London, England
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
London, another one of the great cities of the world, is ever-evolving, with dozen of new hotels, restaurants and bars opening each year. My most recent trip was a few years ago, so obviously things have changed (even prior to the start of the pandemic). Also the trip was only a week long, partly on business, and The Gimlet Traveler was a bit under the weather for a couple of days on arrival, so we did not get to see everything we would have liked. All of this has led me to approach this post a little differently than others. I’ve included the places we stayed and visited on our last trip (two terrific hotels, a couple of great bars, restaurants, sights, etc.), but will also look at London as if it were a gimlet traveler future destination — that is, with a number of other places we either missed on the last go-round or that have opened since. Expect slightly more than the usual number of alternative hotel choices and bars and restaurants. And, of course, we’ll continue to update the list as we discover new recommendations.
People often compare London and New York in terms of the importance of culture (specifically theatre), and of course the dining, cocktails, shopping, and breadth of sights, but London is more firmly rooted in the past; a much longer history, the trappings of the monarchy, lots of classical architecture with fewer modern high rises on the skyline than New York (though that number continues, slowly, to grow).
It is a beautiful and charismatic city, with many distinct personalities depending on which neighborhood you’re visiting (and what time of year), so there are always a million things to see and do across a wide variety of tastes. See a show in the West End, walk through Hyde Park, tour one or both of the Palaces, go to one of the many great museums, walk across or along the Thames and visit many of the various key sights along the way, shop at Harrod’s or at Portobello Market…the options are endless.
London is great any time of year, but I would suggest late spring or early fall, when the weather is most cooperative. Christmas can be beautiful as well. Be aware that in August, many locals head to the seaside or points further south — on their annual vacations — and some small businesses may close at that time as well for a holiday.
The Gimlet Traveler Rundown:
All ratings are based on our experience and are on a 5-star rating system (see Site Info for more details). For mapped locations and links to the places listed here (and more) visit Google Map at bottom of page.
Gimlets: *****
Both hotels we stayed at — Sea Containers (fka The Mondrian), and The London Edition — had several excellent venues for a well-made cocktail. Sea Containers has two stylish places — Lyaness, a glamorous ground-floor lounge, as well as a trendy rooftop lounge, 12th Knot, overlooking the Thames — in addition to the bar inside their all-day restaurant off the lobby. At The London Edition, we had great gimlets at The Lobby Bar, samplings of several elegant punches at the quiet, elegant, fireplace-lit Punch Room (make a reservation) and specialty drinks at the bar inside the fabulous Berners Tavern restaurant. Before attending an opening night in the West End, a group of colleagues had cocktails with us in the lobby of One Aldwych (they know how to garnish a cocktail!). Another night we stopped for a drink at the art-deco Bar Americain (they sometimes have piano music) before dinner across the subterranean lobby at the grand but casual Brasserie Zedel. My husband and I also managed to squeeze in cocktails one night at Blind Spot, a dark, sexy lounge hidden behind a display case in the lobby coffee shop of the Hotel St. Martin.
As for the places we didn’t get to visit or more recently opened? Here’s a list of other bars/lounges where GT plan to enjoy a tipple on our next trip:Beaufort Bar at The Savoy for old school glamour (everything’s gold and jet black). The American Bar, also at The Savoy, is Britain’s oldest still-operating cocktail bar, serving “American Style” cocktails since 1893.
A little further out from center, Coupette in Bethnal Green (close to the BG underground stop), is a casual and cozy cocktail spot with some table seating. They make gorgeous cocktails (at reasonable prices).
The iconic Blue Bar and the newly re-designed Berkeley Bar & Terrace, at the Berkeley Hotel, are both stylish high-end, high-design destination bars.
The Lost Alpaca is a modern hideaway underneath the popular Peruvian restaurant Lima Floral. You can have a drink while you wait for your table, or, like many, you might choose to comfortably stay and dine down here instead.
Fitz’s Bar is a posh jazz-age bar and lounge in the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel.
Seymour’s Parlour at the Zetter Townhouse Hotel in Marylebone (there’s another Zetter Townhouse in Clerkenwell) is a handsome, eclectic, 18th-century inspired hideout tucked inside a townhouse hotel; lots of richly patterned fabrics, deep red paint, wood trim, knick-knacks, statues, flowers and other tchotchkes in the service of the backstory of a fictional Georgian rake by the name of Uncle Seymour. Looks cosy, comfortable and quirky.
The Vault (Through the Bookcase) is located in the basement of Milroy’s Whiskey Shop in Soho. You enter through a nondescript bookcase at the back of the shop, then head down the stairs to a small and cozy bar and lounge for well made cocktails. They specialize in whiskey, but serve everything, and they have a strict policy of “no stag parties or dickheads!” (their words!). Must book in advance.
At the dark and sultry The Bloomsbury Club, they have a main indoor bar area lined with books from the Bloomsbury Club era and a small heated outdoor terrace-area strung with fairy lights. The soundtrack is typically jazz. The only quirks: a mechanical tarot card reader “chooses” your drink (one of 14 specialty cocktails on the menu), so you can’t be picky and they book (and enforce) two-hour slots.
Others include Manetta’s, a jewel box under Flemings Mayfair, The Pine Bar at The Biltmore Mayfair Hotel, and Nine Lives, a casual cocktail lounge serving al fresco seafood tacos near London Bridge when the weather is good.
Restaurants: *****
During our last trip, we mainly had casual lunches and dinners with the memorable standout dinner being Jason Atherton’s Berners Tavern at The London Edition. The ambience, the drinks, the food and the service were all special and spot-on — I’d go back in a heartbeat. We also ate at the Ivy Market Grill, a lovely, slightly more casual offshoot of the famous Ivy (known as a hard-to-get reservation as well as a popular hangout for pre- and post-show theater folk) located in Covent Garden. Brasserie Zedel is a grand subterranean brasserie in the West End, with an impressive marble-columned setting and good if unremarkable food (be sure to enjoy the cool Bar Americain across the lobby for a martini pre- or post). Lastly, we had a fun pre-theatre dinner of burgers and gimlets at Joe Allen’s, sister to the famous, original NYC theater district restaurant and hangout.
Given how much we enjoyed Jason Atherton’s restaurant Berners Tavern, we’ll definitely check out some of his other London restaurants (he has dozens around the world) on our next visit, along with a few other interesting (and more casual) spots:Social Eating House — Atherton’s buzzy Soho outpost, with booths and moody lighting, has a relaxed, easy-going feel with friendly service, excellent food and local producers. Also has a “speakeasy” bar upstairs called The Blind Pig.
Pollen Street Social — Atherton’s flagship is where his restaurant empire began. With well-spaced tables covered in linen tablecloths, a nice bar for pre-dinner cocktails and the usual polished service, it is still extremely popular.
City Social — Yet another Atherton venue, this is located on the 24th floor of the high-rise Tower 42. It’s a handsome, modern setting with great views of the city (try to get a table at or facing the window — large parties should ask for one of the circular booths). Social 24 is the sophisticated and buzzy cocktail bar here and you can stop up for a drink with similar views and a little less formality if you’d prefer.
The Wolseley — This big, vaulted-ceiling brasserie standby in Piccadilly is open all day. Grand space, casual eatery.
Maison Francois — A stylish upscale brasserie in St. James with elements of brutalist, modernist and art-deco design (tall cement-coffered ceilings, terra cotta wall arches, dramatic chandeliers). Meaty menu. They also have a cocktail/wine bar on the premises called Franks.
Decimo — Michelin-starred Chef Peter Sanchez Iglesias cooks Spanish-Mexican cuisine on the 10th floor of the Standard Hotel London, with lovely views, dim lighting, sexy decor and entrance accessible only via the Standard’s fun exterior red-pill-shaped lift.
Trullo — It’s a straightforward, unfussy and well-reviewed modern Italian trattoria a little further out in residential Islington.
Brawn — A cute, airy dining room with large windows, white walls, and a varied, easy (i.e. GT-friendly) menu located on a corner out in East London.
The River Cafe — Located in Hammersmith on the banks of the Thames, this is a casual, all-day place, with a dining room (and terrace) facing the river. Sounds nice for spring or summer!
Sights: *****
Impossible to list them all here, but: Buckingham Palace (see Gimlet Traveler Tip below); The Tower of London; The Tate Modern Museum; The Victoria and Albert Museum; The National Gallery; a show in the West End…or at The National Theatre…or at The Old or New Vic…or perhaps at The Royal Shakespeare Company; lovely Hyde Park and the adjacent Kensington Gardens; Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament; Westminster Abbey; St. Paul’s Cathedral; The London Eye Ferris wheel; the observation decks on the 68th-70th floors of Renzo Piano’s Shard Building (aka The View from The Shard); the cacophonous and neon-lit Piccadilly Circus; and on and on… . And that’s not to mention simply walking through all of London’s diverse neighborhoods.
GT Tip: Buckingham Palace is only open to the public when the Royal Family isn’t in residence (typically from late July through October). Tickets are timed and you should book in advance. A ticket gives you access to the state rooms only, not to the private living quarters (so don’t expect to see Lizzie’s loo), but these are spectacular and well worth it. Also, photography is prohibited while inside the building (so adjust your selfie-expectations in advance).Shopping: *****
Harrods, the iconic original (and the largest store in the UK) and always worth a visit (especially if you’ve never been), Harvey Nichols (primarily known for upscale fashion) and Selfridges (the second largest store) are the big department stores. Liberty of London, a luxury Brit-centric department store in a mock-tudor building in the West End, is most famous for its bold, floral print fabrics and working with British artists and designers early in their careers. Visit Portobello Market in Notting Hill for everything from legitimate antique silver pieces to Princess Diana plates — and everything in between. While you’re in the neighborhood you can stop in at the Notting Hill Bookstore and pretend you’re a flip-flop wearing Julia Roberts — or a floppy-haired Hugh Grant. The Seven Dials area is a cute area to shop (if confusing to navigate). It’s a convergence of seven streets all of which merge into a traffic circle, roughly connecting the West End theatre district with the fashionable shopping area around Neal’s Yard. There're lots of mainstream shopping on Bond Street, Regent Street, and Oxford Streets. For funkier stuff, British designers, indie boutiques and a cooler creative vibe head to Carnaby, Shoreditch or Hackney. We also liked Marylebone, which has nice boutiques and many places to grab a bite- including a Selfridge’s Food Hall, as well as large branches of modern design shops Conrans and Skandium.
Review of Sea Containers London. Rating: *****
The Mondrian (now Sea Containers London) Hotel is located on London's south bank, which is rife with easily walkable cultural and leisure options (The Tate Modern, The Globe Theatre, The National Theatre, The London Eye etc.) and which also means nice views of the Thames and the city (assuming you are on the correct side of the hotel — worth the splurge in my opinion). The hotel itself is very modern and stylish — not your traditional British hotel if that is what you're looking for — but rather a Schrager-esque mod property (I believe Tom Dixon designed the rooms and some of the public spaces). Staff is friendly and helpful from the front desk to the concierge, and unless called upon, otherwise unobtrusive. The restaurant is not cheap, but serves a nice breakfast, and there are several bar options in the hotel, including a glamorous rooftop bar with lovely views. The rooms are minimalist/stylish, but have everything you could need — and the beds are very comfy. The one small thing I would change if given the choice is the mirror lighting in the bathrooms, which run up one side of the mirror only and are fluorescent — giving you an unpleasant glow and placing half of your face in shadow. That small quip aside, this is a stylish, modern, cool, full-service hotel in a nice alternative location that is still convenient to the sights and shopping of London.
Date of stay: September 2015
Room tip: Get a Thames-side room. We upgraded to a riverview suite at check-in, which was a very spacious suite with great bathroom and smashing views.
Review of The London EDITION. Rating: *****
The London Edition is a serious luxury hotel; from the public spaces to the cocoon-like and modern-elegant super-quiet hallways and rooms, all details have been considered here. The service also is terrific and not stuffy — they will try to anticipate your every need and everyone we encountered was very friendly. Add to that the lovely Punch Room bar (by reservation only), a dramatic lobby bar and the gorgeous, but still casual Berner's Tavern restaurant, where we ate on our last night in London, and while none of it comes cheap, it really is the whole package.
Date of stay: September 2015
Room tip: We were in a standard king on the top floor. One of the smaller rooms, but still spacious, lovely, quiet and fully-equipped.
Other Hotels Choices:
The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone — There is another, equally cute Zetter Townhouse in Clerkenwell, as well as a Zetter Hotel, but we prefer the Marylebone neighborhood. It’s got a super-cute cocktail lounge, Seymour’s Parlour (noted above).
The Laslett Notting Hill — Near Kensington Palace and Gardens, there aren’t many affordable-upscale options in this area. This one has 51stylishly modern rooms set across five townhouses. There’s a bar/coffee shop (Henderson’s) and an artsy “curiosity shop” on the ground floor, which has a “living-room” feel.
Vintry & Mercer — Located near St. Pauls Cathedral and the London Bridge in the heart of the City of London neighborhood and also just across the Thames from The Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It’s a cute new boutique property with cozy rooms, a basement speakeasy called DND (for Do Not Disturb) and a rooftop restaurant and bar.
Other stylish boutique hotels: We always consider a Hoxton for value + style, and there are now two to choose from in London: the original in Shoreditch, and the newer in Southwark. There is also now a Standard Hotel in London, typically fun and funky, with modern colorful rooms in a renovated brutalist building with several drinking and eating venues. Plus, any of the Firmdale Hotels, a chain which originated in London, are always interesting. All are decorated by designer Kit Kemp and provide (at a price), top-notch service and lots of character by way of the eclectic decor and brightly colored fabrics. These include the Hamyard, Charlotte Street, Covent Garden, and Haymarket hotels, plus a couple of smaller townhouse hotels.
And then the Grande Dames: The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, The Four Seasons London, The Ritz London, The Corinthia, The Hotel Savoy, Claridge’s, The Langham, the Dorchester, The Connaught, The Berkeley …….if you can afford them!
Below is a map of hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping and sights found during our research. We didn’t have time to visit all of them during our trip, but all were of interest. Click on the icon at top left of the map to view the legend. Or you can click on the full-screen icon at top right to expand, which will also bring up the legend.
