Mentioned by A Lady in London
11 Best Museums in London - Must-See Museums in the UK Capital
"Located on the 43rd floor of the Walkie Talkie building in the City of London, the Sky Garden is the capital’s highest public garden and one of the coolest places to visit in London for free. The garden’s large plant-filled atrium has floor-to-ceiling windows with amazing panoramic views out over the city below and is open throughout the day and into the evenings on weekends – making it one the best free things to do in London at night too!. There’s also an open-air covered terrace on one side."
"The view from Rafael Viñoly’s Sky Garden, also known as the Walkie-Talkie building, is unlike any other in the city. From here you can survey London’s ever-growing sprawl with the city stretching up to the north, Tower Bridge and the Shard to the south, and Canary Wharf to the east. It’s free to explore the tower’s three stories of landscaped public gardens, but make sure to book in advance."
"What started as an ice cream store dedicated to liquid nitrogen creations, Chin Chin Labs has come a long way in delivering some of the best bites in town. Burnt butter caramel ice cream pies and loaded tiramisu sundaes join this mouthwatering brownie cookie ice cream sando (from £5.45) that can be customised with the likes of black sesame ice cream, molten chocolate, bee pollen honeycomb and whatever else takes your fancy. Now that's our kinda sandwich."
"For truly breathtaking ice-cream creations, head on down to Chin Chin. This little dessert spot is famous for its extravagant flavors (you can find things like meringue pie and tonka bean on the menu!), and you can even grab a signature hot chocolate if you want something to enjoy on the go. Such a great option if you’re looking for the best desserts in London."
"The sweet treats get scientific at Chin Chin Labs, where all the ice cream is hand-churned with liquid nitrogen. Its short but inventive menu of regular flavours includes tonka bean and burnt butter caramel, with an array of topping options including bee pollen honeycomb and truffle crumble."
"This North London bakery describes itself as ‘a bit health conscious’: cakes contain low fat and sugar, but enough to ensure they taste delicious. Cutter & Squidge cakes make the perfect centrepiece for a big celebration too: the Macron Drip Cake, for instance, is a layered creation decorated with macarons, topped with chocolate shards and finished with 24 carat gold. Vegan cakes are also available, and everything can be personalised."
"A biscuit isn’t quite a dessert – unless it’s in the hands of Cutter & Squidge, that is. Enter the Biskie, the Soho bakery’s signature dessert which sees two discs of a cake-cookie hybrid sandwich an array of flavoured creamy fillings. The chocolate s’more version is filled with buttercream and a handmade marshmallow, while the blueberry cheesecake version layers jam, cheesecake cream and a wedge of digestive biscuit."
"Cutter & Squidge are bringing the latest in hybrid desserts to London. Here, they have invented the Biskie. This is a biscuit-cookie-cake creation filled with buttercream, jam or caramel."
"The one by Garden at 120 This healthy grab-and-go restaurant is famous for its Field Trays; flavour-packed proteins with your choice of grains, salads and sides all dished up in a compartmentalised tray for less than £8. A different day brings with it a different combination; pair your harissa chicken with brown rice, cavalo nero and bean salad and a tarragon dressing, or match grilled salmon fillets with pesto, sweet potato chips and wilted greens. The offerings are just that little bit different compared to most takeaway joints in the City, lending from Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian cuisines."
"If you fancy rehydrating with a refreshing juice then head to the aptly-named Joe & The Juice in Richmond – concoctions such as The Iron Man (made with strawberry, kiwi and apple) and the Energy Shake (made with raspberry, bananas and vanilla milk) are great refuelers."
"Mayfair hotel The Biltmore Mayfair welcomes a new restaurant this summer, spearheaded by superchef and restaurateur Jason Atherton – who runs another of the hotel’s eateries, The Betterment. The Café Biltmore Restaurant & Terrace will be a more relaxed affair, focusing on comfort classics like buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas, alongside fish dishes including steamed mussels and Dorset crab on toast. On summer evenings the newly expanded 70-seat terrace is the place to be, a tropical-inspired space surrounded by foliage covered walls."
"The Biltmore Hotel in leafy Grosvenor Square is a delightful place to escape the bustle of nearby Oxford Street, with plenty of space to spread out, including two restaurants run by Jason Atherton, The Betterment, and Cafe Biltmore. The latter sprawls out onto a generous terrace at the back of the hotel, part undercover, and part open to the sky. The menu is simple but satisfying: elegantly done gastropub classics with a hefty wine list to go with them."
"Serene leafy terraces in bustling Mayfair are hard to come by, so thank heavens for Cafe Biltmore from chef Jason Atherton. Expect a casual offering (for this postcode at least) full of globally inspired dishes."
"However, today visitors can still see one remaining section of the palace complex, the Banqueting Hall (fee*) designed by famous architect Inigo Jones with a ceiling painted by Peter Paul Reubens. Today Whitehall is the center of the Government of the United Kingdom and you’ll pass a number of buildings home to various departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defense and the Cabinet Office. Along this street you’ll also find The Household Calvary Museum (fee*), located in the 18th century stables of the Horse Guards, which gives information on the history of the Household Cavalry and displays a small collection of uniforms and weapons."
"The second most popular tourist attraction in the UK, Tate Modern, is a striking London structure. Originally a Power Station, Tate Modern opened in May 2000 as a home to international modern and contemporary art. Displays in Tate Modern cover themes such as Transformed Visions and Poetry and Dream, and give visitors the opportunity to see works of art such as Pablo Picasso's 'Weeping Woman,' 'Metamorphosis of Narcissus' by Salvador Dalí, and 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Dorothea Tanning."
"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…"
"This magnificent neoclassical mansion stands at the northern end of Hampstead Heath in a glorious sweep of landscaped gardens that lead down to a picturesque lake. The 17th-century house was substantially remodelled in the 1760s and rescued from developers by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, who donated it and the wonderful collection of art it contains to the nation in 1927. Among its treasures are paintings by Rembrandt (one of his many self-portraits), Constable, Gainsborough and Vermeer."
"This largely Palladian villa offers an escape to a gracious country house with a magnificent collection of Old Masters and beautiful…"
"This stylish and modern Japanese restaurant is a great find. The sushi is technically spot-on, a mixture of classic and modern fusion options. The sashimi and noodle, rice and grilled dishes are also of high quality."
"Despite it being outrageously difficult to get a decent picture of the food in this place – their sexy low-level lighting is not particularly conducive to Instagram, but it is highly atmospheric – it’s easy to see why Hakkasan Hanway Place has received the coveted Michelin star accolade. Every dish that was brought out was delicately dished up and tasted as good as it looked. The stand out dish for us was their signature duck salad – yes, a salad – which I honestly have not been able to stop thinking about since eating it."
"A post shared by Hakkasan Hanway Place (@hakkasanhanway) on Sep 24, 2017 at 7:22am PDT. Discover a menu full of modern Cantonese fare from chef Tong Chee Hwee at this Michelin-starred venue. The original restaurant of what is now a global brand (there is another in Mayfair), Hakkasan Hanway Place stands out with its sleek, dimly lit interiors with dark oak bar and latticed screens."
"The original Hakkasan is tucked down a tiny alleyway just off Tottenham Court Road. Step inside though and you're transported to a Chinese den of black laquer and gold. Awarded a Michelin star two years after opening, it's retained it every year since."
"From the Chinese countryside to the fishing villages of Japan, to the food markets of Delhi and everywhere in between - COSMO has dishes from around the world. There are various live cooking stations around the restaurant in Friar Street where restless diners can watch food being prepared. The buffet style restaurant offers a variety of meals including a sushi selection, noodle and wok bar, pizzeria, global kitchen and sea food."
"A globe-trotting, eat-all-you-like buffet concept, COSMO brings the ultimate crowd-pleasing dining experience to Reading. Launched by Tom Chan back in 2003, COSMO offers a set-price menu, with guests invited to choose from over 150 recipes from the…"