Best Arts and Culture Places in Gants Hill

"One of the world’s greatest collections covering human history, art and culture, the museum has around eight million artefacts (only a tenth are ever on display) in almost 100 galleries. I’ve been visiting the British Museum since I was a child myself, fascinated by the Egyptian galleries – and the sheer scale of items on display, the variety and the fascinating stories behind so many artefacts mean that kids are likely to be just as enthralled, whether it’s by the mummified crocodile, the Easter Island Moai or something else. This is one I’d personally avoid during the early toddler years: preschoolers are old enough to be interested, babies young enough to snooze around, but chasing after enthusiastic 18-month-olds in a gallery of priceless artefacts makes me shiver."

"Established in 1753, the British Museum in London is a museum of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. Objects include the Rosetta Stone, the key to the deciphering of hieroglyphs, and the largest collection of mummies outside of Egypt."

"The British Museum in London’s Bloomsbury was founded in 1753 and was the first national museum in the world to cover all fields of human knowledge. The impressive museum now has a permanent collection of over eight million artefacts which span two million years of human history, art and culture. And if the museum’s extensive free collections aren’t enough to draw you in, then its architecture certainly will."

"The world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design is not the most obviously family-friendly of the South Kensington museums, but there’s a lot more to the Victoria & Albert museum for kids than you might expect. Better with older preschoolers than toddlers, there are various children’s activity packs, including the Agent Animal backpack with coloured blocks which make a noise to entertain as you follow the animal-themed trail. As you might expect from a museum focused on ‘decorative and applied arts’, there are plenty of creative activities as well – the chance to draw and let imaginations be inspired by the exhibits as well as opportunities to dress up."

"The V&A offers a decadent art and design extravaganza on a backpacker’s budget, attracting nearly 3.5 million visitors a year. Its vast permanent collection has something for everyone, be it textiles, paintings, architecture, ceramics, Japanese art, glass, china, furniture, or even wedding dresses. Even the building itself is a thing of beauty, making it one of the most instagrammable destinations in London."

"Over on the South Bank, Tate Modern is not only one of the best museums in London, but also one of the most visited museums in the world. Tate Modern focuses on international modern and contemporary art. It also houses the national collection of British art from 1900 to the present day."

"The Tate Modern is free to enter and is home to an extensive collection of modern art dating from the 1900s to present day. Quick Tip: The restaurant at the Tate Modern offers a beautiful view of London. The museum is also open later on Fridays and Saturdays."

"This spectacular renovation of a mid-20th-century power station is one of the most-visited museums of modern art in the world. Its great…"

"The National Gallery is one of the UK’s most important art museums which contains over 2,300 works dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. With many famous works by artists including Michelangelo, Velázquez, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh and others housed inside a Grade I listed Neoclassical building on the northern edge of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is certainly one of the most impressive free galleries London has to offer. Nearest tube station: Charing Cross."

"Day 1: Arrive in London, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, the London EyeDay 2: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Whitehall, Covent GardenDay 3: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sky GardenDay 4: National Gallery, Greenwich, Prime Meridian, Up at the O2Day 5: British Museum, Portobello Road Market, Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrod’s"

"0 km from city center 11 out of 40 places to visit in London. The National Gallery is a art gallery situated in London which displays more than 2000 Western European paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. The works of renowned artists like Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh, etc are displayed here."

"One of the best free things to do in London at night is exploring the city’s many world-class museums after dark at the special Museum Lates. Take a step back in time and walk with dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum(last Friday of every month), attend fascinating themed evenings at the Science Museum (last Wednesday of the month), stroll around the impressive covered square at the British Museum(every Friday) or see one of London’s largest art collections after hours at the Tate Modern(last Friday of the month), at their free evening events. Many of the Museum Lates also have pop-up bars where you can grab a drink to take around with you and other free events such as special lectures and workshops, live music and of course the Science Museum’s famous silent disco."

"What better way to explore London, than in this fantastic museum, devoted to the history of one of the greatest cities in the world. The exhibits span the city’s long and illustrious past from 450,000 BC (when there weren’t so many coffee shops as there are now) right up to the present day. Along the way you can experience what it was like when the city of Londinium came to life during Roman times, the turbulent Medieval era in the city, the 17th century’s war, fire and plague…"

"The free to enter Museum of London takes you through the history of the capital from Celtic times through to present day. The family events programme ensures children will never get bored, with interactive areas teaching little ones keys facts on topics as diverse as prehistoric animals, Victorian window shopping, and children’s toys from years gone by and what it was like to live during Saxon times."

"One of the further-flung museums on our list, head south-east to Forest Hill for this fantastic all-rounder. Based upon the eclectic collections of Frederick John Horniman, you’ll find a gallery of taxidermy (including a famously over-stuffed walrus), a new World Gallery based on diverse civilisations around the globe, a butterfly house, an underground aquarium (this has an admission charge) and even some cute llamas outside in the beautiful gardens. A perfect family day out."

"Probably London's most child-friendly museum, offering fascinating exhibits and exciting activities from all over the world. Galleries include musical instruments, natural history and African art & culture, plus an aquarium and extensive gardens. Highlights are the wonderful 'hands on base' where children can touch and handle items from cultures around the world, and a music room where everyone can experiment with playing a wide variety of specially commissioned instruments."

"This eclectic collection of anthropological curios was put together by Frederick Horniman, the son of a successful businessman, who had plenty of money to play with. The museum hosts a fascinating natural history exhibit and a collection of musical instruments from around the world. Horniman Museum © Flickr Neil Turner"

"Raluca Micu is a one-woman baking machine and her Askew Road bakery is the perfect example of why local businesses matter. Micu makes wonderful artisan hand-made sourdough (baked with Shipton Mill organic flour and heaps of love) and in pre-pandemic times did some pretty banging pastries, too. October 26 is only open on Friday and Saturday with a limited number of loaves available, so make sure to get their early for a hot takeaway loaf."

"A Biskie is a sandwiched dessert that’s essentially a cross between a cake and a cookie and is filled with cream or other ingredients. You can find Biskies only at Cutter and Squidge, a cute little bakery with locations in Soho and Bank. Their Salted Caramel Biskie is award winning and if you’re vegan or GF you’ll still find delicious options to choose from."

"We wondered…"Can we vegan-ise our favourite blueberry lemon cheesecake cake?" 🤔 Wonder no more… we did it!!. Blueberry buttercream, tangy cheesecake and vanilla sponge 🍰 Head down to Soho today for a slice, also available online to order 😍. A post shared by Cutter & Squidge (@cutterandsquidge) on Jul 13, 2019 at 2:08am PDT"

"Vanilla sponge with apple jam, cinnamon buttercream – custardy, sweet, perfectly spiced – crispy white chocolate pearls, biscuit crumbs and an apple crisp to finish. It has all the flavours of a traditional apple pie, but it’s lighter and wonderfully soft. 20 Brewer St, London W1F 0SJ. Currently online only."

"Designer Anya Hindmarch has dreamt up a whole “Village” in Pont Street, featuring several shops, a salon and a modern take on the quintessential British café. That means Anya Café serves smiley cakes, chubby hearts and eyes on every treat, captured by your favourite influencers on Instagram. 9 Pont Street, London, SW1X 9EH"

"In a nutshell: Anya Hindmarch run cafe in Knightsbridge Where is it?. 9 Pont Street, London SW1X 9EJ Why should you care?. As part of the new Anya Hindmarch The Village in Pont Street, this all-day cafe serves up food inspired by the designer's sense of humour."

"Westminster’s Ma La Sichuan is a sleek restaurant that promises diners the flavours of Sichuan. With a lengthy menu on offer you’re spoilt for choice here, though their soft shell crab and siu mai (pork and prawn dumplings) are personal menu highlights. The meat is excellent quality across the board, coming through in dishes like their perfectly tender and well seasoned beef flank."

"Overshadowed by a reputation for rudeness which it shed decades ago, Wong Kei is maybe the closest central London has to a communal canteen. In usual times, people, usually tourists, come here in groups but the real spirit of Wong Kei is on the ground floor, reserved for solo diners only, four to a table, sometimes filled with a kind of silent desperation, or the chatter of those comparing their orders. But for now, luckily, there’s takeaway from the counter: the standouts are the huge pork chops, deep fried and either dry with salt and chilli, or wet with gravy and aubergine, the assorted meat ho fun, prawns entombed within tofu, aubergines and green peppers, any of the scrambled egg dishes, and the wonton or beef brisket noodle soups, pungent with ginger and MSG, that will stave away colds for a rapidly oncoming winter."

"Wong Kei was once described as “the rudest restaurant in London” but the service here has improved somewhat. All of the shouting and noise is kind of forgiven as the food here is super yummy and well-priced too. The menu can be rather daunting but skip to the back of it for some seriously hearty dishes that’ll leave you rolling out of the restaurant."

"Make the most of Chinatown’s new outdoor dining permissions with a bowl of wonton noodle soup, some classic Cantonese roast meats, or beef brisket and rice vermicelli in soup. Be sure to add a generous amount of its status-iconic chilli oil to whatever it is you order."

"Restaurants Chinese Soho. If romance is on your mind, you need to bypass Yauatcha’s frenetic ground-floor canteen and head down to the brick-lined basement with its illuminated fish tank, twinkling lights and nightclubby vibe (bass-heavy beats included). Luxe dim sum (and some dazzling larger plates) are offset by spectacular East-West desserts, while heady teas, exotic cocktails and jet-setting wines complete a sexy Michelin-starred package."

"Restaurants Chinese Soho. There’s substance behind the style at this Soho stalwart, which mixes high-concept design with day-and-night dim sum – think sticky-sweet venison puffs, umami-filled foie gras taro croquettes and lobster dumplings with tobiko caviar. With exotic teas, bigger plates, premium sakés and patisserie treats also on offer, it’s easy to see why Michelin came a-calling."

"The ”it crowd” dine on a menu of more than 84 amazing dishes at this sexy dim sum teahouse in Soho. Michelin-star quality and incredible cocktails from behind the fish tank bar brings in big names such as Amanda Seyfried, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gwen Stefani.You don't even have to break the bank to dine here, with a cheap dim sum afternoon tea available Monday to Thursday."