United Kingdom
South Bank walk and a night out in East London
Stroll along London's South Bank for your first impressions and end the day with fine dining and cocktails in the Eastern suburbs.
South Bank walk - Tower Bridge to the Big Ben
My boyfriend had never visited London before, while I have been many times, so over the course of a long November weekend we tried to cover the must sees (for him) as well as some lesser-known spots in the city (for me). After dropping off our bags in the hotel, we decided to start the trip with a stroll along the South Bank as it offers a great introduction to the city with many iconic landmarks along the way - from the Tower Bridge and the South Bank book market to the London Eye Ferris wheel and the Big Ben.
Borough Market and Tate Modern
Along the route we made two extended stops: - The buzzing Borough Market, a perfect spot to grab a late lunch-on-the-go (although be warned, it can get extremely crowded on the weekends) - The Tate Modern, like most museums in London, completely free to enter. If you see a queue, don't worry - it's likely just to check the bags of those entering, and it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes
Fine dining at Pearly Queen
In the evening we met up with friends who had booked us a table at Pearly Queen in the hip suburb of Shoreditch. Run by Michelin-star chef Tom Brown, the creative restaurant offers an ever-changing sharing menu (depending on the catch of the day) that focuses on fish and oysters, with a seafood-inspired interior to match. Prices aren't cheap, but you can opt for the chef's choice with 8 selected sharing dishes at a reasonable £45pp. Our favorite flavours: the pearly dozen & the hake kyiv.
Cocktails at Satan's Whiskers
And because it was a Saturday night, we finished the night with some cocktails. If it wasn't for my friends who knew the place, I would have definitely walked right past Satan's Whiskers. Hidden behind a dilapidated wall that is covered in stickers and looks like it recently survived a fire, the only hint that something is happening inside is the small neon sign above the door. Once inside however, the dark bar is alive and well, serving top-notch cocktails (voted no. 29 World's Best Bar in 2024!) and old-school hip hop music. As the place is quite small and popular, I recommend calling up front to book a table (+44 20 7739 8362).
Take an Uber home.
Time for bed at Buckle Street Studios by Locke
We stayed at the 'Buckle Street Studios by Locke' in Aldgate. Their standard hotel room offered everything we needed with a modern design interior, comfy bed, spacious shower and excellent city views. Situated just a one-minute walk from the Aldgate East Metro station with plenty of food and drink options nearby, it proved to be a perfect home base to explore London. Can recommend! Good to know - the Locke brand has many locations across Europe and mainly caters to longer stays with studios, laundry facilities and shared spaces for co-working. And if you join the 'Locke community', you get a 10% discount on all locations. €560 for 4 nights (November 2024)
