Best Beach in Belvedere

"Starting just east of Chalkwell Station, this beach is the choice of people who value peace for winter walks or sunbathing hot summer days. Chalkwell Beach is removed from Southend’s bustling arcades and entertainment, and has a vast belt of pebbles and sand tracked by a quiet, residential esplanade. And even if Chalkwell Beach has a more restrained atmosphere, there are shops selling beach paraphernalia and amenities like cafes just behind."

"Out of the way of the hustle and bustle of Southend’s central seaside, Chalkwell beach offers a quieter beach area for relaxation."

"One minute the sea will be there, then at low tide it’s literally completely disappeared. (Hence why the pier needed to be so long back in the day!). The largest beach which is closest to everything is Jubilee Beach."

"Taking south-west France as its focus, this Smithfield restaurant presents simply-cooked and well-sourced meat and fish with creative vegetable accompaniments and sauces. Try such dishes as duck ‘chocobar’ with gingerbread and ‘crazy salt’, or aromatic razor clams with hay emulsion and truffle vinaigrette to see just how creative it can get. Oh, and in case you had trouble evoking those feelings of rural France, the decadent dining room plays out the sound of crickets to help you on your way.Club Gascon, 57 West Smithfield, EC1A 9DS"

"Over 20 years ago, Club Gascon caused a storm on the London scene with chef Pascal Aussignac focusing on the delights of Toulouse cuisine and, in particular, duck and foie gras. But while the ingredients may be trad, Aussignac’s treatment of them is anything but, as anyone who has tried any of his many winning Taste of London dishes will know. So yes, there’s still foie gras on the menu but it’s served as a brulee with mandarin and cocoa dust."

"South-west France is the dining destination here, with seasonal ingredients forming the backbone of the menu. As French restaurants go, this one is magnifique."

"Read the full review: Artusi161 Bellenden Road, London, SE15 4DHArtusi is confident in its own ability, offering a concise menu that allows the quality of the ingredients to shine through. You could easily eat here for under £30, but the ice cream and all-Italian wines are worth splurging for. If you can’t get enough of all things Italian, check out our pick of the best pizza restaurants in London."

"Restaurants Italian Peckham"

"The world’s first purpose-built public art gallery was established more than 200 years ago, because its founders believed as many people as possible should see great paintings. A philosophy that will never get old!. Today, Dulwich Picture Gallery houses one of the finest collections of Old Masters in the world, especially rich in French, Italian and Spanish Baroque paintings, as well as in British portraits from Tudor times to the 19th century."

"A little bit of history for you here: Dulwich Picture Gallery is the world’s very first purpose-built public art gallery. Sir John Soane was the legendary architect who worked on it, designing it in a groundbreaking way that allowed oodles of natural light into the exhibition space. Under its roof you’ll find works by Old Masters of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Rembrandt, Murillo, Van Dyck, Poussin, Gainsborough and Constable."

"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 Horniman Museum in Forest Hill (South London) is similar to the Natural History Museum but on a much smaller scale, with collections spanning natural history and anthropology. The museum is particularly known for its elaborate taxidermy exhibition as well as the large 16 acres of gardens with a conservatory, nature trail, animal enclosure, butterfly house and sound garden with giant musical instruments you can play. With its smaller size and fun interactive exhibitions, Horniman is one of the best free museums in London for kids."

"Frederick John Horniman was quite the hoarder, but with his eclectic collection of natural history specimens, anthropology artefacts and, er, musical instruments now on display, we’ll let him off for that. Among the natural science galleries you’ll find taxidermied animals aplenty – including a hilariously overstuffed walrus – alongside living exhibits in the form of the inhabitants of an aquarium and a butterfly house. 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ, horniman.ac.uk"

"The Horniman’s far-out location (almost an hour from central London) means that you can expect lots of lovely breathing space at a museum that would otherwise be packed. The huge building, with its looming clocktower, looks a bit like a very ornate train station and is surrounded by 16 acres of garden. You’ll find large natural history and anthropology galleries, as well as an aquarium, carefully curated wild-looking gardens, and a beautiful Victorian conservatory."

"Fashion fans should bookmark this undeniably chic patisserie pronto. Pasticceria Marchesi is one of Milan’s most established bakeries and is now owned by one of the world’s biggest fashion powerhouses, Prada. They opened a London outpost earlier this year and it’s become one of Mount Street’s most Instagrammable spots – for both it’s sweet treats and sugar almond coloured interiors."