Best Museums in The Brent

"Housed in an industrial power station at the foot of the River Thames, the Tate Modern is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious contemporary and modern art museums. Exhibiting British and international works dating from 1900 to today, the Tate Modern displays contemporary masters like Rothko, Matisse, Picasso, and Dali, alongside modern mavericks like Yayoi Kusama, Tracey Emin, and Marina Abramovic. The cavernous and imposing Turbine Hall plays host to temporary exhibitions of considerable scale."

"The Tate Modern displays modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present. It’s an absolute must-see in London, even if you're not an art lover. The newly opened Tanks and Switch House tower opens up the gallery for further exhibits and is well worth a visit on its architectural merit alone."

"Sitting grandly on the banks of the Thames is Tate Modern, Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary art. Its unique shape is due to it previously being a power station. The gallery's restaurants offer fabulous views across the city."

"It’s worth battling past the floating Yodas to get to the crown jewel of Trafalgar Square; the National Gallery. The formidable building sits resplendently behind the Fourth Plinth - always a talking point for art lovers - and contains some of the most famous paintings in the world. Here you’ll find works by Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Botticelli and Van Gogh - and you won’t be charged a penny to enjoy them."

"Nearly 6 million people visited the National Gallery in 2015 – and small wonder. Right in the heart of London, overlooking Trafalgar Square, room upon room contain masterworks by the likes of Cézanne, Monet, Gainsborough, Rubens, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Constable. It’s a quite extraordinary collection, and there’s so much to see, you might want to follow this guide to 30 must see paintings to guide you through."

"Anyone with even a passing interest in art will want to put this near the top of their to-do lists while visiting London, for it is truly…"

"You can see artists from all around the world in London, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about us Brits. Tate Britain is similarly era-spanning to its younger sister gallery, but focuses on homegrown talent. This means you can see works by the likes of landscape master Turner, members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, 20th century painters Freud and Bacon, as well as Turner Prize winners and nominees."

"This angle in Tate Britain is taken from a members lounge, but if you ask nicely they may let you up. Even if you don’t get to this exact angle this museum still has lots of other aesthetic architecture you could take photographs of. Best time for pics: DayCost: TicketedLocation: Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG"

"Explore the world's biggest collection of British art at Tate Britain. Spanning pieces by renowned artists, including JMW Turner, Lucian Freud, David Hockney and more, you can enjoy the museum independently or on a guided tour. After admiring the artworks, refuel at the Djanogly Café or pick up souvenirs from the museum shop."

"Not to be confused with the preceding listing, this gallery does what it says on the tin: housing a huge collection of portraits that depict important and famous British people from throughout history. It was the first portrait gallery in the whole world when it opened in 1856, so this place really is the OG. The gallery is set to close for three years, so if you want to see it before 2023, you better get there sharp-ish."

"The gallery houses pictures of the major (and not-so major) figures of the nation’s history from King Henry VIII to David Beckham. It makes a great introduction to British history for both kids and adults. Kid-friendly audio tours are available."

"One of the branches of Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of Childhood was founded in 1872, but only in the 1920s began to concentrate primarily on children. With an enormous collection of childhood objects, the Museum successfully fulfils its mission of giving everyone the opportunity to explore the wonderful ways of the designated world. The unique exhibitions, galleries of toys (older and newer) and the entertainment programs prepared for children will definitely get them prancing around."

"Funnily enough, the Museum of Childhood is actually first and foremost geared towards adults who want to relive their own childhoods, but don’t worry – they’ve planned ahead and know that many adults will be bringing their own children. For toddlers, there are interactive exhibits featuring toys and games at the Museum of Childhood, as well as drop-in activities including crafting and storytelling to get your toddler involved in some educational play."

"Spanning the 1600s to the present day—toys, clothes and interactive displays are set within a 1872 hangar with marble floor and visible cast iron frame."

"With all there is to see at Kew Gardens, you might easily miss the attractive red brick building housing the Marianne North Gallery. But don’t hesitate to take a look inside — the exquisite interior, which incorporates different kinds of wood and stenciled floor tile, is home to more than 800 works of botanical art. Marianne North was a wealthy, single Victorian woman who traveled the world solo in pursuit of interesting plants to paint."

"Another attraction in Kew Gardens, this gallery is dedicated to the work of Marianne North, a Victorian artist who specialised in botanical paintings. The walls of the gallery are covered in her stunning and colourful designs, which show off her incredible natural talent."

"Whitecross Street Market is a friendly and scrumptious market that’s a favourite amongst hard working locals, and has been serving up delicious food for over 150 years. It’s still relatively unknown, tucked away behind The Barbican Centre, so the food here is unpretentious and on point. Don’t miss long-time favourite Ravello’s Italian for some authentic Italian eats."

"20-30 stalls serve food from all over the world to local workers around Old St. It’s worth a detour if you’re visiting the City or the Barbican. Fortune Street Park, off one of the side streets, has plenty of park benches to eat your food. Or the Two Brewers pub (121 Whitecross St) lets you eat your food inside as long as you buy a drink."

"Dalston Food Market is an amazing little market located in an uber-trendy part of the city. The stalls in this area tend to be cheaper than those in some of the other markets, making this a budget-friendly option."

"On a sunny day in Hoxton Square, this place will feel positively Parisian. Highlights include the steak frites and a deliciously indulgent chocolate mousse, and a trip downstairs gets you to Happiness Forgets, one of the best cocktail bars in the city."

"Llewelyn’s is the kind of restaurant that makes you feel like you might look up and see Richard Curtis saving a small kitten with a kite. Basically, it’s quaint A F. Not only have they extended their seriously lovely outdoor terrace to allow for further al fresco tables, their menu suits that white-wine-sipping, risotto-gobbling energy of summer that we love so much. Just be sure to book ahead, all that charm makes it popular."

"Restaurants Contemporary European Herne Hill. Lucky Herne Hill to have Llewelyn’s on its doorstep. Set up by a team with hot credentials, this place deals in super-seasonal British cooking – although that’s only half the story."

"This Herne Hill restaurant has long had one of London’s most photogenic dining terraces, and with some heating it’s a prime candidate for both sunny evenings and cooler nights."

"early 6th century CE Location: Fleet Street, City of London Purpose:  Church (Current Denomination – Church of England) Still Standing:  Yes. photo source: Flickr via Jim Linwood. According to the official history of St. Bride’s Church, the site that the church rests on has been a place of worship not long after the Romans established Londonium in 43 CE."

"Another of Sir Christopher Wren’s designs from the ashes of the 1666 Great Fire, St Bride’s is the tallest of Wren’s churches after St Paul’s, standing at 69m tall. Located in Fleet Street, it has a long association with newspapers and journalists. It was largely gutted by fire during the Blitz in 1940."

"Famous for its three-tiered spire which inspired a baker to create a tiered wedding cake. It has an interesting museum underneath 2"

"St Giles Cripplegate, The origin of Cripplegate could be from the Anglo-Saxon ‘crepel’, a burrow, denoting the long, narrow underground or covered way leading to the gate. Alternatively, it could be that more cripples gathered at this particular gate begging alms than at other gates of the city.The first known church was built during the 14th century on the ground outside the gate close to where the Walbrook ran under the London Wall. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and much altered in Victorian times.Oliver Cromwell was married here, and in 1674 the poet John Milton was buried."

"St Giles is the patron saint of lepers, the crippled and the handicapped, hence this unusual dedication. It’s another London medieval church, mostly built in the late Gothic Perpendicular style, and survived the Great Fire of London but not the Blitz. The whole of the surrounding area was destroyed, and on this ground, close to a section of the London Wall, the Barbican Estate was built."

"This 16th-century church is one of the few to have survived both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz. It is situated inside the Barbican"

"Splendidly refurbished in 2010 it was built between 1721-1724 to the designs of John James, as one of the Fifty Churches projected by Queen Anne’s Act of 1711. The reredos is from the workshop of Grinling Gibbons and frames a ‘Last Supper’ painted for the church by William Kent in 1724. The windows contain Flemish glass of the early 16th century from Antwerp."