Dennis Severs' House
sightSilent candle-lit tour of an 18th-century Huguenot silk-weaver's house, preserved as a living time capsule. Book the evening slot; daytime dilutes the magic.
In Shoreditch →Things to do in London
16 editorial picks across 3 neighborhoods — named restaurants, sights, bars, cafés, parks, and shops. Every entry lifted from our deep-dives, not an AI list.
— 2 picks
Sights & landmarks in London.
The monuments, museums, and photo spots actually worth the queue.
Electric Cinema
sightOne of the oldest working cinemas in Britain (1910), now with armchairs, footstools, and a bar. Tickets £25 — expensive for a film, cheap for the experience.
In Notting Hill →— 6 picks
Where to eat in London.
Editor-picked restaurants from the neighborhood deep-dives — no tourist traps.
Beigel Bake
restaurantOpen 24 hours on Brick Lane since 1974. Salt beef beigel for £5.50 is a London institution; the queue at 3 a.m. is part of the experience.
In Shoreditch →Dishoom Shoreditch
restaurantBombay-café chain's flagship in a converted warehouse. No dinner reservations — expect 45 minutes' wait on a weeknight; worth it for the black daal.
In Shoreditch →Lyle's
restaurantMichelin-starred British cooking inside Tea Building, Shoreditch High Street. Set lunch is excellent value at £45 for three courses, book two weeks ahead.
In Shoreditch →The Cow
restaurantIrish gastropub on Westbourne Park Road — oysters at the downstairs bar, seasonal British food upstairs. The platonic ideal of a London Sunday lunch.
In Notting Hill →Chinatown
restaurantGerrard Street is the main strip; 50+ restaurants. Plum Valley for dim sum, Four Seasons for roast duck, Bun House for Chinese buns. Avoid the laminated English-only menus.
In Soho →Kettner's Townhouse
restaurantPrivate members' club (Soho House group) in a Georgian townhouse, ground-floor restaurant open to the public. Book for Sunday brunch; Champagne list is extensive.
In Soho →— 2 picks
Bars & nightlife in London.
Where to drink, from aperitivo terraces to locals-only dive bars.
The French House
barDean Street pub that only serves half-pints (except on April 1st). De Gaulle drank here in WWII. No mobile phones, no TV — a rare survivor of pre-Instagram London.
In Soho →Ronnie Scott's
barLondon's legendary jazz club on Frith Street — three sets a night, cover £30-60 depending on the act. Book two weeks ahead for weekend slots.
In Soho →— 1 picks
Cafés & coffee in London.
Morning stops, espresso counters, and bakery classics.
Bar Italia
cafeOpen 22 hours, closed for 2 in the early morning. Frith Street café since 1949, espresso machine original, footballs dangling from the ceiling since Italy's 2006 World Cup win.
In Soho →— 5 picks
Shops & markets in London.
Souvenirs that aren’t embarrassing and the markets worth an hour.
Spitalfields Market
shopCovered Victorian market open seven days — antiques Thursdays, independents Saturdays, food traders every day. Twelve minutes' walk south of Shoreditch High Street.
In Shoreditch →Rough Trade East
shopRecord store with a genuinely useful live-gigs calendar — Sunday afternoon free shows in the basement are an under-publicised London tradition.
In Shoreditch →Portobello Road Market
shopSaturday's the main event — antiques, vintage, street food. Monday to Thursday the road is half-quiet and the shops more navigable. Closes early on Sundays.
In Notting Hill →Books for Cooks
shop60,000 cookery books in a tiny Blenheim Crescent shop. Cookery demonstrations daily at 1 p.m.; £7 for the resulting three-course lunch (cash only, arrive early).
In Notting Hill →Notting Hill Bookshop
shopYes, that one. Now a travel bookshop; the original was on Portobello Road, rebranded after the film. Still worth a polite visit between bigger activities.
In Notting Hill →— FAQ
Planning London.
- What are the top things to do in London?
- We've listed 16 named places across 3 neighborhoods on this page — every one a real editorial pick, not an AI-generated suggestion. The grouped sections above (sights, food, bars, cafés, parks, shops) let you pick by intent. If you only have one day, work the "Sights & landmarks" list top-to-bottom.
- How many days do you need in London?
- Three full days is the honest floor for a first visit to London — enough to cover the essential sights without a march, plus two meals per day in different neighborhoods. Five days lets you add day trips. Anything less than three and you're queuing instead of experiencing.
- Are guided tours in London worth booking?
- For major sights with skip-the-line value (Vatican, Colosseum, Alhambra-tier queues) yes, almost always. For neighborhood walks — usually no, our free deep-dives cover the same ground in more honest detail. The CTAs on this page go to Expedia's tours inventory if you want to compare.
- What's the best neighborhood to base yourself in London?
- Depends on your trip style — our /hotels/london page ranks the neighborhoods by price and vibe. Generally: central for first-timers, residential-adjacent for return visits, canal/waterfront if the city has one.
- Are these recommendations updated?
- Yes. Every named place on this page is sourced from our neighborhood deep-dives, each of which carries a "last verified" date. We re-check openings, prices, and closures at least twice a year and flag anything that's changed.