Things to do in London
Soho plates, Mayfair parks, and a slow morning in Notting Hill.
This is London for someone who'd rather spend on one serious dinner and a well-made cocktail than on a tourist trap lunch. The days move between Soho's compact streets, the quieter pleasures of Mayfair and Marylebone, and a westward drift into Notting Hill by day three. You won't need a car, you won't feel like a tourist, and you'll eat very well.
Day 1: Soho, the British Museum, and Berenjak
Start with good coffee and free world-class culture, then let the evening build toward Persian sharing plates and a proper Soho cocktail bar.
- 9:30 AM
Redemption Roasters
Drury Lane café from the roaster that trains people in prison as baristas; a flat white before the museum.
Map - 10:15 AM
The British Museum
Pick one wing, Egyptian sculptures or Parthenon marbles, free and 90 mins is plenty.
Map - 12:30 PM
Victoria House Coffee & Food
Bloomsbury café on Coptic Street, a minute from the British Museum; all-day brunch with organic eggs.
Map - 4:30 PM
St James's Park
Stand on the Blue Bridge for the view to Whitehall's rooftops, then cut up through Piccadilly to Soho.
Map - 7:30 PM
Berenjak Soho
Tehran style kebabs on Romilly Street; get the koobideh, the hummus and bread straight from the clay oven.
Map
Day 2: Carnaby, the Wallace Collection, and Mayfair at night
A matcha by the Wallace, one of London's best free museums, a chop lunch at Blacklock, and Spanish plates at Sabor to close.
- 9:30 AM
How Matcha
A Marylebone matcha bar two minutes from the Wallace; order a ceremonial grade matcha latte.
Map - 10:30 AM
The Wallace Collection
Free Wallace Collection, world-class paintings and armour in a gorgeous townhouse, a proper locals' favourite.
Map - 12:30 PM
Blacklock Soho
A basement chophouse on Great Windmill Street; order the All In, a pile of chops on grilled flatbread.
Map - 4:30 PM
Berkeley Square
Sit under plane trees planted in the 1780s, among the oldest in central London, in Mayfair's grandest square.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sabor
Nieves Barragán's Spanish counter off Regent Street; sit at the bar for prawns, jamón and a glass of fino.
Map - 9:30 PM
SOMA Soho
Kricket's late night bar on Denman Street; cocktails built on Indian spices, jazz early and hip hop later.
Map
Day 3: Notting Hill, Kensington, and a slow drift west
Pastel de nata on Golborne Road, Kensington Gardens, lunch and the palace, then dinner at Dove in Notting Hill and a pint in Brook Green.
- 9:30 AM
Lisboa Patisserie
Local institution on Golborne Road, strong espresso and a pastel de nata to start the day.
Map - 10:15 AM
Kensington Gardens
Walk past the Italian Gardens and along the Long Water to the Peter Pan statue.
Map - 12:30 PM
Dishoom Kensington
Dishoom in the old Barkers department store; order the black daal, a chicken ruby and a house chai.
Map - 2:30 PM
Kensington Palace
Explore the State Apartments and the Victoria exhibition, a landmark worth the hour inside.
Map - 7:30 PM
Dove Restaurant
Jackson Boxer's Notting Hill room built for sharing; whole grilled fish and plenty of wine by the glass.
Map - 9:30 PM
The Havelock Tavern
A Brook Green corner gastropub with a good beer list; a short cab from Dove for the last pint.
Map
Where to stay
The Hoxton, Holborn
A friendly Holborn hotel at a fair price, a walk from the British Museum, Covent Garden and Soho.
The Zetter Marylebone
Stylish Marylebone base a short walk from the Wallace Collection and an easy tube ride to Soho and Notting Hill.
Make London your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Tower of London: weeks ahead
- The British Museum: a few days ahead
- National Gallery: a few days ahead
- Tate Modern: a few days ahead
- West End: weeks ahead
- Sky Garden: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Madame Tussauds and the big paid immersive experiences around it.
- The London Eye at full price in a midday queue and the Shard viewing platform, when free views exist.
- Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus restaurants, Angus Steakhouse type chains and any place with a tout.
- Oxford Street candy and souvenir shops. Buy nothing there.
The full London travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around