A cultural guide to London

All cities have history. London makes history. For visitors and Londoners alike, the possibilities of this ever-evolving metropolis are infinite: In a single day you might find yourself absorbing mind-blowing art at Tate Modern on the South Bank, shopping for investment pieces at Dover St Market concept store, enjoying a Punchdrunk immersive theater performance in a Woolwich warehouse, and sipping champagne atop The Gherkin, one of London’s most celebrated (certainly its most comically named) skyscraper.

In 1777, the writer Samuel Johnson famously explained London’s inexhaustible appeal thus: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” and we challenge any 21st-century traveler to disagree.   

Art & architecture

The old always sits elegantly alongside the new in London, perhaps most pointedly in the case of the grand, baroque St Paul’s Cathedral, flanked by skyscrapers. Visiting the Greek Revival-style British Museum in Bloomsbury is a must, but make time for smaller, equally enthralling collections like Sir John Soane’s Museum. A Thames Clipper transports you in style between the recently rehung Tate Britain, the best place to see Pre-Raphaelite works and the Turner collection, and contemporary Tate Modern, a short riverside stroll from the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery and the London Eye, for the best vantage point in the city. In Kensington, among the decorative arts at Victoria & Albert Museum you’ll find Freddie Mercury’s collection of art-deco vanity cases and a program of blockbuster pop-culture shows. And in Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery houses unmissable Renaissance art in the Sainsbury Wing.

Food & drink

There are simply not enough meals in a day during any trip to London. Foodies should prioritize Borough Market, a culinary utopia that makes the perfect interlude between visits to The Shard, Southwark Cathedral and the cultural delights of the South Bank. You’ll also want to take afternoon tea at Brown’s, Fortnum & Mason, The Ritz, The Goring or The Langham. Venture to hip Shoreditch to savor modern-British fine dining at the Clove Club and St. John Bread & Wine, and British-meets-Basque food at BRAT. 

Southeast Asian, Latin American, Caribbean and European restaurants abound, but considering London’s first Indian restaurant opened in 1810, Indian cuisine is a specialty. The Bombay café-style fare at Dishoom, with six locations, including Soho and King’s Cross, is a current hot table, but book ahead to avoid the queues. The city is also home to 80 Michelin-starred restaurants, including the two-star Raj-era cuisine at Gymkhana in Mayfair.  

Shopping

The variety of districts can be overwhelming, but begin with Oxford Circus’s high-street stores and the iconic department stores of Selfridges, Liberty and Fortnum & Mason (you’ll find high-end names nearby on Bond Street and tailoring on Savile Row). Designer fans should make a pilgrimage to Harrods and Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge for the classics, or Dover Street Market for cutting-edge labels. Portobello Market in Notting Hill is rightly famous for antiques and vintage fashion, while the East End’s Columbia Road Market is now as notable for interiors stores as it is the weekend flower vendors. For serious shoppers with their hearts set on designer bargains, a side-trip to the outlet malls of Bicester Village is worthwhile, particularly for homegrown British brands like Stella McCartney, Holland Cooper and Barbour. Take the direct train from Marylebone station to reach them in around an hour. 

Stage

The bright lights of London’s West End are an international draw for theater-lovers. There you’ll find long-running musicals like Cabaret and Matilda the Musical alongside star-studded dramas. For atmosphere alone it’s hard to beat Shakespeare’s Globe and the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse; for dance it’s Sadler’s Wells, while classical music lovers will find the London Symphony Orchestra at home at the Barbican, a brutalist architectural gem.