-house restaurant, Fifth Floor, h8am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm Sat; tVic- are, you guessed it, on the 5th floor.
196 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields CLERKENWELL | FINSBURY & ST LUKE’S | SPITALFIELDS | HOXTON | SHOREDITCH Neighbourhood Top Five 1 Capping off a day wan- 3 Market crawling with 5 Learning about the sur- dering through wonderfully the multicultural masses on preserved Georgian Spital- a sunny Sunday in Spital- prisingly tangled origins of fields with a candlelit visit fields (p210). everyone’s favourite knights to Dennis Severs’ House in shiny ambulances with (p200). 4 Stepping back through a tour of St John’s Gate (p198). the living rooms of time 2 Donning your craziest at the Geffrye Museum outfit, grooming your beard (p198). and heading to Shoreditch (p208) for cocktails and carousing. e# 0 1 km Poole St Kingsland Rd 0 0.5 miles Upper St agle Wharf Rd New North Rd Shepherdess Walk PENTONVILLE E 4# East Rd Pentonville Rd Hackney Rd Columbia Rd HOXTON osebery Ave Goswell Rd City Rd Pitfield St St Jo hn St FINSBURY R Skinner S t Percival St Lever St Bath St Old St 2# Curtain Rd Bethnal Green Rd CLERKENWELL Old St Bunhill Row SHOREGDreITatCEHastern St Clerk5e#nwell Rd ST LUKE'S City Rd SPITALFIELDS FaHraritntgodnoGnaRrdden Beech St Chiswell St 1##æ 3# Comm Long La Midd Brick La ercial Holborn London Wall HOLBORN St lesex Gresham St St For more detail of this area see Map p426A
Explore: Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & 197Clerkenwell, Shoreditch & Spitalfields Spitalfields Lonely Planet’s These historic city-fringe neighbourhoods contain a Top Tip few significant sights, mainly around Clerkenwell and Spitalfields, but the area is best known for its nightlife. Fancy a late one? Nightjar, Shoreditch and Hoxton long ago replaced Soho and 333 Mother, XOYO, Cargo Camden as the hippest, most alternative parts of Lon- and the Horse & Groom don, and although some of the action has moved further all stay open until at least east, they’re still holding their own. 3am on weekends, while Fabric can see you through Swing by during the day to explore the boutiques, vin- to dawn. Brick Lane Beigel tage shops, markets and cafes. But make sure you come Bake will serve you mun- back after dark for a meal at one of the excellent eateries chies throughout the night, followed by an evening flitting between kooky cocktail and for breakfast with a bars and subterranean nightspots. pint, the Fox & Anchor throws back its doors at Sunday is a great day to join the crowds shrugging off 7am (8.30am on weekends). their hangovers with a stroll through Spitalfields’ many markets. 5 Best Places to Eat Local Life ¨¨Clove Club (p206) ¨Nights Out with a Difference Mingle with London’s ¨¨Morito (p202) hiperati at DreamBagsJaguarShoes (p209), learn to ¨¨St John (p202) life draw or play ping pong at the Book Club (p209), ¨¨Polpo (p201) or take in a moonlit flick on the roof of the Queen of ¨¨Prufrock Coffee (p201) Hoxton (p209). ¨Coffee Crawl The area has so many excellent cafes For reviews, see p201 A that a mild caffeine tremor is de rigueur. Sink a silky flat white or a shotgun espresso at Prufrock Coffee 6 Best Places (p201), Shoreditch Grind (p204), Ozone Coffee to Drink Roasters (p205) or Allpress Espresso (p205). ¨The Pho Mile Spend some time working out which is ¨¨Worship St Whistling your favourite Vietnamese restaurant on Kingsland Rd/ Shop (p208) Old St strip. ¨¨Jerusalem Tavern Getting There & Away (p207) ¨Underground Farringdon and Barbican, on the Circle, ¨¨Ye Olde Mitre (p207) Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, are the stopping-off points for Clerkenwell. These and the ¨¨Zetter Townhouse Central Line also head through Liverpool St, the closest Cocktail Lounge (p207) tube stop to Spitalfields. Old St, on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, is the best stop for the western edge ¨¨Old Blue Last (p209) of Hoxton and Shoreditch. ¨Overground Shoreditch High St and Hoxton are the For reviews, see p207 A closest stations to Spitalfields and the eastern parts of Shoreditch and Hoxton. 3 Best Places ¨Bus Clerkenwell and Old St are connected with to Dance Oxford St by the 55 and with Waterloo by the 243. The 38 runs up Rosebery Ave and edges past Exmouth ¨¨Fabric (p207) Market on its way from Victoria to Islington. The 8 and ¨¨XOYO (p209) 242 zip through the city and up Shoreditch High St. ¨¨Cargo (p209) For reviews, see p207 A
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