By Akanksha Mishra
With inputs from Upasana Gupta
We went on a bit of a break- and when we finally did get back together, it was a rocky start. But then the sun came out and the purple-skied morning put a smile upon my face. My love affair with London is a bit hard to explain- the bittersweet air, the lonely or independent walks, the Starbucks chai tea latte and the annoying but endearing accentuated way of talking. My love aside, the Olympic city is the place to be this summer. Bringing you
101 Things to do in London this Summer
EAT |
{Price: Not too steep}
1. Prezzo- Italian {order the Pane Con Chipolla}
2. Wagamama- Noodle Bar. For Pan fried Oriental- Cha Han Rice/ Yaki Soba /Ramen/ Chicken Katsu curry. Multiple locations, my favourite is the one next to London Eye, courtesy the amazing view.
3. Chiquito- For Mexican, At Leicester Square
4. Chipotle- For Mexican, At Charing Cross; try their Burrito in bowl {my favourite- the guacamole}!
5. Wahaka– For Mexican, At Canary Wharf
6. The Real Greek- For Greek, of course!– try their Halloumi, Chicken souvlaki, Spanakotyropita, Gyros, Dolmadakia. At Westfield Mall near Shepherds Bush tube station {Shop Alert!- literally Oxford Street in a mall}
7. La Tasca- For Spanish. Highlight for us- Sangria pitcher. At multiple locations, the one next to the waterside at Canary Wharf right before the Canary Wharf main tube station offers a good view.
8. Maroush- This place is for Lebanese food & sheesha lovers. At Edgware road, near Marble Arch tube station
Edgware Road
9. Yala Yala- For Lebanese. At Oxford street
10. Las Iguanas- For Brazillian, above Wagamama at London Eye.
11. Masala Zone- For Indian. At Bayswater, Camden town, Covent Garden, Earls court, Soho.
12. Tamatanga- For Indian. Try the masala fries
{Price- Now Now! Lets be generous}
13. Buasaba- For superb Thai. At Oxford circus {LBBD Recommended}
14. Ping Pong- For dumplings. At Oxford Street
15. DIMT – For Chinese {grilled Dimsums}. Near London Bridge
16. Cafe Rouge – French food. At Canary Wharf/Leicester Square
17. Hakkasan- The absolute best Oriental food you can find in London. Try the mock chicken! Find this Michelin Star restaurant in Mayfair & Hanway Place
18. Yauatcha- Superb Chinese
19. Quilon- Indian food- Michelin Star holder. St. James Court, near Hyde Park
Breakfast
Breakfast at Automat
20. Giraffe– great smoothies
21. Automat –Mayfair
For your midnight hunger pangs
Rocher Sundae | Tinseltown
22. Tinsel Town- an American diner of sorts- fat burgers & milkshakes. The cheesecake is divine.
23. Pasha- Moroccan cuisine in a cosy, almost dingy setting. {Gloucester Road}
24. Proud Camden- A bar in Camden, Stable Market, perfect for late night nibbles.
SPEND AN EVENING AT |
St. Christopher’s Place
25. St. Christopher’s Place- This purple walled plaza square behind Oxford Street has the coolest, cutest cafes, restaurants and I mean it when I stress on the purple wall- photo alert- beautiful!
Apple Market | Covent Garden
26. Covent Garden- My favorite place in London. The ‘Apple market’ in the middle, selling all sorts of photo art, trinkets, posters and things you will never need but will always love. Eat- Ella’s Cupcakes, Ben’s Cookies, get a drink at Punch & Judy.
Punch & Judy Bar
27. Vertigo 42 in Canary Wharf, which is near Greenwich {take a ferry from Westminster station London – 7 pounds per person}. A bar on the 42nd floor between skyscrapers, it offers a stellar view- great for vino lovers.
Camden Town
28. Camden Town The British ‘paharganj’, this is the ghetto market where everyone walks freely, wearing what they want, smoking what they find, buying whatever’s cheap enough. Do try the pasta next to the river, shop from the Stables Market {some of the best buys of my life}. Tip- Go with an open mind, you never know what you might find here!
29. Watch a musical - Phantom of the Opera was totally worth the experience– tickets can be bought at Piccadilly Circus & Leicester Square’s Last Minute ticket counters – sooner the cheaper!
30. Neals’ yard– near Leicester Square tube station – small vibrant area with cafes, bookshops, bakeries & Ice Cream parlors.
31. Floridita – Salsa the night away at this club in Soho
32. Row a boat at Richmond
33. Cocktails at Clapham – a traditional pub crawl of sorts
34. Catch a band at Brixton
35. Walk around South Bank – buzzing with activities
36. Dinner at Docklands
37. Sushi at St Pauls
38. Bagels at Brick Lane – the bakeries look pretty small but the bagels are delicious
39. Go back in history at Kensington
40. Open air movies during summer – check out Time Out for schedules
41. Lola’s cupcakes at the Selfridges Foodhall {oxford street}
42. Strawberries dipped in chocolate at the Godiva Store on Regents Street
43. Hi-tea at the Ritz Hotel
44. Explore East London- Spitalfields, Shoreditch are all going to be lovely this summer.
YOU DON’T LEAVE LONDON WITHOUT VISITING |
45. Big Ben
46. London Eye {It can get a bit boring up there- Take romantic company maybe ;)}
47. River cruise on Thames- Take the with-commentary option, not the quick travel one. Club this with your visit to Canary Wharf & Greenwich
48. Visit Greenwich- Prime meridian at the Royal Observatory – great place to walk around on a bright sunny day
49. Westminster Abbey
50. London theatre – Phantom of the Opera- must watch! Lion King. {Tickets available at Leicester Square}
51. Buckingham Palace – Changing of the Guards
52. Hyde Park – Go cycling in the morning {free for the first 30 minutes and 5 pounds for an hour after that}
53. Feed ducks at St. James Park
54. Walk through Chinatown at night
55. Leicester square- Casinos, Haagendazs, Ben & Jerry’s.
56. Trafalgar Square
57. Piccadilly Circus- The London Trocadero- Get a vintage dress-up photoshoot done here at the lower ground level.
58. Tower Bridge and London Bridge – can be done enroute Greenwich {take the ferry}
59. Walk through Nottinghill - you can visit the bookstore from the movie!
60. Absolute Vodka Ice Bar - Regent street, Piccadilly – entry 14pounds for 40 minutes including a complementary drink– booking recommended for weekends
61. Churches & Cathedrals in London – most of them have free entry {there’s a beautiful one with a Sunday Market, at Piccadily Circus, opposite the Le Meridien Hotel}
62. Kohinoor Diamond at the Museum
63. Madame Tussauds – booking online gets a good deal
Notes in Our {Little Black Book} |
# Can do Madame Tussauds, London Eye, Greenwich, Camden and Canary wharf on the same day – quick visits if you have your tickets in place and are short on time
# Don’t miss Edinburgh castle- In Scotland, of course
# Also, closer to date of travel, look up TIME OUT LONDON for current activities
SHOPPING |
Street/flea
64. Portobello Road- Weekends only flea market- for stunning vintage finds, florals & prints, very reasonably priced
65. Camden- Through the stable market, in quite an unusual setting, there are lots of little shops and stalls, selling clothes, bags, accessories which you’re unlikely to find the next girl on the street wearing {unlike from a certain store!}
66. Carnaby Street- behind Oxford Street- find the Steve Madden store here for your shoe fantasies!
Standalone stores {multiple locations}
67. Dorothy Perkins- work trousers, subtle dresses
68. H&M- Steal the deals here- basic t-shirts fit like a dream
69. New Look- personally, I would only pick up shoes from here
70. Topshop- Overpriced but good variety. Tip: Do not visit the one on oxford street- you might pass out in a stampede!
71. Schuh – comfortable footwear {Onitsuka Tigers for guys}
72. Miss Selfridge – shoes & accessories
73. Mango- Great sales
74. Forever 21- A massive store on oxford street- Girls go wild!
75. Primark – A money saver’s paradise- items here get as cheap as 2 pounds a t-shirt. So get your hands dirty people! But make ensure you enter any Primark outlet ONLY on a weekday. Its madness to try on clothes and/or pay on the weekend
76. Hamleys Toy Store – interesting for all!
Let’s take it up a notch
77. Bershka- for the chic chic
78. Massimo Dutti- for the classic shopper
79. River Island- for the fun dresser!
Departmental Stores
80. Debenhams
81. Marks and Spencer
82. Harvey Nicholas – Knightsbrigde
83. Harrods
84. Selfridges- No store makes me happier than Selfridges- Agree, anyone?
85. House of Fraser
Notes in Our {Little Black Book}
# At either of the last 3, you could get free make up or hair done for a party in the evening – cheeky but fun!
#Regent Street, Oxford street and Piccadilly are parallel so u can go around on the same day. Oxford Street has all these shopping places mentioned above (plus most at Westfield Mall near Shepherds Bush tube station). Regent Street has premium brands like Burberry, Ferrari, and Banana Republic etc.
AROUND LONDON |
86. Brighton - artificial beach, a pier with a mini-circus, restaurants & cafes around the waterfront. Very lively atmosphere. Should be done only on a sunny day. Check for BBC weather updates prior to planning!! Train to Brighton is a good option– about an hour from London
87. Bicester Village – OUTLET shopping complex for all high ends- Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Cavalli, Ralph Lauren {huge}, Prada & the works. It is almost an hour away from London. A must visit if you want to save a little on your large bills. Sizes can be a problem though. All discounted by 30 – 40%!
88. Bath/Stonehenge- One-day bus tour to cover both. There are different packages to choose from – one includes Windsor Castle as well. When in Bath keep time out to check out the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. The Jane Austen Museum is worth a visit too.
89. Cornwall – Beach trip – It is a little far away so u may have to take out 2 days. Go camping there. Look up packages.
90. Cambridge - Go “Punting” which is a boat ride through the waters in the university. You can see the residential halls on either side.
91. Oxford- beautiful and historic sites in many of the colleges. Various movies have been shot on the campus including Harry Potter! Must see- Christ Church College, New College, Bodleian library, Bridge of Sighs, Radcliffe Camera, etc. Most of these places can be visited with or without a guided tour. However, some of the colleges have an entrance fee. The Bodleian Library can only be viewed with a guided tour, most of which sell out fast -ensure you get there early around 9am to get tickets. Many Cathedrals in the Colleges are closed during hours of the day – plan your visit accordingly. There are three museums here – The Ashmolean Museum, University and Pitt Rivers Museums, and the Science Museum – free and worth a quick look. There are a lot of shopping spots here as well such as Cornmarket St., Covered Market. There are many historic and famous pubs here such as the Eagle and Child, Bear, the Chequers. If you plan to come to oxford, plan in advance, because you can get really cheap tickets based on availability!
92. Nottingham {2 hour train from London St. Pancras}- We seek your indulgence as I go on about this one- Upasana happens to have spent 3 amazing indescribable years in this town. The University Main Campus is definitely worth a visit, with its lakes, old buildings and vibrant atmosphere. The nightlife in Nottingham is perfect for that overnight trip- Go to Oceana, Forum or Gatecrasher, and get sorted for less than 20 pounds per head. The food is incredible, sheesha parlors abundant, and the streets…they speak to you. I find it easier to shop here compared to London and its chaos.
93. Birmingham – For Bullring Mall and the Cadbury World. An hour and a half away from London by train. Cadbury world is about 15 minutes away from Birmingham: take the train to Bournville and the whole city is Cadbury city– it even smells of dairy milk!
Notes in Our {Little Black Book}
# You can skip Bull Ring mall in Birmingham and visit Westfield mall in London only if you are aren’t planning on visiting Cadbury world
# If your already seeing London, Birmingham/Manchester are very similar cities so could be avoided. United Fans not included here, of course!
94. Wales (down south). The Southern most point in Wales is called Swansea. About a 4 hour drive from London, a nice drive. It is a beautiful city with 3 bays, the sea front. You could rent a BnB or a cottage and make that your base city. Besides exploring Swansea alone, you to drive to different cities like Cardiff, Bristol etc.
95. Lake District/ Windermere ahead of Lancaster. Huge lake, cruise etc. You could do it en-route Scotland, choose your train route from London accordingly. But Scotland would be similar in terms of picturesque beauty, maybe even better!! So if you have time for Scotland, this can be skipped.
SCOTLAND |
96. For about 3 nights. Ideally, take a train to Edinburgh from London {5 hours++}. Explore the city; spend only one night – decent hotels available. Rent a car the next day {very easily available on an Indian license}, drive to Lochness. Enroute explore St Andrews/ Inverness. Have dinner at Inverness. Drive for about 30mins to Lochness, check into a BnB, take the cruise the next day for half a day. Head to Isle of Skye WITHOUT wasting much time!!!! The drive itself offers breathtaking sights. Portree is a small town where you can find restaurants. A BnB can be picked further up. Aros Skye’s Heritage Centre has a good view from their restaurant. Staffin- where dinosaur footprints were discovered, Kilt Rock is a beautiful area near a waterfall. There is an artificial beach of sorts (you can hike up the hill, the view is magnificent!) Simply unwind in this town by exploring; hikes are a good option. Do check weather updates.
97. Edinburgh- Stay over night to see the Edinburgh Castle {good jacket potato place enroute the castle}, Palace, Parliament Square scotch making, stroll on the shop at Princess street, take the Dungeon tour. Explore Arthurs seat, the dead volcano. Take it the scottish feel of the city.
Notes in Our {Little Black Book}
# Insist on exploring the city on foot
# Incase you want to avoid renting a car, take a bus ride to Inverness, Loch Lomond, Lochness – take a highland bus package wherein they ensure overnight accommodation on B&B basis.
# Do Edinburgh instead of Glasglow
98. St Andrews - Castle visit {can drive through the city while heading to Inverness – good Fish and Chips cafe at the corner of the graveyard}
99. Inverness – The Castle is as good seen from the outside. Walk by the lake, great Persian food {one of its kind around that area}
100. Lochness - take the loch cruise from Nessieland, Loch Ness Lodge Hotel Drumnadrochit is worth it. On Loch Ness, near Drumnadrochit is the Urquhart Castle
#Opt for the highland tour if u don’t have time to self explore or drive by yourself – 2 to 3 days – shall cover all of the above plus some of the harry potter sites like the train bridge and a castle. Tours start from Edinburgh
101. Ireland- if you are doing going around Olympics, there is no visa requirement. London to Dublin by train + ferry ride is about 38 pounds one way. http://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm
Londres Quick Tips |
Oyster card for public transport- A must! Don’t take cabs unless absolutely necessary or unless of course, you’re super rich
Student Rail Card/ Youth Rail Card if you are planning to use the National Rail to travel to other places around London (1/3rd off on fares). Look up www.nationalrail.co.uk
Vodaphone has easily available sim cards for services like email and BlackBerry Messenger, you’ll need to opt in to the BlackBerry Internet Service. This costs 5 pounds and lasts for 30 days
Lyca mobile sim cards- the cheapest available free – addition 5 pound top up gives sufficient minutes to call India
Don’t be a bond- we know its summer but carry a jumper and an umbrella- Its London after all!
VAT refund on shopping – Tax-Free Shopping. Not all shops participate in the scheme and different shops will have different minimum purchase conditions (normally around £75 per shop).
Enquire at the store while billing and participating shops (most of the big ones have it) will give you a special form (VAT 407). This must be presented with the goods and receipts to customs at the airport.
Photo courtesy- Vasudha Sahgal
This summer, London is calling. Coming?
About the Author | Akanksha loves to travel, though ‘wandering’ is restricted to a limited time in the schedule, unless the destination is a beach! She spent a year in Lancaster while pursuing her Masters, managing to explore various cities in U.K. This comprehensive list has been edited over the last four years, and the latest addition was made over her trips to London in 2011. Besides that, her friends have been kind enough to testify the practicality of random suggestions made before this ‘to-do’ was created.
