top of page
Search

LONDON

  • Jan 4, 2025
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 26

I loved getting to explore more of London while living in Oxford for a year. It was always fun to slip away on the weekends to go to a museum, walk through some parks, explore the markets or eat a nice dinner out. Every time I saw something new and I can't wait to go back and explore another new corner.


The following guide follows this structure:

(click on one of these below to jump to that section)

  1. Where to eat & drink coffee (pit stops for coffee, baked goods, lunch & dinner, pubs)

  2. What to see & do (tours to take, museums to visit)

  3. Where to stay (cute Bed & Breakfasts to give you a few differerent ideas from Airbnb's)

  4. A Morning at Portobello Road Market (for some unique souvenir ideas)


First things first, food.


Where to Eat & Drink Coffee

A Google Maps guide to my favorite food and coffee stops: LONDON eats · Josephine Henze

Tip: add the Google Maps guide to your phone and then whenever you're hungry or in need of a coffee you can locate the nearest pin!


Cafés and Bakeries

  • Layla Bakery (rhubarb & hibiscus bow tie, etc.)(Notting Hill)

  • Chai Guys Bakehouse (Notting Hill)

  • Kuro (Notting Hill)

  • Hummingbird Bakery (Notting Hill)

  • Fortitude Bakery (beignets)

  • Eric’s Bakery

  • Host cafe in St Mary Aldermary Church


Restaurants

  • Darjeeling Express (Indian food)

  • Dishoom (10/10 for the black daal and Ruby Chicken Dishes)

    • Ordered signature dishes like the chicken ruby and black daal, grilled butter mushrooms, garlic naan, mango lassi - so amazing!!


  • Afternoon high tea at the Orangery (Number 16 Hotel)

  • NOPI (Ottolenghi)

    • Buttery potatoes

  • ROVI (Ottolenghi)

    • Starters: celeriac root crisps with truffle apple labneh, grilled cabbage with sunflower seed tahini and smoked honey, and celeriac schwarma with lots of things inside include crème fraise and crunchy things

    • Main: grilled Jerusalem platter with different types of mushrooms, homemade small pita, tahini and pickled vegetables and extra side portion of truffle apple labneh

    • Dessert: free happy birthday black sesame miso caramels (perfect ratio of sweet to salty), and then as our main dessert rhubarb rice pudding with cardamom custard and pistachio with a creme brulee crust (soooo good)

  • Bun house in Chinatown

  • Noci for Italian in Islington

  • Campania + Columbia Road Flower Market

  • Cocktails in SoHo at cool Tokyo and Lima mashup bar called Chotto


What to See & Do

Google Maps guide to all my favorite things to see and do in town:

A Google Maps guide to things to do in London: LONDON things to do · Josephine Henze

Museums

  • Wallace Collection (in a house museum)

    • a beautiful, opulent house filled with art! Before perusing, we shared a “Cream Tea” of 1 currant and 1 plain scone, with strawberry preserves and clotted cream which is almost butter but not quite.

  • Tate Modern (especially fun in the evenings)

  • Courthauld Museum

  • British History Museum

  • Victoria and Albert Museum

  • Design Museum



Markets

  • Spitalfields Market

  • Walking down Brick Lane for vintage shopping

  • Camden Market

  • Borough Market

    • Really crowded unless you go at the right time

    • The strawberries and chocolate are sadly worth the hype



Sights to See

  • Greenwich park

  • Uber boat down Thames

  • Primrose Hill - amazing views of London

  • Walk through Regent’s Park

    • lots of good dogs and Queen Mary’s rose garden with beautiful blossoming cherry trees and tulips. Lots of meandering and a peaceful walk outside of London downtown craziness!

  • Go to a service (or Evensong) at Westminster Abbey

    • Evensong Easter service at 3pm at Westminster Abbey, continued walking along St James Garden w/ daffodils blooming!

  • Sitting along Regent’s Canal

  • Southbend River Thames Walk with great views of the London Eye and House of Parliament



Where to stay

Finding affordable housing in London can be difficult. When I can, I always opt to stay in a Bed & Breakfast to get to know the locals better and have a warm breakfast. Almost all Bed & Breafast's on this website are still cheaper than an AirBnb and breakfast is included :)


A Morning at Portobello Road Market

Shopping around Portobello Road Market which I was honestly so pleasantly surprised by! A varied mix of vintage, quilted jackets and fresh produce (not as mass-produced things as other markets I've seen)

A store just for doorknobs! So fun!! = Cute little drawers with different doorknobs and art nouveau tiles from 1890-1920s (see photos below)

Brass door knockers and signs that were also so cute! little seashell hangers and bathtub soap dishes

Print & map shop with floral prints that caught my eye

Stamps (love!!) from this adorable man who bought old Victorian letters from a printing press and re-molds them to make new stamps (got the letter J and little floral stamp with bluebells). So many cute unique antiques !! from cutlery sets to teacups and watches

Offered free chai at Chai Guys Bakehouse which was so yummy and authentic (10/10)

Explored Books for Cooks bookstore with all cookbooks (across the street from the Notting Hill Bookstore and honestly so much nicer and more interesting!) chatted up the owner who might sell my cookbook!



Recent Posts

See All

Comments

bottom of page