Visit
BARBICAN CENTRE
Housing a concert hall, two theatres, two art galleries and three cinemas, the Barbican Centre is a place that celebrates the arts, cutting across all genres and hosting everything from the classical to the boundary-pushing. The galleries have hosted exhibitions on everything from Basquiat to AI and the concert hall has seen everything from opera to electronic music to Japanese drumming – there is literally something for everyone across their programmes. Even if you don’t go for the culture, there’s still a lot to admire at the Barbican, including the plant-filled conservatory and the brutalist architecture across the estate.
SKY GARDEN
Welcome to London’s highest public garden, right in the heart of the City and found at level 35 of the Walkie-Talkie building. Sky Garden has everything under one glossy glass roof: a white-clothed kinda place in Fenchurch Restaurant on Level 37; a cool and casual brasserie in Darwin Brasserie; and late-night cocktails in Sky Pod. The views go without saying but the real wow-factor comes from the three-storeys of landscaped gardens inside.
FASHION AND TEXTILE MUSEUM
Founded by Dame Zandra Rhodes, the Fashion and Textile Museum is the only museum in the UK dedicated to contemporary fashion and textile design, so if you’re into your clothes this place is a must-visit. The collection features pieces from 1947 up to the present, including designs by the likes of Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Biba, Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood, and the museum has held exhibitions on everything from Peruvian textiles to Orla Kiely to t-shirts.
THE WALLACE COLLECTION
The Wallace Collection, held inside Hertford House, was built up by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace over the 18th and 19th centuries, and is considered to be one of the finest collections in the world. It features a range of furniture, paintings, sculpture, arms & armour, and porcelain, with a particularly rich selection of French 18th century decorative arts, and it’s totally free for the public.
NIMAYA MINDSTATION
Finding somewhere to exercise your body is easy is in this town, but somewhere for your mind, well that’s a little harder. Enter Nimaya MindStation, London’s first dedicated gym for the mind. The studio in Farringdon offers a range of therapies, from acupuncture and reiki to PandoraStar light therapy, Shamanic healing and floatation tanks, all designed to help you relax and re-balance. You can also book consultations with experts in nutrition, mindfulness and clinical psychology. Whether you suffer from stress, anxiety and insomnia or you just want to avoid burning out, there’s something for you here.
CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN
Established in 1673, Chelsea Physic Garden is the oldest botanical garden in London and one of the oldest across Britain. Thanks to its position near the river and south-facing aspect it has a unique microclimate that allows for plants that wouldn’t normally grow in the UK to thrive – amongst its 5000 different edible and medicinal plants is the UK’s largest fruiting olive tree and the world’s most northerly outdoor grapefruit tree.
Set up by Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett, Omeara sits between Borough Market and London Bridge in Flat Iron Square, the development where music, food and culture come together in 7 railway arches. The 320 capacity venue hosts gigs and one-off club nights with headline shows from rising stars and intimate gigs from big names.
If you’re like us and love exploring all the city has to offer then you’ll know that sightseeing can be pretty pricey when it adds up. A quick hack to get more bang for your buck would be to use the Barcelona Pass. This gets you free entry into 20 + of the city’s top attractions. Sites included on the pass are Casa Batllo, FC Barcelona, La Pedrera and the Barcelona Zoo. You also get one day pass on the Barcelona Turistic bus so you can sit back and relax whilst taking in all of the sights. The Barcelona Pass costs 109 euros, so you can spend all the money you’ve saved on ordering more sangria and patatas bravas.
PUROBEACH BARCELONA
If you’ve smashed 30,000 steps three days in a row across the city or can’t face another day on the beach packed in like sardines then Purobeach rooftop beach club might be just the ticket. Located in the Hilton Diagonal Mar, just a short metro journey out of the city the club has a huge pool, daily DJ and rooftop views (selfie location alert!). There’s also a decent restaurant serving up Asian-inspired dishes and a bar too – this is Barcelona! Plus a spa if you’re in need of some chill…We tend to take our chill the colour of rose when we’re in this Spanish city.
Having opened way back in 1913, Screen on the Green is one of the country’s oldest cinemas. Now owned by Everyman, the singe-screen cinema shows a mix of new releases and classics, and often has directors come in for talks.
Vinegar Yard is an eating, drinking, art space and shopping market located a stone’s throw away from London Bridge station. It’s the second site from the team behind Flat Iron Square and has both inside and outside space. Food traders include Nanny Bills, Baba G’s, Sugo and Nik’s Kitchen and there are a handful of bars, including two on the mezzanine, serving local beers, wines and cocktails. The Yard is also home to a range of resident shops and the weekly Flea vintage market.
There’s been a cinema under various names on the site of the art deco, Grade-II listed Rio for over 100 years and it’s remained independent right up to this day. The two screens show a varied programme of new indie releases as well as regular double bills and classic matinees.
Not only does the Arcola Theatre put on a rich and varied programme, from new works and premieres to revivals and adaptions – the venue has seen everything from The Glass Menagerie to the Grimeborn opera festival – but it’s also one of the greenest venues in the UK thanks to solar panels, carbon-neutral heating systems and low energy stage lighting. And if you’re looking for somewhere to have a few drinks and throw some shapes, the bar stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays, and the music is always on point.
The peeps behind Dalston Superstore are responsible for dive bar The Karaoke Hole. Obvs karaoke plays a massive part here with disco balls and wind machines surrounding the stage so you can properly unleash your inner Beyonce…and yes, there’s a range of cocktails on offer should you need a little Dutch courage. And you won’t be the only ones stepping up to the mic as some of London’s best drag queens, including Just May, Little Jimmy Johnson and Dr. Sharon Husbands all host nights at The Karaoke Hole. Better break out the glitter and warm up those pipes…
Evolutionary Arts Hackney, aka EartH, is a stunning new arts space from the team behind Village Underground. Once an ABC cinema the main building was left derelict for years only to be rediscovered, restored and relaunched in 2019 – both the theatre (with seating) and the concert hall (standing) now host gigs, poetry readings, DJ sets, talks and more.
With a collection that’s over 150 million strong, the British Library is one of the largest libraries in the world. That collection includes books, stamps, maps, newspapers and much, much more, so there is a serious amount of treasure to be found here (we’re talking the Magna Carta, a Leonardo da Vinci notebook, the Times first edition and Beatles manuscripts). You can work in the Reading Rooms or if you’ve got a day off, visit one of their regular exhibitions.
THE MEETING PLACE
Often referred to as The Lovers or even just the kissing statue, this nine-metre tall bronze sculpture by Paul Day is on the Grand Terrace inside St Pancras station and is one of the first things you see when you get off the Eurostar.
This floating bookshop on a 100-year-old Dutch barge actually used to make its way up and down the canal but now it’s moored by Granary Square (so at least you know where to find it). Go for the books – they have a range of second-hand tomes and new releases plus some quirky titles, as you’d expect from a bookshop on a boat – stay for the dog and one of the live music performances on the roof if you’re lucky.