Andy's London City Guide

If you can ignore all the city types, eating and drinking at the 5 restaurants and numerous bars at the old Midland Bank HQ turned cavernous  entertainment complex, The Ned has fast become my favorite hotel in London. The rooms have everything you want or need from a luxury hotel, the pool and gym and just wonderful, as is the temporary access you get to the hotel's private members club. It’s all super wankey, but in the best way possible. 

Before the Ace Hotel, you had the Hoxton. During the day it’s a place for co-working and meetings. At night it’s where the local tech workers who can’t quite make it into Soho House come to let their hair down and party. As such, while the rooms are nice and cozy (just the right about of bare concrete and exposed pipework), it does feel like you’re crossing a club dancefloor to get to your rooms on a Friday or Saturday night. 

This dutch hotel is built around the idea of prefabricated rooms based on the proportions of shipping containers. This makes the hotels quick and cheap to build, with the savings passed on to you. As such it’s one of the more affordable places to stay in London. They’ve done a deal with Vitra, which means the place is like a Clerkenwell furniture shop, and have thought about every element of the guest experience, from the self service check-in, to the tablet powered environmental controls.  

You know where you stand with the Ace Hotel. Model like staff, a lobby that feels more like a WeWork than a hotel, lots of exposed concrete and pipework, good coffee, a second hand record store, and a slightly overpriced restaurant hidden behind a flower shop.  

This place has all the bling. Lovely rooms, great public spaces, a cavernous steam room, and the best cocktail bar in the world. If I was married to a premier league footballer, I’d choose to stay here, but don't let that put you off.

You’re sophisticated right? Into modern dance? If so, this is the home of contemporary dance in the UK. Well worth checking out what’s on the schedule next time you’re over. 

While I find the permanent collections at the V&A a bit of a grab bag of stuff, their temporary exhibitions are amazing. David Bowie, Alexander McQueen, and Thomas Heatherwick are just a few of the recent people to get the retrospective treatment. 

What can I say about the Tate Modern? I’ve been to a lot of modern and contemporary art galleries around the world, and this is still my favorite. They have a really strong permanent collection, but the real reasons to go are the big temporary exhibitions. Oh, and the shop is pretty cool too.

This gallery is a great place to see modern contemporary British artists. Just check before you go as they’re often closed.

Another great museum where the temporary exhibitions outgun the permanent collection. The recent California exhibition looking into the cultural impact of the state on the design and tech industry was wonderful. 

I’ve not been to the Serpentine for a while, which makes me sad. This lovely little gallery in the middle of one of London's great parks, is known for having some excellent exhibitions. If you’re passing by, you should definitely poke your head in. Oh, and they have one of the best art bookshops I’ve seen.

While I haven't been here for a good few years, this  used to be my go to location for an alternative night out. Lip Sync Drag Battles? Check! Feminist Hip Hop? Check! Alan Partridge themed Quick and Disco? Check! What more could you ask for?

I’m a huge fan of Japanese Listening bars so it’s great to see this phenomenon make its way to London. A great place to relax, hang out, listen to good music over a highball or two.

A great local comedy club where lots of well known TV comedians come to practice their material in front of a crowd of comedy enthusiasts.

A lovely warm local cocktail bar for people who are serious about their libations. 

This dark, dingy basement bar off the side of Hoxton Square, also happens to be one of the best cocktail bars in the world. You’ll probably want to make a reservation, but they do keep a few seats available for walkins.

High end Tiki bar with regular live jazz performances, hidden off Smithfield Market.

Based in Shoreditch Town Hall, this is my favorite restaurant in London. It’s also regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world, at least by the folks behind the 50 best restaurants list, where it currently sits at number 33. You’ll need to book a few months in advance to get a prized Friday/Saturday evening spot. However, come midweek for lunch and you may be in luck.

This Notting Hill institution sits at number 27 on the 50 best restaurants on the world list. I’ve had some wonderful meals there, although I still think the Clove Club pips it. Another restaurant you need to book a few months in advance to get into.

This large industrial restaurant sits below Shoreditch House. They do a great menu of small plates, so load up and a bunch of different things for maximum adventure. It always used to be slightly easier to get a reservation here, but they recently made it onto the world's 50 best restaurants list, so that may have changed.

Solid Italian bistro cooking in a nice, relaxed surroundings. What more could you ask for.

Great Australian inspired brunch joint with several locations around London.

Hoppers is a great Sri Lankan Restaurant in the heart of Soho. They don’t take reservations so get their early if you want to avoid a 2 hour wait. Fortunately they don’t make you wait in a queue outside. Rather they do the American thing of taking your name and calling when a table becomes available, which means more time drinking amazing cocktails in Soho. This place is a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which is a more affordable version of a michelin star. Probably explains the ques.

This multifloor destination shopping experience is a must visit for all the fashionistas out there. It’s fun wandering around looking at all the cool items on display. However check the prices before you head up to the till as, depending on floor you’re on, you may get a biot of a shock.

This place is my favorite shop in Shoreditch, if not the whole of London. They carry a great selection of men's and women's fashion, as well as a tonne of great homewares. Everything has a slight japanese streetwear vibe, if that’s your sort of thing.

This covered market is a great place to visit at the weekend. As well as the market traders themselves, there are a tonne of great designer oriented shops, cafes and bars built around the outside of the market. Combine a visit to Spitalfields with a wander round Brick Lane and Columbia Road flower market for some excellent Sunday flaneuring.

If you enjoy reading Monocle magazine, it’s worth checking out their flagship store for all manner of beautifully crafted goods. Or just grab a coffee and the latest edition of the magazine.

This organic cafe and market is where the rich and wealthy of West London send their butlers to do their weekly shop. Think Whole Foods as imagined by the Prince of Wales. For everybody else it’s a lovely place to come for a cuppa, and to marvel at who regularly buys ten pound jars of boysenberry jam

Great donut shop on Brick Lane and Soho. If I’m not near Bread Ahead, this is my goto donut place. 

Several times a year, the folks at Secret Cinema will create rich and immersive experiences, based around popular movies. These experiences will last several hours, before closing out with a screening of said movie. I’ve been abused by prison wardens from The Shawshank Prison, I’ve haggled with Jawas at Mos Eisley Space Port, I’ve watched Marty McFly outrun Biff on his skateboard, and I’ve watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. If you’re in town when one is on, it’s well worth grabbing a ticket.

Punchdrunk are an amazing immersive theatre company responsible for shows like Sleep No More in New York (still running) and the Drowned Man In London. Their latest show, The Burnt City, is meant to be the biggest experience yet, so well worth grabbing tickets if you’re around.

Foodies love Maltby Street Market, a tiny and packed lane under a series of train arches in East London. This place has slowly started making its way onto the tourist map, so can get quite busy at peak eating times. So try and come early to beat the rush.

Borough market is a great place to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. There are a tonne of great food and produce places in the market, so come on an empty stomach. Once you’re done buying all kinds of goodies (the donuts from Bread Ahead are arguably the capitols best) you can wash it down with a drink from Monmouth Coffee, or a spot of shopping at the original Paul Smith Store.

Another great weekend market, this place has yet to be discovered by tourists, so has a real local feel. We tend to walk along the Canal from Bethnal Green, grab breakfast and one of the many great cafes, then wander through the market sampling the wares. We always come home with some great snacks, usually brownies or cookies.

If you’re wanting to work off the jet lag while you’re in town, Arch climbing has not one but two great climbing centers almost next door to each other. If I’m going for a boulder in London, this is almost certainly where I’ll head. Let me know if you;re game ands I may just join you.

A short walk from Shoreditch will take you to Brick Lane, an eclectic mix of Indian restaurants, second hand shops, cafes, and pop-up exhibition spaces. It’s the closest we have to Williamsburg, so make of that what you will. Check out the street art, rifle through the records at Rough Trade, grab a donut from crosstown, and if you’re still feeling peckish, a bagel from the 24 hour bagel shop, a local institution with bagels made on site.  Off Brick Lane you’ll find Libreria, one of my favorite London bookshops, and The Gilbert & George Centre, one of my favorite Lonond art galleries.

This is a cool neighbourhood full of old industrial warehouses which have been converted into startup offices, apartments and co-working spaces. As well as a great selection of bars, restaurants and coffee shops, and the very excellent Borough Market, it’s worth checking out the excellent White Cube Gallery. This is a great place to base yourself for some of the big London sights like Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The Tate Gallery, and The South Bank.

This neighbourhood is considered one of the main design hubs of the city, hosting the popular London Design Week each May. While it’s not generally a destination in itself, it’s close to lots of great places like The Barbican, Old Street and foodie destination, Exmouth Market. There are some great cafes in this area especially on Leather Lane, while the Zetter is a popular place to stay.

A true London hipster experience, but also one of the last places in London you are pretty much guaranteed to hear proper Cockney rhyming slang. (‘Lady Godiva = Fiver = £5) Every Sunday 8am to 3ish this tiny road becomes a riot of flowers and plants, pubs and cafes spill out onto the road and if you’re lucky you’ll spot Pearly Kings and Queens in their amazing regalia moving through the crowd. The rest of the week it is a sleepy little street with some great little galleries and restaurants with the famous Hackney City Farm a few minutes walk away.

Greenwich is packed full of history, making it a popular day-trip for visiting tourists. The Royal Observatory and Maritime Museum are definitely worth a visit, as is the famous Cutty Sark. If comedy is your thing, check out the Up The Creek Comedy Club for a roster of both established and up-and-coming talent. While it takes a little longer than the train or DLR, the nicest way to get to Greenwich is via the Thames River Ferry.

This neighbourhood is the hub of the London start-up scene and is ground central for hipster culture. There are a tonne of great places to eat and shop here, including Goodhood (my favorite store), The Clove Club (my favorite restaurant) and Happiness forgets (my favorite cocktail bar). Head East for more hipster goodness around Bethnal Gree or North for “Stokey” and its wonderful shops and bars.

An hour South of London you’ll find the lovely seaside town of Brighton, my home for the past 20 years. Brighton is a cool city, with two universities, a big gay community, and a thriving music scene. By that I mean it’s young, liberal minded, outgoing, and looks after itself. It’s like a UK version or Portland. Because of this it’s a popular weekend escape from London, and an even more popular place to live. If you come to visit for the weekend, a nice place to stay is The Artists Residence. Also let us know you’re coming! 

Bath is a beautiful Somerset town, famed for its roman hot springs. While nowhere near as cool as Brighton, its proximity to Bristol does give it some much needed edge. So it’s well worth combining the two into a long weekend.

The Cotswolds are a beautiful part of the country, and how I imagine most Americans picture the UK. So it’s well worth escaping the city for a slice of upmarket rural life. Book a room somewhere like Soho Farmhouse, go shopping at Daylesford Organic Farm, have Sunday lunch and any number of amazing gastro pubs, and try to ignore the mounting credit card debt till you get back home. 

A short (cough) 5 hour train journey will see you in Edinburgh, home to Shortbread, Haggis, Harry Potter, and deep fried Mars Bars. It’s a wonderful city and well worth a visit, especially if you’re there during their summer, which takes place over two weekends over August. The Edinburgh Festival is well worth a visit, but you’ll need to snag accommodation super early.