Now that I live in London, I've often played hosts to friends who've been keen to spend the weekend here, without having to break the bank (that's where I come in handy - my sofa vs an overpriced hotel room always goes down well, and I'm a real bargain hunter).
Big Ben, London Eye, and Oxford Street - I'm all for seeing a tourist hotspot if you've not seen them, but if you're looking to explore London like a local (and on the cheap) then my 3-day London itinerary will have you jumping about from borough to borough.
This list is jam-packed full of places I often recommend to people when they come to me for London tips.
📍 Astor Hyde Park Hostel
From £20pn for a small dorm or £75 for a twin/double
I've not got a lot of recommendations for places to stay in London, but I stayed here once and really loved it - perfect location, stylish decor, and free brekky. I stayed in the YHA in Earls Court as well, but I wasn't as much of a fan. Alternatively, Air BnB always seem to have some decent deals.
🥐 Breakfast: Start your day in Spitalfields Market, a lively little spot filled with independent eateries, arts, crafts and other lovely bits. Sit down in one of the restaurants, or pick up some freshly brewed coffee and wander around the stalls.
⛳️ Walk off the many sampled dishes to Brick Lane - it only takes 10 minutes - and get yourself to Junkyard Golf. I'm a sucker for a good activity, and this place never fails to put a smile on my face: Neon lights, novelty/film-inspired crazy golf courses, and quirky cocktails - what's not to love? Plus, it's only £11-£13 a game, so it's an affordable and fun way to pass the time.
👛 Afterwards, you've got the labyrinth of Brick Lane to explore. Vintage shops (the Vintage Market is a must!), an eclectic mix of bars (Monty's is a cool little place, with cheap drinks), and loads of food stalls. Plus, if you're a lover of street art, this little spot is adorned with all sorts of graffiti, and I've heard on good authority that the Shoreditch Street Art tour is great if you want to squeeze in another activity.
After this, it's all about the drinks. It totally depends on the type of place you're looking for - I'm definitely geared more towards the casual haunts than the fancy places. On the other hand, I'm not really into the edgy scene either. Just a bog-standard drinks type of gal - don't @ me.
📚 Book club: This is probably the quirkiest of my Shoreditch collection - they're a bustling little culture hub, a blend of cafe vibes and laid-back cocktail spot during the day (also home to a Ping Pong table, FYI), occasional hosts of art exhibitions and workshops, and also plays home to an eclectic mix of nightly DJ's and late-night sessions. I might even go so far as to say it's my fave little place in Shoreditch.
🎶 Queen of Hoxton: Live music, art installations, and a cracking rooftop to boot, you can't really go wrong with a night at QOH. Plus, it's got a £5 happy hour for prosecco and cocktails between Wednesday-Friday.
🎸 Old Street Records: You can find branches of this place dotted all around London, and I love them all. Live music every night, cool music-themed decor, a host of different deals - and the best deal of them all... £6 cocktails and pizza til 6pm errrry-damn-day.
🎷 Blues Kitchen: Another live music venue found around London (and even Manchester), this fab little Blues spot has a social calendar bursting with top-notch events, like soul nights, bourbon, BBQ and blues nights, £5 cocktails on a Wednesday and a banging bottomless brunch.
🍻 Crown and Shuttle: Super casual pub that's just as good on a weeknight as it is at the weekend (it's always been busy when I've been) - I love coming here in the summer because it's got a great beer garden with a lively atmosphere, and a lovely little food truck in the garden.
🍭 Box Park: I can't talk about going out around here without mentioning Box Park - a giant shipping container packed full of independent eateries, bars and shops with live music. Totally unique, and a great place to chill out for a few hours.
Ordinarily, I don't think a lot of people talk about West London when they offer tips to tourists coming here, but because I used to work in High Street Kensington (RIP STA Travel) I had plenty of time to explore the surrounding area... and I love it. It's definitely on the pricier side, so I'm hoping this will be a bit of a budget guide to spending a day in West London.
☕️ Breakfast: Grab a bite and a coffee at Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill - a must for fans of Notting Hill (make sure to go on the hunt for the Notting Hill Bookshop and the little blue door). A bustling street lined with colourful houses, antique shops, and quirky little stalls... pick up a rare book, vintage trinket, and a drink or two in one of the charming pubs. If you can't afford the limited edition books (I'm with you there), there's a great little second-hand bookshop that I could spend hours in.
🍺 Afternoon tipple: Mall Tavern is a cute little pub you'll find on the walk towards High Street Kensington - and although I've only actually been during the week (they have a great happy hour) they've got twenty beer taps to get stuck into... and that's good any day of the week.
🍲 Lunch: Be sure to be a keen bean and book ahead for this one, because it's popular for a reason! Churchill Arms is my fave little place in West London... weird and wonderful, it pays homage to Winston Churchill in the little pub area, but round the back, there's a family-run Thai restaurant, serving super authentic dishes for a really affordable price. You'll notice it straight away on the walk there, as the pub is adorned with lovely colourful flowers.
🎋 A little wander: Walk off all that tasty food with a wander to either Kensington Gardens or the Kyoto Japanese Garden (they're in opposite directions - although, if you fancy a bit more walking, they're not too far apart so you could do both). The Japanese Gardens is in the heart of Holland Park, it's a pretty little oasis with peacocks, fish, exotic plants, a pond and a waterfall. A tranquil little spot tucked away from the chaos of the high street. Kensington Gardens - in the other direction - is huge, and you can walk all the way to Hyde Park, if you want to get your steps in. Plus, you can also have a nosey at Kensington Palace. Hey Kate, Hey Will. 👋
🍛 Dinner: I found it hard to pick between these two restaurants, so I'm including both - make your own decision! There's Dishoom - a super popular Bombay restaurant, with branches scattered around London, with affordable but unbelievably tasty dishes in a stunningly Art Deco-decorated building, with a live swing band. Apparently, their brekky is amazing, but I can't say, I do have one tip though: Get the Okra fries. You won't be disappointed.
🍗 My other recommendation is Dirty Bones, a retro American diner tucked away on a side street, through a converted hot dog stand, down to a basement lounge/bar/restaurants that serves some of the tastiest fried chicken (among other things) and great cocktails, with live music nights. The weeknight cocktail happy hour (£5) runs from 5-6pm, and there's a £10 lunch menu if you want to go earlier in the day.
I'm all about easy, breezy sundays - a day to take it easy, but I've pulled together a list of things to do whether you want to chill or make the most out of your day. I live in SW London, so I'm a little biased, but it's my fave little corner of London, with its many parks, cute cafes, and pub scene. Most boroughs in this area give off more of a village-y vibe, and that's right up my street.
🥞 Breakfast: Brickwood is a small group of super cute little cafes owned by friendly kiwi's, and I love the one in Balham (right next-door to Milk - the place everyone suggests) - it's in a pretty little row of eateries in the heart of Balham, and the alfresco dining makes you feel like you're somewhere else in Europe. I recommend the Native Mushrooms. Because I'm such a fan of breakfasting in SW London, I'll also suggest a few other places in different boroughs, depending where you are: Flotsam and Jetsom in Wandsworth, Bean & Hop in Earlsfield, and Megan's in Clapham. You could just spend the day hopping from cafe to cafe in SW London... I won't judge.
🌿 Afternoon wanders: Brunch, walk and a pub... that's my ideal Sunday. And the walk along the river from Putney to Richmond is idyllic. It's just under 9 miles, and crosses plenty of highlights along the way (don't worry, you don't have to walk the full 9 miles... I stopped at a 'respectable' 4), and you can take a load off at pubs along the way. Some people opt to hop on a Boris bike and cycle the full way, as Richmond is a lovely little place. The perfect antidote to a potentially heavy Saturday night.
🌲 If you're not feeling the river walk, take a trip on the train (a few stops from Clapham Junction) to Richmond, and have a walk to Richmond Park, a massive expanse of greenery, where you can go deer spotting, have a cream tea in Pembroke Lodge, or set up a little picnic.
Other recommendations for places to visit, if you have the time:
Pop Brixton: A community project, with shipping containers filled with social enterprises, independent boutiques, street food pop-ups, and live music.
Northcote Road, Clapham Junction: A buzzy little spot filled with cocktail bars, clubs, restaurants and pubs (Four Thieves is a fab arcade pub) - and now with the Covid restrictions, pedestrianised laneways for alfresco dining.
Columbia Road Flower Market: Gorgeous little morning market with stalls overflowing with plants and flowers, live buskers, independent coffee shops, and other nik-naks.
Borough Market: An indoor/outdoor food market near London Bridge, jam-packed with food stalls, restaurants, pop-ups, cafes and pubs.
Going to the West End? Eat at Brasserie Zédel, a grand, elegant, French Art Deco restaurant in a 1930's building in the heart of Piccadilly. The building plays home to a live music and cabaret venue, American cocktail bar, bar Américain and cafe. You can experience this chic venue, with a pre-Theatre menu - £10.95 for two courses!
So, there we have it - my 3-day London itinerary... so much to do without even setting foot in the hectic Central London area! Most of my recommendations are budget-friendly, but if you'd like a more compact list have a look at my top places to visit in London for free/on a budget. Or just head to my UK travel page for lots of other handy blogs and guides.
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