Best of London 2020 Preview

47720 Welcome to London 2016: One of the world’s great – and most di- visited – cities, London has something for everyone: from culture to ﬁ ne food and a mous buzzing party scene. Its energy is intoxicat- ver ing and its diversity inspiring. view This city is deeply multicultural, with one in three nset is LONDON Londoners foreign-born. Britain may have voted for Brexit (although the majority of Londoners TOP SIGHTS, AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES didn’t), but London remains one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, and diversity infuses daily life, food, music, fashion and art. It inspires festivals such as the now-famed Notting Hill Carnival, and the new annual Borough of Culture celebrations. London is also a city of contrasts. On the one hand, it is constantly changing: witness the evolving skyline, with its statement skyscrapers; the end- less stream of new restaurants, pop-up bars and concept stores; and the myriad new artists, from fashion designers to musicians, that have emerged from its creative milieu. No matter how often you visit, you’ll always find something new. On the other hand, this thirst for innovation has been facilitated by a strong sense of history and of how London came to be London. The city’s buildings are striking milestones in a unique and beguiling biography, and many of them – Big Ben, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London – are instantly recognisable landmarks. Amazingly, all this history and culture leave glorious amounts of green spaces, which are a joy to explore or relax in.

London remains one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, and diversity infuses Emilie Filou, Damian Harper daily life, food, music, fashion and art.

View of London and the London Eye (p98) PPTARA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

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Hot Spots For...... 18 Hampstead r The Heath A Top Days in London ...... 20 Wes (3.2km) A Need to Know ...... 28 Dining Out ...... 149 e What’s New ...... 30 King’s Cross The Best ...... 152 A For Free ...... 31 Kensington & Regent's 2# # King's Cross Sho A! 2 A Family Travel ...... 32 Clerkenwell, Shoreditch Hyde Park Park St Pancras & Spitalfields ...... 154 Cler Kensington & K# 2# International Shoreditch ck Euston (Eurostar) East London ...... 156 & Sp Hyde Park A Greenwich & South London ...... 157 East Three world-class Top Experiences ...... 35 Kensington & Hyde Park ...... 158 Gree museums and the Westminster Abbey ...... 36 North London ...... 161 Kens largest of the royal British Museum ...... 42 Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court ...... 162 Nort parks in a well-heeled Buckingham Palace ...... 48 The City ...... 162 The district. (Map p278) Houses of Parliament ...... 52 British Museum A The South Bank ...... 164 The National Gallery ...... 56 The West End ...... 166 The cus St Paul's Trafalgar Square ...... 58 2# Paddington East West London ...... 171 Wes K# SOHO Cathedral Covent Garden ...... 62 A Covent A London Tower of London ...... 66 Leicester Garden A Tower of A Sunday in the East End ...... 74 Square East London Treasure Hunt ...... 173 Act Piccadilly Circus A hames London Ground-zero for Borough Market...... 78 A Charing ver T Ri Borough EA Hampstead Heath ...... 82 The Best ...... 176 Walk Hyde National Gallery A Cross A multicultural London; A! 2## Market Clerkenwell, Shoreditch Bus A K Ta t e A great restaurants Tower Bridge ...... 84 Park Trafalgar Square A & Spitalfields ...... 178 Boat Modern A K#2# Tower and increasingly Tate Modern ...... 86 London East London ...... 179 Swim Bridge trendy. (Map p285) St Paul’s Cathedral ...... 90 A Buckingham K# Bridge Greenwich & South London ...... 180 Cycl 2# Waterloo The South Bank ...... 96 Palace Kensington & Hyde Park ...... 181 Te n n Design EA A Hyde Park ...... 100 A North London ...... 182 Clim ns Museum A Houses of Parliament Victoria & Albert Museum ...... 104 Victoria & The City ...... 183 A Natural History Westminster Regent’s Park ...... 110 Albert Museum Walking Tour: The South Bank ...... 183

Museum A Abbey

A K#2# A Northern Point of View ...... 112 The West End ...... 183 Res r Victoria Natural History Museum ...... 114 West London ...... 186 Hote Kew Gardens King’s Cross ...... 118 B&B (8km) Leicester Square Host

City & CitySouth & Bank Bar Open ...... 189 r & Piccadilly Circus ...... 122 Long Centuries of history and Heathrow A5 South Bank Day Trip: Hampton The Best ...... 192 Whe West End (19km) architecture across the Court Palace ...... 124 Clerkenwell, Shoreditch The beating heart of Thames from a must-visit & Spitalfields ...... 194 London, with iconic Royal Observatory area for art lovers, 5: & Greenwich Park ...... 130 East London ...... 196 sights,West shopping End and theatre-goers and culture n Day Trip: Kew Gardens ...... 134 Greenwich & South London ...... 197 nightlife. (Map p274) hounds. (Map p280) lot A Night Out in Shoreditch ...... 138 Kensington & Hyde Park ...... 198 n Hampton Court r Soho ...... 140 North London ...... 199 Palace Greenwich

(3.2km) (13km)r

000-plan-title-opener-bo-lon4-new.indd0-plan-title-opener-bo-lon4-new.indd 2 115/05/20195/05/2019 111:44:021:44:02 AAMM CONTENTS PLAN YOUR TRIP 3 * East 144 Richmond, Kew & Hampton Court ...... 200 In Focus Reco The City ...... 201 shut 146 The South Bank ...... 202 London Today ...... 236 The West End ...... 204 History ...... 238 Capt West London ...... 206 Architecture ...... 246 LON 149 Literary London ...... 250 lorM Art ...... 254 Eliza 152 Showtime ...... 209 3, 20 Gam 154 Clerkenwell, Shoreditch Survival Guide Kapo 156 & Spitalfields ...... 212 Stra .157 East London ...... 212 Directory A–Z ...... 258 158 Greenwich & South London ...... 213 Transport ...... 262 Cred .161 Kensington & Hyde Park ...... 213 Index...... 268 Ron 162 North London ...... 214 London Maps...... 273 162 The City ...... 215 Symbols & Map Key ...... 287 164 The South Bank ...... 216 166 The West End ...... 217 .171 West London ...... 219

173 Active London ...... 221 176 Walking Tours ...... 224 Bus Tours ...... 224 .178 Boat Tours ...... 225 .179 Swimming & Spa...... 225 180 Cycling ...... 226 . 181 Tennis ...... 227 182 Climbing ...... 227 183 183 183 Rest Your Head ...... 229 186 Hotels ...... 232 B&Bs ...... 232 Hostels ...... 232 189 Long-Term Rentals ...... 232 192 Where to Stay ...... 233

194 196 .197 198

199 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CHRISTIAN MUELLER/GETTY IMAGES ©; PAOLO PARADISO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; RON ELLIS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; IR STONE/ SHUTTERSTOCK ©; CSP/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; IAN.CUIYI/GETTY IMAGES

000-plan-title-opener-bo-lon4-new.indd0-plan-title-opener-bo-lon4-new.indd 3 115/05/20195/05/2019 11:44:0411:44:04 AMAM 4 Plan Your Trip This Year in London 2020 JBOR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

London Culture and sports will be high on the list for 2020 – hello Euro football tournament and London Design Biennale! There are many smaller events happening too, and plenty of life’s small pleasures to enjoy in the capital’s ever changing eating and drinking scene.

Clockwise from above: Performer at Notting Hill Carnival; UEFA Euro 2020 oﬃ cial ball; Exhibit at London Design Biennale

001-plan-this-year-in-bo-lon4.indd1-plan-this-year-in-bo-lon4.indd 4 009/05/20199/05/2019 09:40:0209:40:02 THIS YEAR IN LONDON PLAN YOUR TRIP 7

02 February February is usually chilly and wet (sometimes even snow-encrusted). Schools break off for a week in mid-February. Londoners lark about with pancakes on Shrove Tu esd ay.

3 BAFTAs mid-Feb 6 Pint by the Fire Feb The British Academy of Film and Television What better way to thaw after sightseeing Arts (BAFTA; www.bafta.org) rolls out in the cold than with a drink by the fire? the red carpet mid-February to hand out Amazingly, London still has plenty of pubs its annual cinema awards. It’s the British with working fireplaces so make the most Oscars, if you will. Expect plenty of celebrity of them. glamour. 3 A Night at the Opera Feb z Shrove Tuesday 25 Feb The nights are long and cold so what better On Shrove Tuesday, you can catch pancake way to cosy up than inside the stunning races (pictured above) and associated Royal Opera House to revel in a world-class silliness at various venues around town opera or ballet? (Plus, it’s a really good (Spitalfields Market, in particular). opportunity to dress up.)

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09 September The end of summer and start of autumn 1 London Design is a lovely time to be in town, with Biennale Sep comedy festivals and a chance to look at Some of the best, most eye-catching London properties normally shut to the and exciting design works from over 40 public. countries are displayed at Somerset House (pictured below) on the Strand 3 Greenwich Comedy in the heart of London in this month- Festival early Sep long festival (www.londondesign This week-long laugh fest – London’s biennale.com). largest comedy festival – brings big names

z The Mayor’s Thames Festival Sep Celebrating the River Thames, this cosmo politan festival (www.totallythames.org) brings fairs, street theatre, music, food stalls, fireworks and river races, culminating in the superb Night Procession.

1 Open House London mid-Sep For a weekend in mid-September the public is invited in to see over 800 heritage buildings throughout the capital that are normally off-limits (www.openhouselondon. org.uk; UCL at Here East pictured above).

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