# What should I see in London? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857 "2008-09-16T16:51:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/41 "2008-09-17T23:02:25Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > You stayed in the Russell? If I’m not mistaken, we stayed at the Imperial Hotel in Russell Square. Not fantastic, but definitely did the job. I also found Stonehenge to be underwhelming. The stones were big enough and everything, but really, if you’ve seen enough pictures you’ve pretty much seen it. Aside from getting some pretty good ones myself ([cite](http://www.image4u.org/interface2x/Stonehenge%20-%20The%20Skies%20open.jpg)), I didn’t find much of great worth in the visit. We stood there for a couple of minutes, said “cool.” and then left. It was also damn cold out there in March! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/42 "2008-09-17T23:14:55Z")
I stayed at a nice B&B in Russell Square. It was ok-the landlady or whatever wasn’t so nice, but it was clean and cheap and close, my three criteria for B&B’s. The London Eye is very expensive for what you’re getting, btw. If you like that kind of thing, go for it. IMS, it was 6 pounds to get one of the pics they take of you as you get on or off or whatever. And that was 6 years ago. If we’re going to nitpick and say this isn’t in London and that isn’t etc, all I can say is :rolleyes: . London and the outlying area sprawls over god knows how many square miles. I think of London as all of that which is accessible via the Tube, but this is not strictly accurate, if memory serves. Just don’t rent a car for in London–you’ll regret it. Can you pop down to Dover for a bit? It’s got a great castle and keep, some great views and a nice little town. Or head up to Durham for a night? Wonderful place with friendly people and again, nice castle and fantastic cathedral. Now, Dover and Durham are NOT in London. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/43 "2008-09-18T02:04:42Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I also found Stonehenge to be underwhelming. The stones were big enough and everything, but really, if you’ve seen enough pictures you’ve pretty much seen it. Aside from getting some pretty good ones myself ([cite](http://www.image4u.org/interface2x/Stonehenge%20-%20The%20Skies%20open.jpg)), I didn’t find much of great worth in the visit. We stood there for a couple of minutes, said “cool.” and then left. It was also damn cold out there in March! I’ve been there during the winter, too, and yes, that wind really whips around Salisbury Plain. I liked Stonehenge, but there really isn’t a whole lot to SEE there. Unlike, say, Salisbury Cathedral, which offers more to explore. If one has a car, it may be just as interesting, if not moreso, to explore other Neolithic sites, like the [White Horse at Uffington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uffington_White_Horse). It’s not very far from Stonehenge, but I don’t think it’s really accessible by public transport. As for London…well, I could (and will) add to the growing list of sites, since it is such an incredibly rich and sprawling city–you can live there for a while (as I did for almost two years) but you still won’t be able to see everything. Just pick out the most appealing sites, and save the other ones for future visits. I’ll echo other posters about museums–certainly, the British Museum and the National Gallery of Art are, in my opinion, must-sees. I’ll also add [the Apsley House](http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.12679) (the Duke of Wellington’s house) which includes a superb collection of art (including several wonderful Spanish pieces–Goya and Velazquez–which the Spanish Crown gave to Wellington in thanks for driving Napoleon out of Spain; there’s also a monumental nude statue of Napoleon by Canova–nearly 12 feet tall–which really shoudn’t be missed). The Apsley House is on the corner of Hyde Park–and I’ll second **eleanorigby** ’s suggestion to spend some time in the parks, at least for some down-time between sight-seeing. I’ve always found the green spaces in London to be some of the most lovely areas, where you can really get away and forget that you’re in a major metropolitan capital. Each park has its own character, but they’re all equally beautiful: Hyde’s Park/Kennington Gardens, St. James’ Park (between Buckingham Palace and Whitehall–you’ll almost certainly pass through there), Regent’s Park, Hampstead Heath, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![pandNH4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb8c5e/32.png) [@pandNH4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pandNH4)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/44 "2008-09-18T03:18:02Z")
In addition to everything that’s been said, I’d go for the Tate Modern. It’s a really funky and cool, and is in a really nice location by the river. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/45 "2008-09-18T03:25:20Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > What time of year are you travelling, and what do you like to do? (Eat, drink, walk, see art, see history, see architecture?) The time of year that starts this Friday. Thanks for everyone’s input. Does anyone have any specific recomendations for any pubs or restaurants? Someone told me “Londons like New York but it closes earlier and the food isn’t as goof” Well what the hell am I going for then?!! ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/46 "2008-09-18T05:07:28Z")
Some of the stuff less well known stuff I took my girlfriend to, when I was back in the “old country”: [British Library](http://www.bl.uk/) - Has two of the three original copies of the Magna Carta (or three of the four, or something like that). [Wellcome Collection](http://www.wellcomecollection.org/) - Bit creepy but cool [Hampton Court](http://www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace/) - Henry VIII’s palace Outside of London I’d recommend: Avesbury stone circle - Defintely worth a detour if your heading to Stonehenge Pitt Rivers Museum - Three words “Shrunken Motherf\*\*king Heads”! Say no more 🙂 OK actually it has a ton of other stuff, but the shrunken heads are cool. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/47 "2008-09-18T11:53:44Z")
London doesn’t close and the food is as good as NYC. Sounds to me like your friend was referring to the odd pub hours (I never did figure them out) which have changed a bit (to what I’m not sure-I’m sure a Brit will be along to tell us all soon) and the old, tired joke about English cuisine. Ha. Ha. London is the most cosmopolitan city on the globe (IMO)–you can eat whatever and whenever you like. You can even eat American food, if you so choose. Weather for Britain this time of year is much like fall in the Midwest. Warm sunny days (when the sun is out) with cool nights. Expect more rain than Chicago\* (excepting our last weekend, that is) and more humidity. You’ll need a light jacket. Layers are best, given that the days can warm up (not to 90 but still warm). I love UK in the fall. It lacks the colors of our woodlands, but most of the tourists are gone, the weather is still nice and most stuff is still open. (IMS, the tourist season doesn’t end in UK until Oct something, so you will have some crowds but nothing like the summer months. Also, tourist season rates will likely be in effect.) \*I have forgotten where you live. Is it Texas? If so, you’ll have something like Houston’s humidity (not as bad), but nowhere near the temps. And the rain tends toward the gentle, persistent type, not torrential downpours that include thunder and lightning and are over in an hour. Go, enjoy and come back and tell us all about it! ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/48 "2008-09-18T12:26:26Z")
The food IS fine but the touristy stuff does tend to close earlier than one would like. Just make sure to check the hours before you go somewhere. Speaking of food, get yourself over to **Brick Lane** if you want Indian. I wish I’d eaten there more than once! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/49 "2008-09-18T13:20:40Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Does anyone have any specific recomendations for any pubs or restaurants? I always make time to visit [Belgo Centraal](http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/) when I’m in London. Best avoided if you don’t like lots and lots of beer, though. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/50 "2008-09-18T14:19:13Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > If we’re going to nitpick and say this isn’t in London and that isn’t etc, all I can say is :rolleyes: . London and the outlying area sprawls over god knows how many square miles. I think of London as all of that which is accessible via the Tube, but this is not strictly accurate, if memory serves. If you tried to take the Tube to Stonehenge you’d come up a hundred or so miles short. It’s halfway across the country (from London). ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/51 "2008-09-18T14:24:31Z")
The weather forecast for the weekend in London doesn’t look all that bad, for the time of year: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day\_f.shtml?world=0008](http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day_f.shtml?world=0008) ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/52 "2008-09-18T14:34:41Z")
Take a **London Walks** tour - you can look at their website, or there will be plenty of fliers when you get there. They have lots of topics and it’s easy to do - just meet at the specified location (and pay) and follow the leader. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/53 "2008-09-18T14:39:51Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > London and the outlying area sprawls over god knows how many square miles. I think of London as all of that which is accessible via the Tube, but this is not strictly accurate, if memory serves. Greater London is easiest represented by the area within the M25. The problem with the tube analogy is that it almost entirely cuts off anything south of the river. ---
**Author:** ![IOMDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/91b2a8/32.png) [@IOMDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IOMDave)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/54 "2008-09-18T14:57:43Z")
IOMWife and I just got back from a trip to London. The biggest highlight for me was watching “Stomp” at the Ambassador’s Theatre - totally amazing show and seriously worth watching. Don’t think about it, just book tickets and go. You can thank me later 🆒 I recommend the food at Bella Italia - there’s millions of them in the entertainment areas - Covent Garden etc. On our last night there we took a wander round the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum, which was a crazy place, entertaining and open LATE. There’s a mirror maze and one of those bridges through a spinning tube and loads of weird and wonderful things to gawk at. You can find it at Piccadilly Circus. Cheers, David. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/55 "2008-09-18T17:48:14Z")
Try Chowhound’s UK/Ireland section for current info on good eats: [http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/42](http://chowhound.chow.com/boards/42) Restaurant food is really expensive in London in comparison to most other places here in the U.S. We ended up eating in pubs a lot since the food was cheaper. Toasted prawn sandwiches are good! I also bought cheese and a few other things from the food hall in Harrod’s and also from a small market near where we stayed. I love cheese and there’s lots of excellent varieties there. If you are interested in beer, see if you can get into a tour of Fuller’s: [http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=207](http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=207) I don’t know if they still do this, but when we went they gave samples at the end. A lot them, with a spread of sandwiches to go with. A good time was had by all. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/56 "2008-09-18T17:48:37Z")
I’ve always found the ratings at [http://www.london-eating.co.uk/](http://www.london-eating.co.uk/) to be a fairly good guide to restaurant quality. Where you should eat depends on how much you want to spend - my personal favourite is an Italian restaurant called **Latium** , but it’s on the pricier side. You should probably take in a curry at some point - there are lots of places to choose from depending on where you are (the link may help). As for drinking, **The Porterhouse** (Covent Garden) has a good range of beers and a mazily interesting design, but can get packed in the evenings. Sam Smith’s pubs may interest visitors looking for something authentically “quaint” - the **Princess Louise** in Holborn and **Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese** on Fleet Street are two of many examples. ---
**Author:** ![ez2slip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@ez2slip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ez2slip)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/57 "2008-09-18T19:13:38Z")
I’ll second what **JohnGalt** said. Take one of the walking tours. We took the Jack the Ripper tour and it was great. A good chance to see that part of London. Plus you could stop for a pint at the 10 Bells pub. Apparently the place where some of the victims frequented just before their untimely deaths. I also suggest St Martins in the Field. Go down into the basement and do a brass rubbing. They also have a nice cafe for tea. Lastly, go to the theater (theatre). Every bit as good as Broadway. There is a half price ticket booth at Leicester Square tube stop. Good luck and have fun. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/58 "2008-09-18T20:05:17Z")
I forgot a couple of things. Most of the [markets in Camden](http://www.camdenlock.net/camdenmap/map.html) are still open - the fire closed one market, but there are actually several; the one destroyed was possibly the least interesting of them. Having said that, the best of them (the Stables Market) is partially closed for refurbishment, and while the new Horse Tunnel Market underground is fairly interesting it’s not somewhere I’d spend a whole day. [Borough Market](http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/) (Friday afternoon and Saturday morning) is good for a visit if you like food. Very busy on Saturdays, so get there early. And, if you’re really on a market vibe, there’s an antiques market on [Portobello Road](http://www.portobellomarket.org/) in Notting Hill at the weekend. I’ll also second the [Tate Modern](http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/) suggestion, but I love modern art (tickets already booked for the Rothko exhibition). ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/59 "2008-09-18T23:04:26Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Greater London is easiest represented by the area within the M25. The problem with the tube analogy is that it almost entirely cuts off anything south of the river. True enough. It’s more accurate (perhaps) to say London area / region, but does anyone really think the OP won’t go to X because it’s not in London proper, but is say 5 miles away? I don’t… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857/60 "2008-09-18T23:14:51Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > True enough. It’s more accurate (perhaps) to say London area / region, but does anyone really think the OP won’t go to X because it’s not in London proper, but is say 5 miles away? I don’t… No - but it’s not nitpicking to point out that Stonehenge, Avebury and Portsmouth are nowhere near London. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-see-in-london/463857.md?page=4)