There are many Londons to explore. From the bustle of Soho’s labyrinthine streets to the vertigo-inducing skyscrapers of the City, the capital has almost as many unique enclaves as its 8 million residents. With so much choice, and so much ground to cover, deciding what to do in 24 hours can be a daunting task. Even for myself, a lifelong Londoner, there are always new places to find and old favourites to rediscover. With TripAdvisor at hand though, a healthy appetite for all things cultural, and a topped-up Oyster card, you’d be surprised just how much you can fit in and how quickly you’ll find yourself an honorary Londoner.
One of London’s great virtues is its diversity; walk through pretty much any part of town and you’ll see different communities living side-by-side and sharing the best of what their cultures have to offer. If you’re arriving by rail into Euston, you can do no wrong with a traditional fry-up breakfast from the quaint bistro Cappadocia. Sit on its garden furniture and stuff yourself with fried delicacies and all the trimmings. Just a short walk away, there’s Drummond Street – famed for its community of Indian restaurants. If a fry-up doesn’t tickle the tastebuds, then try a masala dosa, a traditional south Indian breakfast of thin rice pancakes stuffed with potato curry.
You’ll no doubt need a walk after all of that, so hop on the tube for a few stops to the Barbican Centre, one of London’s most iconic brutalist buildings and cultural centres. Grab a coffee and take a seat in the courtyard by the fountains and then wander into the centre and explore the free art displays at the Curve gallery (recent displays have included the films of John Akomfrah and the startling photography of Richard Mosse). Or, check out the main gallery for larger exhibitions, including the stunning recent retrospective of painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.
If you’re visiting with a family, on Sundays the Barbican conservatory is open – the second largest in London after Kew Gardens – and there you can take a stroll among more than 2,000 tropical plants and trees. Resident gardeners are on hand, holding bi-weekly tours to keep the kids entertained. The ground-level atrium also hosts regular free concerts and talks, encompassing everything from women in jazz to Indian percussion performances.
If the tropical plants have fired the kids up for more exploration, it’s only a short walk from the Barbican to Postman’s Park – a hidden green gem. Throughout London you’ll find enclaves of natural space but none have quite the history or charm of Postman’s Park. Built in 1900 by the artist, philanthropist and radical socialist GF Watts, the secluded park is home to the Watts memorial, which was erected in honour of all of those among the Victorian working class who had given their lives in attempts to save others. Amid the hectic noise of the city, sit on the park’s benches and take in Watts’s plaques commemorating the acts of bravery that defined these heroic London lives.
Ready for lunch yet? Jump on the bus, or take a walk through Farringdon to Exmouth Market where you can eat at food stalls serving everything from shawarma to risotto, pizza, and tapas. If you’re a sports fan, though, there’s no better place than the retro-themed Cafe Kick to grab a doorstop sandwich and then take on an unwitting opponent at a game of table football on the cafe’s French tables. Or if you’d rather something more sedate, down the road is Briki – home to deliciously strong Greek and third-wave coffee and a favourite of the local expat community.
London has some of the best bookshops in the country, from the antiquarian booksellers in Mayfair, such as Sotheran’s – the oldest rare bookshop in the world – to the secondhand shops in Bloomsbury, such as the Dickens-named Jarndyce. But many of these titles will set you back hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. Better for browsing is magCulture, a few minutes’ walk from Exmouth Market. Stocking thousands of coffee-table tomes and pocket-sized zines, covering everything from high fashion to slow journalism and interior design, there’s reading material for all tastes, and it definitely won’t break the bank.
If you’ve nabbed yourself something you can’t wait to get stuck into, there’s no better setting than St Dunstan in the East for a spot of afternoon reading and relaxing. A few stops along on the Northern Line, St Dunstan is a 12th-century church near London Bridge which was largely destroyed in the second world war. Its remains now border a breathtaking public garden where you can sit among the medieval architecture and while away the hours.
If it’s raining though (as London is wont to do), you could head into the Globe theatre on the South Bank instead. Here, Shakespeare’s theatre is recreated in all its rotund glory, and you can watch the Royal Shakespeare Company perform the Bard’s greats for only £5 if you stand in the pit, or go inside to the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for a more intimate experience. And if you’re with children, don’t worry, the Globe’s child-friendly workshops and family tours will keep the kids awake and entertained. From the South Bank outside the Globe, you can also take in London’s skyline as dusk approaches.
Stroll farther west down the south side of the Thames and then back over the river (take your choice of bridge – either Waterloo or Golden Jubilee) and on to Soho, where you can saunter through some of the most well-stocked record shops in the country: Sounds of the Universe and Phonica, both of which regularly hold in-store performances from DJs.
For dinner, the Tardis-like Brasserie Zedel is unbeatable if you want inexpensive French fare surrounded by marble fixtures and the buzz of punters’ conversations. Or, head to one of Soho’s many specialty eateries, such as Taiwanese burger joint Bao or Japanese ramen specialists Bone Daddies. You’ll have to queue but it’s definitely worth the wait.
If the neon glare of Soho has enthused you, the evening might take a debauched turn. And if there’s one thing Soho has in abundance, it’s bars. For an upmarket choice, there’s the Hotel Cafe Royal bar on Air Street, as well as the Hawksmoor bar across the road, otherwise there’s the cavernous Brewdog for artisanal ales and Milk and Honey for low-lit, strong cocktails.
If you’re in the mood to dance off the cocktails afterwards, London has a cornucopia of forward-thinking clubs. A short ride up the Victoria Line is Seven Sisters, a rapidly-gentrifying suburb home to Five Miles – one of the best small venues for electronic music, with an impressive selection of beers on tap, too. One stop further up the line is Tottenham Hale and the newly-opened club The Cause. Here’s one for fans of darkened rooms and rattling bass, where the DJs perform behind a cage until 5am. And, as the name suggests, the crowdfunded space operates for a good cause – to raise money for local mental health charities.
If electronic music isn’t your thing, there’s the Jazz Cafe in Camden, which (ironically) hosts funk, soul and hip-hop nights on the weekends, or if you actually wanted jazz, there’s the intimate Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston.
If music isn’t on the cards, there’s the option of a late-night screening at one of London’s independent cinemas. The Close-Up in Shoreditch has a large and eclectic film library for avant-garde film buffs, while the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square hosts cheap, all-night marathons and movie-themed quizzes in its bar.
You might want a final snack before you crawl into bed. Many people will talk about Duck and Waffle as the best 24-hour eatery in London, but queueing times can be absurd and I find the food overpriced and underwhelming. Instead, the area by Smithfields market is full of 24-hour pubs and restaurants, frequented by the market sellers themselves. La Forchetta is a highlight for enormous portions of homemade pasta – enough carbs to send anyone to sleep.
After such a jam-packed tour, you’ll be ready to rest your weary limbs, so curl up on a London Northwestern Railway train and enjoy the free online entertainment as you float on home. With stops at major cities from London to Liverpool including Bedford, Milton Keynes, Rugby, Coventry, Wolverhampton and Crewe, you’ll find a route to suit you. And if after all of that you miss your train home, don’t worry, there’s always more to see ... and certainly more to eat.
Ammar Kalia is a culture journalist
For the best value tickets, with no booking fee, visit londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk
