Mentioned by Condé Nast Traveler
15 Best Museums in London
"Sky Garden is one of the modern but still equally famous attractions in London. Since its opening in 2015 on the 43rd floor of the "Walkie Talkie" building, the Sky Garden has gained a lot of popularity and has become one of London's best gardens to visit. This attraction serves as a public park for visitors on top of a commercial building."
"Offering perhaps the best free vantage point in Central London, the indoor viewing decks and restaurants occupying the top three floors of 20 Fenchurch Street (known to locals as the "walkie-talkie") are a great place to hang out without spending a penny. It is open daily, just book your free visit in advance."
"Address: 49-50 Camden Lock, Camden Town, London NW1 8AF and 54 Greek Street, London W1D 3DS. Whether you're a science buff or not, you have to head here just for the experience - you get to watch as your dessert is frozen to order using liquid nitrogen. Toppings and sauces are kept in beakers to complete the science lab vibe, and flavours are outlandish - think pandan leaf and black sesame cake."
"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."
"The menu at this Soho dessert stop features a lot of the delicious treats mentioned on this blog, but most famous are their biskies – a biscuit/cookie/cake hybrid filled with tasty buttercream, jams and caramels. Flavours include passion fruit and salted caramel, apple crumble, chocolate lava and miso caramel. If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent freakshakes to go with it."
"Nestled in the heart of Soho lives Cutter & Squidge, artisan cake makers who specialise in extravagance and wonder. Serving up slices of uniquely flavoured and decorated cakes along with their signature Biskie - a mix of cake, biscuit and cookie topped with marshmallow, buttercream and other goodies - it’s a one-of-a-kind shop in London. And it’s not just for the dairy eaters and gluten-friendly."
"Towpath, a venerable spot on the Regent’s Canal run by Lori de Mori and Laura Jackson, is one of the absolute best places to eat in London, whether snow-white goat’s curd topped with a head of smooshy beige confit garlic, or the bright red of Italian tomatoes blanketed in the darker beige of a tonnato sauce. The coffee rebels against many of the third wave edicts: it’s Italian (scream) roasted in Florence (ma dai) and dark, chocolatey, richly sweet, and brash. It has robusta as a component in its ten-bean blend."
"Towpath is excellent and serves deceptively simple, nourishing plates — likely heavy on Marinda tomatoes, pastel-leaved radicchio, and lentils enlivened by spoonfuls of mustard and buoyant handfuls of herbs."
"Restaurants Cafés London Fields. Brown, buzzy and never overheated, Climpson’s on Broadway Market has the same qualities as its excellent flat whites, while helpful blackboard notes on the blends from its own roastery ram home the message: coffee first, conversation second. With retro cakes and avocado on sourdough also available, it’s perfect for Saturday nights and Monday mornings."
"Broadway Market has a wealth of funky coffee shops but Climpson & Sons is one of the best of the bunch. Founded in 2005, they’ve been leading the way in London’s coffee scene for a good while now and all it takes is a cheeky sip of a Climpson cortado to understand why. Their impressive range of espressos, blends, and single-origin beans are all roasted in their East London roastery with the ever-present queue being a sign of the spot’s enduring success."
"You may have seen some of these massive cones floating around on Instagram, and it’s definitely one of the best desserts in London. The egg waffles made at Bubblewrap are filled with incredible gelato, and you can pack as many toppings onto your monstrous creation as you wish. Located in Chinatown, it’s one of those crazy desserts in London that you need to try once!"
"Unit 20B, Lower Ground Floor, The Market, The Piazza, Covent Garden WC2E 8RB Why should you care?. Instagram fave Bubblewrap are unveiling a new store, this time in the heart of Covent Garden. Expect all the popular flavours and some special exclusives for the new store too."
"Restaurants Street food Chinatown. This Soho take on the Hong Kong phenomenon had fans queuing around the block when it opened. But what exactly is a bubblewrap?"
"I may be biased because I live very near here but I believe beautiful Kew is the best area to stay in London and Kew Gardens is one of the best attractions here. Kew Gardens are 121 hectares of beautiful gardens and botanical glasshouses located between Richmond and Kew (in southwest London). The gardens are on a mission not only to be beautiful (which they are) but to contribute to research and nurturing of the plant kingdom."
"Enjoy the huge outdoor space – 330 acres (134 hectares) – at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. See the peaceful Japanese garden, the amazing trees of the arboretum and explore the stunning glass conservatories. Pack a picnic (or pick up food from one of the restaurants) for the perfect relaxing day out in London."
"Founded in 1840, using plants from Kew Park in Middlesex, Kew Gardens is one of the largest and lushest botanic gardens in the world."
"The Davies Alpine House is a somewhat different greenhouse, it is quite long (16m) and high (10m) and was designed to provide ideal conditions, fresh with natural wind for the best conditions the mountain plants. The collection features a wide range of campanulas, dianthus, small ferns, helichrysum, small lavenders, primulas, saxifrage, thymus, tulips and verbascums along with lesser known species."
"Many of the plants at Kew couldn't survive in Britain's grey, damp climate. The Davies Alpine House supports those that thrive in dry, cool, windy conditions of mountainous areas such as succulents and campanulas,"
"Drink authentic German-style beer from German KRAFT Brewery, straight from the tank and locally brewed in Mercato Metropolitano. Pick from the all-year-round Pale Ale, Helles Lager and German wheat beer, or try a seasonal one full of character – all beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised which makes them suitable for vegans."
"Franzè & Evans, in Shoreditch, East London, anchors one end of trendy Redchurch Street just before it flows into Bethnal Green Road. They serve interesting breakfasts and modern Italian lunches, but it’s also the best place I know for a breather after a day of hipster shopping. It’s perfectly located, an oasis at the end of this street of expensive, avant garde boutiques and underground designer shops too cool for signs."
"the pancake choices at Polo 24 Hour Bar are extensive and droolworthy. Order from their menu and you'll get a stack of sweet treats delivered to your door at any time of day."
"Chocolate chip cookie with a centre of caramel – thick, with a sprinkling of salt on top – and roughly chopped peanuts, it’s warming and nutty, rich with a strong savoury kick. 40-41 Great Castle St, London W1W 8LU. Currently closed."