London is Pink, aka Jules, Shares Her Favourite City Experiences

The Belmond Cadogan is a 5-star boutique hotel located on Sloane Street that first opened in 1887 but recently underwent a multi-million pound renovation. Marble bathrooms, luxury toiletries and plush bedding is standard across all rooms with the fancy suites also boasting walk-in closets and sweeping views. This iconic luxury hotel is also home to a restaurant headed by British chef Adam Handling, the secret green hideaway Cadogan Place Gardens (which only guests have access to) and a Royal Suite in which Oscar Wilde was once arrested.

Layla on Portobello Road specialises in baking with wild grains and using ancient traditions, so not only do they work closely with their suppliers but they are all about sourcing seasonal ingredients and preventing food waste too. And that means you can expect sausage rolls made using left over croissant dough (and HG Walter pork) on the menu, as well as other baked goods including wildfarmed peanut chocolate cookies and rhubarb cardamom pastries.

At the Chai Guys Bakehouse on Portobello Road, Abhilash Jobanputra and Gabriel Unger are showcasing a range of bakes and artisanal pastries, made with the best British ingredients and quality spices, that draw on food traditions from the likes of France, India, Japan and Scandinavia. You can find the their signature cardamom-infused chai spice milk bread with salted butter on the menu alongside a seasonal selection of sweet and savoury treats. Of course all the classic chais, including masala chai, kadak chai, Kashmiri chai and iced chai are on offer to pair with your pastries.

Gallery opened at The Savoy at the end of 2024 and in the space that used to house the Thames Foyer, and the new look, including marble, gold and plush banquettes, is a hit. Open all day, Gallery serves everything from breakfast to afternoon tea to dinner, where you can get everything from a pizza and a burger to Beluga caviar with blinis and tomahawk steak with peppercorn sauce. Come nighttime, Gallery turns into a cocktail bar and it’s a very chic spot for a glass of fizz or a martini.

The River Café is one of London’s most celebrated restaurants, known for its impeccable Italian food, international glitterati clientele and exclusivity – it can be tough to get a table. The restaurant was opened by chef-owner Ruth Rogers in 1987 and has since become a certified London institution. Now, nearly four decades and countless accolades later, The River Café team has opened a new spot, The River Café Café. Located just yards away from the OG, The River Café Café is serving up a more casual (and yes that does mean cheaper) menu of Italian food by the restaurant’s chefs. There are pasties and coffees on offer for breakfast, with bruschetta, cheeses, cured meats, smashed chickpeas, chargrilled marinated peppers, and pastas like spinach and ricotta rotolo and rigatoni all’amatriciana on the all-day menu. If you’ve always wanted to try the food at The River Cafe but have been put off by the hefty price tags, this a great way to give it a try without breaking the bank.

After being a private estate for several centuries, belonging to the likes of Princess Amelia, daughter of George II, and the Rothschilds, Gunnersbury Park became a public park in 1926. The estate’s mansion got turned into the Gunnersbury Park Museum in 1929 and its collections tell the diverse stories about the populations of Ealing and Hounslow. The park’s 72 hectares of open space include green lawns, formal gardens, and a lake where you can rent pedalos, and it’s also become a popular spot to host large gigs and festivals.

French food is practically synonymous with cheese (the smellier the better) and this clutch of three boujie cheese shops is a celebration of all things français. Yes, it all started with the cheese, but the sites are also deli and café all-rounders, selling all the classic charcuterie, gourmet tinned goods (hello Ortiz anchovies), wine and beautiful tableware your little heart could dream of. What’s more, each location – Highbury, Bloomsbury, Marylebone – runs tasting events and one-off dinners. The focus was originally French, but they all sell produce from British and further afield – the only thing you need to know is that if it’s sold at La Fromagerie, it’ll be absolutely delicious. And while you’re there it would be rude to visit without a little glass of French vin, non?

Honey & Co moved out of its long-time home on Warren Street in 2022 and moved into a larger site on Lamb’s Conduit Street shortly after. You’d think this would make it easier to get a table, but no, Honey & Co is still fully booked most days – and for good reason. The restaurant’s Middle Eastern menu is truly top-tier; Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer (the husband and wife team behind Honey & Co) have previously worked at Ottolenghi and NOPI, so they know their stuff. Start your day off right with shakshuka or scrambled eggs with merguez sausages, or swing by later to try their seasonal lunch and dinner menus. And if you manage to leave without buying at least one of the cakes on the counter, you’re better people than us.

The 57-room Broadwick Soho subscribes to the more-is-more philosophy, with lavish and glamorous interiors courtesy of Martin Brudnizki throughout the property. The hotel’s rooftop bar Flute, so named because Broadwick Street was home to a noted flute-maker in the 19th century, features an onyx-topped bar, cork walls, mirrored ceilings, palm motif carpets and animal print upholstery. There’s plenty to look at outside too with the wraparound terrace offering views over Soho. The cocktails take inspo from the films shot in and around the neighbourhood, like Mrs Henderson Presents (with pisco, vermouth, cynar and bitters) and The Look of Love (with tequila, pineapple, fennel pollen, sherry, chamomile and lime). There’s a food menu that includes oysters, tuna tostadas, beef sliders and lobster rolls but really the drinks are where it’s at up here.