Even people who have lived in London their whole lives will tell you they’re always discovering new things. It’s just how the city rolls – from pop-ups that appear in random back alleys, to world-famous galleries that you still haven’t visited. It all adds up to a pretty much endless to-do list, and we’ve all got enough of them, so why not make it your mission to cross some things off this month? To help you get started, we’ve compiled a bumper day-long itinerary that will suit everyone, from city slickers who think they know best (but could do with a slight nudge) to those of you who are fresh off the boat and are looking for some tips beyond the standard travel guides.
10am-11am: Start the day in style with breakfast or brunchat The Wolseley. The gourmet morning menu won’t break the bank and you’ll have partaken in a true British tradition. Just don’t get too comfortable; doormen taking your coat is something you could get used to, but the day is young.
11am-1pm: Just two stops from breakfast is Warren Street Station where your morning of culture continues. The British Museum is oft-forgotten, but there’s nowhere else on the planet that offers a more complete tour of the Ancient World, with the best mummies outside of Egypt and the Parthenon Marbles all under one (stunning) roof. And let’s not forget its last exhibition, ‘Sex and Humour in Japanese Art,’ which turned staring at a wall-sized photo of a penis into an educational activity.
1pm-2pm: Just down the road at University College London (also a filming location for Gladiator and Batman Begins), you will find the creepy and wholly bizarre Grant Museum of Zoology. In this tiny space, pickled chimp’s heads and elephant hearts are crammed next to the bones of extinct species. You can even adopt a jar if you’re not too squeamish and owning 18 preserved moles is something you’ve always dreamed of.
2pm-3pm: Borough Market is arguably London’s best-known outdoor lunch spot, but there are many more where that came from. Broadway Market in Bethnal Green is strikingly located right on the canal and its lesser-known gourmet food stands are equally as good. Try the roast pork sandwich with crackling or dig into a Vietnamese banh mi as you watch decked-out canal boats (some are vintage clothing shops, others bookstores) drift by.
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3pm-7pm: You can easily while away a whole day in East London, and if you don’t live nearby you may not get there often. As you stroll towards Brick Lane, which is the curry capital of London, you can dip in and out of galleries with out-there posters and dinky little gifts. On your travels you will also see walls full of graffiti and striking street art as well as great vintage stalls. Boxpark near Shoreditch Station has an ever-changing collection of trendy clothing shops.
7pm-8pm: Curry is basically the national food of England, and luckily you’re in the right place. As you move away from the famous Brick Lane, the restaurants get even better. Tayyabs in nearby Whitechapel has queues out the door, but we promise you won’t be disappointed.
8pm-10pm: East London is packed full of places to drink. And drink you will. There are pop-ups that mysteriously emerge each week, speakeasy cocktail bars hidden in basements and tons of old-time boozers where you’ll mix with locals. At Bar Kick in Shoreditch you can play table football as the night gets hazy. Nearby Redchurch Street is also a good strip for hitting the pints, with people flooding out into the road in what feels like a street party come summer.
10pm onwards: The night is young and so are you. So hit the clubs. Dance the night away in cheap-and-cheerful Barrio East, or go for something a bit more grimy at XOYO. Lots of alternative but known names also gig at Village Underground.