Romantic Restaurants, Getaway Places in Gubblecote

"You could spend several lifetimes in the British Museum, Britain’s largest museum, without running out of artifacts to ponder. The collection is one of the largest in the world, arranged by location (Ancient Egypt, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Greece and Rome), and the list of big hitters includes the Rosetta Stone and other finds from Ancient Egypt, Asia and the Middle East. Come early on a weekday for a less crowded experience, pick one gallery and stick to it (or go for a guided “Highlights” tour), and plan to hit one of the day’s free 30-minute taster talks."

"The British Museum, located in the Bloomsbury area is the first public institution national museum in the world. dedicated to human history, art and culture. Its permanent collection presents the evolution of global human culture throughout history."

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The British Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. On Fridays it closes at 8:30 pm. The museum remains closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and from 24 to 26 December."

"Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Turner, Renoir and Van Gogh—a roll call of Western European masters await you at London’s National Gallery. Boasting more than 2,000 paintings from the 13th to the 19th century, the overwhelming collection is yours to discover free of charge. And if you’re hungry for more art, stop by the National Portrait Gallery next door."

"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."

"It would be wrong to omit Hyde Park from a list of London’s most beautiful and prominent green spaces. The Grade I listed 350-acre royal park is the biggest in London, renowned as the city’s ‘green lung’, and hosts an array of major annual events, from Winter Wonderland to music festivals such as British Summer Time Hyde Park. Visit the memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, picnic in the prepossessing Rose Garden (post lockdown), or go swimming in the Serpentine Lido, which opens from June to early September."

"Hyde Park is the largest park in central London and another of the capitals important Royal Parks. There are plenty of free things to do in Hyde Park, including taking a stroll through the colourful Rose Garden, visiting the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain (or one of the parks many other statues and memorials), stepping inside the free Serpentine Art Gallery, listening to the speakers at Speakers Corner or sitting beside the large Serpentine Lake to watch the swans and pedalos for a while."

"The place where the Great Exhibition of 1851 was situated, Hyde Park represents a traditional natural landmark of London. The largest from the continuous series of parks that form the so-called London’s green lung, Hyde Park was created in 1536 by Henry VII and it was originally intended to serve for hunting activities. Even today, the park remains full of history and cultural symbols."

"Never has a traffic jam on the Old Kent Road looked so enchanting – everything seen from The Shangri-La looks enchanting. The hotel occupies floors 34 to the 52 of Renzo Piano's 87-storey London landmark. The rooms (contemporary, creamy, Asian-influenced), restaurants (especially the romantic Ting) and bar (gin and rosemary – divine) are all fantastic, though nothing can compete with the extraordinary views over London, which turn every guest into a slack-jawed infant, lost in wonder, gazing out, palms to the window, all day long."

"The Shard may not seem like a top romantic spot for Valentine’s Day, but with all it has to offer, it may be a one-stop shop. Stay at the Shangri-La hotel, dine in the restaurants, and even take in the tallest view of the city from the building’s observation floors. Even if you don’t opt to spend more than an hour or two of your Valentine’s Day here, it can still be your base of operations for anywhere you visit in London."

"London’s tallest skyscraper with superb city views from the Skydeck on the 72nd floor. The 306m-tall building is the tallest in the EU and on a clear day you get 360-degree views for up to 40 miles. Using binoculars you can zoom in on London’s different landmarks, from the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge."

"The London Pass is a pre-paid sightseeing card which gives you FREE fast-track entry to the city’s top tourist attractions, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and a Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. The view from the Shard"

"Discover the unique history of this medieval fortress, royal palace and infamous prison. 🏰 The Tower of London is home to the dazzling Crown Jewels 👑 and legendary Beefeaters 💂‍♀️ and ravens."

"Nowhere else does London's history come to life so vividly as it does in this mini city of 20 towers, the intimate details of lords and…"

"Thankfully the connoisseurs themselves have an incredible vegan and vegetarian range that includes calzones and starters. With their popular dishes being re-imagined with vegan cheese and delicious toppings, you don't need to miss out on your favourite comfort food. Try their new Calzone Verdure, packed with veggie goodness like roasted peppers and aubergine, it'll soon become your favourite."

"As the country’s favourite pizza chain, Pizza Express has been serving up authentic thin crust pizzas since 1965. If you’ve been craving their legendary dough balls, a Sloppy Guiseppe pizza, or their al forno cannelloni, you’re in luck. Pizza Express is one of the Wembley Park Restaurants reopening for outdoor dining on 12 April."

"Why: Wild West décor and a hefty menu make this Texas-style grill in Hoxton a worthy addition to this list of the best American restaurants in London. Whether you’re in the mood for a mighty slab of quality meat slow-cooked in a hickory-burning smoker, fried chicken and fries, or a pimped-up burger, we promise you won’t go hungry at Red Dog Saloon. If you’re feeling particularly famished and reckon you can eat a lot in a short space of time, why not enter the ‘crabby patty challenge’?"

"Complete with a Man vs Food eating challenge (break the record for most patties in your cheeseburger and you get it for free), all the dishes on the menu at Red Dog Saloon are reminiscent of any good chain in the USA. With burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, mac 'n' cheese and St Louis pork ribs, plus hot (and extra hot) chicken wings you pay for by the platter, Red Dog will fill almost every craving you can imagine. Which is what great American food is all about, isn't it?"

"Located in Hoxton and Soho, the Red Dog Saloon serves old-school Austin barbeque and world-famous burgers. From classic bar snacks like Buffalo wings, tacos and nachos to barbeque favourites like southern fried chicken, burgers and cheesesteaks. The saloon also gives brave customers the chance to take on their famous crabby patty challenge, allowing you to add as many patties as you can handle for the chance to eat for free."

"The team behind Chinatown’s Experimental Cocktail Bar opened its first London hotel in 2017, and has been a hit with the Instagram set ever since. A sumptuous boutique number in Covent Garden, the Henrietta has 18 bedrooms dressed with handpainted wallpaper, upholstered headboards and marble details - yet this room number could soon double as an expansion plan has been permitted. The beating heart of the hotel is its eponymous restaurant, a chic fusion of ornate Victorian and sleek Art Deco led by star chef Sylvain Roucayrol."

"Although Henrietta is run by bartenders—the hotel is part of the Experimental Group, which runs the speakeasy-style Experimental Cocktail Club in Chinatown—it doesn’t feel built for the night. The interiors, rather, are light, whimsical, and irreverently French. The lobby's spring shades and splashes of leopard print continue upstairs in the 18 spacious rooms, which are interesting without being over-the-top."

"Restaurants Italian Covent Garden. Wunderkind Ollie Dabbous was here for a while, but this boutique hotel dining room is now a Basque-influenced small plates eatery overseen by chef Sylvain Roucayrol. During the week they serve Spanish-inflected breakfasts, but on Sundays an extended version (till noon) moves into brunch territory."

"Shoreditch’s shabby-chic aura is captured well by The Book Club. On a side street splattered with art murals, its daytime cafe culture gives way to a mob of partygoers as the sun goes down. Framed by whitewashed brick walls and anchored with table tennis, the main lounge is a social spot that’s amplified by a playlist from buzzy new bands."

"Save any face stuffing for The Book Club in Shoreditch this Pancake Day and you'll be greeted by a must-try menu of espresso martini stacks and fluffy pina colada towers. You'll be able to load up on these cocktail-inspired dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with a few treats too."

"One of the best clubs in London, this sprawling venue is channelling Brooklyn vibes with its urban interiors and effortlessly cool vibe. From dedicated G&T nights, to hip-hop fuelled Fridays and hilarious weekend drag brunches, The Book Club can do it all."

"Covent Garden — London’s tightly packed, brightly hit hub of pubs, cobbles, and theatres — is about as far from coastal tranquility as it’s possible to get. That’s before stepping into Parsons, accurately self-described as unassuming — the kind of unassuming that betrays quiet, rigid confidence in the seafood offer. Squid with inky rice, honking potted shrimp croquettes, and a whispering sea trout tartare with brisk Bloody Mary jelly: start here, and continue."

"What: If there was one word to describe Covent Garden’s Parsons, it would be unassuming. It would be easy to miss the small seafood joint, owned by the team behind The 10 Cases over the road, but venture inside and you’ll be treated to some delightful cookery. Setting the scene with green and white fishmonger-style tiles, Parsons has a jolly persona."

"Restaurants Seafood Covent Garden"

"A haven for flower fanatics, Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings is one hot ticket for an evening in London. Emulating the sophistication of a traditional townhouse, the famous Farringdon heavyweight houses a cocktail bar, cafe, secret club room and great restaurant."

": A bright and airy conservatory space, perfect for casual eating and drinking. Influenced in style by an old country house, it’s a great place to hang out with friends or enjoy an informal date."

"Bars and pubs Clerkenwell"

"Restaurants Ice-cream parlours Chinatown. A clever wheeze to cut down on food waste, owner Sammie Le’s ice creams are made using egg yolks left over from baking batches of macarons – the building blocks for her hot-ticket ice-cream sandwiches. Although these fancy Instagrammable morsels are the star attractions, you can also visit Yolkin (yolk-in, geddit?) for soft-serve ice creams in cones – flavours such as condensed-milk tea, pandan coconut, matcha oreo, egg tart or taro and cornflake reflect Sammie’s Vietnamese heritage."

"Sammie Le’s Chinatown dessert parlour is the best place in London to get your mitts on macaron ice cream sandwiches. Distinctive south-east Asian ice cream flavours like Chinese egg tart and pandan coconut are wedged between two crisp and chewy macarons for one of the best sweet treats in the whole of the capital. Made from free-range eggs in small batches, the ice cream has a luscious texture that holds its shape even when the summer sun is at its violent, forehead-burning peak."

"That’s what baker Sammie Le does at her Chinatown dessert shop Yolkin – so named after her realisation that making ice cream was the perfect way to use up the egg yolks she had leftover from making macarons. The ice cream sandwiches here come in a wide-ranging collection of flavours including watermelon candy, lemon meringue and a bright blue Cookie Monster. 24 Rupert Street, W1D 6DQ, yolkin.co.uk"

"Darlish, the Persian ice cream specialists, set up shop under the gaze of St Albans’ medieval Clock Tower in spring 2018, bursting onto the scene with a clever seasonal special – hot cross bun ice-cream sandwiches. All the ice cream is made by hand in St Albans, and it sits in creamy mounds under silver domes on the countertop. On the wall behind, blackboards spell out the day’s flavours: try floral orange blossom studded with pistachios and apricot, aromatic coconut and cardamom, or sweet cream and sour cherry."

"In a most unpredictable year, it was striking that Anna Tobias’ debut restaurant — in partnership with 40 Maltby Street — was unilaterally predicted to be a hit. And so it has been, with this Bloomsbury restaurant’s gorgeous pastel tiles positively trampled by diners hungry for friable pissaladière whose sticky onions dissolve like vapour; wry, flawless sandwiches filled with coronation cauliflower fritters; and the textural perfection of a roast pork and harissa focaccia dressed with pickled fennel."

"In a most unpredictable year, it was striking that Anna Tobias’ debut restaurant — in partnership with the 40 Maltby Street team — was unilaterally predicted to be a hit. And so it has been, with this Bloomsbury restaurant’s gorgeous pastel tiles first positively trampled by diners hungry for friable pissaladière whose sticky onions dissolve like vapour and wry, flawless sandwiches, before they gave way to one of the most accomplished restaurant debuts for some time."

"In a class of its own, this Mediterranean metropolis will satisfy your breakfast needs – it's like being transported to a Turkish breakfast house. The menu is full of delicious and unique flavour combinations that you're sure to fall in love with. Their brioche is the softest bread I have ever encountered."

"What: Now, the main thing to remember when brunching at this friendly all-day British restaurant in Dalston is that you can only order your next round of food when the whole table has finished. That means leaving 97-year-old granny and your mate ‘Dave the sloth’ at home if you want to make the most of what’s on offer here. Once you’ve rounded up your fast-eating friends, you can look forward to unlimited plates of classic breakfast and brunch fare, such as croissants, pancakes, various things on toast and, at risk of holding everyone else up, a full English (meaty, vegetarian or vegan)."