Where to Stay, Shop and Eat in London
From inspiring some of the most beloved names in fashion and music, down to its zig-zag crossings and Cadbury, London's charm is eternal. Here, a guide to help ease the burden of picking where to stay, eat, and explore in a city that offers visitors a seemingly infinite number of cultural excursions and Instagram opportunities.
Stay:
The Ham Yard Hotel is an eccentrically British hotel in Soho adorned with mesmerizing art installations and punchy details. The work of designer Kit Kemp, who owns and runs the boutique Firmdale hotel brand with her husband, Tim, the hotel has a sunshiny and soothing vibe that regularly beckons celebrities and fashion designers. Highlights include a retro 1950’s bowling alley that was imported from Texas, an honesty-run cocktail bar, screening room, and-my favorite-a drool-worthy library with a cozy fireplace. Oh, and there’s also a stunning rooftop decorated with lamps and olive trees.
The dimly-lit and heaven-scented London EDITION is another smart choice for creative types, having hosted many of Fashion Week's most exclusive parties over the years. True to the vision of Studio 54 founder Ian Schrager, the vibe is sophisticated yet playful. Located inside a grand neoclassical building in Soho that dates back to 1826, which once housed King Edward VII as well as Russian jeweler Carl Farbegé, the details of the original ceiling are worth turning your gaze upwards. And while there's a Michelin-starred restaurant on the property, room service is irresistible in the hotel's minimalist units. The modern furniture against oak wood walls offer some much-needed zen after a day of hopping around London.
Housing a favored hangout spot of Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, and Kanye West, Hotel Café Royal is the stately option, primely located on the south end of Regent Street. Dating back to 1865, the property has a history of bridging Soho's creativity with Mayfair's regality-a legacy which endures in the arty, posh vibes immediately felt upon walking into the lobby today. Among the property's highlights are Ziggy Stardust-inspired cocktails at the recently unveiled Ziggy's bar created in David Bowie's honor, the stunning Akasha Spa, and, the Oscar Wilde Bar for afternoon tea.
Eat and Drink:
Since opening earlier this year, Isabel Mayfair is the place to see and be seen-literally, as the space’s 300 polished brass lamps by Stileman Lighting Group are designed to enhance, and figuratively as the staff wears uniforms by designer Johanna Ortiz. The Argentine restaurant by Juan Santa Cruz triumphs in décor, ambience, and mouthwatering artisan dishes. I dare you to not want to lick the plate if you order the roasted sea bass, no matter how many socialites you're seated a few tables away from. Pro tip: you can also get the chicest bathroom loo selfie (no hard feelings, Sketch) as the individual stalls are covered in silk, floral wallpaper and mirrored ceilings.
For something less wallet-slimming, Opso is a Greek tapas restaurant located off Marylebone High Street loved by locals. Essential plates to order include the Dakos salad, which I daydream about every day, the yellow fava bean dip, and the beetroot carpaccio. For a shopping break in Covent Garden, Henrietta Bistro is a trendy spot with retro Parisian interiors and artfully prepared plates. Highlights from the Spanish and French-inspired menu include the charcoal-grilled octopus, tuna tartare and strawberry burrata. Across town, Oblix East is located on the 32nd floor of the Shard-Europe’s tallest skyscraper-and has romantic views of the Thames and some of the best service in town. As far as museum restaurants are concerned, The Wallace Collection houses Peyton and Byrne, a stunning French-styled brasserie in a light-filled atrium with millennial pink walls. The space somehow remains under-the-radar despite being the stuff of Instagram dreams. London boasts some of the world's best Indian food outside of India. If it's your first trip across the pond, lining up outside of any of Dishoom's five locations is practically a right-of-passage and the rare occasion where a chain restaurant is worth the hype.
For drinks, London's newest Soho House location Kettner's Townhouse has a snazzy-yet-chill champagne bar that serves up a variety of bubbling drinks until early morning hours. The Coral Room in the recently revamped Bloomsbury Hotel is a lofty space serving major Wes Anderson vibes and a sizable Italian spritzer that's equal parts beautiful and refreshing. For a non-cheeky themed bar, Mr. Fogg's House of Botanicals in Fritzrovia is a verdant Victorian paradise with dainty furniture and plants everywhere. Each drink on the menu has been inspired by a different flower, too.
Do:
Even though the tube is the clean and reliable metro of public transportation daydreams, walk everywhere you possibly can to soak in every last charming townhouse and garden. For idyllic strolls lined with greenery, Primrose Hill offers sweeping views of the skyline. To roam amongst peacocks with the backdrop of a koi pond, Holland Park Kyoto garden in Chelsea is an unfailingly romantic spot.
Mayfair makes for optimal art gallery hopping, with most major international galleries housing outposts in the area’s stately Georgian townhouses. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac’s Ely House location is a must-visit for the dreamy black-and-white marble staircase alone, which observant fashion industry followers will recognize as the setting of Victoria Beckham's SS19 show. Footsteps away, Sprueth Magers is another contemporary art powerhouse with consistently savvy programming. Pro tip: the enormous windows on the second floor offers a beautiful view of Davies Street.
London’s pulsating art scene, of course, stretches far beyond the city’s prim and proper nucleus. White Cube Gallery’s Bermondsey location consistently has immersive programing, and is also a stone’s throw away from the Maltby Street Market, which takes place on weekend afternoons. Camden’s Zabludowicz Collection, denoted by a yellow traffic sign with an arrow that reads ART, is an edgier spot with avant-garde exhibitions housed inside a former chapel.
For museums, The Victoria and Albert Museum is a massive institution with awe-inspiring displays of art and artifacts throughout human history. The museum's ongoing 'Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams' exhibition (on until July) is a must for any admirer of couture, featuring over 500 pieces from 1947 to the precent day. Numerous looks graced by the British Royal Family are among those on display, such as Princess Margaret's especially museum-worthy 21st birthday dress.
Other must-see museums include The Wallace Collection, an intimate gem housed inside a historic home in Marylebone displaying 18th and 19th century works, such as Fragonard's "The Swing." Another architectural marvel to take in is the Tate Britain in its entirety. The museum is home to the world's largest collection of paintings by British artist JMW Turner, but also regularly has holds contemporary exhibitions. (Photographed below is Anthea Hamilton's exhibition, which ran from May until October.) For modern art enthusiasts, Sloane Square's Saatchi Gallery is another right of passage with its bright white interiors and consistently vibrant programming.
For cutting-edge fashion and concept stores, Shoreditch is essential ground to cover. Modern Society, smartly arranged as a general store and café, is a personal all-time favorite. Beautifully curated by owner Nazifa Movsoumova, the store carries labels such as Re Done, Rejina Pyo, and Sandy Liane-in addition to arty brands from around the globe.
Two minutes away, the recently opened Not Just Another Store is another gem of a concept store. Housed in a sunny, yellow storefront, the space has a mom-and-pop Dover Street Market feel with its sleek interiors and boundary-pushing inventory of womenswear, menswear, literature, and accessories. The brainchild of artist and fashion designer Marcel Robin, the space is authentically hip with an art gallery downstairs and yoga sessions held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Back in Mayfair, 5 Carlos Place is home to a breathtaking, brand new MatchesFashion.com retail space. The 7,000 square foot space occupies a five-story townhouse and features stunning installations throughout. The ongoing Prada installations created with Storey Studios, photographed below, are among the many reasons to visit.
For more shopping in central London, Assouline's Piccadilly flagship is housed inside a former bank and features Swans Bar, a calm and sophisticated place to have a proper cocktail. The first place in England to be donned a 'Gucci Place,' Assouline's Green Park location makes for an ideal break from surrounding tourist attractions, should you find yourself tempted to swing by Buckingham Palace.
In good company of vintage record stores and boutiques in Soho, Byredo just opened up its first European flagship store on Lexington Street and the lofty space is as chic as their cult-favorite scent, Gypsy Water. Lovers of nice things and minimalism should also check out Japan House London in South Kensington, a concept store spanning three floors with a cafe, art installations, and numerous goods and objects showcasing Japanese gastronomy, design, and culture. The space's grand opening was attended by none other than Prince William himself in September.
Tickets to musicals, plays, and concerts are more accessibly priced for the general public in London than New York. So, whether you fancy Shakespearean thespians or you're the intellectual type who prefers indie venues with ironic, existential productions, tap London's performative arts scene because it probably won't set you back any more than your regular Sweetgreen order (if you opt for cheap seats).
Tickets to performances at South Kensington's iconic Royal Albert Hall often start as low as $12 USD, and the sweeping regal interiors make it worth a visit alone. For something more off-the-beaten path, Wilton's Music Hall in Whitechapel is the world's oldest surviving Grand Music Hall and has a constantly changing calendar. Despite the venue's rich cultural and architectural significance (in it's 300 years and counting, it's evolved from being a Victorian sailor's pub, Methodist Mission house, and rag warehouse), it remains an under-the-radar gem.
For pampering, DryBy's Marylebone outpost boasts oak-paneled floors and a fireplace. The perfect setting for channeling your Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton within. Mayfair's Brows And Nails is another fail-safe option for high quality, namesake services. Frequented by MAJOR, all-caps-worthy celebrities, the salon's new product line for brow grooming also makes for a smart souvenir to bring home.
For a game-changing spa experience, the Wellness Clinic at Harrod’s features a spa menu that's 53 pages long. You can expect to encounter treatments you never knew existed.
One such treatment is the recently launched Collagen Bed developed by dermatologists at New York Dermatology Group. The first ever of its kind in London, the infrared bed works to alleviate muscle pain and help with eczema. I tried a session when I was jet-lagged and exhausted in the thick of a July's heatwave and left feeling like I was walking on air.
Last but not least, if you like chocolate (scientifically asking for a friend how it's even possible that some people don't), boutique Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini's flagship on Marylebone High Street is obligatory. An art gallery in its own right, the store is a sensory experience in presentation and taste. Pro tip: each chocolate is handmade from cocoa beans grown in Madagascar, Ecuador, and all over the world, SO it's definitely worthwhile to ask the chocolatiers about your favorites because they're likely to have a worldly story of their own.
('You Might Also Like',)
