©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 135

The City

Neighbourhood Top Five 1 of (p137) dome before enjoying its far- you climb the column com- Walking through a treasury reaching views. memorating the Great Fire of history, past the colour- 3 of 1666. ful Yeoman Warders (or (p151) Exploring the city’s 5 Sky Garden (p146) Beefeaters), the spectacular many and varying incarna- Marvelling at the City’s Crown Jewels, the soothsay- tions through artefacts, ultramodern new build- ing ravens and armour fit interactive displays and ings from what is perhaps for a very large king. recreated streetscapes. its least admired building, 2 St Paul’s Cathedral 4 The Monument (p149) 20 Fenchurch St, aka the (p143) Listening in on Imagining the tragedy of ‘Walkie Talkie’. whispering strangers in the medieval London ablaze as

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d t u S i Bridge r rd o B fo S T m o a Sout ol St hwark St ey SOUTHWARK St Union St For more detail of this area see Map p450 A 136 Lonely Planet’s Top Tip Explore the City Designed by Jean Nouvel, For its size – just over 1 sq mile (nearly 3 sq km) – the City One New Change (p157) – punches well above its weight for attractions. Start with called the ‘Stealth Bomber’ the heavyweights – the and St Paul’s – by some because of its dis- allowing at least a half-day for each. It’s worth arriving tinctive shape – is a shop- early to avoid the queues in season. You can combine the ping mall housing mainly other big attractions with explorations of the City’s lesser- high-street brands, but take known delights and quieter corners – Christopher Wren’s the lift to its 6th floor and an dozens of churches make peaceful stops along the way. open viewing platform will While more than 350,000 people work in the City of The Ci reward you with up-close London, fewer than 8000 actually live here. To appreciate views of the dome of St its frantic industry and buzz, come during the week, when Paul’s Cathedral and out you’ll find everything open. It largely empties in the even-

t ing as its workers retreat to the suburbs, and weekends

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have traditionally been quiet. But in recent years, the One  New Change and the new bars and restau- Best Places rants atop the City’s flashiest skyscrapers have begun at- 5 tracting people outside of regular business hours. to Eat ¨¨City Social (p154) ¨¨Sauterelle (p154) Local Life ¨¨Miyama (p153) ¨ Culture vulture nest A powerhouse of culture ¨¨Club Gascon (p152) (though arguably not the prettiest kid in class), people flock to the Barbican (p150) for its innovative dance, ¨¨City Càphê (p152) theatre, music, films and art. For reviews, see p152.A ¨ Meals with a view There’s nothing like getting a taste of the high life, trying to spot your hotel and watching the sun go down over the capital at ’s 6 Best Places City Social (p154). to Drink ¨ Old-style drinking Though they tend to keep ¨¨Jamaica Wine House bankers’ hours, the City’s pubs are some of the most (p154) atmospheric and historic – the Jamaica Wine House ¨¨Sky Pod (p154) (p154) once did time as London’s first coffee house. ¨¨Madison (p156) ¨¨Counting House (p156) Getting There & Away ¨¨Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese ¨ Underground The City is served by seven tube lines (p156) (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Metropolitan, Central, For reviews, see p154.A District, Northern and Waterloo & City) and 11 stations (Blackfriars, Barbican, St Paul’s, Mansion House, Cannon St, Monument, Bank, Moorgate, Liverpool St, 7 Best Places and Tower Hill). to Shop ¨ Overground From Liverpool St, trains head east to Bethnal Green and Hackney. ¨¨London Silver Vaults ¨ (p157) DLR Bank and Tower Gateway both connect east to the Docklands. ¨¨One New Change (p157) ¨ Bus Numerous bus routes pass through the City, ¨¨Royal Exchange (p150) including Nos 4 (Waterloo to Archway), 8 (Oxford St to ¨ ¨Wine Pantry (p156) Bow Church), 11 (Liverpool St to Fulham), 15 (Charing ¨¨ Distillery Cross to Blackwall), 26 (Waterloo to Hackney Wick), 56 (p156) (City to Stratford), 76 (Waterloo to Tottenham) and 172 For reviews, see p157.A (City to Brockley). ¨Train Network Rail services head to Moorgate, Liverpool St, Fenchurch St, Cannon St, Blackfriars and City Thameslink.