London neighbourhoods

London neighbourhoods

My favourite things in each of the 20 parts of London (a very subjective way to divide the city into manageable chunks): Acton, Battersea, Brixton, Camden, Canary Wharf, Dalston, Finsbury Park, Greenwich, Hackney, Hampstead Heath, Islington, Kensington, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Peckham, Richmond, Soho, Southbank, Walthamstow and Wembley.

1. Acton

  • London Transport Museum Depot open for pre-booked guided tours and open days.
  • Sabiib Somali Restaurant Acton - awesome Somali flavours.
  • Bechtel House (245 Hammersmith Road) is architecturally exciting - it looks multi coloured, but in fact it is not. Enjoy the small public garden the architects created for the locals.
  • Notice how there is not much in the triangle between West Brompton, Earl’s Court and West Kensington stations. The Earls Court Development Company is working to change that. In the meantime, they are hosting events, sports activities, etc.

2. Battersea

  • One of the new neighbourhoods in London. See the Battersea Power Station that has been renovated into a shopping mall and flats, and exciting architecture of the surrounding residential buildings.
  • Battersea Park and Albert Bridge (lit up beautifully at night).
  • Coffee: Nostos Coffee.

3. Brixton

  • Street art.
  • Brixton Windmill - an unexpected thing to see in London.
  • Parissi for a warm drink and a cake.

4. Camden

  • Regent’s Park; don’t miss Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens when roses are in bloom. Primrose Hill is a perfect spot for a picnic and/or sunset watching.
  • Little Venice. Floating Pocket Park in Paddington Basin. Don’t miss the Rolling Bridge.
  • Street art in the area around Camden Market.
  • Clifton Nurseries - one of London’s oldest garden centres, and it has a cafe.
  • Carreras Cigarette Factory - art-deco building with Egyptian cats guarding the entrance.
  • La Fauxmagerie - London’s first vegan cheese shop.

5. Canary Wharf

6. Dalston

  • Green spaces - Clissold Park, Abney Park Cemetery Trust (a beautiful cemetery, especially wonderful for a stroll on a hot summer day as it stays cool), New River Path (a narrow 1km park from (51.541842, -0.097758) to (51.547047, -0.092159)), Dalston Eastern Curve Garden.
  • De Beauvoir Town - lovely pedestrian streets between De Beauvoir Square and De Beauvoir Deli.

Food:

  • Coffee: Day Trip (in a lovely residential setting, for cortado order Flat White).
  • Berber & Q Grill House - Middle-eastern flavours. Their Berber & Q Shawarma Bar in Islington is also good.
  • Oi Vita Pizzeria - awesome pizza, many vegan options.
  • Ethiopian food (many vegan options) - Laza Eritrean Ethiopian Restaurant and Andu Ethiopian.
  • Pastries: The Dusty Knuckle Bakery.
  • Gelato: Romeo & Giulietta Artisan Gelateria.

7. Finsbury Park

  • Parkland Walk - a lovely running/walking route connecting Finsbury Park and Highgate Wood.
  • Open water swimming in West Reservoir and/or birdwatching in Woodberry Wetlands.
  • Through the woods - hyper-seasonal tasting menu, one of my favourites in London. Book way in advance. Vegetarian option available.

8. Greenwich

  • Queen’s House - maritime paintings. Book free tickets in advance.
  • Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College - the Sistine Chapel of England. Ask for free audio guide - it is great. Cheap tickets on first Sunday of every month.
  • National Maritime Museum - free until summer 2025. Book free tickets in advance. “Astronomy Photographer of the Year” is always great.
  • Royal Observatory Greenwich (not free). Do walk to it via Prime Meridian Walk, even if you are not planning to buy a ticket. You’ll cross the Prime Meridian on your walk and you’ll be treated to an amazing views of London from the top of the hill. Though my favourite view of old architecture framing the new is from (51.482388, -0.0048).
  • Take a ferry (not free) to/from Woolwich Royal Arsenal ferry terminal to pass through the Thames Barrier (51.496888, 0.037287). On the way you’ll see Tate and Lyle sugar factory, The O2 arena, etc. Around Woolwich, ViB Bar Bao Bun Bar has great food.
  • Crossness Pumping Station steaming days - an opportunity to visit Cathedral of Sewage from Victorian era. This one is still on my wishlist. I visited Abbey Mills Pumping station (which is similar, but rarely possible to visit) and it blew my mind.
  • Greenwich Peninsula’s Art Trail.
  • Greenwich Foot Tunnel is an exciting way to cross the Thames river on foot.

Food:

  • Coffee: 15grams Coffee House.
  • Eat Vietnam Bar B Grill 1 - great Vietnamese food.

9. Hackney

  • On Saturdays - Broadway Market and Netil Market, followed by a picnic in London Fields.
  • Victoria Park is huge, and you can continue into Hackney Marshes and onwards along the River Lea.
  • Olympic Park - a new neighbourhood. This includes East Bank - a new powerhouse for innovation, creativity and learning. UCL, University of Arts London, Victoria and Albert Museum, BBC Music and Sadler’s Wells Theatre all have a location here.
  • Street art around Hackney Wick.
  • Hackney Downs Park and the area around Hackney Downs Studios.
  • London Sri Mahalakshmi Temple (South Indian) in East Ham (especially worth seeing if you’ve not yet been to India).

Food:

  • Coffee: Lodestar Coffee.
  • Pastries: Forno, Pophams (several locations), Pavilion Bakery (several locations), E5 Bakehouse, The Snapery East, Yeast Bakery.
  • Casa Fofó - tasting menu with a focus on local and seasonal. Vegetarian option available.
  • EDIT - vegan restaurant with a focus on local and seasonal; low on waste and environmental impact.
  • Silo London - tasting menu. They mill their own flour and make their own butter; and aim to eliminate food waste, so expect ice cream made from leftover sourdough bread.
  • Hackney Bridge is a fun hangout area. I’d try Made in Puglia (pizza).

10. Hampstead Heath

  • Hampstead Heath - huge park extending into Highgate Wood in the north and Golders Hill Park in the west. Parliament Hill Viewpoint for great views of London.
  • On Saturdays - Parliament Hill Farmers’ Market, followed by a picnic in Hampstead Heath.
  • Highgate Cemetery - the West Cemetery is one of the London’s finest. Not free.

11. Islington

  • Regent’s Canal. From Angel station it goes east to Victoria Park. From there you can continue south to Limehouse or north to Olympic Park from which you can continue north along the River Lee or south to Royal Observatory Greenwich (crossing under the Thames via Greenwich foot tunnel).
  • Don’t miss the Antepavilion’s Sharks! visible from the Regent’s Canal, in the water or on the roof. They are a big deal.
  • Camden Passage - a charming bit of old London, especially lively on weekends.
  • Upper street is a delightful place for a stroll. Islington Square is an new area created around the renovated 1990s General Post Office sorting depo.
  • Victoria Miro - a lovely art gallery. Don’t miss Gallery II accesible through the canal-side garden.
  • Union Chapel - a beautiful venue hosting different types of events.
  • Get Stuffed - taxidermy shop fun to explore from the outside.
  • Richmond Avenue - houses on this residential street, between (51.538689, -0.111474) and (51.538698, -0.113564), are guarded by mini sphinxes and obelisks that were installed in 1841 at the height of Egypt-mania. For another example of Egypt-mania, see Gracepoint (161-169 Essex Road).
  • Exmouth Market - a wonderful place to hangout on a warm evening.
  • Neal’s Yard Dairy - an excellent shop of British and Irish cheeses. Several locations, this is the most non-touristy.
  • The London Archives - if you are around on Wednesday evening, pop in for a free exhibition about something London history related. Go one floor up to leave your bag and coat in the locker, then one more floor up for the exhibitions (there is a lot to discover, do ask the person at the desk where to look).

Food:

  • Coffee: Morr.
  • Tofu Vegan - vegan Chinese. Several locations.
  • Jam Delish - vegan Caribbean.
  • Berber & Q Shawarma Bar - Middle-eastern flavours. Their Berber & Q Grill House in Dalston is also good.
  • Zia Lucia - Italian pizzas, including their famous charcoal crust. Several locations.
  • Afghan Kitchen - amazing food. I’d go there every week, but the menu has not changed in the past 10 years.
  • Towpath - lovely outdoor restaurant on the canal in Islington, perfect for lunch or a dinner on a warm summer evening.
  • Pastries: Pophams (several locations, also has great coffee), Jolene (several locations).
  • Udderlicious for gelato (several locations).
  • Katsute 100 - a perfect place for a non-alcoholic drinks meeting in the evening.

12. Kensington

  • Architecture (including postcard classics): Parliament Square Garden with views of Big Ben, Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey; United Nations Green surrounded by different architectural styles, beautiful mews, Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, Royal Albert Hall, 15 Gloucester Road, St Columba’s Church Of Scotland, etc.
  • 55 Broadway - London’s first skyscraper, an art-deco “cathedral to modernity” completed in 1929.
  • Book a tour to see the inside of the Big Ben Tower way in advance. It is not cheap, but very much worth it. Arrive early for an airport-style security check. For me, nothing compares to the thrill of seeing London through the clock face of Big Ben, but objectively Palace of Westminster Audio Tour is also great. Audio Tour is great, it is cheaper than a Guided Tour, and it has no time limit so you can spend many hours exploring.
  • Westminster Cathedral - an architectural gem that should be much more famous. Their handy online calendar allows you to pick a time to visit that doesn’t clash with religious services.
  • Supreme Court - a beautiful building, small exhibitions and a chance to attend a court hearing. Free.
  • London’s beautiful parks - St James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park. Hyde Park Rose Garden when roses are in bloom, St James’s Park for daffodils in spring. Don’t miss the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde park - two building on either side of the Serpentine Bridge.
  • Japan House London - free exhibitions and events.
  • Onion Garden - an unlikely place to stumble upon.
  • Nick Hornby sculpture on Orchard Place (51.498454, -0.132962).
  • Roca London Gallery - architecturally interesting place (a bathroom shop), great to visit when there is a free exhibition.
  • Westminster Station is really pretty inside.
  • Connaught Village (51.514446, -0.166526) is a nice area for a stroll. Chelsea Common is another one.

Museums, exhibitions and art:

Food:

  • Coffee: Nostos Coffee, Lift Coffee.
  • Mali Vegan Thai - vegan Thai.
  • Chai Guys Bakehouse - awesome pastries. Last time I checked they served vegan chai but had no vegan pastries.
  • Gelato: Oddono’s (several locations).

13. King’s Cross

  • Known as the Knowledge Quarter - the location of British Library, Wellcome Trust, Alan Turing Institute, Francis Crick Institute, Google and DeepMind, Nature publishing, The Guardian, Astrazeneca, and many more.
  • Architecture gems include Gasholder Park, Coal Drops Yard (read about its history here (51.535522, -0.126936) and visit architecturally exciting Samsung store on the top floor), Granary Square, Lewis Cubitt Square, community garden (51.538009, -0.124362), Pancras Square, St Pancras Station, the light tunnel (51.533144, -0.124917), etc. King’s Cross Visitor Centre is a great place to start; the model of the neighbourhood gives you an overview of what there is to explore. Jack has a great post about this area.
  • Wellcome Collection.
  • Regent’s Canal. From King’s Cross it goes west past Wembley, and you can follow it all the way to Slough or Kew Bridge.
  • Keystone Crescent (51.531825, -0.120135) - a charming bit of old London.
  • Crypt Gallery - an atmospheric gallery worth visiting, no matter what the exhibition is.
  • The Rooftop at The Standard - overpriced drinks are totally worth it on a warm sunny evening, as this bar has a unique view of the beautiful St Pancras Station.

Food:

  • Dishoom King’s Cross. I’m not sure why there is so much hype about this North Indian restaurant chain, but this specific location is truly special - a warehouse where goods and spices arrived from Bombay in the 1930s.
  • Merkato - Ethiopian food (many vegan options).
  • For pastries - look for Little Bread Pedlar stand at Canopy market or Real Food Market.

14. Liverpool Street

  • Horizon 22 - London’s highest observation deck (58th floor). Book free tickets in advance, bring binoculars. If no tickets available, try The Lookout or Sky Garden. There is really no need to pay for The View from The Shard or London Eye.
  • London Mithraeum - archaeological remains of a Roman temple, 3rd century AD. Book free tickets in advance. For completeness, also visit London’s Roman Amphitheatre inside Guildhall Art Gallery.
  • Guildhall Art Gallery - art collection and London’s Roman Amphitheatre. Book free tickets in advance.
  • Sculptures: Sculpture in the city - an annual outdoor sculpture exhibition, new sculptures every June; Our Herd of Hope - a family of 21 life-sized bronze elephant statues around 1 Bishops Square; a sculpture by Yayoi Kusama in front of Liverpool Street Station (51.517648, -0.083399); etc.
  • Street art around Shoreditch - Brick lane, Grey Eagle Graffiti wall, Whitecross street and much more.
  • Columbia Road Flower Market on Sundays. For the full experience, also visit Hackney City Farm nearby.
  • Walk from Liverpool Street station to Farringdon station underground following this guide.
  • The area around Old Street Station, nicknamed the “Silicon Roundabout”, has a fun origin story that started with a throwaway joke in 2008 and became UK government’s policy in 2010. Microsoft Reactor hosts many events for developers.
  • Redchurch Street - a trendy area, great for a stroll on a weekend or a warm evening.
  • Monument to the Great Fire of London.
  • St. Katherine’s Docks.
  • Bank of England Museum - a chance to hold a gold bar.
  • Bike Shed Moto Co. - is an interesting place, especially if you like motorbikes.
  • Smithfield Market - meat night market open from midnight until 7am. Architecturally interesting even when the market is closed. If you still need dinner and it is already 6am, around here there is a lot of 24 hour activity, people having their morning coffee at midnight and dining at 6am.

Architecture:

  • This area has a lot of remarkable modern buildings: Richard Rogers’ inside-out Lloyd’s building, Broadgate Tower (a raft building above rail tracks), The Gherkin, Broadgate Circle, 30 Cannon Street, 60 Queen Victoria Street, etc.
  • And a lot of remarkable old buildings: St Dunstan in the East Church Garden (beautiful old church with no roof), the Victorian Bath House, Leadenhall Market (Victorian indoor marketplace), 1 Moorgate Place (an old building with new extensions, see how the haircuts of the angels differ across parts of the building), etc.
  • The Barbican Estate - one of the largest examples of Brutalist style architecture, representing an utopian ideal for inner-city living. Have fun exploring.
  • St Paul’s cathedral, at least from the outside. Free to visit during Easter.
  • Paternoster Square, including Temple Bar London - a renovated (and relocated) City of London gateway from the 1600s. This is the only one that survived, but there used to be 9 of them and it makes for a great walk. And don’t miss the Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden - a garden in the ruins of an 18th-century bombed out church.
  • Exchange Square for a great view of Liverpool Street Station, Aldgate Square has a great fountain, Finsbury Circus Garden has pretty buildings around it.

Food:

  • Coffee: Lift Coffee, Snoozzze Coffee, Colonna & Small’s, Kiss the Hippo, Commons at Old Street Works, Origin Coffee (Charlotte Road), High Grade Coffee.
  • Spitalfields area is becoming a vegan destination: Bubala (vegan or vegetarian tasting menu, I’ve been many times and it never disappoints, and they have other locations too), Tofu Vegan (several locations), etc.
  • Nest - great tasting menu with a focus on seasonal and local. They no longer offer vegetarian menu.
  • Sen Viet Vegan Restaurant - vegan Vietnamese food.
  • Photobookcafe and Barbican Kitchen - two places perfect for a non-alcoholic drinks meeting in the evening.
  • This is the destination for cocktail bars in London: Lounge Bohemia, Nightjar, Happiness Forgets, Looking Glass Cocktail Club (the cool bar is behind the mirror), The Gobpsy (Tue-Fri only; beneath a barber shop), City of London Distillery & Bar (gin-centric cocktails).

15. Peckham

  • Naifs - cosy vegan restaurant.
  • Persepolis - Persian vegetarian restaurant. The Feast menu is packed with flavours.

16. Richmond

  • Kew Gardens (not free) - one of the best botanical gardens in the world. Arrive at the opening time, as one day is not enough to see everything - see Attractions A-Z list. Enter through Victoria Gate to arm yourself with a current paper map, check the schedule of free walking tours at the information desk inside the Victoria Plaza Gift Shop, and see “What’s looking good right now” notice board. Don’t miss the art galleries (included with the entrance ticket) - Marianne North Gallery (permanent exhibition) and Shirley Sherwood Gallery (temporary exhibitions) are both excellent. My favourite places in the gardens include Palm House, Waterlily House, hard to find Bonsai Collection, Davies Alpine House, Rock Garden, Princess of Wales Conservatory, Carnivorous Plants collection, view from the top of the Temperate House, Rhododendron Dell in April-May, and beautiful long walks throughout the rest of the garden. If they are not rented out for an event, check out the inside of Cambridge Cottage and Duke’s Garden in front of it. Check the website for evening events - spending time at Kew in the dark is truly magical.
  • Richmond Park - find the deer with huge antlers. Explore Isabella Plantation with 3 ponds (the best time to visit is in May when rhododendrons are in bloom).
  • London Wetland Centre is a lot of fun. Bring binoculars.

Food and drink:

  • Coffee: Kiss the Hippo.
  • Petersham Nurseries Café - a wonderful place to stop for a tea and a cake in a plant-filled glasshouse.
  • Kaffee Limited - Viennese cafe with awesome pastries and cakes.

17. Soho

  • Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Seven Dials and Neal’s Yard.
  • Gerrard Street - the heart of London’s Chinatown.
  • Fitzrovia Chapel - a hidden gem. Check opening hours. Don’t miss “The one and the many” sculpture by Peter Randall-Page just outside the chapel.
  • Architecturally exciting campus of London School of Economics (LSE) - The Marshall Building (a gem of forward-thinking architecture), Square the Block sculpture (51.51508, -0.118539), etc.
  • Stroll through narrow pedestrian streets - Carnaby Street, South Molton Street and St Christopher’s Place. Don’t miss Liberty London - a wonderful mock Tudor building.
  • Victoria Embankment Gardens and Cleopatra’s Needle.
  • St George’s Church Bloomsbury has an awesome unicorn on its spire.
  • Outernet London by Orms Architects (just outside Tottenham Court Road station). Screens show a mix of curated art and adverts that subsidise rents of music shops on Denmark street.

Museums and galleries:

Food:

  • Coffee: Kiss the Hippo (many locations).
  • Akoko - modern West African. Tasting menu with a vegan option.
  • NOPI - by Yotam Ottolenghi.
  • Kricket (Soho and Canary Wharf) - modern North Indian.
  • Tendril - naughty vegan restaurant (with a bit of cheese). Tasting menu is an option.
  • Masala Zone Piccadilly Circus. This is a chain of North Indian restaurants, but this specific location is magnificent - the dining room of the historic Criterion building.
  • Chettinad Restaurant - South Indian.
  • Mercato Mayfair - a food court in an old church. Totally worth it for the architecture, not the food.
  • Qima Cafe - a destination for both coffee and pastries and savoury pastries. Of the two, I prefer Fitzrovia location.
  • Attendant Coffee Roasters - an awesome underground-restroom-turned-coffee-bar in Victorian-era urinals.
  • WatchHouse Somerset House - a great place for a tea and a pastry with a great view of beautiful Somerset House.
  • Gelato: Gelupo, La Gelatiera, Udderlicious.
  • Twinings The Strand tea shop in a historic building, as British as it gets. There is a single price for a takeaway tea, which is a great way to try their most expensive teas. For the opposite of British experience, try Algerian Coffee Stores.
  • Wulf & Lamb - here you can try vegan Redefine Meat.
  • Club Mexicana Soho - vegan Mexican.
  • Below Stone Nest - not what you’d expect in Soho. Go for a drink, go early and prepare to be surprised.

18. Southbank

  • Tate Modern and their Lates. Worth a visit even if you don’t like modern art, as it is located in the former Bankside Power Station, which operated until 1981.
  • Hayward Gallery (not free) - temporary exhibitions. There are numerous small (free) galleries in the area; my favourites include White Cube Bermondsey and London Glassblowing.
  • Southbank Centre - a buzzing area with public art, events, skateboarding area, views of London and more.
  • Tower Bridge (old) and Millennium Bridge (new).
  • Leake Street, also known as The Graffiti Tunnel.
  • National Theatre Archive - here you can watch recordings of all London theatre productions that are no longer showing on stage, for free. Booking required for specific time and a specific production you want to see. Also check out BFI Mediatheque (free).
  • Newport Street Gallery - a large space with temporary art exhibitions. Free.
  • Elephant Park is in the center of a new exciting area.
  • Canada Water Masterplan by Allies and Morrison Architects is transformming the area around Canada Water station. The views from Canada Dock Boardwalk are changing rapidly.

Food:

  • Rambutan - Sri Lankan.
  • Kachori - North Indian.
  • Plants of Roselyn - vegan Thai.
  • Little Bread Pedlar - several locations. Café Pedlar is good.
  • The Midnight Apothecary cocktail bar. Entry fee includes a tour of the Brunel Museum.

19. Walthamstow

  • Epping Forest makes a great day out.
  • God’s Own Junkyard - a paradise of neon signs. Around it there are several breweries and Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace (gin-centric cocktail bar).
  • Markfield Beam Engine and Museum - the engine is a great thing to see, especially if you can catch it in operation.

Food:

  • Coffee: Long & Short.
  • SlowBurn - seasonal vegetable-centric menu, many vegan options.
  • supperclub.tube - Latin American inspired tasting menu. A unique experience of dining on a 1967 Victoria Line tube carriage.
  • Chuku’s - Nigerian tapas, many vegan options.
  • Beaten by a Whisker - bakery, incidentally vegan. Nearby vegan chicken shop - Chickenish.

20. Wembley

  • Indian temples (especially worth seeing if you’ve not yet been to India): BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London (marble and wood) and Shri Sanatan Hindu Mandir (limestone).
  • Vasanta Bhavan Wembley - South Indian.