London, the ideal city break destination – Part II

Split into vibrant and distinctive areas, with tons of stores, markets, restaurants and hotels, London is the place where it's impossible to be bored. No wonder more than 27 million visitors come here every year, making London the most visited city in Europe.

After writing about the cultural side of London, with focus on its grand museums, (https://alltheflavorsandcolors.blogspot.com/2019/09/london-ideal-city-break-destination.html), let’s continue London’s virtual tour with some of the best neighborhoods, leisure spaces, restaurants and hotels I’ve encountered during my city breaks here:

Neighborhoods

Belgravia

Belgravia neighborhood is best known for the impressive 19th-century houses,  secluded gardens and  picturesque residential squares, with main focus on Belgrave Square. Close to the Buckingham palace, this is where you'll find some of London’s finest residences, as well as some of the most expensive streets. 

St Katharine Docks

St Katharine Docks (http://www.skdocks.co.uk/), located near the Tower of London, are a must-see attraction. This charming area is full of old sailing ships, modern buildings, pubs, as well as a  nice riverfront with some of the city’s best views of Tower Bridge.

Designed by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford, St Katharine Docks originally opened in 1828 as a commercial dock. Nowadays, restaurants, pubs, markets and contemporary residential buildings have put this area on London's map as an exciting place to explore.

Kensington 

Loved for the quiet, yet vibrant atmosphere, Kensington neighborhood is rich in garden squares, designer boutiques, famous museums, such as the Natural History Museum or the  Science Museum, as well as amazing luxury houses. This is the posh place to live in London, as this is the neighborhood where many of Great Britain's rich and famous people stay. Therefore, the West London area of Kensington is a perfect spot to spend the day strolling its picture-perfect streets and buildings.

Chinatown

London’s Chinatown, located between Soho and Leicester Square, is a vibrant neighborhood, with the usual Chinese lanterns and opulent arches. Filled with authentic Asian restaurants, as well as supermarkets and bars, there is always something new to explore in Chinatown every time you get to visit it. 

London's Chinatown has been around since the 1950s and is nowadays home to more than 80 restaurants, cafes, bakeries, souvenir stores, traditional Chinese medicine experts, thus attracting more than 17.4 million visitors each year.

The Regent’s Park 

The Regent’s Park (https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/the-regents-park), one of London’s eight Royal Parks, combines large open spaces with amazing pathways, gardens and playgrounds. There are plenty of things to do in Regent’s Park: walk through the elegant Avenue Gardens, see more than 10.000 roses in Queen Mary’s Gardens, hire a rowing boat, visit London Zoo, attend one of the various food and music festivals held here or eat like the locals at the delightful Garden Café. 

Stores and markets

Harrods

Founded in 1834, Harrods (https://www.harrods.com/en-gb) is now owned by the state of Qatar through the sovereign wealth fund - the Qatar Investment Authority. This amazing store occupies a 20,000 square meters space and has 330 departments, making it the largest department store in Europe, with more than 15 millions customers per year.

The Food Halls on the ground floor are one of Harrods' main attractions, offering a wide range of delicacies, at high-end prices.

Tourists also love the Egyptian escalator in the middle of the department store, connecting seven floors. Many columns and Egyptian style sculptures are placed along the escalator, providing visitors an amazing view. 

M&M's World London

This amazing store, specialized in M&M's candy and connected products, opened in London in 2011, in Leicester Square. M&M's World London (https://www.mms.com/en-gb/mms-world-store-london) is the world's largest candy store, at 3,250 sq meters, as well as the only M&M's World in Europe. 

Leadenhall Market  

Leadenhall Market (https://www.leadenhallmarket.co.uk/) is one of the oldest markets in London, dating from the 14th century. Easy accessible, since it's in the historic center of the City of London financial district, this beautiful covered Victorian market is filled with flowers and food stalls, making it one of London’s hidden gems that you certainly should visit.

This is where some of the scenes in two of the Harry Potter’s movies have been shot ("Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"), as well as scenes from other famous movies, such as "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" and "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider".

Portobello Market

Once in London and in the mood for shopping, head to Portobello Road Market, one of London's most important street markets, known for its second-hand clothes and antiques. 

Portobello Road has been a market since the 1800s, but became famous for its antiques in the mid 1950s. Now there are numerous stalls offering everything you can think of. In fact, Portobello Road became the world’s largest antiques market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectible. 

Covent Garden

The vibrant Covent Garden in London's West End is a must-see destination for anyone who enjoys shopping, theater, restaurants and bars. This area (https://www.coventgarden.london/) is best-known for Covent Garden Market (https://coventmarket.com/),  established in 1845, as well as for the London Transport Museum and Royal Opera House (https://www.roh.org.uk/) - home of Britain’s oldest national opera and ballet companies.

Borought Market

One of the world’s most exciting street food markets, Borought Market (http://boroughmarket.org.uk/) is  home to some great restaurants and food stalls, located at the same place since the 12th century.  Though noisy and crowded, Borought Market offers everything from British fruits and vegetables to international delicacies, sweets and even  Thai and Indian street food.

Camden Market 

Camden Market (https://www.camdenmarket.com/) is home to a huge array of market stalls open all week round. Eclectic and diverse, Camden Market features street food from international and Britich cuisines with great flavors.

But it is more to this area than Camden Market. Camden is, in fact, a well-known cultural neighborhood. Visitors and locals alike gather here to stroll by Regent's Canal, try cuisine from all over the world and listen to live music. 

Where to eat in London

PISQU

PISQU (https://www.pisqulondon.com/) is a great Peruvian Restaurant in the heart of London's West End, offering guests a gastronomic experience of Amazonian and Andean cuisine.

Brindisa Soho

Nestled near Carnaby Street and Oxford Street, Brindisa (https://www.brindisakitchens.com/) is one of the best restaurants in Soho. Inspired by the traditional bodegas in Spain, Brindisa is an intimate restaurant serving  artisan beers, great wines and impeccable cooked food.

Where to stay in London 

If you want to spend time sightseeing, it's a good idea to base yourself in a central location and use London's excellent public transport system to travel around. The Chamberlain Hotel (https://www.thechamberlainhotel.co.uk/) is a friendly and comfortable hotel near the Tower of London, which comes, as a bonus, with an amazing breakfast.