Best Museums in Ickenham

"Tate Modern’s collection of international modern and contemporary art attracts millions of visitors every year eager to discover art movements and artistic practices documented by the permanent collection. This collection includes Pablo Picasso’s vividly powerful Weeping Woman, Salvador Dalí’s brilliantly surreal Lobster Telephone and Mark Rothko’s Seagram murals presented in a specially lit room. Since opening, the expansive Turbine Hall has showcased some major artist commissions, including Olafur Eliasson’s mesmerising The Weather Project and Ai Weiwei’s epic Sunflower Seeds."

"Now you can cross the Millennium Bridge, a popular pedestrian bridge, to reach the Tate Modern, the largest international modern art gallery in the UK. The museum’s location is unusual as it is based in a former power station building. The museum displays both a permanent collection as well as several temporary exhibitions throughout the year."

"If you’re into contemporary art then Tate Modern is the place to come and the Switch House galleries are well worth a look. Best shot: from the viewing terrace on the top floor of Switch House. The views of the River Thames and the Northbank are spectacular."

"Housing masterpieces by painters including van Gogh, Renoir, da Vinci and Michelangelo, the National Gallery is home to one of the world’s most impressive art collections, and sees over six million visitors every year. Avoid the hordes by visiting on weekday mornings or Friday evenings. Whatever time you go, the permanent collections are always free."

"The National Gallery is the jewel in the crown of London’s Trafalgar Square. This impressive neoclassical building houses paintings from the mid-13th century to 1900. There’s art from all over Europe here, and every period from the Italian Renaissance to the Impressionist era is well represented."

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The National Gallery is open every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. It closes at 9:00 pm on Fridays. It’s closed on 1 January and from 24 to 26 December."

"Located on the former site of the Millbank prison, Tate Britain offers one of the most comprehensive collections of historical British art from 1500 to the present day. Founded by Sir Henry Tate, of global sugar brand Tate & Lyle, the striking Neoclassical gallery boasts the world’s largest collection of works by JMW Turner as well as impressive pieces by William Hogarth, William Blake, Angelica Kauffman, John Constable, Richard Dadd, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. The gallery is located on the River Thames, and you can take a scenic ride on the Tate Boat to its sister gallery, Tate Modern."

"A temple to the work of British artists over the past 500 years, with a vast collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, two rooms of Henry Moore sculptures, a free picture library filled with rare and fragile sketches from major artists, and a restaurant with a mural by Rex Whistler. Late at Tate Britain: On the first Friday of every month, Tate Collective Producers curate an evening exploring a different abstract theme, with a little help from DJs, activists, artists and more. Details: Millbank, SW1P 4RG | Free entry | Find out more and book–"

"Sister gallery to the Tate Modern is the Tate Britain, a bastion of British art. Sporting old-world marble floors, spiral staircases, and Grecian columns, the Tate Britain is a veritable temple of British art from 1500 to today. Get swept away by the world’s largest collection of stormy and atmospheric Turner oil paintings and a considerable assemblage of the most ethereal and romantic Pre-Raphaelite portraits of mythical and literary characters."

"The National Portrait Gallery presents a who’s who of British history. Located just behind the National Gallery, it houses a remarkable collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, miniatures and works on paper, and takes visitors on a unique journey through British history featuring Tudor kings and queens all the way up to contemporary artists and actors. Some of the masters of portraiture on display include Hans Holbein, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Paula Rego."

"Essential building works have closed the National Portrait Gallery until spring 2023, but before Google or Wikipedia, this is where the British came to put a face to the names of famous historical figures from the country's history. As such, the paintings are prized more for their subjects rather than their artists. Highlights include portraits of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth II, the latter courtesy of pop art sensation Andy Warhol."

"Located in an adjoining building to the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of historic portraits of important and famous British people. Nearest tube station: Charing Cross."

"This excellent branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum displays one of the best collections of childhood-related objects in the world. Kids are fascinated by the immense number of dolls, dolls’ houses through the ages, vintage board games, construction toys (Lego, Meccano), battery-powered robots and favourite toys from the 20th century, decade by decade. Action figures, teddy bears, puppets, magic lanterns and MicroMachines are among the highlights here."

"In the East end of London is the V&A satellite, the Museum of Childhood. The museum has been collecting childhood related objects since 1872 and is home to one of the world’s finest collections of children’s toys, doll’s houses, games and costumes dating back to the 1600s. There’s plenty to keep kids busy with free daily activities including arts and crafts, tours, storytelling and treasure hunts."

"Technically a part of the V&A, the Museum of Childhood has gained an excellent reputation as one of the best free things to do in London. With a collection of toys spanning centuries, the museum is the perfect day out for kids, while adults will also surely find something to wake their nostalgia. Museum of Childhood © Flickr Andrea Vail"

"Toddlers can let their imaginations run wild at the UK’s first Story Centre. A day pass includes entry to the Story World and Story Garden where you see tales like The Gruffalo brought to life by Story Builders. There are also storytelling sessions and family exhibitions which you can book onto."

"Also known as the Temple of Mithras, this museum is centered around the remains of an ancient Roman temple in the City of London, left from the days of Roman rule, and is one of the lesser-known free museums in the capital. Named as one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites, the museum showcases the ancient temple and a selection of interesting Roman artefacts found during excavations, including fragments of writing-tablets which feature the first known reference to London and the earliest hand-written document in Britain."

"One of London’s quirkier and lesser-known spots is literally a blend of old and new. The London Mithraeum is a museum centred around the ruins of a Roman Temple and is located, rather oddly, underneath the shiny glass Bloomberg Buildings in the middle of the city. A visit to the Mithraeum is not just looking at old artefacts, but a full on sensory experience."

"Year Built: c.240 CE Location: Modern-day Walbrook Purpose:  Temple/sanctuary Still Standing:  No – only partial ruins remain. photo source: Wikimedia Commons. The Temple of Mithras is one of the few remnants leftover from the Roman Empire’s time in the area and is one of the oldest buildings ever discovered in London."

"This really is one of the most unusual things to do in Hertfordshire. A completely unique sight, this Roman Theatre is a theatre with a stage, rather than the usual Amphitheatre which we may be used to seeing from Roman times. It was built in 140AD and is the only one of its type in the whole of the UK."

"The Roman Theatre of Verulamium is an ancient excavated theatre built around 140 AD. It’s unique in that it’s not an amphitheatre, as was commonly built during Roman times. But rather, it resembles a design similar to a modern theatre, with a raised stage."

"The Jack the Ripper Museum is devoted to one of London's most notorious and terrorizing serial killers. The museum recreates the setting in which the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders took place in 1888. The collection has original objects related to the crimes."

"One of London's most beloved art collections, the Courtauld is to your right as you pass through the archway into the grounds of the…"

"Welcome to Harvester Garston, Harvester restaurant in Watford. Here you will find our famous grills and salads; we serve real food fresh, fun and full ..."

"Restaurants Chinese Shepherd’s Bush. Food-wise at this Chinese restaurant in Shepherd’s Bush’s Dorsett Hotel, top marks go to the exquisitely crafted dim sum – from the signature xiao long bao to sophisticated open parcels of scallop siu mai topped with tobiko – while the dining room reflects the classy comfort of its hotel setting."

"Chinese , Dim Sum"

"Situated in the fancy Broadgate Circle near Liverpool Street, Yauatcha City is a huge restaurant with a stunning outdoor seating area adorned with cherry blossom - a perfect date spot. If you fancy taking your other half, a great friend or a family member out for lunch, their Yum Cha set menu gives you a LOT for the price and takes away the stress of ordering - just pick a veggie or a meat option, your cocktail and wine/tea of choice and they'll take care of the rest. The set menu offer runs on the weekend and there are three different price points: £58 per person for half a bottle of Henriot Champagne and the rest of the menu, £49 for the same but with a bottle of wine (you can choose red or white) instead of the champagne, and £47 for a selection of teas as the drink."

"This high-end dim sum paradise has the best location within Broadgate Circle. It wraps around about a third of the public space, with large terraces on both sides. Sit out here on a hot summer’s day, nibbling on delicately crafted dumplings and meat filled bao buns."

"People flock to Yauatch for the brand’s precision-made dim sum (buttery venison puffs are a must). There is also a short menu of more substantial Chinese classics like stir-fried beef rib-eye with black bean sauce."

"In response to the second lockdown Le Comptoir Robuchon began delivering its signature high-end food for lucky Londoners. The restaurant endorses the legacy of chef Joël Robuchon – who held the accolade of the most Michelin starred chef in the world at one point. Menu highlights include ‘Le Thon’, a smoked tuna tart with avocado guacamole and citrus dressing, ‘Le Poireau’, a smoked leek dish with mimosa eggs and Shitake mushroom and ‘Le Burger’, which combines beef with foie gras and peppers."

"In a nutshell: Paris burger chain returns to London Where is it?. 39 Thurloe Place, South Kensington, SW7 2HP Why should you care?. After an initial attempt at cracking the London market in 2015, French burger chain Big Fernand is back, attempting to woo Francophiles in South Kensington and hoping to replicate their successful business in France and also the UAE."

"Not all romantic restaurants need to have candlelight and dark corners. Consider Le Comptoir Robuchon instead, a light, bright, marble and velvet-clad temple to classic high-end French cuisine by the late, great Joel Robuchon. It's on the pricier end of the spectrum but so worth it for the indulgent flavours, rich dishes and sleek surroundings."

"Restaurants Austrian Marylebone. If your idea of romance is waltzing round old Vienna to the sound of Strauss, you can capture some of that old ‘Blue Danube’ magic with a trip to this instantly comforting Mittel-European number from Messrs Corbin & King. Schnitzels, sausages, ice-cream coupes and – of course – incomparable viennoiserie provide welcome sustenance, with excellent hot chocolate and coffee adding that vital X factor."

"Corbin and King’s refined Marylebone homage to Viennese waltzes past and present is always a fine, low-key luxurious breakfast venue, and in the spirit of fried batter its Austrian crêpes, served either with apricot and brandy jam or a gianduja-approximating hazelnut and chocolate, make a winning centrepiece around which to build an Austrian feast."

"What do you get when you put a Korean, a Filipino and an Aussie chef together?" enquires one reader. The answer is 100 Hoxton, a low-lit, concrete-hued hangout that gives fusion food a good name. "You'll want to order every small plate", insists one fan – perhaps braised octopus with garam masala or crunchy, salty soft-shell crab with peanut brittle and a dousing of fresh lime from the dinner menu."

"From soft shell crab doused in honey and garlic sauce through to Asian takes on ceviche and hand-dived scallops, Rapsa is bringing a delicious taste of the Philippines to Hoxton High Street. Staking their claim as one of London's best places for seafood, it's well worth a visit."