London
London is so often called the hippest capital in Europe and it is definitely holding up to its reputation. I lived in London for over 4 years and I was never getting tired of this vibrant and energetic city. I love that there are new pop-ups, restaurants, exhibitions, and shops opening up almost every day.
This small guide will give a great little overview of where to stay, eat and shop. Moreover, you will get an idea of the city itself...the nicest areas and the prettiest neighbourhoods.
London has some great hotels, from modern to old-school traditional.
Ace Hotel Shoreditch
100 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JQ
🌐 www.acehotel.com/london
Area: Shoreditch / East London
Edgy and cool hotel with a rooftop bar and a cool crowd. Nice restaurant and bar.
Boundary Hotel
🌐 www.boundary.london
Area: Shoreditch / East London
I love this place...or at least I do love their rooftop and restaurant. It is probably one of the most romantic hangouts in London in summer.
Charlotte Street Hotel
15-17 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RJ
Area: Fitzrovia / Central London
Old school, British country house style in a busy yet cool area, where many restaurants are located. Just off Oxford street and within 5 minutes walk to Soho. Rather expensive though.
Chiltern Firehouse
1 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PA
🌐 www.chilternfirehouse.com
Area: Marylebone / Central London
This area is my favourite neighbourhood and former "home sweet home". The hotel is located on one of the prettiest streets in London, where one can visit the Monocle café and many other cool hotspots.
Dean Street Townhouse
69-71 Dean Street, London W1D 3SE
🌐 www.deanstreettownhouse.com
Area: Soho / Central London
This is a nice and very central place to stay in London. The rooms and the restaurant are located in a pair of Georgian residences. Here you can really feel the good old London vibes. It's worth stopping by for breakfast (which is open for non-guests as well), drinks or Sunday roast.
The Hoxton
199-206 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD
81 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU
🌐 www.thehoxton.com
Area: Shoreditch (East London) / Holborn (Central London)
It's sometimes hard to find a nice yet affordable hotel in London, however, the Hoxton hotel (located in Hoxton and Holborn) is the best if you are looking for a good value/price offer. The interior is super stylish and also the food in their restaurant is really good. The Hoxton bar is always stuffed with people getting together for after work drinks.
Sanderson Hotel
50 Berners St, London W1T 3NG
🌐 www.morganshotelgroup.com
Area: Fitzrovia / Central London
The Sanderson hotel in Fitzrovia / Soho belongs to the Morgans Hotel group and offers a stylish place to stay. The rooms are very cool and so is the entrance hall. They also have a nice bar and a cosy patio where one can enjoy their Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea.
The London Edition Hotel
10 Berners Street, W1T 3NP
🌐 www.editionhotels.com/london
Area: Fitzrovia / Central London
This looks like a good old classic, though it has just opened in 2013. This is definitely a more expensive option! However, their bar and dining room (Berner's Tavern) is open for non-guests as well and Sunday brunch is amazing.
Here you find restaurants sorted by cuisine. In general, there is to say that London offers one of the best restaurants in my opinion. Yes, it is not all fish & chips and baked beans.
London is different than most cities since you really need to plan ahead if you want to enjoy a night out with friends: if you are more than two, book in advance. Sushisamba, Balthazar or Bocca di Lupo sometimes have a waiting list for up to three weeks.
Click on the restaurants name to get redirected to their website to find out more.
Shackfuyu
☞ Soho
Creative Western-style Japanese food located in Soho. Famous for their french toast with Matcha ice cream.
Chotto Matte
☞ Soho
A modern Japanese restaurant attracting a young crowd, located in vibrant Soho.
Dinings
☞ Marylebone
Contemporary Japanese tapas and highest-quality sushi. Book in advance.
☞ Soho / Fitzrovia
Delicious buns, a small menu, but the queue is always long.
Pho
☞ Soho / Covent Garden / Fitzrovia
Best and biggest pho soup in town. Perfect spot for cold winter evenings.
Thai Metro
☞ Fitzrovia
My all-time favourite take-out. Thai Metro offers authentic and tasty Thai food. The restaurant itself is not very nice, however, a quick after work dinner, lunch or take-out is always a good idea. I recommend their Pad Thai and Red Thai curry.
E&O
☞ Notting Hill
This a very cool and hip pan-Asian place located in the lovely neighbourhood of Notting Hill.
Som Saa
☞ Spitalfields
Som Saa serves very authentic and delicious Thai food located in a former warehouse. Try the fried sea bass.
Bocca di Lupo
☞ Soho
My favourite Italian place in London. Make sure to book in advance.
Il Baretto
☞ Marylebone
Very good classic Italian food. It also a popular lunch place.I recommend their lobster pasta and zucchini fries.
Cecconi's
☞ Mayfair
A modern day classic Italian located in beautiful Mayfair.
Polpo
☞ Soho
Affordable and good Italian comfy food.
Franco Manca
☞ Soho / South Ken / Covent Garden / many more
My favourite pizza place. They have several locations all over London and bake their pizza with sourdough.
Pizza East
☞ Notting Hill / Shoreditch
This pizza place is perfect for big crowds and relaxed evenings.
Princi
☞ Soho
Princi is my absolute favourite Italian bakery. It is always busy offering a huge choice of pizza, sweets, salads, and hot dishes from ealry morning till late evening. Really worth stopping by. Located in the busy heart of Soho.
Honey & Co by Ottolenghi
☞ Fitzrovia
very good for breakfast and lunch with a twist. Located in Fitzrovia.
.....basically, everything by Ottolenghi is delicious!
☞ Notting Hill / Belgravia / Shoreditch
Yalla Yalla
☞ Soho
I love this cosy and laid back Labenese restaurant just off Oxford Circus.
☞ Mayfair
Perfect for a quick guacamole stop after shopping at Selfridges.
La Bodega Negra
☞ Soho
Tacos, frozen margaritas, good music and a hip crowd.
Senor Ceviche
☞ Soho
Very delicious Peruvian food located on the first floor in Kingly Court. Kingly Court is, in general, a very nice place to eat. Especially in summer it is super busy and vibrant.
Coya
☞ Mayfair
A rather fancy Peruvian restaurant.
☞ Marylebone
Nice neighbourhood Greek with modern food.
Lemonia
☞ Primrose Hill
In Primrose Hill with a lovely plant-filled interior. The area is adorable, too.
This small guide will give a great little overview of where to stay, eat and shop. Moreover, you will get an idea of the city itself...the nicest areas and the prettiest neighbourhoods.
 |
| The beautiful streets of Notting Hill |
Let's start with where to stay - HOTELS
London has some great hotels, from modern to old-school traditional.
Ace Hotel Shoreditch
100 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JQ
🌐 www.acehotel.com/london
Area: Shoreditch / East London
Edgy and cool hotel with a rooftop bar and a cool crowd. Nice restaurant and bar.
Boundary Hotel
🌐 www.boundary.london
Area: Shoreditch / East London
I love this place...or at least I do love their rooftop and restaurant. It is probably one of the most romantic hangouts in London in summer.
Charlotte Street Hotel
15-17 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RJ
Area: Fitzrovia / Central London
Old school, British country house style in a busy yet cool area, where many restaurants are located. Just off Oxford street and within 5 minutes walk to Soho. Rather expensive though.
Chiltern Firehouse
1 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PA
🌐 www.chilternfirehouse.com
Area: Marylebone / Central London
This area is my favourite neighbourhood and former "home sweet home". The hotel is located on one of the prettiest streets in London, where one can visit the Monocle café and many other cool hotspots.
Dean Street Townhouse
69-71 Dean Street, London W1D 3SE
🌐 www.deanstreettownhouse.com
Area: Soho / Central London
This is a nice and very central place to stay in London. The rooms and the restaurant are located in a pair of Georgian residences. Here you can really feel the good old London vibes. It's worth stopping by for breakfast (which is open for non-guests as well), drinks or Sunday roast.
The Hoxton
199-206 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD
81 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU
🌐 www.thehoxton.com
Area: Shoreditch (East London) / Holborn (Central London)
It's sometimes hard to find a nice yet affordable hotel in London, however, the Hoxton hotel (located in Hoxton and Holborn) is the best if you are looking for a good value/price offer. The interior is super stylish and also the food in their restaurant is really good. The Hoxton bar is always stuffed with people getting together for after work drinks.
50 Berners St, London W1T 3NG
🌐 www.morganshotelgroup.com
Area: Fitzrovia / Central London
The Sanderson hotel in Fitzrovia / Soho belongs to the Morgans Hotel group and offers a stylish place to stay. The rooms are very cool and so is the entrance hall. They also have a nice bar and a cosy patio where one can enjoy their Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea.
The London Edition Hotel
10 Berners Street, W1T 3NP
🌐 www.editionhotels.com/london
Area: Fitzrovia / Central London
This looks like a good old classic, though it has just opened in 2013. This is definitely a more expensive option! However, their bar and dining room (Berner's Tavern) is open for non-guests as well and Sunday brunch is amazing.
Where to eat - Restaurants for dinner and lunch
Here you find restaurants sorted by cuisine. In general, there is to say that London offers one of the best restaurants in my opinion. Yes, it is not all fish & chips and baked beans.
London is different than most cities since you really need to plan ahead if you want to enjoy a night out with friends: if you are more than two, book in advance. Sushisamba, Balthazar or Bocca di Lupo sometimes have a waiting list for up to three weeks.
Click on the restaurants name to get redirected to their website to find out more.
Japanese
Affordable and creative sushi from Copenhagen. I recommend the black cod roll.
Japanese meets Brazilian. Sushi with a (stunning) view and amazing roof terrace. Book in advance.
My favourite sushi place. Freshest food and never disappointing. The recently opened a lot of branches. I still like the one in Charlotte St the best. Book in advance.
Shackfuyu
☞ Soho
Creative Western-style Japanese food located in Soho. Famous for their french toast with Matcha ice cream.
Chotto Matte
☞ Soho
A modern Japanese restaurant attracting a young crowd, located in vibrant Soho.
Dinings
☞ Marylebone
Contemporary Japanese tapas and highest-quality sushi. Book in advance.
...more Asian (Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Thai)
Bao☞ Soho / Fitzrovia
Delicious buns, a small menu, but the queue is always long.
Pho
☞ Soho / Covent Garden / Fitzrovia
Best and biggest pho soup in town. Perfect spot for cold winter evenings.
☞ Fitzrovia
My all-time favourite take-out. Thai Metro offers authentic and tasty Thai food. The restaurant itself is not very nice, however, a quick after work dinner, lunch or take-out is always a good idea. I recommend their Pad Thai and Red Thai curry.
E&O
☞ Notting Hill
This a very cool and hip pan-Asian place located in the lovely neighbourhood of Notting Hill.
Som Saa
☞ Spitalfields
Som Saa serves very authentic and delicious Thai food located in a former warehouse. Try the fried sea bass.
Cantonese
☞ Soho
A cool spot for good Cantonese food in Soho. They open their huge windows in summer, which creates a lovely atmosphere.
☞ Soho
A classic. Right next to Duck & Rice is Yauatcha. Fancy Cantonese, but always worth it. Try their sesame prawn toast. Book in advance.
☞ Marylebone
The affordable yet very delicious alternative to all the fancy Chinese / Cantonese restaurants. It is always busy with locals dining there. I love their Peking duck.
Italian
Bocca di Lupo
☞ Soho
My favourite Italian place in London. Make sure to book in advance.
Il Baretto
☞ Marylebone
Very good classic Italian food. It also a popular lunch place.I recommend their lobster pasta and zucchini fries.
Cecconi's
☞ Mayfair
A modern day classic Italian located in beautiful Mayfair.
Polpo
☞ Soho
Affordable and good Italian comfy food.
Franco Manca
☞ Soho / South Ken / Covent Garden / many more
My favourite pizza place. They have several locations all over London and bake their pizza with sourdough.
Pizza East
☞ Notting Hill / Shoreditch
This pizza place is perfect for big crowds and relaxed evenings.
Princi
☞ Soho
Princi is my absolute favourite Italian bakery. It is always busy offering a huge choice of pizza, sweets, salads, and hot dishes from ealry morning till late evening. Really worth stopping by. Located in the busy heart of Soho.
Middle East
Honey & Co by Ottolenghi
☞ Fitzrovia
very good for breakfast and lunch with a twist. Located in Fitzrovia.
.....basically, everything by Ottolenghi is delicious!
☞ Notting Hill / Belgravia / Shoreditch
Yalla Yalla
☞ Soho
I love this cosy and laid back Labenese restaurant just off Oxford Circus.
Mexican / Peruvian
Molé☞ Mayfair
Perfect for a quick guacamole stop after shopping at Selfridges.
La Bodega Negra
☞ Soho
Tacos, frozen margaritas, good music and a hip crowd.
Senor Ceviche
☞ Soho
Very delicious Peruvian food located on the first floor in Kingly Court. Kingly Court is, in general, a very nice place to eat. Especially in summer it is super busy and vibrant.
Coya
☞ Mayfair
A rather fancy Peruvian restaurant.
Greek
Opso☞ Marylebone
Nice neighbourhood Greek with modern food.
Lemonia
☞ Primrose Hill
In Primrose Hill with a lovely plant-filled interior. The area is adorable, too.
Spanish
Barrafina☞ Soho
At Barrafina there is always a very long queue. If you have time and patience it is definitely worth it. Especially the tuna tartare is delicious.
Iberica
☞ Marylebone
A modern Spanish place in Marylebone with good jamon and cheese.
Pix Pintxos
☞ Notting Hill / Covent Garden / Soho
Pix is a tapas bar inspired by Barcelona's pinxtos bars offering a lovely array of tapas.
English / European
Chiltern Firehouse
☞ Marylebone
I like the atmosphere at Chiltern Firehouse, no matter if you sit inside in winter near the cosy fireplace or outside in summer in their pretty garden.
Bluebird Chelsea
☞ Chelsea
Bluebird is one of Chelsea's classics located right on King's Road. They do have a cool clothing shop as well!
Beach Blanket Babylon
☞ Notting Hill
Good British cuisine in the heart of Notting Hill.
Dean Street Townhouse
☞ Soho
Dean Street Townhouse is always a good idea no matter if you want to have breakfast, Sunday brunch, afternoon tea, Sunday roast, lunch, dinner or drinks!
Electric Dinner
☞ Notting Hill
The electric dinner belongs to the Soho House Group, however, their diner which is located on the groundfloor is also open to the public and offers traditional Britsh food.
Shoreditch House
☞ Shoreditch
The member's club offers lovely food, the best bloody marys and an amazing view over the City (including swimming pool).
Indian
Dishoom☞ Covent Garden/ Soho / Shoreditch
The best North Indian food in London. Be aware of the very long queue though. Try their Mango Lassi, Dal Soup and Chicken Tikka and Naan bread.
Breakfast and Brunch
Mae Deli☞ Marylebone
Healthy and delicious lunch and breakfast by Ella Woodward.
Daisy Green
☞ Marylebone
Cute and small café in Marylebone offering charcoal bread and other healthy options.
26 Grains
☞ Covent Garden
Located in Neal's Yard this place offers every kind of breakfast bowl you can imagine.
The Good Life Eatery
☞ Chelsea / Marylebone
This was probably the first super healthy cafe in London I can remember. It is always full of sporty girls sipping on their super healthy smoothies while eating skinny eggs benedict.
Balthazar
☞ Covent Garden
The best brunch place in town. Inspired by their New York branch you can enjoy the best egg dishes and pancakes. Book in advance.
Leila's Shop
☞ Shoreditch
This place is adorable. They have really good breakfast and coffee and make you feel at home.
Lantana Café
☞ Fitzrovia
Very good breakfast from Australia located just off Goodge Street.
Honey & Co
☞ Fitzrovia
One of Ottolenghi's gems hidden in Fitzrovia. If you are fed up with the typical breakfast, had to Honey & co for a change.
Dean Street Townhouse
☞ Soho
Dean Street Townhouse is always a good idea no matter if you want to have breakfast, Sunday brunch, afternoon tea, Sunday roast, lunch, dinner or drinks!
☞ Marylebone
I like the atmosphere at Chiltern Firehouse, no matter if you sit inside in winter near the cosy fireplace or outside in summer in their pretty and romantic garden.
The Providores
☞ Marylebone
Unique and lovely dishes.
Riding House Café
☞Fitzrovia
Lovely brunch food including pancakes, all kind of eggs, and milkshakes.
202 London
☞ Notting Hill
Cool place for breakfast, brunch and/or lunch. Make sure to check out their shop downstairs.
Granger & Co
☞ Notting Hill
I can only say the BEST ricotta hotcakes I've ever had (with honeycomb butter)!
The Breakfast Club
☞ Soho
The NED
☞ Bank
This joint venture of Soho House and Sydell group is located in a former Midland Bank and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The Ned has eight restaurants, a hotel and members club. A must see!
La Fromagerie
☞ Marylebone
I love this cute place in Marylebone. Their cheese selection and fresh food shop are amazing and so is their breakfast. Simple and delicious.
The Ivy Café
☞ Marylebone / Chelsea / Covent Garden
This is a typical London cafe and restaurant with decent food.
Cafés and bakeries
Fabrique Bakery☞Fitzrovia/Covent Garden/ Notting Hill / Shoreditch
Here you will find one of the best cinnamon and cardamon buns!
Nordic Bakery
☞ Soho/ Marylebone
...and here too! I used to live right next to it and the cinnamon smell was just too tempting.
The Sourced Market
☞ Marylebone
A lovely and pretty food shop with a small café.
Monocle Café
☞ Marylebone
This café is located on my favourite street in London: Chiltern Street. I recommend their matcha lattes and cakes!
Ole & Steen
☞ multiple locations
I first tried this delicious bakery when visiting Copenhagen. Luckily they now opened several bakeries in London. Try their cinnamon buns. Too good!
La Fromagerie
☞ Marylebone
I love this cute place in Marylebone. Their cheese selection and fresh food shop are amazing and so is their breakfast. Simple and delicious.
Afternoon tea
Bluebird Chelsea
☞ Chelsea
Sketch Bar
☞ Mayfair
Afternoon Tea at the Clardige's
☞ Mayfair
Sanderson
☞ Fitzrovia
Balthazar
☞ Covent Garden
Bars
Ace Hotel
☞Shoreditch
Category: Hotel bar
Chiltern Firehouse
☞ Marylebone
Category: Hotel bar
Archer street bar
☞ Soho
Category: Cosy bar
sketch
☞ Mayfair
Category: Eat and drink
Scotch of St James
☞ Westminster
Category: Dance and drink
Artesian bar
☞ Oxford Circus
Category: Hotel Bar
Experimental Cocktail Club
☞ China Town
Category: Cosy Bar
La Bodega Negra
☞Soho
Category: Eat, dance and drink
Nightjar
☞ Hoxton
Category: Great cocktails
Maggies
☞ Fulham
Category: Dance and drink
Mr Froggs
☞ Mayfair
Category: cosy drinks
Museums and art galleries
....coming soon!
Neighbourhood and, museum and shopping guide
If you are visiting London only for a couple of days I can only for a few days the best area to stay in somewhere near Mayfair, Marylebone, Fitzrovia or Soho. From here you can easily get to every sight and all the other areas.
Central London (W1)
Mayfair is a really nice area to do some shopping. On Bond Street you will find all the famous brands from Chanel to YSL. Stop by Royal Academy of the Arts to get inspired by amazing art and latest exhibitions. If you are a wine or whisky lover Hedonism is a must. If you want to shop more stop by at Liberty, Selfridges and Dover Street Market, which are cool department stores / shops.
In Marylebone, I can recommend walking down Marylebone High St with its lovely shops and cafés. Also, Marylebone Lane is a really cute street. Here you can find the Good Life Eatery and the Ivy Cafe. Conran shop is a really cool interior shop further down the high street. La Fromagerie is the perfect place, as the name suggests it, for cheese lovers. But it is also a lovely spot for breakfast and coffee.
If you have time take a walk through Regent's Park and walk up to Primrose Hill from where you can get an amazing view of the city. The area Primrose Hill is very charming and cute, though very small. Alfie's Antique Market is also located in Marylebone:
Fitzrovia, Soho and Covent Garden are packed with good restaurants. Especially Soho is heaven for foodies. Covent Garden is rather touristic. Stop by Neal's Yard.
West London
Notting Hill is also one of my favourite areas in London. Especially Westbourne Grove is a nice street with beautiful houses and great cafés. Portobello Rd is always too crowded in my opinion, but also a must-see. I can recommend to just walk around and adore the colourful and pretty houses.
Chelsea is a rather fancy family area. King's Road is the high street in this area. If you start at Sloane Square stop by Saatchi Gallery (one of my favourite galleries) and then stop at Chelsea market or Bluebird shop for some refreshment.
East and South London
If you are in East London walk around edgy Shoreditch and Hoxton. Stop by the White Cube Museum. I also like Brick Lane market (best bagels!). Shoreditch is especially cool by night when the bars are open. It's a completely different vibe compared to the other parts of London.
If you want to see South London and London's iconic sighs take a walk down the Thames to pass by Big Ben and London Eye. If you walk further down East-South along the Themes you will get to the Tate Modern. Tate is an absolute must. If you get hungry there is Borough Market nearby with fresh food stands and good bread and cheese.
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen