Mentioned by CN Traveller
The best spas in London
"Arguably the most beautiful department store in the world, Liberty is housed in a fairytale Grade II-listed Tudor revival building built in 1924, seven years after founder Arthur Lasenby Liberty died. A maze of cave-like rooms is laid out around three central atriums, stacked high with merchandise and artistic displays. The store’s fabric department—where visitors can admire Liberty’s world-famous patterned, print, and floral fabrics—is a must-see."
"London is home to some of the most beautiful shops – whether you’re an interior design nut or just like to look from the outside. Wandering around London, it’s almost impossible not to pass a lovely little storefront or a beautifully decorated boutique. From The Old Curiosity Shop to Alice’s to the interior of The Liberty Store, there is no shortage of inspiration and beauty (Daunt Books is another blogger fave)."
"You could be forgiven for thinking the Liberty department store building is a lot older than it is. At first sight, the timber-framed front looks late medieval, but in fact it’s a Tudor Revival building from the early 20th century. Arthur Liberty previously owned several store sites in and around nearby Regent Street."
"Housed in one of London’s most glamorous hotel, The Dorchester Spa promises an experience as opulent as its surroundings. A warren of light, bright spaces and dramatic-yet-intimate areas, facilities include a fitness centre filled with Technogym equipment, nine treatment rooms, a relaxation room, experience showers, steam room, hair salon and wittily named Spatisserie cafe. Available Monday to Thursday, the signature spa day at The Dorchester is dubbed the Beau-Tea-Ful Spa Experience and, you guessed it, culminates in a classic afternoon tea."
"With Art Deco-inspired interiors, The Dorchester’s spa oozes 1930’s glamour with a modern edge. From manicures to full-body scrubs their treatment list is extensive and all are highly tailored to clients’ needs. Facilities include a mani-pedi suite, relaxation room, and male and female aromatic steam rooms and experience showers."
"Decadent art deco features line The Dorchester's exclusive spa. Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA. Tube: Hyde Park Corner Station"
"Sopwell House Hotel is a grand affair, with more than 100 rooms, two restaurants, a spa and 12 acres of grounds to its name. Among all of that the best place to relax is in the cocktail lounge, where afternoon tea is served. It’s a long, breezy room that begins with a marble-topped bar and stretches all the way to a library, with little alcoves and giant sash windows along the way."
"The 10,000 square-foot agua spa at Sanderson in London's Fitzrovia is a dazzling all-white space providing pampering, spiritual relief, and tranquillity. With walls of white, flowing curtains, the 14 all-white treatment rooms, chill-out zone and meditation beds creates a cloud-like ambiance with the sound of running water added to the atmosphere. Try the Natura Bisse signature treatment that analyses your skin and creates a programme designed specifically for your skin or the Natura Bisse Diamond Experience offering a multi-sensory cosmetic lift using ingredients that penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin, providing the firmness necessary to stimulate regeneration and reinforces the skin's natural defence system."
"The Tom Dixon-designed Thames-side hotel has transformed this part of the South Bank. The designer’s first complete hotel comes with portholes and a curved copper hull as well as a little bit of disco-ball shimmy in the air. His aesthetic flows down to the subterranean spa, where a huge copper droplet appears to drip through the ceiling from in the relaxation lounge."
"Until 2007, Londoners had no idea what an affordable spa was, until Spa London opened up its first spa-tique in Bethnal Green. Now there are several all over London, but the favourite must be in Swiss Cottage. Signature body treatments, facials and massages are up for grabs from as little as £30 — rare in this part of town."
"Following a major redesign, the Elemis flagship spa in Mayfair re-launched as the House of Elemis in 2015. More than just a spa, it's 'a couture beauty house' that brings together science and beauty, offering a wide range of hi-tech treatments that promise results. Guests are invited into a calming space that combines natural tones, textural lighting, artisanal glass and ceramic work, reflecting the brand's ethos of the best that nature and science have to offer."
"Tucked away in the backstreets of Mayfair, the House of Elemis, a beautiful day spa offering top-notch facials and body treatments, reopens on April 14. The brand has launched a new No Touch Facial that combines tech and safe-touch tools like cooling wands, spatulas and a face mitt, with BIOTEC products to bring your skin back to life. Choose from the Hydra-firm or Resurfacer."
"The House of ELEMIS lies in a blissfully quiet spot in Mayfair|© ELEMIS. This niche little spa has had a luxury makeover by stylist Bay Garnett. The result: a sparkly shop decorated in clean white lines and porcelain flowers by Valeria Nascimento, flashy beauty treatments and a spa in the basement."
"This Asian late night restaurant and bar boasts panoramic views of one of London’s famous landmarks – St Paul’s Cathedral. Find theatrical drinks and cocktails late into the night alongside a delicious menu of tantalising, Asian-inspired dishes. On arrival, diners are met with a fluorescent pink onyx floor and a pink-hued pagoda."
"20 New Change Passage, London, EC4M 9AG Why should you care?. The latest Ivy has opened in the impressive space that once held Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa. This time they've launched an Ivy with an Asian-influenced menu."
"Restaurant residencies have kick-started many wonderful things on the London food scene – and quite a few of these success stories have begun at The Sun and 13 Cantons. This Soho pub has been hosting regular pop-up restaurants and supper clubs for the last four years, acting as a platform for promising new chefs and projects. Arguably its biggest hit was hosting Asma Khan’s first three-month pop up, leading to the opening of her critically acclaimed Kingly Court restaurant Darjeeling Express."
"This June, Nadeem Lalani Nanjuwany and Ravinder Bhogal’s Marylebone eatery Jikoni will become the first carbon neutral independent restaurant in the UK. Sustainability has been on the founders’ minds since opening in 2016, and since 2019 the restaurant has been powered by solar power, wind power and carbon neutral ‘green gases’. But over the past few months they’ve taken things to the next level by partnering with non-profit organisation Climate Neutral."
"Ravinder Bhogal’s cooking is clever, different and defiantly multicultural – and the brunch menu is no different. Tamarind and maple-glazed bacon is served with fenugreek waffles and fennel slaw, while a spicy fish cake is topped with a poached egg and curry hollandaise. More favourites from Jikoni are also on the menu at brunchtime, including the prawn toast scotch egg, which is served with banana ketchup and pickled cucumber."
"Jikoni’s brunch is a many-splendoured thing: fenugreek waffles with tamarind-glazed bacon, aloo tikka channa chaat, mutton keema Sloppy Joe. The piña colada pancakes are worth saving space for — a substantial stack topped with caramelised pineapple and coconut ice cream. All the fun of the cocktail with none of the brain-freeze."
"This farm is little further out of London, but a whole day of adventure and fun can be enjoyed here, thanks to a huge array of facilities, besides the friendly animals. There’s indoor soft play at the Bundle Barn, an alpine toboggan run, Dino Dig and Splash play area and an adventure playground. Unlike most of the other city farms in London listed, there is a small entry price for this one (£10) but this includes entry to all indoor and outdoor play areas, activities, animals, bird shows and a tractor ride to the dairy farm."
"A post shared by Georgiebd (@georgie.bd) on May 26, 2018 at 10:23am PDT. Cycle along the paths or take a stroll at Lee Valley Regional Park. Stretching 42km (26 miles) along the river Lee, past Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and up to Ware in Hertfordshire, there is plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife, relax or play."
"National Portrait Gallery / Self-Portrait As A Soldier By Ludwig Kirchner. Before there were selfies, you basically had to hire someone to paint you in order for your face to be immortalised for all to see. Next door to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of portraits of historically famous British people."
"Located in an adjoining building to the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of historic portraits of important and famous British people. Nearest tube station: Charing Cross."
"170 million items and 330 miles of shelf space make this not only one of the best museums in London, but also one of the biggest. It also hosts regular, curated exhibitions based around its rare collections; including displays of the original manuscripts of Charles Dickens, Virginia Wolf, Jack Kerouac, Lewis Carroll and varying instalments of maps, sacred texts, newspaper and sound archives. Details: 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB | Free entry, exhibitions from £14 | Find out more and book–"
"Consisting of low-slung red-brick terraces and fronted by a large plaza featuring an oversized statue of Sir Isaac Newton, Colin St John Wilson’s British Library building is an architectural wonder. Completed in 1997, it's home to some of the greatest treasures of the written word, including the Codex Sinaiticus (the first complete text of the New Testament), Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and a copy of the Magna Carta (1215)."
"The British Library is the United Kingdom's national library. It contains an estimated 200 million different works from around the world. Some of the library's collection dates back to 2000 BC."