How To Spend a Day in Bermondsey, London — A Local's Guide

The South London neighbourhood of Bermondsey is a stone's throw from some of London's biggest attractions, from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge to Borough Market. Bermondsey is also a worthy destination in its own right, with top-notch food, art, culture, riverside walks and even a beach (sort of!). I've lived here since 2012 and I'm excited to share my favourite things to do in Bermondsey.

Even before I moved to Bermondsey, I spent a lot of time there, eating on Bermondsey Street and running along the Thames Path. I fell for the neighbourhood's history and character, even as it became increasingly bougie. When I moved house a few years ago, I wanted to stay in the area — and luckily, I did!

There's so much to see and do in the neighbourhood: you could spend a week eating your way along Bermondsey Street alone! But a day is enough time to get a taste (literally) of Bermondsey's food, sights and history.

This is the third part in my 'local's guide to Bermondsey' series. Check out my Bermondsey specialty coffee guide and my Bermondsey Street food and drink guide for lots more recommendations.

Eat, drink and shop on Bermondsey Street

Bermondsey Street is one of London's best neighbourhood high streets for foodies. You can eat and drink your way around the world without ever leaving the street. I've eaten at almost all of the eateries — most of them many times — and wrote a complete guide to my favourite spots to eat and drink.

If I had to narrow down my very favourites, I'd pick: José and Pizarro (José Pizarro's titular tapas bars); Cafe Murano (Angela Hartnett's excellent Italian), Kin + Deum (authentic Thai food) and The Garrison (my top choice for a local Sunday roast).

My Bermondsey coffee guide has my top recommendations for specialty coffee spots in the area but on Bermondsey Street, you can't go wrong with the petite but perfectly formed WatchHouse.

Bermondsey Street is also a good place to stock up on foodie gifts (or gifts to self). Bermondsey Corner and the Giddy Grocer both sell lots of lovely food and drink products, many of them locally produced.

One of my favourite places to shop for gifts is Trove 167, which sells unique homewares, lifestyle goods and accessories. London Glassblowing has beautiful hand-blown glass art, and if your walls need a glow up, look no further than Eames Fine Art. 

Browse for books at Morocco Bound and delight the fashionista in your life with a gift from the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Bermondsey Street is a great place to visit year-round. But it's worth making a special visit in mid-September when the Bermondsey Street Festival takes place. This day-long annual celebration is always great fun for all the family. 

During the festival, the street closes to traffic and welcomes stalls from local eateries and artisans. There's live music, a very dapper dog show, street entertainers and much more.

Explore Bermondsey's art scene

Although the Design Museum has sadly relocated to Kensington, there are plenty of other places where you can indulge your artistic side in Bermondsey.

One of my favourites is White Cube, a modern art gallery that opened on Bermondsey Street in 2011. It's Europe’s largest commercial gallery space and the building itself is beautifully designed. 

Over the years, White Cube has showcased many renowned artists, including Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst. It's free to visit and I often pop in to check out the latest exhibitions. I enjoyed Katharina Grosse's multi-coloured, multi-textured works but you'll have to hurry because the exhibition ends on 31 May.

The Fashion and Textile Museum building is as vibrantly coloured as the hair and style of its founder, Zandra Rhodes. There are usually two or three exhibitions per year (£12.65) and they're always very well curated and accompanied by a series of workshops, talks and other events.

Just south of Bermondsey Street, near Bricklayers Arms, is another arts venue, Forma. They have a program of fascinating events and exhibitions. There's also a rooftop garden, as well as a great coffee shop and bookshop, Presse Books.

Banksy's Choose Your Weapon artwork has sadly been painted over, but the area still has a lot of street art. The 'love is rare and everywhere' mural on Tanner Street (near the junction with Tower Bridge Road) always makes me smile. The lyrics underneath are from a song by Italian rappers Guè and Massimo Pericolo!

On St James's Road, near The Blue Market, is another of my favourite murals. The Blue Bermondsey People's Mural was created in 2012 by mural artist Paul Butler to celebrate the history of Bermondsey. The pioneering Ada Salter, the first woman mayor of a London borough, sits at the centre, alongside many of the people who made — and make Bermondsey.

Soak up culture in Bermondsey Square

Bermondsey Square is a pedestrianised plaza between the southern end of Bermondsey Street, Tower Bridge Road and Abbey Street. It's home to the small but wonderful Arzner Cinema, a dedicated LGBT+ cinema and bar. There's only one screen but the programme features an outstanding array of queer cinema.

Bermondsey Antique Market, the UK's oldest antiques event, has been in its current location on Bermondsey Square since 1950. It's open every Friday from 6 am to 2 pm and has stalls indoors as well as out on the square.

Bermondsey Square also hosts other cultural events, including free jazz concerts on Sundays in the summer. 

Stop for takeout on Tower Bridge Road

Tower Bridge Road, near the bottom of Bermondsey Street, is another excellent place for food and drink. 

Most notably is M. Manze, London's longest surviving pie, eel and mash shop — it's been in business since 1902! There's often a queue outside at lunchtime, especially if Millwall FC are playing at home, but the delicious food is well worth the wait. 

Joseph's is my local fish and chip shop. It's family run, the batter is always perfectly crispy and the portions are huge: my mum and I often share a regular portion of haddock and chips. For wine and charcuterie, check out Le Chevalier, and a few doors down, there's a branch of Yard Sale Pizza (another Bex favourite).

Most of these eateries have a few tables inside, but if it's busy, it's only a short walk to Bermondsey Square or St Mary Magdalen Churchyard, where you can dine al fresco on the benches.

Stroll along the Thames Path 

One of my favourite London walks is the Thames Path from Tower Bridge to Rotherhithe. Walk up Tower Bridge Road and as you approach the bridge, head down the steps on the east side to Shad Thames. 

Once home to warehouses and the notorious Jacob's Island slum (featured in Dickens), this historic neighbourhood how has cobbled streets and wonderful river views.

Look for the Horselydown Steps on the left-hand side, where you can get a unique view of Tower Bridge and the City of London. If the tide's out, you can even walk onto the 'beach'. But I definitely wouldn't recommend taking a dip!

Follow the Thames Path east to Bermondsey Wall East, where there are spectacular views of the London skyline, including The Shard, Tower Bridge and The City. 

Here, you'll also find Berm-on-Sea! Well, Bermondsey Beach, at least (see the photo in this blog's header image). When the tide is out, it's fun to stroll on the sand and perhaps go mudlarking, if not swimming.

There are various viewpoints along the way. Don't miss the Dr Salter's Daydream sculptures dedicated to Dr Alfred Salter (an MP and social reformer), his wife Ada (the first woman mayor of a London borough), their daughter Joyce and their cat. 

If you need a pit stop, I'd recommend The Mayflower, a traditional riverside pub dating back to 1550. It's a wonderful spot for a brew with a view — or a Sunday roast!

Feast on street food at Maltby Street Market

When I moved to Bermondsey, Maltby Street Market — a weekend street food market around the railway arches near Druid Street — was still a hidden gem. These days, the cat (Dr Salter's, perhaps?) is definitely out of the bag but it's still a fab place for foodies.

The street food stalls, which trade on Saturdays and Sundays, feature cuisines from across the globe: you could start with an empanada or a gyoza, then devour a banh mi and finish with a crème brûlée cruller. I'd recommend all of the above!

But there are also lots of restaurants, bakeries and shops inside the arches that open on other days too. Provision Store has great homewares, St John and Comptoir Bakery have the best baked goods, and 40 Maltby Street and Bar Tozino are my favourite spots for a sit-down meal.

Stock your kitchen at Spa Terminus

Bermondsey is nicknamed 'London's larder' and nowhere is this more apparent than at the collection of local food and drinks producers at Spa Terminus. You can find a list of the producers here — most only open on Saturdays but check their individual websites/socials for up-to-date opening times. 

Most are clustered around the railway arches near Spa Road and Dockley Road; there's a handy map here. 

I would love to do my weekly grocery shop here but until I win the lottery, I settle for treating myself to a few special products, like specialty coffee at Monmouth, pastries at Little Bread Pedlar, soy sauce and fresh wontons at Poon's and cordial at Gimlet.

Take on the Bermondsey beer mile

Since The Kernel opened in 2009, the railway arches of Bermondsey have become home to a growing number of craft beer breweries and tap rooms. Before long, the Bermondsey Beer Mile was born, and it's now a popular Saturday afternoon activity.

As a non-beer-drinker, I can't offer any personal recommendations on the best breweries. But at least many of them also serve non-beer drinks and food these days. On an early visit to The Kernel, back in 2012, my only option was tap water!

This website has a suggested Saturday itinerary, with lots of food stops along the way. My best advice is to go at your own pace and not to overdo it on the Beer Mile.

Discover Bermondsey's history

Bermondsey has a long and fascinating history. Its name is thought to derive from 'Beornmund's island' and it featured in the Domesday Book.

Bermondsey Abbey was founded in the 11th century around the area that is now Bermondsey Square, although its precursor dates back to the 8th century. Plaques in the square and on Tower Bridge Road (near Abbey Street) commemorate the abbey. 

The abbey's most famous resident is Elizabeth Woodville, widow of King Henry VII and mother of Edward V and his brother Richard (the 'Princes in the Tower') and Elizabeth of York (who married Henry VII). She retired there in 1487 and died five years later.

St Mary Magdalen Church, at the foot of Bermondsey Street, was once part of the abbey. There has been a church on the site since at least 1290. It's still a place of worship and worth a peek inside. The former churchyard watch house next door gives its name to the WatchHouse coffee company.

During the Industrial Revolution, Bermondsey became a centre of manufacturing, particularly tanning (hence Tanner Street and the Leathermarket). Later, Victorian warehouse complexes lined the banks of the Thames, where tea, coffee, spices and other goods arrived in London.

You can still find traces in the buildings and street names all over the neighbourhood, like Java Wharf in Shad Thames and the Biscuit Factory on Clements Road— formerly the Peek Freans factory, where Garibaldi and Bourbon biscuits and Twiglets were produced. 

Relax in Bermondsey's green spaces

Bermondsey has a number of lovely parks and green spaces. If the weather's nice, these are great places to go for a picnic with all the delicious local food you've just bought!

Close to Bermondsey Street, St Mary Magdalen Churchyard, Tanner Street Park and Leathermarket Gardens are all good options.

Further east, Southwark Park is the neighbourhood's largest park, with a lake, cafe and sporting facilities. Bermondsey Spa Gardens is the closest to Maltby Street and Spa Terminus.

Craft your own jewellery

If you feel inspired by Bermondsey's manufacturing past, why not have a go yourself? Ringsmiths run workshops at Kas & Ros on Tower Bridge Road where you can make your own silver or gold necklace or ring.

I bought my friend a gift voucher for her 40th birthday. The ring she produced is gorgeous and she had a lot of fun at the workshop. They provide all the materials and no experience is needed.

Try bouldering at the Biscuit Factory

The first time I went bouldering was at the Biscuit Factory — now Climbing District's Building One. Bouldering is a style of rope-less indoor rock climbing, where you have to solve a series of 'problems' by following different paths of hand- and footholds.

My arms are always a *little* bit achy the next day, but it's a lot of fun, a great workout for both the body and the mind and a good indoor option for rainy days. 

How to get to Bermondsey 

Bermondsey is located in southeast London, just south of the River Thames. If you're heading to Bermondsey Street, the closest station is London Bridge (for the Northern and Jubilee Lines and mainline rail). Bermondsey Tube Station (Jubilee Line) is better for Maltby Street and the more eastern parts of the neighbourhood.

Where to stay in Bermondsey

As I live locally, I haven't stayed in any hotels in Bermondsey but friends and family have spoken highly of The Dixon, The Hilton Tower Bridge, The LaLit and Bermonds Locke. I've eaten many times at The Grange Pub, and they also have a few rooms. 

And if you fancy a splurge, The Shangri-La at The Shard would be a very special place to stay and has amazing views of London from its rooms that start on level 34 — way, way above the city. 

Check out my Bermondsey specialty coffee guide and my Bermondsey Street food and drink guide for many more local recommendations.