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Having opened back in 1959, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho is a nailed-on London institution. Over the decades, Ronnie Scott’s has hosted some of the biggest names in jazz from all over the world including the likes of Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Ella Fitzgerald. Other famous names to have played here include Van Morisson, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, who played his last ever show here before he passed away. It’s definitely one of those places where you can feel the history of it as soon as you walk into the dimly lit corridor and into the main room, covered with photos of past performers bathed in the warm glow of the orange table lights. You can choose from an early or late show for most performances, and if it’s your first time, then the in-house Jazz Orchestra is a great place to start.
This place opened back in 1848 so it’s no wonder they call it the birthplace of British cinema. Located on Regent Street, it contains 187 seats and a pretty big foyer bar where audiences and the public can drink every evening and weekend. And these guys screen it all, from indies and studio films to adaptations and classic remakes. Expect only the best from the place that first showed moving pictures in Britain.
Housed in the world famous Olympic Recording Studio in Barnes, this two screen cinema is proper luxe. Not only does it feature high-end tech (like a premier sound system), but it’s also got reclining seats with individual tables and a private members screening club. Expect all the latest releases along with classic cinema films (and snacks).
This indie cinema was the former Salvation Army Hall but now it’s a Crouch End fave that develops new and classic works reflecting the multi-cultural nature of our city. And as you can guess from the name, it’s not only a two-screen cinema venue but a live arts space too. Its programme favours independent and international movies, while the foyer area features a bar and café serving up a good offering for snacks.
Rich Mix is an East London social enterprise and independent arts venue featuring three cinema screens, as well as an exhibition and performance space. They’re rooted in the city but champion diversity, covering pretty much every genre imaginable so expect all the mainstream classics alongside independent films too.
After closing for redevelopment way back in 2014, Riverside Studios, the former telly studio and arts space overlooking the Thames by Hammersmith Bridge, is back as a state-of-the-art film complex. There are two screens: the larger Screen One with 208 comfy seats, 4k resolution projection and Dolby 7.1 surround sound, and the smaller 48-seater Screen Two, with both open to the public every night of the week.
URBAN FOOD FEST
You’ll find Urban Food Fest street food and farmer’s markets all over London but head to Euro Car Parks on Shoreditch High Street on a Saturday and you’ll find a rotating bunch of food trucks plus plenty of stalls selling beers, wines and cocktails, and loads of places to sit – there are no covers though so you’ll wanna hope for good weather.
Sister to Lloyd Park Market in Walthamstow, Victoria Park Market features stalls selling seasonal produce including fruit and veg, fresh fish, locally baked bread, cheese, meat, olive oil, pickles, herbs, spices and more as well as street food from traders like Kolkati, Mother Flipper, Eat Lah, Anna Mae’s, Calamari Canteen, and Jollof Mama.
The market next to Netil House in London Fields has quietly turned into one of the best spots for street food in the city. With traders including Bread Meats Sauce, Jupiter Burger, The Bagel Guys and Gordos, there’s tons of variety for such a small market, and they’ve got some great non-food boutiques as well.
In case you can’t work it out from the name, the William Morris Gallery is dedicated to the life and work of English Arts and Crafts designer William Morris. The museum is inside the Grade II-listed Georgian mansion Water House, which was Morris’s family home from 1848-56, in what is now known as Lloyd Park. As well as a range of textiles, wallpaper, furniture, ceramics, prints and paintings, the museum also contains artefacts relating to Morris’s social equality activism.
Walthamstow can feel like a million miles away from London (in a good way) and a lot of that has to do with Walthamstow Wetlands, the largest urban wetland in Europe. The 211 hectare nature reserve has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a weekend walk or bike ride, or even a spot of fishing. It’s the perfect place to escape the city and it’s just a tube ride away.
The team behind Victoria Park Market expanded to E17 with Lloyd Park Market. Held every Saturday, the market features fresh seasonal produce, meat, fish, baked goods and booze from the likes of Ted’s Veg, Picks Organic Farm, Breadwinners, Finest Fayre, Borough Olives, Natural Born Wine, Hush Hush Chefs and Galeta. There’s also a rotating selection of street food traders like Ehla, Filigrillz, and Kolkati so you can eat whilst you shop.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
