NEIGHBOURHOOD GUIDE TO LONDON

People will tell you that London is a city – but they’re wrong. In fact, London is an area made up of hundreds of unique, tiny cities, all working together in unity.

If you’re into over-priced shopping sprees, Chelsea is the place to go. If you appreciate good dim sum, Chinatown is your man. For the museum district, head to Kensington. For Buddhist Temples, there’s nowhere better than Wimbledon. With London, there’s always a little something for everyone… and here’s what each neighbourhood offers.

CHINATOWN

Chinatown is probably my favourite London neighbourhood – and with good reason. If you’re looking for traditional dim sum, they have plenty of it, and the word “tea” is met with some of the nicest tea bars around.

The area is filled with stone lions, contemporary art sculptures, and the most divine Qing-era style gates which overlook the whole neighbourhood. I have spent many a day just in Chinatown purchasing beautiful teaware, trying on handmade clothing, and attending the Chinese New Year festivities, which typically happen between January and February and are a hub for spectacular parades and pop-up food and craft stalls.

Located between Soho and Covent Garden, Chinatown is one of the liveliest, most colourful pockets of the city. Whilst the area was originally a head for Cantonese and Southern Chinese cuisine, it is now full of places representing Northern China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Japan, and Thailand. Honestly, my stomach is rumbling just thinking about the delicious food there.

Talking about food, a first-timer to Chinatown will likely find themselves overwhelmed with offers of wonderful places to eat. There’s Korean BBQ, bottomless green tea, broth-filled dumplings restaurants, pho spots, shop windows filled with roast duck, cake shops, matcha cafes, ‘dirty ice cream’ (that delicious salt-and-ice cream sold on the streets of Manila)… it truly is a foodie haven! Some of my personal favourite places to eat at are Lido (best Cantonese food), Gerrad’s Corner (best dim sum), Jen Cafe (best jiaozi), Good Friend Chicken (best… chicken), Happy Lemon (best bubble tea), and Opium (best loose leaf tea).

SOHO

Soho feels like a world away from anywhere else in London, known for its LGBTQ+ community, risqué vibes, and music scene (with Carnaby leading the way in the 60s). Bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Charing Cross Road, and Chinatown, Soho is a chaotic mis-match of cultures and atmospheres.

One of the biggest things that visitors do in Soho is spend every last penny they own. There are 14 streets in Carnaby which are known for their unique and independent stores showcasing first-class fashion, vintage vinyls, and funky musical instruments that haven’t been seen since the 1600’s. One of the best-known shops in Soho is Liberty, the mock Tudor department store that has been featured in pretty much every single movie ever made about London. Liberty alone is a maze – good luck with the rest of Soho!

Of course, Soho is also filled with delicious food places. Here, you can find everything that your little heart desires – from Lebanese pastries to Spanish tapas to Indian masala chai to American burgers. Of course, there’s also a helluva lot of bars and pubs to hang out in (namely, super funky jazz clubs and gay bars).

Before you leave Soho, you should stop to watch a theatre show, buy a million books at Foyles, wander down to Leicester Square to watch the buskers, and finally stop for tea at Soho Square, and I swear it’ll quickly become one of your favourite places in the city.

 

COVENT GARDEN

No, Covent Garden is not an actual garden. But it is absolutely filled to the brim with alleys and courtyards and little secret areas to explore, which is equally as cool.

The Jubilee Market is arguably one of the best-known places in Covent Garden, where you can purchase anything from candle-filled teacups to vintage postcards to homemade tarts. It’s a whirlwind, let me tell you.

If you’re looking for books, then Covent Garden will leave you spoiled for choice! For travel books, head to Stanfords. For second-hand books on the soul, check out Watkins Books. And of course, for magical books featuring everything occult, you should find yourself in the Atlantis Bookshop.

Neal’s Yard is one of the prettiest streets in London, where every single business is dedicated to sustainable and ethical commercial practices. It’s one area in Covent Garden that you CANNOT miss!

KENSINGTON

If you’re looking for museums, then London’s Kensington is a museum haven. Be sure not to miss:

V&A Museum: Having first opened in 1852, the V&A (Victoria and Albert) is the world’s leading museum on art and design. Galleries cover everything from mini-skirts to Maharajah furniture, along with a leading treasure being the Ardabil carpet (the world’s oldest). General admission is free. 

Natural History Museum: My personal favourite, the Natural History Museum is filled with the most wonderful exhibitions. There’s a gallery on dinosaurs, mammals, human evolution, meteorites, gemstones, trees, earthquakes, even fossil marine reptiles. Add in the delicious pastries at the Central Cafe, and you have one of the best museums in the world. General admission is free.

Design Museum: I have memories (or fever dreams, call it what you will) of visiting this museum as a child, and suddenly finding myself enveloped by massive armchairs shaped like baseball gloves, sculptural installations that look like humanoid robots, and lamps triple my height that look just like the one that squished the I in Pixar. It’s a great place to visit. General admission is free.

Science Museum: Suitable for all ages, this museum is perfect for nerds and geeks alike. There’s exhibitions on space, astronauts, trains, medicine… there’s even an IMAX! Their exhibitions range from education to humbling, and all in all, it’s a great place to explore. General admission is free.

SHOREDITCH

Shoreditch is a super trendy area where vintage and design shops are plentiful, artists live in every cafe, and vegan food is always on the menu.

One of the areas that Shoreditch is most famous for is Brick Lane. This little street is known for its vibrant art and fashion student population, who complete their degrees and move straight into opening their own galleries, vintage clothing shops, pop-up event spaces, and independent record houses. Along with that, Brick Lane is a go-to for those who enjoy specialist coffees and independent cafes – believe me when I say that everyone here is off their tits on caffeine.

Another thing that is so great about Shoreditch is its street art. The two go hand in hand, with Shoreditch always setting the standards for the international street art scene. It’s pretty impressive – street art is everywhere, down every alley and on every wheelie bin, and the whole area is just one big canvas for up-and-coming artists and still-and-came artists (namely, Banksy).

Along with that, if you’re looking for delicious food markets, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Shoreditch. There’s Boxpark (a little food market based in a shipping container), Urban Food Fest (the weekly orgasmic food market), and Old Spitalfields (handmade Portuguese tarts, anyone?).

But the best thing to do in Shoreditch? Go on a Walk Eat Talk Eat food tour with Eddie Weaver.

Last month, I was lucky enough to attend a food tour with Eddie, and quite frankly, it was one of my favourite experiences in London.

As we walked and talked, Eddie filled us in on the journey of the business. Walk Eat Talk Eat started in 2011, when there was only one other company doing food and drink tours in London. Since then, it has grown into London’s best food tour, introducing visitors across London to a load of wonderful little places just brimming with stories and history.

To begin our tour, Eddie took us to Sagardi, a delicious restaurant which specialises in cuisine from the Basque region. We tried all kinds of pintxos, meats, and pimientos, and chatted with easygoing Eddie as though we were old friends. He told us a bunch of facts that I didn’t know (such as that 10% of Basque country is actually in France), and one of the waiters brought out a hunk of beef and explained how exactly it was processed and aged.

Then, we headed to Crosstown, stopping along the way to inspect the intricate and very missable painted gum splats on the floor. We tried the pandan glaze doughnut just in time for Chinese New Year, along with the pistachio glaze with custard. For Eddie this was somewhat bittersweet – when he had picked them up for us before the tour, his rent-a-bike was stolen. Still, he was jovial about the tour, telling us all about the slums that used to flourish around us, showing us photographs and videos from his iPad whilst doing so – something I had never experienced before on a food tour.

He pointed out the colour-coded pubs and underground stations dotted around the area, and explained that they were so that the illiterate knew where to go. He also told us that the fire service used to be privatised, with different houses paying for different services. As such, to mark their designated service, these houses had little plates on the walls – another historical quirk which would have been missed if not pointed out.

Eddie then walked us through Brick Lane, passing by a Banksy and other funky street art, and stopping outside Beigal Bake, a bakery known for its traditional Jewish-style filled bagels. We had a salted beef beigel with pickle and mustard, and frankly, it was absolutely delicious.

We wandered through to one of my favourite places on the tour: Dark Sugars. This shop is run by a Ghanaian lady called Nyanga who initially started small in Spitalfields and Borough Market, selling chocolate from her family’s farm back home. When we walked in, we were surrounded by cocoa pods and West African decor, and oh man, it smelt so good. We picked out some truffles and snacked on them as Eddie took us through to Banglatown.

This area was super interesting, with the street signs both in English and Bengal. As we headed to our next stop, we passed by the London Tea Exchange, an off-tour place that Eddie was keen to take us to once he knew about our tea business. Absolutely massive, the shop was filled with over 800 kinds of tea, and the owner talked to us about the origin of his blends before offering us endless samples of teas that he thought we’d like. It was an unexpected stop that was a whole load of fun.

We then stopped at the RajMahal, a Bangladeshi sweet and snack shop. Eddie had been incredibly careful with my (somewhat endless) food intolerances for the whole tour, making sure that I never missed out on trying any of the food. As such, prior to the tour he tried the Bengali Veg Shingara to make sure that it didn’t contain any onion (it didn’t). It was absolutely delicious, and lasted me to our final stop: Kill the Kat.

Whilst I’m not a big beer drinker, I did enjoy the craft beer tasting. The woman running it was super lovely, and the community aspect of the shop was similar to the culture which I have experienced with tea. It was super interesting to be surrounded by people that knew craft beer like I know handcrafted tea, and it was great to sit down in such a lovely place, chatting more to Eddie. We did all this in Spitalfields – which I know now was previously called Hospitalfields.

All in all, the tour was a clear highlight of my London trip, and I loved every second. Eddie was very easy to talk to and incredibly engaging whilst detailing the complex – and yet largely unknown – history of backstreet London. It was great being able to see this place that I had lived for so many years in an entirely new light – and the food is something I simply can’t get out of my mind.

This is a food tour that I could easily return to again and again.

NOTTING HILL

Arguably, Notting Hill is one of London’s prettiest neighbourhood, where almost every street is lined with bright rainbow-colour houses. Reminiscent of Old Havana, this super vibrant and trendy area is filled with quaint vintage shops, homely brunch cafes, and vintage vinyl shops, and is a place that quickly grows in the heart.

The first ever mention of Notting Hill actually dates back to the 14th century, when it was a teeny tiny village next to London. It was known for its pig farms and brickyards, and it took a while to be swallowed up into London’s drive for expansion. By the 20th century, Notting Hill was made up of slums, and was a horrendous place to live, filled with severe malnourishment, disease, and racial violence.

Eventually, the neighbourhood was completely re-vitalised, partly due to the 1999 film starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Notting Hill. Now, it’s an incredibly expensive area to live, and only upper middle-class and not-so-struggling artists can afford to live here.

There’s plenty to do in Notting Hill that isn’t just wandering the colourful rows of houses at Portobello Road or Denbigh Terrace. For example, you can take a stroll through St Luke’s Mews, which used to be the stables for London’s richest residents and is now just a beautiful area filled with greenery and mini mansions. You can also check out the beautiful bookstores, eat delicious food at high-end restaurants, or attend the Notting Hill Carnival: a two-day celebration of Caribbean culture that now hosts over two million visitors a year.

GREENWICH

Greenwich has an entirely different vibe to the rest of London. Sitting on the banks of the River Thames, a lot of the things to do in the area are somewhat related to its maritime history. There’s the Cutty Sark ( the restored 19th-century ship), the massive National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College (and the INCREDIBLE music shows that go on there), and of course, the O2 Arena where Ed Sheeran played that one time.

Greenwich Market is another great place to check out. Open seven days a week, this funky little area is filled with street food from around the world, endless stalls of crafts and antiques, and even seasonal events.

Greenwich Park is one of my favourite places in Greenwich, as it offers absolutely incredible views over the River Thames and the City of London. The park used to be used for hunting deer, and as such, there is still a small herd of deer resident in the park. For a bagel with a view, head to one of Greenwich’s wonderful cafes, and stare longingly at the rest of the million cities within a city that you have left to explore.

This is also where the UK gets its timezone from – GMT, meaning Greenwich Mean Time.

WIMBLEDON

A neighbourhood guide to London would not be complete without mentioning Wimbledon – and namely, Buddhapadipa Temple. This Thai Buddhist temple was the first to be built in the UK, and is a true hidden gem. Whenever I go back to London, I tend to spend at least half of my trip nestled away at this temple, and I couldn’t imagine any better way to spend the holidays.

Home to nuns and monks, Buddhapadipa is a great place to slow down, meditate, and learn about your true spiritual path. Not only can you attend meditation classes where afterwards you’re welcomed into the monks’ house for tea, cakes, and conversation, but they often hold Buddhist celebrations and festivals here. Surrounded by Thai families and one or two white monks, it feels a million miles away from the rest of Wimbledon.

The name Buddhapadipa translates to ‘light of the Buddha’ in the Buddhist canonical language of Pali – and it’s clear how the temple got its name. Walk through the doors and be welcomed with the most incredible murals, depicting endless vibrant and intricate scenes in the history of Buddhism. Believe me when I say that it’s one of the most beautiful sights in the whole of London.

Apparently Wimbledon also has tennis and stuff, but who cares about that?

WESTMINSTER

Of course, one of the main things to do in Westminster is visit Westminster Abbey. Along with being a place of worship, Westminster Abbey is also a house of artefacts and burials. Once you step inside the abbey, I have no doubt that you will be completely blown away by the sheer scale of the place. Having hosted nearly 20 royal weddings and every single British coronation, it has a mighty name to live up to – and that it does with ease.

You can also visit the Palace of Westminster, AKA the Houses of Parliament. Taking a tour around this marvellous building is such an incredible experience – you never realise how truly historical a city London is until you wander through its deepest chambers. Of course, at the end of the Palace of Westminster is Big Ben, that infamous clock that strikes louder than a busker on the underground.

St James’ Park is a 23-hectare park in the middle of Westminster, where you can spend hours upon hours wandering its grounds or relaxing in the shade of one of its many trees. I’ve had some of the best picnics of my life in this wonderful park.

As everyone knows, Buckingham Palace is the official home of Queen Elizabeth, and you can actually visit the palace staterooms between July and October. The Palace is a must-see on any visitor itinerary, and I’m yet to see a weeb bucket list that doesn’t mention witnessing the Changing of the Guards, where the Queen’s Guard perform a traditional ceremony in their funky little red coats and bearskin hats.

Another must-visit place in Westminster is Trafalgar Square, home to the National Gallery. IT’s a super busy little square where all kinds of events are held, from outdoor theatres to rallies and demonstrations. Psst: apparently security spend their whole lives trying to stop tourists from climbing atop the lion sculptures at the base of Nelson’s Column… but believe me, it’s a mighty fine view from the top!

Slightly off the beaten track in Westminster are the Churchill War Rooms. This is where Churchill and his cabinet managed the war efforts, and as such, the rooms offer an interesting insight into the history of the second world war.

CHELSEA

I’ll be honest, I’m not too big a fan of Chelsea. It’s all Louis Vuitton bags and 5am fitness fanatics and more plastic surgery than I have draft articles. Saying that, if you’re into posh houses, high-end shopping, popular football clubs, RHS flower shows, and affluent London districts, then this might be just up your street.

Some of my personal favourite places in Chelsea are John Sandoe Books (a super pretty bookstore), Sloane Square (delicious – but expensive – restaurants), and the Saatchi Gallery (a fancy art gallery). The only other things to do in the area is shop and walk purebred poodles.

CAMDEN

Camden is little like a more laid-back Shoreditch – Shoreditch without the steroids. It has the same sort of vibe with its vintage shops, vegan cafes, and beautiful street art, but Camden is a little bit more chill.

Perhaps the vibe is a little different due to the fact that for a hundred or so years, Camden was an abandoned North London town filled with wash-outs and down-and-outs. Apparently, it was a pretty depressing place to live. But then in July 1976, for reasons somewhat unknown, Camden absolutely exploded with the era of punk. For the rest of the 70s and 80s, you couldn’t walk five minutes without seeing a bright green mohican.

Now, Camden still has that low-key punk vibe, which you can clearly tell in the street art and the way that the area is run. If there’s ever a place in London to find denim jackets and motorbike gear, Camden is it!

Take a wander through Camden Town and end up at Camden Lock, where hilarious little barges and narrowboats squeeze down the canal. Across from there is Camden Market. Filled to the absolute brim with trinkets, clothes, and pastries, it’s the sort of indoor market where you will never be able to visit every stall. It gets super busy at lunchtime and on weekends, but imo, that only adds to the experience!

Just down the road from Camden is London Zoo in Regent’s Park, which is conveniently located a five-minute walk from Little Venice. Add the two together, and you have the perfect place to go on a little date.

SOUTHWARK

Sure, Southwark has sights such as the Shard, London Bridge, the Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre, and the HMS Belfast, but I know that what you’re all really here for is Borough Market.

BRIXTON

Brixton is a rugged little London district, filled with international food markets, music concerts, and bustling nightlife.

If you’re into craft beer, gyoza, plantain, and curry, the Brixton foodie scene is the place for you! Brixton Market is one of the best-known food markets, where you can pick up any fruits, vegetables and meats that your little heart desires. There’s a lot of Caribbean stalls, so be prepared to be salivating all day long!

Market Row is a covered Brixton arcade where you can pick up absolutely any type of food you’re craving. After an Italian pizza? They’ve got you. Mexican burritos? Easy. Lebanese falafel? Consider it done.

Some other Brixton highlights are the Ritzy Cinema, Brockwell Park, Brixton Village, and a million and one nightclubs. For a crazy night out in London, Brixton is sure to not disappoint.

RICHMOND

First things first, Richmond Park is absolutely massive. It has an insane 2,500 acres of parkland just waiting to be explored, and you can do so via walking, roaming, running, or cycling. Except to run into at least one family of deer as you do so.

There’s also Richmond Green, which is a fair bit smaller than Richmond Park but is still a cute place to visit. It has been a meeting point since the Middle Ages, where it housed a whole bunch of bloody jousting tournaments. Now, it’s more locals and cricketers, but the overall vibe is still the same.

Richmond Riverside is a super cute walk along the river. Dip into funky restaurants and shops, and enjoy the farmer’s market that pops up every Saturday. They have a whole bunch of quaint little cafes and clothing shops, and all in all, it feels like a very friendly, very middle-class English neighbourhood.

If you’re into flowers and fungi, then boy, do I have the place for you! Just outside of Richmond is an area called Richmond upon Thames, you can find the wonderful Kew Gardens. Not only is Kew Gardens a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but its arboretum also happens to be one of my favourite places in London. Filled with pretty much every single plant you can imagine: from avocados to Asian rice to turmeric to cacti twice my height, it’s such a beautiful place to spend a few hours.

SOUTHBANK

If you’ve ever been a tourist in London, then there’s no doubt that you’ve spent time at Southbank. It’s the London that everyone recognises from the movies, with an exciting mix of both historical and Brutalist buildings, picturesque views of the city and river, and endless theatres, art galleries, and buskers.

One of the best things about Southbank is the fact that whilst on a stroll along the riverside, you will undoubtedly stumble past both food and second-hand book markets. In the winter, a massive market is erected, with Germanic wooden huts covered in glitter and fairy lights, where the air smells like mulled wine and sausage. It almost makes me like Christmas.

There’s a million different types of art in Southbank, with different genres for different art connoisseurs. For example, street artists may visit the Leake Street Tunnel for its graffiti showcase, whereas vegan art students might head over to the Hayward Gallery for its funky exhibitions.

This is also where you can do some of the big touristy sights in the city: the London Eye, SEA LIFE Centre, London Dungeons, Shrek’s Adventure.

And so, that summarises my neighbourhood guide to London! I hope you guys have enjoyed reading about the city that never stops giving, and that it has given you some ideas for your next city trip. If it has BLOWN your mind on what London can be, let me know in the comments below!

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