Mentioned by Reader's Digest Canada
50+ Must-See London Attractions
"The ferns, fig trees and purple African lilies that clamber up the final three storeys of the 'Walkie Talkie' skyscraper are mere wallflowers at this 155m-high rooftop garden – it's the rather extraordinary 360-degree views of London (the best in the City) that make this vast, airport-terminal-like space so popular (advance booking recommended). Located on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch St, the Sky Garden has front-row seats for the Shard and vistas that gallop for miles east and west."
"Get the lift to the top of 20 Fenchurch Street and let your toddler explore London’s highest public garden. There are 360 degree views of the London skyline, gardens to run around in and a café where you can buy cakes and pastries. Cost – Free, but you need to prebook."
"The Lowdown: Look no further for quirky hot chocolates than Camden Market’s Chin Chin Labs – Europe’s first liquid nitro ice cream parlour. They have pimped up the hot chocolate experience – expect a delicious hot chocolate, complete with torched homemade marshmallow fluff. For your Instagram feed alone, it’s something you simply must try."
"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."
"I remember my first Chin Chin ice cream years ago back in Camden Market. At that point the brand was pretty new and out there, making ice cream sundaes using liquid nitrogen. It was theatrical and fun, but also really sweet and delicious."
"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."
"This sister-owned Soho bakery looks sweet, but isn't saccahrine. Using no more sugar and fat than they need, their inventive and joyfully decorated offerings are delicately, carefully flavoured. Cutter & Squidge’s Dream Cakes make for jaw dropping centrepieces for your big celebration, or can also be enjoyed by the slice in house – the Lychee Kiss is an elegant flavour trio of lychee, raspberry and rose."
"It’s pretty, it’s pink and the cakes and treats are equally as gorgeous to eat as well as look at. Their famous for their ‘biskie’ creations which are a cross between a cake and a cookie sandwiched with cream or chocolate. If you prefer you can go for one of their perfectly presented cakes by the slice."
"Restaurants Italian Holland Park. Born in Italy but now trading across London, cheery family-owned Unico is part gelateria, part caffè. If you fancy a luscious lick or two, there are 13 ‘classic’ and ‘gourmet’ flavours to choose from, plus vegan options and some guest stars (they’ve been known to whip up the odd batch of Vegemite gelato)."
"If you love doughnuts, you need to try Longboys in BOXPARK Wembley. Their artisan finger doughnuts are a whole new player in the game, challenging the humble glazed ring, their menu is full of delicious flavour twists and perfect pastries, as well as soft-serve ice-cream. Their menu is always changing but one classic that remains is there Lemon Meringue Pie doughnut and we say try it!"
"Longboys are all about gorgeous doughnuts, excellent coffee, and soft-serve ice cream delights, bringing their joy and passion for food to BOXPARK Wembley. Their doughnuts are made from a light brioche base and gourmet fillings that give them just enough sweetness and a complex flavour profile. These treats are next level decadent without the extra calories."
"St Etheldreda’s Church is the oldest church in London, and one of only two in the city which have survived since the reign of Edward I. The exact date in which the building was constructed is unknown but is expected to be between 1250 and 1290. Dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon saint Etheldreda who founded the monastery at Ely back in 673 the church was purchased by the Catholic Church in 1874 and opened in 1878. As such it’s now one of the oldest operational churches in England owned by the Catholic Church."
"St Ethelreda Ely is a fragment of a medieval ecclesiastical palace belonging to the Bishop of Ely. It used to be the chapel and dates from 1293. The crypt incorporates older walls that may have been part of the Roman basilica."
"Dating from the reign of Edward I, this is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the country and was the private chapel of the Bishops of Ely"
"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"
"Along the south bank (always worth a wander), you can stop in at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern Art Gallery, and even quickly cross the Millennium bridge for a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Globe and St. Paul’s Cathedral are both included on the London Pass, whilst the Tate Modern is free to enter."
"This beautiful little 18th-century church was James Gibbs’ first commission. It sits in the middle of a busy traffic island on the Strand"
"Restaurants Italian Covent Garden. You might think you’d stumbled into a London Fashion Week party, what with all the svelte glamour pusses, David Gandy lookalikes and sundry hangers-on mingling in this capacious marble-hued outpost of the San Carlo group. If you’ve come here to eat rather than pose, the food is excellent Italian fare at comfortable prices – from chichi cicchetti and al dente pasta to grills and enticing specials."
"Restaurants Italian Covent Garden. Ideally placed for a pre-matinée Italian in theatreland, this marble-hued outpost of the San Carlo group provides highchairs for little ones during the day, and is happy to serve cicchetti plates, pastas and pizzas to mini gourmets. At night, the place morphs into a fancy-pants cocktail haunt and late lounge populated by beautiful people – you’ve been warned."
"One of the greatest pleasures of visiting Italy is discovering one of those tiny, unassuming eateries hidden away in the backstreets that makes the most wonderful food. Anima e Cuore is one such discovery – but in Camden Town. Since being ‘discovered’ by Time Out a few years ago, the 22-cover restaurant has become wildly popular, an issue made worse by the lack of a website and an unpredictable phoneline."
"The Leicester Square Theatre has an illustrious past, as it was the venue of the Cavern Club in the swinging Sixties. The group The Small Faces had a residency there, the Rolling Stones played there with the Who, and the Sex Pistols held several gigs there, including their preview of 'London Calling'. Over the last few years, it's been a venue to some of the world's top comedy acts."
"Stefan Kalmár, the Director of the ICA London states: The Institute of Contemporary Arts in London has been the model for most ICAs that exist in the world today. Since its founding in 1946, the ICA contextualises contemporary culture within the socio-political conditions of the times. The ICA was created as an institute (not a museum), for the contemporary (not just modern) and for all the arts (not just art)."
"The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an art gallery near London's Trafalgar Square. In addition to exhibits on contemporary art, the ICA includes two cinemas, a bookshop, a theatre, and a bar. Established in 1947, ICA creators wanted to create a place for artists and other creative and science folk to debate ideas without being constricted by the rules and traditions of the Royal Academy."
"From fully-qualified doctors to avid viewers of Holby City, this museum will remind you of how surgery used to be a whole lot more gruesome back in the day. Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre is in Southwark, dating back more than 300 years. Nowadays you can tour the theatre, which has been kept exactly as it was when it was used during a time of no anaesthetic (ow), no antiseptic (ew) and certainly no antibiotics (crikey)."
"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm. Tickets cost £20 GBP (around $26 USD). Make sure to book your tickets and pick a time-slot in advance directly on the museum website."