Neighbourhoods | London City Guide
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.
A great neighborhood with an eclectic selection of shops, restaurants and bars makes this area a popular place to live. Walking along the canal from Bethnal Green or Hoxton is a great way to stretch your legs and see parts of London many folks miss. Catch a movie at Screen on the Green, followed by dinner at Ottolenghi or Oldroyd.
Backing onto Paddington Station, this is an area many locals aren’t aware of. Called Little Venice thanks to the long, leafy canals, this area makes for a great afternoon stroll. Stop off for lunch at the River Cafe, the restaurant that kicked off the UK food revolution, or visit the Clifton Nurseries for afternoon tea amongst the plants.
While this neighborhood wouldn’t make it onto most Londoners lists of places to visit, due to the perfusion of American tourists flooding the area, If you break away from the main street, there are some real gems. The Ledbury restaurant is one of the best in the world, spawning many other great places to open nearby. The Daylesford Organic shop is like an upmarket Wholefoods, while the tiny museum of brands is a delight to visit.
Just by the popular but touristy area of Covent Garden, you’ll find a set of great shopping and dining streets known as Seven Dials. Grab a drink at Monmouth Coffee, get a selection of amazing British Cheeses from Neal's Yard Dairy, and buy “something for the weekend” from Coco Du Mer. You’ll also find the Donmar Warehouse here - an amazing, intimate theatre - if you know you’re coming, check out what’s on and book a ticket or wait for a return.
When people think about going out in central London, this neighborhood tends to be the focal point. Packed full of interesting bars and restaurants serving the local film and media scene, this place is buzzing on a weekday evening. There are too many amazing eating places to choose from here, so fire up Time Out to find the latest buzzy restaurant.
The South Bank of the Thames is a popular spot for Londoners to relax at the weekend. Take in a show at the Hayward Gallery, grab a cocktail at the BFI theater before catching an art house movie, then stroll along the Thames before grabbing dinner at one of the many excellent eateries nearby.
Stray south on Victoria Line and you will get to the vibrant and now very up and coming Brixton, the heart of the Caribbean community in London, and a relatively new food and culture destination. A series of 1930s arcades were renovated 8 years ago and now feature the most amazing collection of tiny restaurants from pizza to Punjabi curry to pinxtos spread amongst galleries, vintage and clothes shops. Check out the wonderful Cornercopia cafe and local larder which showcases food grown and produced literally on their doorstep.