My London Guide
It's been a long time coming...
This summer will mark ten, no wait, ELEVEN years that I’ve lived in London and therefore also eleven years that I’ve been promising to make a guide or a list of my London favorites. I’m finally putting it here and I plan to update it whenever something new comes to my attention. London is not a city that suffers from a lack of things to do, only a surplus of choice and a persistent sense that you are probably doing the wrong thing. A guide, then, feels less like a necessity.
I’ve tried to make it most helpful for trip planning whether that’s a grown up getaway or traveling with kids but I’d say the bulk of this guide is aimed at travel with kids. There is nothing worse when traveling than being overwhelmed with too many options, mild indecision, choosing somewhere and then having the creeping suspicion that somewhere else would have been better. Let me help you avoid that. Here we go! Cheerio!
Quick disclaimer that I am very aware that this only covers a small part of London - there are so many other fabulous neighborhoods and areas further afield to explore but I’ll save those for a follow up guide to wider London.
STAY
I live in Notting Hill (well, Notting Hill adjacent) and so I often try to put friends and family somewhere close to home. Until recently there weren’t any luxury hotels in the area but that has changed thanks to the glorious Six Senses which just opened and is a stones throw from NH. It has a fantastic spa and is a ten minute walk to Hyde Park and Westbourne Grove - this a great choice if this is a part of town you want to be in. Elsewhere in Notting Hill (and less expensive) I also send people to The Laslett (request a room on the top floors) and sometimes the Portobello Hotel which is poky and funky but in an excellent location (request room 22 or 13).
Further into town I, of course, highly recommend Claridge’s. While there are no end to the classicly British, luxury hotels in Mayfair and Belgravia, this one is my top choice. I also like The Emory which is new and very chic, The Belmond Cadogan because you get access to their key to the private gardens and The Beaumont for it’s bar and the fact that it is slightly more budget friendly.
Smaller boutique spots that I like are Number Sixteen in Knightsbridge, The Broadwick in Soho or At Sloane in Sloane Square.
If traveling with kids and in town for more than a few days I’d definitely suggest looking into an AirBNB or One Fine Stay property. It’s a fabulous way to really get to know a neighborhood and is often more cost efficient than a hotel.
EAT
I love how historically, Britain was not known for it’s food and that some people still think that is true. It’s fun if people still think this because they are then truly thrilled when London turns out to be a culinary capital! Here are some of my favorites:
Local (NH) Favorites: Straker’s, Acre Deli, Canteen, Dorian, Sumi, Zephyr, Layla Bakery, The Barbary, Belvedere
British Classics: The Wolseley, Wilton’s, St. John, Mount Street Restaurant, J. Sheekey, The Ivy (many locations, a fancier option where kid’s are very welcome)
London Institutions that are actually good: The River Cafe, Colbert, Scott’s, Sally Clarke, Noble Rot, Daphne’s, Spring, Borough Market for various types of cuisine and fun scene
New-ish and Buzzy: Burro, The Hart in Marylebone, The Devonshire, Josephine Bistro, Dove, Cece’s, Celeste
Kid friendly spots: Granger for any meal, Padella for pasta, Alley Cats or Slayer for pizza. For pubs with kids we like: The Hillgate, The Pelican, The Walmer Castle, The Ladbroke Arms, The Pig’s Ear, the list goes on….
Bakeries/Coffee/Chocolate: Layla Bakery, Kuro or Guillam for coffee, Supermarket of Dreams for everything, Birley Bakery for hot chocolate, pastries, and their sandwiches (delicious and perfect for a picnic!), Makers for soft serve and fancy chocolates
**Many of the above are great with kids, pubs especially are the key places to feed the kiddos as they will always have some combo of fish and chips (fries), sausages or chicken.
DO
Museums: You can’t go wrong with most of London’s museums, I love the V&A because it feels easy to plan a day around and there is usually something for everyone. The Science and Natural History Museums are also great especially if you live somewhere without similar spots. The British Museum is fantastic and a great choice if you have older kids who might be into more of the historical aspects. The Tate has a fantastic interactive kid’s room. My favorite place to recommend is the Wallace Collection because it’s in a beautiful but smaller building, full of gorgeous paintings, quick to do and feels very unique to London.
Plays: If you’re taking kiddos to the theatre I highly recommend Matilda the Musical, it is truly fantastic as was Paddington the Musical. Book ahead!
Playgrounds: London has tons of great playgrounds, “The Pirate Ship” playground (aka: the Diana Memorial playground) in Hyde Park being the best one. It’s currently closed for refurbishment but if you’re coming this summer it’ll be re-opened and sure to be a good one to burn off some energy. I love telling people to go there and then you can walk through the park, through the Diana Memorial garden which is so pretty and have an ice cream or watch the sailboats on The Round Pond or rent a pedalo boat in The Serpentine. There is an adventure playground in Holland Park which is great for slightly older kids, you can then wander into the Japanese Gardens and up to Holland Park Avenue for a snack or ice cream at Unico. There is also a great playground in Battersea Park and the Battersea Zoo which is cute for kids under seven-ish.
London Musts: Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason or Sketch or at any of the fancy hotels (this is usually a LOT of food so for some it could double up as early dinner for the kids), Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, Big Ben, Tower of London, Crown Jewels, The Churchill War Rooms, Buckingham Palace, etc etc.— pick one or two of these and hire a guide if you have kids the right ages for that. A fun way to get to some of those destinations is to take an Uber Boat on the Thames. It’s a great way to see the city from its iconic river! Or you can organize a boat tour on the Thames if the weather is nice. If you have any Harry Potter fans then the Warner Brother’s Studio Tour is a MUST. It’s about a 30 min uber/taxi from central London and is fantastic — book far in advance!
Bus Tours: I’ve successfully avoided any kind of bus tour thus far but there is one called Brigit’s Bakery tour which kids apparently love and there is also a Pepa Pig bus tour - if you have little piggies in your crew they might love this. Try to nab a front facing seat, I’ve heard horror stories of car sick kiddies!
BUY
I’m always asked for the best spots for shopping and I try to chose places that you wouldn’t have at home. If vintage is your thing then definitely plan a morning to wander Portobello Road (the main market days are Friday and Saturday) and do the vintage stalls. Don’t miss Admiral Vernon which can be hit or miss but has some great antique finds. You can go from there to Golborne Road for more vintage (I love Found and Vision) or to Westbourne Grove for more mainstream shopping (Sezane, WNU, Aime, Flabelous) and kid’s clothing stores (La Coqueta, Caramel, Bonpoint, Mini Rodini). Department store wise Liberty London is fabulous and very unique to London and Selfridge’s has the best toy department around if you want to subject yourself to that. Harrods can be very overwhelming but the food hall is worth the trip as is the Jellycat department! If you’re in Soho definitely pop into Choosing Keeping which is an amazing stationery store. It’s not a kid friendly activity per se but if interior shopping is on your list definitely do a trip to Pimlico and see all the stores on Pimlico Road (Rose Uniacke, Soane Britain, Flora Soames, Robert Kime, Colefax and Fowler, etc. etc.) Don’t miss Elizabeth Street which is completely adorable and has fabulous shops like Pepa London, Papouelli, If Only If and WNU!
QUICK ITINERARIES
Here are a few vignettes of plans that might be helpful:
Notting Hill / Holland Park: Start with a croissant and a coffee at Layla Bakery then wander down Portobello Market through Notting Hill to Holland Park. Burn some energy in the adventure playground then lunch at Belvedere in Holland Park and stop into Summerill and Bishop for some shopping.
South Ken/Chelsea/Pimlicio: Start at the V&A and spend the morning there, then walk down Walton Street for shopping then head to Pavillion Road and have lunch at Granger or anywhere in Sloane Square. Post lunch, if you want to do the home stores on Pimlico Road this is a good time to do it. End on Elizabeth Street for adorable shopping and a cake at Peggy Porschen or a pint at the Thomas Cubitt pub!
Covent Garden/Soho: If you have any theatre matinees booked then maybe spend the morning at Liberty or shopping around Soho, then have lunch at Burro or Padella or the original Ivy (and Gelupo for ice cream after!) before seeing your show.
Marylebone/Mayfair: Begin at the The Wallace Collection, from there walk to Selfridges for some shopping then head into Mayfair for lunch at Mount Street Restaurant or Scott’s if you want something more polished. Afterwards, a slow wander down Mount Street for shopping or a glass of wine at Noble Rot works well. Also would work for an afternoon tea day.
Hyde Park/Kensington: Head first to the Diana Memorial Playground (once its’ reopened), then walk through Hyde Park, past the Round Pond, stopping for an ice cream along the way. From there, continue towards NH for lunch or early dinner at The Pelican or Celeste if you want something more elevated but still relaxed.
PACK
I’m not going to say that it rains everyday but it does rain often - usually just for a small part of the day but it’s nice to be prepared. If you own a trench coat now is the time to break it out! I own and love this one and this one looks like a perfect classic. If it’s a spring or summer trip you’re planning then don’t forget the following: comfortable walking shoes, easy light dresses (I own this one and she packs like a dream), a sweater or cardigan and sandals for evening, jeans for everything and a great layering jacket (this is my go-to because the pockets are fantastic for travel).
I know there is so much I missed but I feel content with this as a starting point for “London with Kids” and promise to update it when new things come to mind. If you’re coming to London soon let me know what else might be helpful or if I missed anything!
Omg I borrowed this pic from you once
Love the Wallace Collection! Great post!