LONDON

A practical guide to London with top picks for food, markets, museums, and scenic walks. Includes must-try restaurants like Dishoom and ROVI, tips for afternoon tea, the best parks and viewpoints, and where to stay on a budget.

Sample three-day itinerary below! 👇

First things first, food.

A Google Maps guide to my favorite food and coffee stops: LONDON eats · Josephine Henze

Cafés and Bakeries

• Layla Bakery (rhubarb & hibiscus bow tie, etc.)(Notting Hill)

• Chai Guys Bakehouse (Notting Hill)

• Kuro (Notting Hill)

• Hummingbird Bakery (Notting Hill)

• Fortitude Bakery (beignets)

• Eric’s Bakery

• Host cafe in St Mary Aldermary Church

Restaurants

• Darjeeling Express (Indian food)

• Dishoom (10/10 for the black daal and Ruby Chicken Dishes)

  • Ordered signature dishes like the chicken ruby and black daal, grilled butter mushrooms, garlic naan, mango lassi - so amazing!!

• Afternoon high tea at the Orangery (Number 16 Hotel)

• NOPI (Ottolenghi)

  • Buttery potatoes

• ROVI (Ottolenghi)

  • Starters: celeriac root crisps with truffle apple labneh, grilled cabbage with sunflower seed tahini and smoked honey, and celeriac schwarma with lots of things inside include crème fraise and crunchy things

  • Main: grilled Jerusalem platter with different types of mushrooms, homemade small pita, tahini and pickled vegetables and extra side portion of truffle apple labneh

  • Dessert: free happy birthday black sesame miso caramels (perfect ratio of sweet to salty), and then as our main dessert rhubarb rice pudding with cardamom custard and pistachio with a creme brulee crust (soooo good)

• Bun house in Chinatown

• Noci for Italian in Islington

• Campania + Columbia Road Flower Market

• Cocktails in SoHo at cool Tokyo and Lima mashup bar called Chotto

  
  

A Google Maps guide to things to do in London: LONDON things to do · Josephine Henze

Museums

• Wallace Collection (in a house museum)

  • a beautiful, opulent house filled with art! Before perusing, we shared a “Cream Tea” of 1 currant and 1 plain scone, with strawberry preserves and clotted cream which is almost butter but not quite.

• Tate Modern (especially fun in the evenings)

• Courthauld Museum

• British History Museum

• Victoria and Albert Museum

• Design Museum

  
  

Markets

• Spitalfields Market

• Walking down Brick Lane for vintage shopping

• Camden Market

• Borough Market

  • Really crowded unless you go at the right time

  • The strawberries and chocolate are sadly worth the hype

• Portobello Road Market

  • shopping around Portobello Road Market which I was honestly so pleasantly surprised by! A varied mix of vintage, quilted jackets and fresh produce (not as mass-produced things as other markets I've seen)

  • a store just for doorknobs! So fun!! = Cute little drawers with different doorknobs and art nouveau tiles from 1890-1920s

  • brass door knockers and signs that were also so cute! little seashell hangers and bathtub soap dishes

  • print & map shop with floral prints that caught my eye

  • stamps (love!!) from this adorable man who bought old Victorian letters from a printing press and re-molds them to make new stamps (got the letter J and little floral stamp with bluebells)

  • so many cute unique antiques !! from cutlery sets to teacups and watches

  • offered free chai @chaiguysbakehouse which was so yummy and authentic (10/10)

  • explored @booksforcookslondon bookstore with all cookbooks (across the street from the Notting Hill Bookstore and honestly so much nicer and more interesting!) chatted up the owner who might sell my cookbook!

Sights to See

• Greenwich park

• Uber boat down Thames

• Primrose Hill - amazing views of London

• Walk through Regent’s Park

  • lots of good dogs and Queen Mary’s rose garden with beautiful blossoming cherry trees and tulips. Lots of meandering and a peaceful walk outside of London downtown craziness!

• Go to a service (or Evensong) at Westminster Abbey

  • Evensong Easter service at 3pm at Westminster Abbey, continued walking along St James Garden w/ daffodils blooming!

• Sitting along Regent’s Canal

• Southbend River Thames Walk with great views of the London Eye and House of Parliament

Where to stay:

Finding affordable housing in London can be difficult. When I can, I always opt to stay in a Bed & Breakfast to get to know the locals better and have a warm breakfast. Almost all Bed & Breafast's on this website are still cheaper than an AirBnb and breakfast is included :)

• London B&B

• Ealing Broadway – Gordon Road

• Acton Town – Grove Road

Sample Three-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Notting Hill

• Start with breakfast or a pastry from Layla Bakery or Chai Guys Bakehouse in Notting Hill

• Visit the Wallace Collection (free entry in a beautiful historic house)

  • Before you explore, enjoy a cream tea in their café (plain & currant scones with clotted cream!)

• Stroll through Portobello Road Market and browse antiques, fashion, and food

• Lunch at Dishoom (don’t skip the black daal, Ruby Chicken, and garlic naan)

• Take the Uber Boat down the Thames — affordable, scenic, and avoids traffic!

• Walk the Southbank Thames Path for views of the London Eye, Big Ben, and Houses of Parliament

• Pop into the Tate Modern for an afternoon art fix — check out Tate Late if it’s a Friday

• End with cocktails at Chotto in SoHo — a funky Tokyo–Lima fusion bar

Day 2: Parks, Afternoon Tea & Ottolenghi Magic

• Start with a walk through Regent’s Park

  • Don’t miss Queen Mary’s Rose Garden, spring cherry blossoms, and peaceful paths

• Continue to Primrose Hill for stunning London skyline views

• Stop for coffee or a snack at Kuro, Hummingbird Bakery, or Fortitude Bakery

• Explore the British Museum or the Victoria and Albert Museum

• Treat yourself to Afternoon Tea at The Orangery (Number 16 Hotel)

• Head to ROVI for a dreamy Ottolenghi dinner

  • Order the celeriac crisps, Jerusalem mushroom platter, and rhubarb rice pudding for dessert

• Take a post-dinner walk or sit along the peaceful Regent’s Canal

Day 3: Markets, Culture & Hidden Gems

• Brunch at NOPI (Ottolenghi’s buttery potatoes are a must!)

• Head to Columbia Road Flower Market and nearby Campania for coffee or a bite

• Visit Spitalfields Market or Borough Market (go early to beat the crowds)

  • Try the chocolate-dipped strawberries — touristy but worth it

• Stop by the Courtauld Gallery or Design Museum for a quieter, curated museum experience

• Attend Evensong at Westminster Abbey (especially beautiful around Easter or holidays)

• Stroll through St. James’s Garden filled with blooming daffodils in spring

• Dinner at Noci for Italian in Islington or a fun bite at Bun House in Chinatown

• End your trip with drinks or dessert at Eric’s Bakery or Host Café inside St Mary Aldermary Church