Long Weekend in London: Bex's Guide

As I have to fit my travel plans around a full-time job, I often get to spend only three or four days in any one city, and I spend a lot of time researching and planning the perfect trip. My agenda usually includes a few key sights and/or museums and some fun places to eat, drink and, especially, caffeinate. I’ve produced various ‘three days in…’ or ‘four days in…’ city guides, but it’s been a while since I compiled a guide to my favourite places in my own city, London.

This post highlights my top picks for what to do, eat and drink, and where to find good coffee in London; I've been working on this for a couple of months so I hope you enjoy reading it and find it useful. Scroll to the end for a map of each place I've featured. With much help from my talented friend Cindy (thank you, Cindy!), I've also produced a handy one-page PDF version of this guide, which you can download and print here: http://bit.ly/bex-london-long-weekend

FRIDAY

14:00 Coffee stop

It’s going to be a busy weekend so you’ll probably need caffeine. If you're in Clerkenwell, head to Prufrock on Leather Lane (pictured), but there are hundreds of great coffee shops in London so there will probably be at least one near where you’re staying. Skip to the end of this guide for a list of some of my current favourite coffee spots.

15:00 Soho shopping

The West End is never quiet but if you plan to hit the shops this weekend, Friday is the best time. Liberty (pictured) is a fabulous department store and is great for gifts. Anthropologie, also on Regent Street, is pricier than in the US but has a good sale room. Go to Magma for quirky, design-oriented gifts and Foyles or Stanfords for books.

17:00 After hours at the museum

Lots of London museums stay open late once a week or once a month. There’s a comprehensive list of which museums open late when here. On Fridays, you could go to the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the British Museum (pictured) or the Tate Modern. Plus, many of London’s best museums are free to visit. Yay!

19:30 Eastern promises

Regional Thai restaurant Som Saa (pictured), in Spitalfields, was one of 2016’s hottest new openings. There are some tables for walk-ins but try to book. For a more casual option, Pizza Pilgrims (pictured), one of my favourite London pizzerias, has a Shoreditch branch. You can BYO booze, or a chocolate bar for them to convert into a dessert calzone.

21:30 Cocktail o’clock

I don’t often go out in Shoreditch on Friday nights but there are a few cocktail bars for which I make an exception, such as Happiness Forgets, Hawksmoor's Spitalfields Bar, Callooh Callay and Joyeux Bordel. Nightjar (pictured), a prohibition-style bar tucked away near Old Street roundabout, is also excellent for classy, creative cocktails.

SATURDAY

9:00 Thames paths

If your head isn't too sore, head out early for a walk (or a run) along the South Bank of the Thames. The stretch from Waterloo Bridge to Tower Bridge includes some of the city’s most iconic sights, from the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower (home of Big Ben), to the Shard and Tower of London.

10:00 Borough breakfast

Borough Market, the huge, historic gourmet food market near London Bridge, is always busy at the weekends, but mornings are less crowded. Don’t miss the epic Bread Ahead doughnuts (pictured). The market’s best coffee can be found at the Flat Cap cart or Monmouth. If you buy some of Monmouth’s locally roasted coffee beans, you can join the shorter queue on the right. For an impeccable cup of coffee in dapper surroundings, walk five minutes to the Gentlemen Baristas (pictured) on Union Street.

11:30 Street-food brunch

15 minutes’ walk from Borough in Bermondsey is Maltby Street Market. Open on Saturdays and Sundays, the market's Ropewalk section (pictured) hosts street-food vendors and local food and drink producers, with everything from grilled cheese and gyoza, to brownies and bacon sarnies. Be sure to stop for a gin cocktail at Little Bird or Jensen's. There are more stalls in Druid Street and at Spa Terminus.

14:00 Meridian merriments

If you like craft beer, consider doing some of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. Alternatively, take the Thames Clipper to Greenwich from London Bridge. In Greenwich, visit the Royal Observatory, the Queen’s House (don’t miss the Tulip Stairs pictured below), the Old Royal Naval College and Greenwich Market, or sample the local Meantime beer.

19:30 Catch dinner on the Rye

One of my favourite London restaurants is Pedler, a relaxed all-day eatery with beautiful interiors on Peckham Rye. The food and creative cocktails (featuring Little Bird Gin) are top-notch and the staff are lovely. Lots of buses run to Peckham Rye, or you can take the Overground.

21:00 Rooftop drinks

After dinner, head to Frank’s Cafe (only open in summer months; pictured below) on the 10th floor of a Peckham multi-storey car park. The cocktails are good and well-priced and there’s a superb view. There is a covered area, but it’s not very sheltered so during less clement climes, try John the Unicorn or, for arcade games, The Four Quarters.

SUNDAY

09:00 Blooming marvellous

Columbia Road flower market, a short walk from Shoreditch High Street Overground, is only open on Sundays from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm, and is best experienced early in the morning. Buy some flowers or plants or just enjoy the ambiance.

10:00 Some like it Hoxton

For a relaxed late breakfast in Hoxton, look no further than Friends of Ours (pictured) or Embassy East. Both serve great all-day menus, with particularly good brunch dishes, and excellent coffee (from Dark Arts and Assembly, respectively).

11:30 Shoreditch shopping

Interiors stores abound in Shoreditch (I like SCP, Goodhood and Luna & Curious), and Redchurch Street is a cool shopping street (try Aesop for beautiful skincare, Labour & Wait for hipster homewares and Modern Society for fashion; for coffee, head to Allpress). There are lots of pop-up shops inside Boxpark, and other shopping options in and around Spitalfields Market.

13:00 Aerial views

The brunch — and views — at Duck & Waffle are superb. Order the titular duck and waffle (pictured) and try to get a table by the windows. You’ll need to book way in advance for prime slots but the restaurant is open 24/7 so if you’re up very early (or late), you might get lucky. If you can't get a table, the restaurants at the Sky Garden also have good views (get coffee before or after at The New Black).

14:30 Sunday in The City

I love exploring the fascinating architecture and historic buildings of the near-deserted City of London on Sundays. Depending on your tastes, you might like to visit Leadenhall Market (pictured), One New Change (the shopping centre’s public rooftop has a wonderful view of St Paul’s Cathedral) or The Barbican Centre.

16:00 King's Cross culture

Walk or take the Tube to King’s Cross, and visit the Wellcome Collection or the British Library. If you go to the latter, don't miss Origin Coffee (pictured) by the entrance, a tiny coffee bar serving some of the best coffee in London.

FIVE MORE GREAT…

• speciality coffee spots: Association (City), Kaffeine (Fitzrovia), Ozone (Old Street), White Mulberries (Wapping) and Workshop (multiple locations); and five more: Catalyst (Holborn), Iris & June (Victoria), Old Spike (Peckham), Second Shot (Bethnal Green) and TAP Coffee (Fitzrovia).
• brunch spots: Caravan (multiple locations), Dirty Bones (Soho), The Good Egg (Stoke Newington), Hixter (Bankside) and Riding House Cafe (Fitzrovia). 
• food markets: Brixton Market (Brixton), Brockley Market (Brockley), Broadway Market (Hackney), KERB (multiple locations) and Street Feast (multiple locations). 
• quick eats: Bao (Soho), Beigel Bake (Brick Lane), Daddy Donkey (Clerkenwell), Honest Burgers (multiple locations) and Pizza Pilgrims (multiple locations). 
• dinner picks: Burger & Lobster (multiple locations), Dishoom (multiple locations), Hawksmoor (multiple locations), Mele e Pere (Soho) and Padella (Borough). 
• cocktail bars: 214 Bermondsey (Bermondsey), 69 Colebrooke Row (Islington), BYOC (Soho), Dandelyan (Bankside) and the London Gin Club (Soho). 
• unique things to do: climb the O2, make doughnuts with the pros, visit a gin distillery, join an architecture tour and queue for £5 standing tickets at the Globe. 
• parks: Greenwich Park (Greenwich), Hampstead Heath (Hampstead), the Olympic Park (Hackney), Regent’s Park (Marylebone) and Victoria Park (Hackney).
• indie cinemas: BFI Southbank (Waterloo), Curzon Soho (Soho), Peckhamplex (Peckham; most tickets are £4.99), Ritzy (Brixton), and Screen on the Green (Islington). 

Second Shot

The Good Egg

Beigel Bake

Bao  

The O2

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Accommodation: London hotels can be expensive, but there are deals to be had. When I'm hunting hotels, I work out in which neighbourhood I want to stay (near the good coffee) and then scour sites like booking.com and hotels.com before waiting for a sale (I also check if the hotel offers a better deal for direct bookings). I’ve never used AirBnB, but friends have had good experiences in London, and it can be more affordable, especially if you stay less centrally.

Arriving: From Heathrow, it’s cheaper (and unless you are staying near Paddington, as efficient) to take the Tube than the Heathrow Express into central London. Likewise, from Gatwick, the Gatwick Express is really only worth it if you’re staying near Victoria; otherwise, it’s cheaper to go to London Bridge or St Pancras. From Luton and Stansted, trains go to St Pancras and Liverpool Street, respectively. You can also take a taxi or Uber into town; if you’re in a group, it may be cheaper but not necessarily faster.

Getting around: Most places in this guide are accessible by Tube and/or bus (south of the river, buses tend to be more efficient). If your debit or credit card allows contactless payment, you can use it on public transport. Otherwise, pick up an Oyster card or travelcard. Note: bus drivers don't take cash.

Money: UK currency is the pound (£). Credit and debit cards are accepted almost everywhere in London — even at many street-food stalls. Cashpoints (ATMs) are ubiquitous; some charge a fee for withdrawals but should warn you in advance.

When to come: Autumn and spring are my favourite seasons in London. The weather won’t always (or often) be great but the fall foliage and blossom, respectively, make the city particularly pretty and you’ll miss the busiest summer tourist peak. Watch out for Easter, though, as many places close for at least some of the four-day weekend and it’s often busy.


OTHER LONDON RESOURCES

• Time Out London — events and activities, things to do, food and drink
• Londonist — blog with particularly good coverage of events and activities
• Hot Dinners — good for new restaurant and bar openings
• Just Opened London — another good resource for new food and drink spots
• London’s Best Coffee — comprehensive website and app with excellent coffee recommendations across London. If I'm heading to a new neighbourhood, this is my first port of call. Brian's Coffee Spot and Bean There at also have a wealth of coffee recommendations.
• TFL — useful public transport information 
• Citymapper — great journey-planning resource; there's an app too

Found this post useful? Please consider supporting my blog by buying me a coffee.

The Leicester Caffeine Chronicles: 200 Degrees and St Martin's Tea & Coffee

During my recent weekend trip to stay with friends in Leicester, I wasn't expecting to have time to check out many coffee shops. Nor did I have any time to do any research, but having enjoyed an espresso from Leicester-based St Martin's Coffee Roasters at this year's London Coffee Festival, I did have at least one café on my list — and one that is relatively close to both the train station and my friends' house.

A Weekend in Leicester

Despite my life-long interest in 15th- and 16th-century English history — a passion I inherited from my dad — I had never managed to visit the city of Leicester, whose connection with the Plantagenet king Richard III has been in the news fairly regularly over the past few years, displaced only by a certain football team. My only previous visit to Leicestershire was when I did my PADI Open Water training in the murky quarry of Stoney Cove back in 2002, so it was high time I returned to the county.

Long Weekend in Cannes: Bex's Guide

I can't pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with the French Riviera but it was more than two decades ago. We visited many times on family holidays, and Cannes soon emerged as our favourite town. My parents now have an apartment there and I go once or twice a year. Spending a long weekend there last week reminded me that I still hadn't put together a guide for my favourite things to eat, drink and do in Cannes, so without further ado, here it is!

The Caffeine Chronicles: Half Cup

With so many great coffee shops in the immediate vicinity of King’s Cross these days, it’s rare that I venture down into Bloomsbury on my lunch break. Half Cup is close enough to St Pancras station to count as being part of the King’s Cross neighbourhood in some classifications, although I still think of it as being in Bloomsbury.

Geography aside, I wandered over for coffee and all-day breakfast on the day after the recent UK election. I had stayed up way too late watching the results come in and by lunchtime, I was in need of caffeine and comfort food. Happily, Half Cup provided both in equal measures.

The coffee shop is located a few blocks south of Euston Road on a smart, red-brick block on Judd Street. There are a few tables out on the broad pavement for days when the weather has been as pleasant as this week. In less clement climes, there is a whole room in Half Cup — decorated with colourful, vibrant murals on the walls — dedicated to customer seating. It’s a bright and funky space, as conducive to working as it is to chats with friends and small meetings.

To get to the seating area, you will need to enter the antechamber, which houses the coffee bar where you can order Nude coffee, all-day breakfast, snacks and sweet treats. I ordered a piccolo (£2.50) and the coffee of the day was Nude’s East Blend, a chocolatey, nutty El Salvador–Brazil combination. They also had a Colombian decaf espresso in the hopper. There aren't any hand-brewed filter options available but they do serve matcha, beetroot or turmeric lattes (£3), if they are your thing. The food menu looked good too, and the breakfast brioche (£6) seemed to satisfy all of my basic breakfast food groups — avocado, poached egg and bacon — so I ordered one of those. 

My piccolo was good, if perhaps slightly under-extracted. The East Blend worked well with milk, though, and had a smooth, creamy taste. The breakfast brioche was everything I wanted from a post-election lunch: the bacon was crispy, the egg suitably runny and the avocado flavoursome.

I didn’t realise while I was there, but Half Cup also serves craft beers, including their own Half Cup Pilsner, and a range of bottle beers and wines — handy if you’re there later in the day than I was, or don't have to go back to the office; they open until 7 pm on weekdays and 5 pm at weekends. The staff were very friendly and the bustling ambiance made it a lovely place to spend a lunch break, and the visit has encouraged me to try to venture out of King’s Cross more often at lunchtime, which is much easier some days than others…

Half Cup. 100–102 Judd Street, London, WC1H 9NT (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter. Instagram.

For more great coffee spots near King's Cross, check out my King's Cross coffee guide.

The Caffeine Chronicles: CREAM (CLOSED

UPDATE (January 2019): CREAM is now permanently closed.

During the London Coffee Festival, recommendations for pre- and post-festival brunch came thick and fast on social media, but one name kept coming up: CREAM. Located on New Inn Yard, a quiet street just west of Shoreditch High Street, CREAM serves coffee from Hackney-based Dark Arts and a creative, dynamic food menu in an industrial-chic, warehouse-like space.

The cafe is south-facing and so when I arrived just before noon on a sunny Saturday, the space was bathed in gorgeous light and the front doors were fully open so that you could sit at one of the tables next to the pavement if you wished. I was definitely getting Portland vibes, although I was also unusually lucky with the weather when I was in Oregon.

There is plenty of table space inside, with smaller tables on one side and bigger, communal ones next to the counter. I was also very taken by the chairs, which were as comfy as they were cool. I'm a sucker for a good pendant light too, and CREAM makes excellent use of them, although they were more decorative than functional on such a sunny day.

There were seven dishes on the all-day menu — mostly classic brunch dishes with interesting twists. Veggies are well-catered for here — I was tempted by the bean burger, but I ended up ordering the only dish with meat in it, the pancetta hash with a poached egg and pea shoots (£9). I also ordered a piccolo with Lost Highway, a Brazilian coffee from Dark Arts (who always pick great names for their coffees).

I took a seat at one of the bigger tables and got on with some writing — luckily, I'd brought my Moleskine notebook because CREAM has a no-laptops policy at the weekend. The coffee arrived swiftly and was very nicely prepared and had chocolatey, nutty notes that were accented by the milk of the piccolo.

The pancetta hash was delicious too, combining a variety of textures and savoury flavours. The barista asked if I wanted some bread on the side and I said no, which was fine for me, but if you're looking for a more substantial brunch, you might want to go for the bread. Or you could save room for pudding: the cakes on the coffee bar looked great.

Perhaps the sunshine was drawing the denizens of Shoreditch out into the sunshine, but CREAM was bustling without being excessively busy, which is often the case in this part of town during weekend brunch hours. Instead, I could enjoy my food and coffee at a relaxed pace while indulging in some Shoreditch people-watching. Overall, it's a lovely spot and well worth a visit.

CREAM. 31 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EY (Shoreditch High Street Overground). 

The Caffeine Chronicles: Modern Society (CLOSED)

UPDATE: Modern Society has now permanently closed.

While carrying out errands in Shoreditch a few weeks ago, I walked past Modern Society on Redchurch Street and remembered that I still hadn't had the chance to visit the small coffee bar located inside the hip lifestyle boutique. I didn't have time that day but when I was back in Shoreditch on Saturday, I made a beeline for Modern Society.

I couldn't have picked a better day for it: the sun streams in through the south-facing front windows on clement days, bathing the cafe and shop in light. After the light, the next thing I noticed was the gorgeous, mainly monochrome design. The sleek, marble-topped coffee bar occupies a space near the door, while a trio of small bistro tables — marble again, but this time a dark green — line the front windows. Further into the shop, there is a beautifully curated collection of clothes and homewares. Intentionally, I didn't go to check out the brand of the candle that was burning when I arrived because I'm a sucker for such warm, tobacco-accented scents and I have too many candles already!

The coffee menu is simple: espresso is £2, and you can have a 4-, 6- or 8-oz espresso with milk (for £2.20, £2.60 or £3, respectively), or a filter (£2.50) or Chemex (£3.50). They also offer a few sweet treats and serve a simple food menu with granola, and avocado and/or eggs on toast.

I asked the friendly baristas which coffee they were serving through the Chemex and they showed me the new Kenyan Esme coffee they had just got from Assembly, one of my favourite London roasters. I was sold! I took a seat in the sunshine and caught up with some writing while the baristas prepared my coffee.

The coffee was very good indeed, with some very nice grapefruit and berry notes coming through. I don't drink Chemex-brewed coffee very often but when it's brewed well, as at Modern Society, it produces a really great tasting cup. Unfortunately, my sunny position didn't translate to particularly stunning photos, but I also love Modern Society's presentation, with the brass band wrapping around the glass flask. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good tray.

Although it was never packed, there was a constant stream of customers drawn in by the shop, the beautiful coffee bar — or perhaps the fun signage. The baristas were knowledgeable and very welcoming and it's reassuring to know that even on a sunny Saturday in Shoreditch, it's possible to find somewhere calming and cool to enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Modern Society. 33 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DJ (Shoreditch High Street Overground).