The Ultimate London City Guide

what to see, where to shop, what to eat, where to stay

My most asked question in my DMs, texts, and via email is something along the lines of, “I’m going to London next month! Any recs?” This comes as a surprise to me, not because it’s London and I love London, but because I would expect this question to be something like, “what paint color is that?”, over and over again. And while I do genuinely love talking about paint, I also love talking about London (forever). I usually respond with several paragraphs of specific recommendations that are customized to the person asking the question, or send a long and rambling voice note that well exceeds the time and character limit, as well as the patience limit of the person on the receiving end, probably. But I figured it would be nice to have all of these thoughts together in one place, so that both you and I can refer back to them time and time again. Because, London is calling (had to), and when you answer, I want you to be prepared.

And yes: a Cotswold guide is coming next! This is the question I get second to London, with paint questions and then lots of questions about Paris following after. And I’m here to answer.

In this guide, I’ll share some of my personal favorites- places that I have tried myself, hotels in which I’ve slept, and the stores in which I’ve perused. It also includes some pins and recommendations for places that are next on my list, saved and compiled after MUCH research and review. After all, I use this list when I travel and I’m constantly editing and updating. And my favorite part of this post is the customized Google map, with almost 300 interactive pins that you can use while you’re planning or when you’re there. I like to save all of my favorites and places on my list to this map so that when I’m out and about, I can pull it up and see what’s local to me. Hungry and in need of a nibble? Pull up the map to find the closest pub. Unexpected rainstorm overhead? Pull up the map to find the closest shop or museum where I can pass the time. In need of a quick pick-me-up in the form of some coffee, or adulty beverage? Open the map to search the closest cafe or bar for that cuppa or martini. And the best part is that I’ve already favorited, researched, and vetted these places, so I’m not at risk of stopping into one of those shops with faux florals over the door and a neon sign inside that serves terrible coffee and clearly only exists for Instagram (and yes, faux florals and *most* neon signs are my red flags).

Below, I’ll share my recommendations broken down by:

• Food & drink

• Things to do

• Shopping

• Where to stay

• Coffee, tea, & pastries

• Sights

This post was many years of travel and many months of documenting and organizing in the making, and my recommendations and custom map are below for paying subscribers. If you would like to join our community, we would love to have you! Thank you for supporting my work.