Guidebook for London

Karen
Guidebook for London

Shopping

Sunday flowers, music, coffee, food & beers. A must see.
1660 locals recommend
Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road
1660 locals recommend
Sunday flowers, music, coffee, food & beers. A must see.
What Spitalfields was before it gentrified. Noisy, crowded, a bit smelly, knocked off bikes, curry touts, and a real laugh. The indoor food stalls on weekends are great.
825 locals recommend
Brick Lane Sunday Market
Brick Lane
825 locals recommend
What Spitalfields was before it gentrified. Noisy, crowded, a bit smelly, knocked off bikes, curry touts, and a real laugh. The indoor food stalls on weekends are great.

Drinks & Nightlife

New style local boozer. Serves excellent London beers on keg & cask, great cocktails, pie 'n' mash, quiz night, occasional live music. Friendly staff & locals.
46 locals recommend
Birdcage
80 Columbia Rd
46 locals recommend
New style local boozer. Serves excellent London beers on keg & cask, great cocktails, pie 'n' mash, quiz night, occasional live music. Friendly staff & locals.
Top local boozer near Borough tube.
12 locals recommend
Lord Clyde
27 Clennam Street
12 locals recommend
Top local boozer near Borough tube.
If for any reason you are in Euston spend a few minutes here. One of the best selections of craft beer and cider in London. Stand up place as mostly people waiting for trains.
35 locals recommend
Euston Tap
190 Euston Rd
35 locals recommend
If for any reason you are in Euston spend a few minutes here. One of the best selections of craft beer and cider in London. Stand up place as mostly people waiting for trains.
Local pub serving excellent beer. Always Camden Brewery offerings. Try Five Points Railway Porter, if they have it. Good cheese & cured meat boards. Bottled beers can be ridiculously expensive.
127 locals recommend
The Kings Arms
251 Tooley St
127 locals recommend
Local pub serving excellent beer. Always Camden Brewery offerings. Try Five Points Railway Porter, if they have it. Good cheese & cured meat boards. Bottled beers can be ridiculously expensive.
Working Men's Clubs were a London staple, this one survives, mixing nightclub, live music, comedy, food and drinks. Many of my younger friends swear by it.
58 locals recommend
Bethnal Green Working Men's Club
42-46 Pollard Row
58 locals recommend
Working Men's Clubs were a London staple, this one survives, mixing nightclub, live music, comedy, food and drinks. Many of my younger friends swear by it.
Paradise Row is a series of railway arches converted into bars & restaurants. Mother Kelly's has a vast selection of craft beers. Tables outside, crowded at weekends.
109 locals recommend
Mother Kelly's
251 Paradise Row
109 locals recommend
Paradise Row is a series of railway arches converted into bars & restaurants. Mother Kelly's has a vast selection of craft beers. Tables outside, crowded at weekends.
What pubs were like when I was a kid. If you want to see a lively London pub that has not changed that much, this is it. Locals, hipsters, creatives & a cat!!
61 locals recommend
The Pride of Spitalfields London
3 Heneage St
61 locals recommend
What pubs were like when I was a kid. If you want to see a lively London pub that has not changed that much, this is it. Locals, hipsters, creatives & a cat!!

Arts & Culture

Great print shop. Open seven days so you can browse without crowds Monday - Saturday. Spent a lot of money here.
15 locals recommend
Nelly Duff
156 Columbia Rd
15 locals recommend
Great print shop. Open seven days so you can browse without crowds Monday - Saturday. Spent a lot of money here.
Everyone goes to Tate Modern, but this place, especially the Rothko's, got me through my PhD. My favourite gallery in London.
656 locals recommend
Tate Britain
Millbank
656 locals recommend
Everyone goes to Tate Modern, but this place, especially the Rothko's, got me through my PhD. My favourite gallery in London.
Museum of British home life. Great herb garden. I like it, lots.
326 locals recommend
Museum of the Home
136 Kingsland Road
326 locals recommend
Museum of British home life. Great herb garden. I like it, lots.

Food Scene

Upmarket meat orientated food. Quality.
162 locals recommend
Brawn
49 Columbia Rd
162 locals recommend
Upmarket meat orientated food. Quality.
Crowded, hot Punjabi Grill. Been around since the 70's. Four massive lamb chops for £6.50. BYOB. An institution. Love it. Book and still be prepared to wait.
381 locals recommend
Tayyabs
83-89 Fieldgate St
381 locals recommend
Crowded, hot Punjabi Grill. Been around since the 70's. Four massive lamb chops for £6.50. BYOB. An institution. Love it. Book and still be prepared to wait.
My favourite restaurant in London. Excellent Italian food. Book. Visit & enjoy.
52 locals recommend
Zucca
184 Bermondsey Street
52 locals recommend
My favourite restaurant in London. Excellent Italian food. Book. Visit & enjoy.
A selection of outdoor, but undercover, food shacks, some serving fantastic, cheap food. See what others are eating and join in. There's a bar, but you can BYOB
E1 6HU
Shoreditch High Street
A selection of outdoor, but undercover, food shacks, some serving fantastic, cheap food. See what others are eating and join in. There's a bar, but you can BYOB
Love shopping here. It is a no nonsense London market. NOT Borough, NOT Broadway, but proper South East London, before the Elephant redevelopment gentrifies the entire area.
22 locals recommend
East Street
East Street
22 locals recommend
Love shopping here. It is a no nonsense London market. NOT Borough, NOT Broadway, but proper South East London, before the Elephant redevelopment gentrifies the entire area.
Proper British caff with great food, and queues especially at weekends. Stuff yourself with honest food for not much more than a fiver.
51 locals recommend
Cafe 338 London
338 Bethnal Green Rd
51 locals recommend
Proper British caff with great food, and queues especially at weekends. Stuff yourself with honest food for not much more than a fiver.
An institution. Old school caff.
161 locals recommend
E Pellicci
332 Bethnal Green Rd
161 locals recommend
An institution. Old school caff.
Often said to be the best Fish & Chips in Britain. Not sure about that, but it's still bloody good, and Muswell Hill is worth a stroll.
43 locals recommend
Toffs Of Muswell Hill
38 Muswell Hill Broadway
43 locals recommend
Often said to be the best Fish & Chips in Britain. Not sure about that, but it's still bloody good, and Muswell Hill is worth a stroll.
My mate Dave, a South London postman, says this place does the best roast of any London pub he has been to. Serious praise.
175 locals recommend
The Royal Oak
73 Columbia Rd
175 locals recommend
My mate Dave, a South London postman, says this place does the best roast of any London pub he has been to. Serious praise.
This is the prettiest, nicest, French bistro in London. The staff are a dream. It's romantic as hell for a date. Classic French bistro food, reasonable wine. WTF is it doing on Brick Lane???
53 locals recommend
Chez Elles Bistroquet
45 Brick Ln
53 locals recommend
This is the prettiest, nicest, French bistro in London. The staff are a dream. It's romantic as hell for a date. Classic French bistro food, reasonable wine. WTF is it doing on Brick Lane???
You could spend the entire day, and a shed load of money, eating and drinking, very well, at TTHH. The Typing Room, Corner Room and Peg & Pitcher are all here.
27 locals recommend
Town Hall Hotel & Apartments
8 Patriot Square
27 locals recommend
You could spend the entire day, and a shed load of money, eating and drinking, very well, at TTHH. The Typing Room, Corner Room and Peg & Pitcher are all here.
Love this little area. Calvert Avenue has great shops & cafes. The small park in Arnold Circus. Reminds me of Prenzlauer Berg. It's what areas of social housing should be like.
67 locals recommend
Leila's Shop
Calvert Avenue
67 locals recommend
Love this little area. Calvert Avenue has great shops & cafes. The small park in Arnold Circus. Reminds me of Prenzlauer Berg. It's what areas of social housing should be like.
When you really, really want meat. Reputedly the best steaks in London. I love the Sunday lunch and the bar menu - poutine in London? Great cocktails.
152 locals recommend
Hawksmoor Spitalfields
157A Commercial St
152 locals recommend
When you really, really want meat. Reputedly the best steaks in London. I love the Sunday lunch and the bar menu - poutine in London? Great cocktails.
Great pizzas at good prices. If you can't get to the original in Brixton Market, which is worth a trip in itself, then this is not a bad second.
561 locals recommend
Franco Manca
52 Broadway Market
561 locals recommend
Great pizzas at good prices. If you can't get to the original in Brixton Market, which is worth a trip in itself, then this is not a bad second.

Sightseeing

Some great food shops, restaurants and bars. Worth a visit any day of the week. Market on a Saturday.
1735 locals recommend
Broadway Market
Broadway Market
1735 locals recommend
Some great food shops, restaurants and bars. Worth a visit any day of the week. Market on a Saturday.
It really is one of the best views in the city from the middle of the bridge. There's also a nice little food market, with a Meantime pop-up pub, outside Festival hall, open Friday-Sunday.
46 locals recommend
Waterloo Bridge
46 locals recommend
It really is one of the best views in the city from the middle of the bridge. There's also a nice little food market, with a Meantime pop-up pub, outside Festival hall, open Friday-Sunday.
This Hindu temple is a true London marvel, my favourite religious building in the city. If you are hungry go to Shayona across the road. One of the best Indian restaurants in Britain, closes 6.30pm.
58 locals recommend
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Pramukh Swami Road
58 locals recommend
This Hindu temple is a true London marvel, my favourite religious building in the city. If you are hungry go to Shayona across the road. One of the best Indian restaurants in Britain, closes 6.30pm.

Everything Else

The home of Fulham FC. Season ticket holder and long suffering fan. Would not have it any other way.
57 locals recommend
Craven Cottage
Stevenage Road
57 locals recommend
The home of Fulham FC. Season ticket holder and long suffering fan. Would not have it any other way.
If you want to see how well off Londoners live there is no better place than Barnes. Huge houses, smart terraces, riverside pubs, duck pond (one of only two in London), posh shops. Worth a stroll.
23 locals recommend
Barnes
23 locals recommend
If you want to see how well off Londoners live there is no better place than Barnes. Huge houses, smart terraces, riverside pubs, duck pond (one of only two in London), posh shops. Worth a stroll.
Thames Clipper's operate from Putney to Woolwich, and are London's river buses. Much better way to see the city from the river than the tourist boats. Westminster to London Bridge is the best bit.
Thames Clippers
Thames Clipper's operate from Putney to Woolwich, and are London's river buses. Much better way to see the city from the river than the tourist boats. Westminster to London Bridge is the best bit.
Lords is the home of cricket, but The Oval is the people's ground. Tickets for Tests are gold dust, but if there is an evening Twenty20 game on, try it.
187 locals recommend
The Oval
Kennington Oval
187 locals recommend
Lords is the home of cricket, but The Oval is the people's ground. Tickets for Tests are gold dust, but if there is an evening Twenty20 game on, try it.

Essentials

OK it's a bit touristy and the prices are well over the top, but it is still worth a visit, just don't go on Saturday. If you do go try The Rake and The Market Porter for beers.
1617 locals recommend
Borough Market
Borough High Street
1617 locals recommend
OK it's a bit touristy and the prices are well over the top, but it is still worth a visit, just don't go on Saturday. If you do go try The Rake and The Market Porter for beers.
The Ropewalk Market, open Saturday & Sunday. I much prefer it to Borough.
99 locals recommend
40 Maltby Street
40 Maltby St
99 locals recommend
The Ropewalk Market, open Saturday & Sunday. I much prefer it to Borough.
A totally unique shop, sells essential & carrier oils. Make your own bath oil at a fraction of the cost of brands.
10 locals recommend
G Baldwin & Co
171-173 Walworth Rd
10 locals recommend
A totally unique shop, sells essential & carrier oils. Make your own bath oil at a fraction of the cost of brands.
This must be the hippest barbers on the planet. Great vibe, good haircuts, at a price, and usually a decent chat. Walk-in, put your name on the blackboard inside the door & wait your turn
Rocket Barber Shop Hackney Road
401 Hackney Rd
This must be the hippest barbers on the planet. Great vibe, good haircuts, at a price, and usually a decent chat. Walk-in, put your name on the blackboard inside the door & wait your turn