UNITED KINGDOM
All the best spots in London
hat do you do when you travel to a city you love for a hundredth time? On my last two visits - one before COVID, in 2020 and one part of my Mini Eurotrip in 2022 - I tried to include more alternative and free spots. This post is a combination of those two visits.
This is what I love about London; you can keep coming back and forever have something new and exciting to see
I’ve been traveling to London since I was a child, maybe this is why I feel like it’s my home away from home. During my last two visits, in 2020 and in 2022, I decided to look for alternative and exciting spots to add on my ”London List” and the result is a mix ‘n’ match of favorite places.
God’s Own Junkyard
If you’re looking for a unique art space, make sure you visit God’s Own Junkyard. It’s a funky art store and space featuring colorful neon and light bulb signs among others. If you love neon signs as much as I do, this is a must, and it has free entrance. You can wander around as long as you want until you get the picture you want and enjoy the signs (pretty captivating, let me tell you) and then there’s a small café at the back where you can enjoy coffee or a snack.
Notting Hill
Who doesn’t love Notting Hill? It’s a district made famous from the movie ”Notting Hill” but it’s not just another movie location that movie fans visit. Notting Hill is a place that can make your day just by walking around as its filled with color, markets and nice cafés and restaurants and since 1870 its been associated with art and artists. If you walk down towards Portobello Market you will come across various small shops with antiques, souvenirs and books, most of them houses in colorful buildings (something that Notting Hill is known for).
There are a few roads with colorful houses for your next Instagram post but Lancaster Road is probably one of the best. Crayon colored houses (red, yellow, purple) look great, you will just need to be careful of the cars and buses that pass from the busy road, and also keep in mind that these are houses where people live in. When you’re done, visit the market and have lunch (or waffles) at Electric Diner, which is a French-style American diner next to the Electric Cinema, one of the oldest working cinemas in Britain.
Tate Modern
Of course, and always. Tate Modern is a favourite stop for its exhibitions. If you walk out on the balcony, you can enjoy the view of Thames and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Before visiting, make sure you check the temporary exhibitions. There is the Cecilia Vicuña’s Brain Forest Quipu taking up the entire height of the building and consists of fraying wool, knotted rope and debris. Find it drifting under the Turbine Hall. We managed to book tickets for the special (and often, sold out) Yayoi Kusama exhibition. We basically kept refreshing the website until the tickets went on sale and waiting for a bit in the queue but it was worth it. The Infinity Mirror Room is a room full of mirrors and lights that make you feel like you’re floating but there is also a nice exhibition of photographs from Kusama’s life.
The Connaught a.k.a. one of the best bars in the world
The bar of the Connaught hotel has a permanent spot in the annual list with the best bars in the world, so why not check it out?
We did not know what to expect. It’s part of the 5-star Connaught Hotel, in the heart of Mayfair, our expectations were high.
For the first time in my life I did an outfit change on the street (taking off my hoodie for a more formal shirt) so we could fit in with the crowd we expected. But we were caught by surprise.
You can go with or without a reservation and, surprisingly, without a dress code. We visited early in the night and we saw people dressed in hoodies, sweatpants, suits and dresses, way more casual than we anticipated. It has an eclectic list of cocktails and drinks, the cheapest being around £15, and they give you the recipe too.
St Dunstan in the East Church Garden
On my lookout for free, Instagrammable spots I thought I’d give St. Dunstan in the East which was, as far as I could tell, a garden in the ruins of a church. It’s located halfway between London Bridge and the Tower of London and it kinda is what I expected it to be, only better. It’s in the middle of a very urban area, with the stone walls enclosing a truly beautiful park. The Church of England parish church was built around 1100 on St Dunstan’s Hill but was largely destroyed during the Second World War. It now serves as a public garden, open for everyone, with stunning arches and plants everywhere, making up stunning frames for pictures and for when you need a break from the city noise. If you’re planning on setting up your spot for a picture, keep in mind that if you want to sit on one of the windows you will have to hop on the cobblestone terrace so dress accordingly.
Big Ben photo spot
Now if you want a good shot of the famous clock tower of London, there is a ”hidden” spot to give you a beautiful frame. When you get out of Westminster tube station you’re right in front of Big Ben. All you have to do is cross Westminster bridge and go down the stairs to the pier. There, there’s a passage that ends in an arch, facing the bridge, Big Ben and the parliament, not very widely known to people (although you will find some photographers taking pictures and, of course, people passing by). Keep in mind, the smell is a bit funky so it’s better if you’re quick.
Take a boat to Greenwich
Take the Riverboat (service RB1) from Tower Pier (find it just outside the Tower of London). In just 15-20 minutes it will take you to Greenwich, near the Cutty Sark. It costs around €20 for a round trip, and it’s a very nice boat with comfortable sits and tables to enjoy the ride.
Prime Meridian
Go up (walk or drive) to the Greenwich Park so you can enjoy a stunning view of the city from above.
Truly a wonderful spot to relax and recharge and if you’re fascinated by fun facts, there’s a small bit of the meridian line. It represents the Prime Meridian of the world, Longitude Zero (0° 0′ 0″), so basically if you stand facing the wall with the line between your legs, your right foot will be on 360° and your left on 0°.
All these are free of charge, unless you want to enter the Royal Observatory (£16 for adults and £8).
The Old Royal Naval College
This World Heritage Site holds a few gems if you’re an art and architecture junkie, besides being a wonderful block of buildings itself. You definitely must visit the Painted Hall, which is often described as the Sistine Chapel of London. The paintings on the walls and ceiling of this baroque masterpiece was conceived and executed by British artist Sir James Thornhill. The room was intended as a dining room for the naval pensioners but it soon became ceremonial space for paying visitors. Now it’s a wonder to look at and they even have cushions so you can lie down and observe the ceiling. The fee is £12.50 (or £11.50 online) and it gives you access for one year.
Tulip Staircase
If you’re looking for a free and Instagrammable spot in Greenwich, head over to the Queen’s House. There you will find the first geometric self-supporting spiral staircase in Britain, which will make you stop and stare.
The whole area with the Old Royal Naval College is worth it though. The architecture, the life in it – we did witness a graduation ceremony – the buildings, the arches letting small hints of nature pass through… they all make a wonderful place to walk around and take pictures or just enjoy art. T
his is what I love about London; you can keep coming back and forever have something new and exciting to see and do. This applies if you want more sightseeing, famous landmarks or more alternative spots, it has everything.