Best Arts and Culture Places in Orpington

"The country's largest museum and one of the oldest and finest in the world, this famous museum opened in 1759 and boasts vast Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Roman, European and Middle Eastern galleries, among others. It's London’s most visited attraction, drawing 5.9 million people annually. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone, the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics; the controversial Parthenon sculptures, taken from Athens' Acropolis by Lord Elgin (British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time); and the large collection of Egyptian mummies."

"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"

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The British Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. On Fridays it closes at 8:30 pm. The museum remains closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and from 24 to 26 December."

"No design nerd’s visit to London would be complete without a trip to the V&A Museum. You could potentially spend a week roaming its 145 galleries and still not see everything; the permanent collection alone includes over 2.3 million objects spanning some 5,000 years. Those visiting in the month of September are in for an additional treat, as the museum becomes a hub for the London Design Festival and plays host to installations by both established and emerging designers."

"V&A South Kensington is the world's greatest museum of art and design, with collections unrivaled in their scope and diversity. Discover 3000 years' worth of amazing artifacts from many of the world's richest cultures including ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass, jewelry, metalwork, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings which makes it one of the most interesting museums in London."

"Take a journey through 2000 years of art history with the help of more than 2 million objects. Read which highlights you should not miss. Among those you will find a plaster cast of the 38 m high Trajan's Column in Rome, a life-sized tiger attacking a man who is ...Images, Info & Tips"

"Tate Modern’s collection of international modern and contemporary art attracts millions of visitors every year eager to discover art movements and artistic practices documented by the permanent collection. This collection includes Pablo Picasso’s vividly powerful Weeping Woman, Salvador Dalí’s brilliantly surreal Lobster Telephone and Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals presented in a specially lit room. Since opening, the expansive Turbine Hall has showcased some major artist commissions, including Olafur Eliasson’s mesmerising The Weather Project and Ai Weiwei’s epic Sunflower Seeds."

"Another gem by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Bankside B power station was a beacon of modernity when it was constructed in the 1940s as the first oil-fired power station in Britain. The imposing chimney, its defining feature, was restricted to a height of 99m (325ft) so as not to outdo its illustrious neighbour opposite, St Paul’s. After shutting in the 1980s, the power station was resurrected by the relatively unknown Herzog & de Meuron, who won a competition to transform its crumbling shell into the new Tate Modern, which opened in May 2000."

"The former power station converted into a museum features the very best of contemporary and modern art from Picasso to Warhol as well as sculpture and photography. Highlight include the drawing bar on level one, the Turbine hall where kids can run, the viewing platform on level 10 and many interactive family trails and activities. TIP: look for some yellow shirts as they are special family guides and check Tate website as there are always family event that come up."

"With its bold Greek-style pillars, this museum is hard to miss if you’re in Trafalgar Square. Wander around the beautiful museum and you’ll find it’s full of incredible artists creations from many years ago. Portraits of important people in British history is the main theme in The National Gallery."

"The National Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the world. Constructed in 1937, it attracts more than 4 million tourists yearly. Unlike many other museums, this one is free to enter, so you don't have to worry about paying an admission fee."

"London’s own museum about London itself, right from prehistoric times through to more modern eras, exploring the people who lived on the site over the centuries and how their influence endures – Romans, Saxons (including a chance to pop inside a recreated Saxon house), medieval London and the plague, the Great Fire and more. Well, where better to discover London’s history than a museum dedicated to it?. Even after decades living in and visiting the capital, I hadn’t realised that hippos once roamed what’s now Trafalgar Square."

"Over in the City, the Museum of London documents the history of the UK capital from prehistoric times to the present day. It’s one of the best London museums for diving into the Big Smoke’s past. Located next to the Barbican and on the London Wall, it’s sandwiched between London’s ancient and modern heritage."

"A gallery for those who are more inclined to contemporary art, Hales Gallery is best known for exhibitions which present the artworks in dynamic ways. “John Jones did the framing for the amazing Sebastian Bremmer show open this month,” says Matthew. “Our long relationship with Hales gallery is what started our whole interest in building our own collection of contemporary art, with the artists they represent such as Danny Rolph, who was the first work we bought."

"London's vegan restaurant scene knows no bound, and Genesis is right up there with one of the prettiest places to grab a bite. Not only are plates filled with healthy vegan burgers and bites, the interiors are a dream all their own thanks to pastel pink walls, flashes of cactus green and neon aplenty."

"Lofty ceilings, gentle light and oodles of classic white space – with sister galleries worldwide (Paris, New York and Beijing), the team behind Pace know what they’re doing. Found right in the heart of things near Piccadilly, a stone’s throw from Marylebone and just along from Oxford Circus, Pace is easy to fit into a day’s itinerary. Recent exhibitions include James Turrell’s Materiality of Light and Chinese artist Song Dong’s Biscuit City, in which viewers were invited to eat the city."

"A chic, sleek contemporary art gallery in Mayfair, Pace has shown everything from established artists like Julian Schnabel to right up to date digital art by Japanese collective teamLab. The first Pace gallery opened in Boston in 1960, and set a high standard for promoting vibrant, vanguard-leading work from around the world. 6 Burlington Gardens, W1S 3ET Free entrypacegallery.com"

"The Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture is a London museum that is home to an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century home decorative arts. The Arts Council England recognized the collection as providing outstanding international value. The MoDA also has the Sir James Maude Richards Library of architectural books on a long-term loan."

"Philippe Conticini is a legend of pâtisserie and both of his eponymous Londoncafés are home to some of the finest gourmet pastries on this side of the channel. Paying a visit to Phillipe Conticini is like paying your respects to the butter gods. His Paris Brest is a thing of delicate, complicated beauty; his vanilla flan a reminder of what heights custard can achieve; and his pain au chocolat, a pastry so layered and flaky that it makes all pretenders seem a sham."

"Society Rooms is a Whetherspoons which means you can grab pub grub and a pint with change left over from a tenner. It has a big outdoor seating area with smoking and non-smoking areas. Society Rooms is located next to Maidstone Station and is one of the busiest pubs in town."

"Located inside a Grade-II listed Georgian townhouse, The Harcourt is a beautiful spot for lunchtime in Marylebone. Blessed with five rooms featuring stunning artworks and contemporary design, this is one opulent space to settle in to sample some modern European delights, with a nod to their Scandinavian heritage obvious throughout."

"Restaurants Cafés Broadgate. Aussie brunch runs every day at Beany Green in Broadgate Circle, where the killer menu spans everything from shakshuka with charcoal toast to coconut tapioca pudding. Their ‘fancy’ bacon roll includes Holy Fuck hot sauce in hollandaise form, and of course they slice and dice avocado every which way."

"The Hari’s Garden Terrace is an elegant suntrap on warm days and a cosy retreat in winter. A retractable roof keeps guests dry all year round and built-in heaters mean the space is warm on the coldest of winter evenings. Now serving an exciting new menu and cocktail list, the terrace provides the perfect setting for an afternoon aperitivo or long, lazy lunches and dinners al fresco."

"With built-in heaters and a retractable roof, The Hari’s Garden Terrace in Belgravia is the perfect outdoor restaurant year-round. The al fresco dining menu features everything from seafood pasta to burgers to salads, plus a selection of small plates for those who just fancy a bite – think grilled halloumi, steamed tiger prawns and baby chicken skewers."

"If you're looking for stunning outdoor dining spaces in London, the Amalfi-inspired garden terrace at The Hari Hotel is a must-see. Somewhat of a hidden gem, this restaurant in Knightsbridge is channelling the Italian shoreline with its menu and stylish decor."