LONDON
List last updated: May 2015.
My hometown and where my heart is (most days). London, especially East London where I grew up, has changed at an incredible rate over the past few years. There is always something new to do, but thankfully a lot of the history is still intact to visit with and appreciate too. Rich in diversity and full of culture, there's always something to discover when you get off the tube.
SEE.
Street art throughout Shoreditch. Don’t pay for a tour, just keep looking for the unexpected as you move through the neighbourhood.
Theatre – London has such great theatres. Look up The National Theatre, Menier Chocolate Factory, Almeida, Arcola and The Yard. Much like NYC, London has a TKTS booth. You can get some great discount seats for same day performances of West End shows, just swing by Covent Garden.
A gig – Village Underground and Oslo are my favourite venues.
A film - check out the BFI Southbank scheduling.
The view of London from the top of Primrose Hill. Take a bottle and some nibbles and enjoy it at sunset.
EAT.
Franze and Evans is a great lunch spot on Redchurch street. Great salads.
Dishoom serves Bombay style Indian food in King's Cross and Shoreditch. A great spot for breakfast as well as a cocktail; one of the only places I've been where a non-alcoholic cocktail is as tasty as the full fat ones!
Lahore. One of East London's favourite curry houses, and BYOB. Affordable and filling!
A trip to London wouldn't be complete without a fry up (full english breakfast). If in doubt, just ask a local to point you in the direction of the nearest Greasy Spoon.
Borough Market is London's oldest fruit & veg. market, but it's now known for so much more than apples and pears. Open Wednesday - Saturday every week, visit for wild boar, fish and chips, oysters and raclette all prepared in front of you. Arrive hungry, and wash down your meal(s) with a pint at one of the beautiful old local pubs - The Market Porter and The Southwark Tavern are favourites.
Whitecross Street Market is a great spot for some street food for lunch Monday - Friday, but make sure you arrive before 2pm! There's more choice on a Thursday and Friday than other days of the week.
Natura. This family run Italian restaurant in Hackney Wick is a hidden gem. One stop from Stratford on the Overground, this will be one of your most delicious and affordable meals in London. Try the bolognese or a wood oven pizza. Vegan options available. Ask for Luigi!
...and after Natura, head to Crate Brewery for a beer on the canalside.
DO.
Take the cable car over the river and then take a water taxi from North Greenwich down the river. I would advise doing this on your first day – you get your bearings of the city really quickly seeing it from above and then it’s centre.
Visit Greenwich. The Cutty Sark and the painted hall of the old naval college, the market, the stunning architecture – worth it.
Highgate Village – a very cute afternoon outside of (on top of?!) the city.
Walk across London Bridge and enjoy the view.
Visit St Paul’s Cathedral and then walk across the Millennium Bridge (the wobbly bridge) to the Tate Modern.
Walk down Redchurch Street for some great design stores and individual fashion houses, balanced with some big name American brands that have just started moving in (Mast Brothers and J Crew are recent additions). Stop at Australian tea house T2 for some quick refreshment, or Allpress coffee roasters if the bean is more your thing.