{"id":9471,"date":"2016-11-28T10:12:52","date_gmt":"2016-11-28T10:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelodgeblog.wpengine.com\/?p=9471"},"modified":"2023-09-14T10:00:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T09:00:29","slug":"london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/things-to-do\/london\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in London"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discover all the best things to do in the Big Smoke, including great restaurants, world-famous attractions and theatre shows<\/h2>\n

Wander the incredible museums<\/h5>\n

Around 150 years ago, the Victorians made it easy for culture cravers in London<\/a>. In South Kensington, they constructed three of the most admired museums in the world, right alongside each other on the aptly named Exhibition Road. The Natural History Museum<\/span><\/a>, the Science Museum<\/span><\/a> and the Victoria & Albert Museum<\/span><\/a> provide an almost complete education for the weekend breaker \u2013 the former covering all natural phenomena, from dinosaurs to blue whales (no one who has seen it can forget the tremendous leviathan suspended in the Hall of Mammals), the latter housing an incredible collection of craft, art and fashion.<\/h4>\n

Venture further afield for the work of quirkier curators \u2013 the Wellcome Collection specialises in medical phenomena, while Sir John Soane\u2019s Museum in Bloomsbury is a testament to the power of hoarding, and features movable walls to accommodate its founder\u2019s vast collection of paintings.<\/h4>\n

Indulge yourself in world-class restaurants<\/h5>\n

From cheap Lebanese cuisine on the Edgware Road to Michelin-starred dining in Soho \u2013 when it comes to London food, the world is your oyster. For top-notch French, book a table at Brasserie Z\u00e9del<\/span><\/a> in Piccadilly, where moules, b\u0153uf bourguignon and crispy frites are served at very affordable prices. If steak alone will satisfy your appetite, head to Hawksmoor (there are several branches across London) for the best beef in town. Its sticky toffee pudding isn\u2019t half bad either\u2026<\/h4>\n

You don\u2019t have to be a star to dine like one in Great Britain\u2019s capital. The queues outside Whitechapel\u2019s Tayyabs<\/span><\/a> are a testament to the strong draw of its sizzling piles of Punjabi spiced meats, while the likes of Tonkotsu<\/span><\/a> in Hackney provide a new spin on Asian soups, in laid-back surroundings for under \u00a310. North London, around Stoke Newington and Dalston, is your destination for Turkish food, with simple mangal grills serving up perfectly seared lamb and chicken in a no-frills setting.<\/h4>\n

\"Shaftsbury<\/p>\n

Splash your cash at the shops<\/h5>\n

Everyone knows that London\u2019s biggest retail names are to be found on Oxford Street \u2013 with stupendous department stores including Selfridges and John Lewis lined up cheek-by-jowl. But it\u2019s on the back streets that you\u2019ll find the kind of off-beat style that has made London\u2019s name as the world\u2019s cool kid of fashion.<\/h4>\n

Covent Garden\u2019s Seven Dials combines well-known names with one-off boutiques. Find retro-inspired prints at fashion and homeware shop Orla Kiely, sweet-smelling toiletries at traditional barber shop Murdock, and some of the city\u2019s best coffee at Monmouth \u2013 do be prepared to queue for your caffeine hit, though. Drop by Portobello Road in Notting Hill first thing on a Friday (never on a Saturday!) for vintage wears as well as cheap fruit and veg. Meanwhile, Islington is the perfect place to go for a relaxed Sunday shopping session \u2013 its main thoroughfare features British greats such as Jigsaw and Toast, while its back streets bustle with little jewellers, paint shops and caf\u00e9s.<\/h4>\n

In Stratford and Shepherds Bush, Westfield London shopping centres await you, offering you a mammoth shopping experience. From designer stores to chic boutiques, high street favourites, and even the more quirky shops, Westfield is sure to impress the keen shopper. As if the variety of shops weren’t enough to keep you busy, there is also a wide variety of amazing restaurants, caf\u00e9s and pop-up food and drink vendors, an exciting indoor city experience for the kids (Westfield, Shepherds Bush) and a Vue cinema to catch all the latest Hollywood blockbusters.<\/h4>\n

Soak up some culture<\/h5>\n

A great fun thing to do on a short break in London<\/span><\/a> is to take a boat between the more traditional Tate Britain on the north side of the Thames, west of the centre (home to David Hockney\u2019s A Bigger Splash and Dante Rossetti\u2019s Proserpine) and the newly expanded Tate Modern on the south bank, east of Westminster, with its unrivalled collection of conceptual and modern art. The Tate Boat service runs every 40 minutes and affords a photogenic view of the Houses of Parliament as you pass.<\/h4>\n

South London boasts a massive culture and entertainment offering, and Croydon\u2019s Fairfield Halls<\/span><\/a> is a jewel in that crown, offering something for every taste, age and interest. Immerse yourself in acclaimed comedy stars and the finest classical musicians, catch some great cinema, or learn something new with interactive workshops for all ages.<\/h4>\n

In the heart of town, the side-by-side National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are always exhibiting must-see shows, from Van Gogh retrospectives to global photography competition entries. If you\u2019ve worked up an appetite from all that wandering, head upstairs in the latter to the Portrait Restaurant for afternoon tea, and nibble on delicious scones, cakes and sarnies while gazing out of the window \u2013 the restaurant offers views of Nelson\u2019s Column, Big Ben and, on a clear day, The London Eye<\/span><\/a>.<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Play detective and crack a brand-new Sherlock case<\/h5>\n

Located in the heart of Shepherd\u2019s Bush, Sherlock: The Official Live Game is the immersive escape game from the creators of the hit BBC TV show.<\/h4>\n

Do you have what it takes to join the ranks of The Network as an Agent? This covert branch of British Intelligence headed up by Mycroft Holmes is on the search for new recruits. Your first test will be a routine training mission at headquarters, but not all is as it seems\u2026<\/h4>\n

You\u2019ll need to play the detective with your team, as you travel through iconic sets from the BBC show, and work together to solve puzzles and crack clues. You\u2019ll be helped along your journey with original content from the cast of the show featuring, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Martin Freeman, Mark Gatiss, and more.<\/h4>\n

Crack this brand-new Sherlock case before time runs out and prove you have what it takes to step into the shoes of the great detective. Book your tickets here<\/span><\/a>.<\/h4>\n
Settle in for a West End show<\/h5>\n

London\u2019s theatre heartland is Covent Garden<\/span><\/a>. Here, all the major shows from Matilda<\/span><\/a> to Mamma Mia!<\/span><\/a> are found, with the world\u2019s stars of stage and screen to be seen treading the boards. If you come with an open mind, you can go to see a show very cheaply, by first visiting the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. This is the official outlet for theatres to sell their unsold seats on the day of the performance, mostly at greatly reduced prices.<\/h4>\n

Before show-time, you should also take advantage of the early set menus on offer nearby \u2013 many of the West End\u2019s best restaurants, including the celebrated Bocca di Lupo<\/span><\/a>, serve a quick supper for under \u00a320.<\/h4>\n

Alternatively, The Cockpit<\/span><\/a> is an independent, versatile, centrally located theatre in Marylebone; hosting new writing, opera, children\u2019s theatre, comedy, jazz, musical theatre, world music and dance. It also houses three rehearsal studios and a comfortable bar, runs classes and workshops for Theatre Maker<\/span><\/a> and is one of the only \u2018in the round\u2019 venues in London.<\/h4>\n

If you fancy eating at some of the world’s best restaurants or catching a West End show, why not check out our hotels in London<\/span><\/a>.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Discover all the best things to do in the Big Smoke, including great restaurants, world-famous attractions and theatre shows.","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1211,1361],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-london","category-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}