Guidebook for London
Arts & Culture
Three cinemas, theatre, concert hall and art gallery, plus free wi-fi in the cafés and plenty of room to explore and lounger about.
509 locals recommend
Barbican Centre
Silk StreetThree cinemas, theatre, concert hall and art gallery, plus free wi-fi in the cafés and plenty of room to explore and lounger about.
Cargo
83 Rivington StEver-popular club with lots of guest DJs.
Vue Cinema London - Islington
36 Parkfield StA big multiplex showing mainstream new releases.
Handsome old cinema showing arts films, independents, etc.
177 locals recommend
Everyman Screen on the Green
83 Upper StHandsome old cinema showing arts films, independents, etc.
Fabric London
77A Charterhouse StHuge nightclub - queuing round the block on a Saturday night.
Sadlers Wells Theatre (Stop UB) station
The home of ballet and modern dance.
Sightseeing
Gorgeous and ancient church featured in the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'.
30 locals recommend
St Bartholomew the Great
West SmithfieldGorgeous and ancient church featured in the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'.
Huge intercontinental lorries deliver meat to this market in the middle of the night. All-night cafes and even and all-night pub serve the workers. Great to hang out in after a late night.
60 locals recommend
Smithfield Market
Grand AvenueHuge intercontinental lorries deliver meat to this market in the middle of the night. All-night cafes and even and all-night pub serve the workers. Great to hang out in after a late night.
Food Scene
Great world food street market every weekday from 11 to 3pm. Cafes and restaurants too.
27 locals recommend
Whitecross Street
Whitecross StreetGreat world food street market every weekday from 11 to 3pm. Cafes and restaurants too.
Fix Coffee
161A Whitecross StBest coffee house in London and the comfiest sofas.
Carnevale
135 Whitecross StHighly recommended tiny vegetarian restaurant.
The Iskelé
179-181 Whitecross StFull and popular local Turkish restaurant.
Wonderful new Italian restaurant on Smithfields. Not cheap but worth every penny.
6 locals recommend
APULIA
50 Long LnWonderful new Italian restaurant on Smithfields. Not cheap but worth every penny.
A branch of the famous chain in a lovely old warehouse building. Better for a quiet evening meal than a coffee which always comes slowly and cold!
7 locals recommend
Carluccio's - Smithfield
12 W SmithfieldA branch of the famous chain in a lovely old warehouse building. Better for a quiet evening meal than a coffee which always comes slowly and cold!
TY Old Street
61-67 Old StYet another groovy coffee hangout.
Another groovy coffee hangout but you can get your bike repaired here too!
81 locals recommend
Look mum no hands!
49 Old StAnother groovy coffee hangout but you can get your bike repaired here too!
Exmouth Market
Exmouth MarketLots of great restaurants and bars on this cute street.
Pricey but wonderful Spanish-Moroccan food. Get a bar seat instead of trying to book, stick to the tapas and a glass of sherry and soak it up. Sister restaurant Morito's is next door.
131 locals recommend
Moro
34-36 Exmouth MarketPricey but wonderful Spanish-Moroccan food. Get a bar seat instead of trying to book, stick to the tapas and a glass of sherry and soak it up. Sister restaurant Morito's is next door.
Santorè
59-61 Exmouth MarketExcellent Italian restaurant - alway popular and with good reason.
Hundreds of restaurants to keep you in a state of permanent choice paralysis.
179 locals recommend
The Angel
61 St Giles High StHundreds of restaurants to keep you in a state of permanent choice paralysis.
Scandi restaurant lined with wood planks and tiles and decorated with moose antlers. Friendly and fun - take the snack-type meals over the more impressive-sounding mains.
36 locals recommend
The Elk In The Woods
37-39 Camden PassageScandi restaurant lined with wood planks and tiles and decorated with moose antlers. Friendly and fun - take the snack-type meals over the more impressive-sounding mains.
Tucked away in an alley, a romantic French restaurant with live piano accompaniment.
10 locals recommend
Le Café du Marché
22 Charterhouse SquareTucked away in an alley, a romantic French restaurant with live piano accompaniment.
Famous white-brick meat-eater's paradise. You can't afford the restaurant (trust me) but the bar does great snacks. Try the Eccles cake with Wensleydale cheese - it's their masterpiece.
136 locals recommend
St. JOHN Restaurant
26 St John StFamous white-brick meat-eater's paradise. You can't afford the restaurant (trust me) but the bar does great snacks. Try the Eccles cake with Wensleydale cheese - it's their masterpiece.
Busaba Hoxton Square
319 Old StPopular modern Thai eatery chain.
Cay Tre Hoxton Shoreditch
301 Old StGreat, cheap Vietnamese restaurant. Worth queueing for.
Everything Else
Covered market selling everything from vintage clothing to cameras, LPs, furniture, hats, food.. and connects directly to Brick Lane.
696 locals recommend
Old Spitalfields Market
16 Commercial StCovered market selling everything from vintage clothing to cameras, LPs, furniture, hats, food.. and connects directly to Brick Lane.
World-famous Sunday market and site of a million curry houses.
825 locals recommend
Brick Lane Sunday Market
Brick LaneWorld-famous Sunday market and site of a million curry houses.
The grooviest place to shop in London. Great on a Sunday with Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Columbia Road markets to browse in too.
377 locals recommend
BOXPARK Shoreditch
2-10 Bethnal Green RdThe grooviest place to shop in London. Great on a Sunday with Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Columbia Road markets to browse in too.
The most romantic Sunday market in London. Sip coffee or snack on oysters by the bakery and watch the crowds pass holding bunches of cut-price roses and lilies.
1660 locals recommend
Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia RoadThe most romantic Sunday market in London. Sip coffee or snack on oysters by the bakery and watch the crowds pass holding bunches of cut-price roses and lilies.
The nearest Northern Line tube stop. The underpass is full of groovy juice bars and shops including an excellent bookshop.
150 locals recommend
Old Street station
The nearest Northern Line tube stop. The underpass is full of groovy juice bars and shops including an excellent bookshop.
Our tiny community park - full of ankle-biters when the school day starts. A little coffee concession called GiddyUp feeds the mums the caffeine they need.
Fortune Street Park
Our tiny community park - full of ankle-biters when the school day starts. A little coffee concession called GiddyUp feeds the mums the caffeine they need.
Thai City
110 Old StPopular local Thai restaurant
Great to walk East to Hackney or West to the Angel, camden and Little Venice. Join it at Shepherdess Walk.
339 locals recommend
Regent's Canal
Great to walk East to Hackney or West to the Angel, camden and Little Venice. Join it at Shepherdess Walk.
Drinks & Nightlife
A very friendly and groovy bar/cafe with great gigs including poetry stand-up nights, storytelling nights, ping-pong tables etc.
93 locals recommend
The Book Club
100-106 Leonard StA very friendly and groovy bar/cafe with great gigs including poetry stand-up nights, storytelling nights, ping-pong tables etc.
I love this tiny bar on Old street - a real Italian feel, great gnocchi if you come early enough, pizza if not, easygoing staff and a good soundtrack. My secret place on a rainy mid-week night.
il Cicchetto
44 Old StI love this tiny bar on Old street - a real Italian feel, great gnocchi if you come early enough, pizza if not, easygoing staff and a good soundtrack. My secret place on a rainy mid-week night.
Table football, beer in bottles, easy hot snacks and great cocktails - you can go here alone and easily make friends.
32 locals recommend
Cafe Kick
43 Exmouth MarketTable football, beer in bottles, easy hot snacks and great cocktails - you can go here alone and easily make friends.
Old-style local pub. Never changed, never will. Heaving with people after the offices close, but quieter later.
10 locals recommend
The Artillery Arms
102 Bunhill RowOld-style local pub. Never changed, never will. Heaving with people after the offices close, but quieter later.
Two Brewers
114 Clapham High StreetPopular, friendly and youngish local pub.
Sweet little wooden pub tucked away in a hidden side street. Great for a quiet whiskey while reading the paper.
Hand and Shears
1 Middle StSweet little wooden pub tucked away in a hidden side street. Great for a quiet whiskey while reading the paper.
Fun and handsome old pub with a micro-brewery feel. Sunday roast lunch is always popular.
14 locals recommend
Old Red Cow
71 Long LnFun and handsome old pub with a micro-brewery feel. Sunday roast lunch is always popular.
Gorgeous green-tiled pub - go in just to admire the surroundings, stay for wine and a plate of cheeses.
7 locals recommend
Fox and Anchor
115 Charterhouse StGorgeous green-tiled pub - go in just to admire the surroundings, stay for wine and a plate of cheeses.
Quaint, quirky and very friendly little bar with wacky decorations, fairy lights and a working juke-box upstairs.
15 locals recommend
The Three Kings
7 Clerkenwell CloseQuaint, quirky and very friendly little bar with wacky decorations, fairy lights and a working juke-box upstairs.
Essentials
Great supermarket but we like to think of it as our corner shop. Open seven days a week, right on your doorstep.
67 locals recommend
Waitrose & Partners Barbican
Whitecross StreetGreat supermarket but we like to think of it as our corner shop. Open seven days a week, right on your doorstep.