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 Get up early for a bargain |
Long Lane and Bermondsey Street Bermondsey Square London, London SE1 4QB United Kingdom +44 171 351 5353 |
The ungodly hours and the inconvenient day of the largest antiques market in London mean a more authentic experience. But watch out, because since 1949, this market has had a reputation of selling dodgy goods - but then you should be wary at any market really. Wake up early and you'll also experience a different side of London life, as many stalls close early - although that is quickly changing as the market attracts more visitors. Most of the traders here are full-time dealers and know their antiques, so if you're as knowledgeable you'll be able to separate the trinkets from the treasure. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: jellybns_shinobu |
 Photo: chizuko hino |
 The oldest fruit and veg stall in town |
8 Southwark Street London, London SE1 1TL United Kingdom +44 (0)20 7407 1002 http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/ |
The historic Southwark district is quite lively these days, but this market has been here since 1851 and it claims to be the oldest market of its kind. The fruit and vegetarian section deals with restaurants, grocers and small businesses, with most of its trade being in bulk and concluded by sunrise. However, if you want to buy in small quantities and can get up early, some stalls will accommodate you. Fridays and Saturdays are more promising for the average market goer, with a dazzling array of fine foods available. Famous names include Clarke's and the Fresh Olive Company (+44 20 8838 1912). Other than the quaint cafes in the area, why not try the big, bright seafood restaurant, Fish! Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Jeremy Keith  |
 Photo: foodmuse |
 Photo: Alex Watson |
 Photo: Steven Wong |
 Photo: Sonya Terjanian |
 Photo: Manne |
 Photo: Horace Ko |
 Photo: George Griffin |
 Photo: Chris Upfold |
 Photo: Arzu Rezvani Webb |
 Photo: Jon Hawkins |
 Photo: craig oliver |
 Photo: Clare Farrar |
 Photo: maesejose |
 Photo: leeone102 |
 Photo: cyng |
 Photo: Amanda Hewson |
 Photo: Pattie Tierney |
 Photo: Kelly Lee |
 Photo: Nergis Orabi |
 Photo: Linda |
 Photo: beatbull |
 Go east down south |
East Street Between Walworth Road and Dawes Street London, London SE17 United Kingdom |
East Street market is a busy local market which primarily serves the needs of the community around it; you won't find any antiques or crafts here, but you will find absolutely anything that's edible or wearable. Sunday is the best (and busiest) day to visit - stalls selling bargain fruit and veg, clothing, plants and bric-a-brac are squashed in between the street's shops so it's not a good place to visit if you don't like crowds. There are a few pleasant surprises if you take time to look at the shops and cafes themselves - Barneys Textile Centre sells some lovely fabrics, and Er In Dawes is the epitome of the greasy-spoon cafe. East Street also has one other claim to fame - it's the birthplace of Charlie Chaplin. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Manne |
 Photo: Lawrence McGovern |
 Photo: Susanna Hauru |
 Photo: Susanna Hauru |
 Photo: Penny Montague |
 Photo: Paula Góes |
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Star of the Continent! |
Waterloo Train Station London, London SE1 8SE United Kingdom +44 870 518 6186 http://www.eurostar.com/ |
Eurostar is the most practical way to travel the Continent if you are going for the day or weekend with little luggage. The most popular route is the two-and-a-half hour Paris-London route, but other destinations - Brussels, Lille, Disneyland Paris, Ashford, Calais and the French Alps, as well as connections to Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Bruges, Loire Valley and Lyon - are also busy. Prices vary widely, and return fares to Paris and Brussels start at EUR86, but it is sometimes cheaper to take the plane. That being said, you will never travel more scenic train routes than the ones afforded by this network; they are well worth every penny you pay! Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Mathieu Milot |
 Photo: Garry Tan |
 Photo: Andrew Shapiro |
 Photo: mandi2sheds1 |
 Photo: tristanwilson |
 Photo: Bill Rose |
 Photo: Reilly Cheung |
 Photo: Guy Mason |
 Photo: gaz8080 |
 Photo: kenshin0 |
 Photo: Cameron Watson |
 Photo: takaki |
 Photo: Ana FM |
 Photo: Justinas M. |
 Photo: meguropolitan_flickr |
 Photo: Sara Ko |
 Photo: Richard Malpas |
 Photo: Patrick Linsley |
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Armchair Amadeus |
25 Lower Marsh Waterloo London, London SE1 7RJ United Kingdom +44 20 7401 3830 |
Comfortable leather furniture provides the perfect accompaniment to your classical browsing in this specialist music shop. The tremendous choice ranges from up-to-the-minute CDs to second-hand vinyl, spanning opera, orchestral, choral and instrumental music in early through to contemporary style, although the former is a particular strength at Gramex. With an impressive library of sheet music, this melodious Mecca of classical music is presided over by conversant and friendly proprietor, Roger, and his knowledgeable staff. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Stylish riverside shopping and restaurant complex |
20 Hay's Galleria Tooley Street London, London SE1 2HD United Kingdom +44 20 7940 7770 http://www.haysgalleria.co.uk |
This commercial development, formerly known as Hays Wharf, was opened in 1987 and today is a bustling, charming place to enjoy al fresco lunches, great views and both original and high street shops. The Hays Galleria is also home to the Hays Gallery which features fine art from modern and new artists. Special events are often held here, including the fireworks shows on Guy Fawkes' Day. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Surinder Singh |
 Photo: hanneorla |
 Photo: shining example |
 Photo: Malcolm Smith |
 Photo: Kevin De Mulder |
 Photo: Michelle |
 Photo: Dave Moran |
 Photo: Jamie Dean |
 Photo: Gareth Woolridge |
 Photo: Clare Gordge |
 Photo: biig_jee |
 Photo: Roger Hunter |
 Photo: Patrícia Custódio |
 Photo: Thomas Roth-Berghofe |
 Photo: David Brierley |
 Photo: lens_spectrum |
 Photo: Korndanai Akawat |
 Photo: Normando Rodriguez |
 Photo: fabiola |
 Photo: jane_sanders |
 Photo: Lysane Collin-Millette |
 Underground culture galore |
88 Lower Marsh London, London SE1 7AB United Kingdom +44 20 7771 7466 http://www.lastchancesaloon.org/ |
A fabulous little shop where alternative culture rules. New and secondhand books, 'zines, records, magazines and clothing (mainly T-shirts) are stocked, and although you'll want lots of what you see, it's not expensive. The clothing tends to be of the variety that your parents dreaded you wearing when you were 15 - it's either revealing or has rude words on it. Fanzine titles include The Chap, Cheap Date and Artbabe. There are occasional exhibitions of weird and wonderful art, and it's a great place to pick up flyers for underground clubs, gigs and shops. A cultural gem. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Eclectic market area |
Lower Marsh, South Bank between Westminster Bridge Road and Wterloo Road London, London SE1 United Kingdom +44 20 7926 2530 / +44 20 7926 3138 http://www.lower-marsh.co.uk/ |
This area south of the South Bank has the strangest mixture of things, from theatres (Old Vic, Young Vic) to ethnic food shops and this busy market. Fruit and veg, plants, flowers, books, music and kitchen/electrical appliances are all available, and you'll want to visit some of the shops in the area as well. Herbs and spices galore can be found at The Eastern Supermarket (no. 119). The market itself isn't actually that big, but it does seem to sell something of everything you could possibly want. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Stef |
 Photo: Andrew Skudder |
 Photo: HS Crump |
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Entertainment Paradise |
County Hall, Riverside Buildings Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7PB United Kingdom +44 20 7967 1067 http://www.namcostation.co.uk |
Namco Station is a virtual Babylon of electronic entertainment. The Thunderdome-evoking facility is jam-packed with every hot new arcade game and a panoply of virtual-reality simulation machines. Go skiing, racing, street fighting, boating, footballing and more - all within steps of Waterloo Station. If virtual entertainment isn't your cup of tea, Namco Station offers actual entertainment as well. Throw a strike or two at the Techno Bowling lanes, or shoot some American pool in the billiards hall. Corporations are encouraged to hold their corporate events here, but the public is always welcome. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Diego FL |
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Jeeves' cheese and other gourmet offerings |
36d Shad Thames The Butlers Wharf Building, Tower Hill London, London SE1 2YE United Kingdom +44 20 7403 4030 |
The Conran-owned Le Pont de la Tour Foodstore specializes in bringing fresh, high quality products to its customers. An in-house bakery, oils and spice shop, as well as regular food and wine tastings, make this place stand out from the crowd. You'll also want to try their sandwiches and salads located in their tasty delicatessen, which is also in the shop. But the main reason to go here is naturally the great range of cheeses, olive oils, vinegars and, of course, spices. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Stephen Laverack |
 Multi-arts venue on the South Bank |
Belvedere Road South Bank Centre London, London SE1 8XX United Kingdom +44 (0)870 380 4300 http://www.rfh.org.uk/ |
The Royal Festival Hall is part of the South Bank Centre, and puts on an array of musical and dance performances of all styles and a lot of pop concerts are held here. From June to August there is a series of summer events always worth checking out, and an orchestral season runs from September to June. Each November sees the London Jazz Festival. The large hall holds around 3,000 people, but this can vary depending on the size of the performance. There are dining facilities that range from smaller cafes and snack bars to renowned eatery The People's Palace. Aside from the concerts themselves, the Royal Festival Hall often has several small photographic or contemporary art exhibitions on the go. They're often unpublicized, but if you happen to be on the South Bank, it's worth popping in to the hall to see if anything interesting is on show. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Simon Rigglesworth |
 Photo: Olivier Bruchez |
 Photo: Andrew Drake |
 Photo: Cesar Aponte |
 Photo: Megan Barrow |
 Photo: Andy McCulloch |
 Photo: Jim |
 Photo: Olga Schlyter |
 Photo: Jonathan Godsell |
 Photo: Ben D Gedig |
 Photo: Michael Chik |
 Photo: Kyrill Poole |
 Photo: Jason Lennick |
 Photo: coffeepot |
 Photo: Yuanyuan Zhang |
 Photo: www.bruciebonus.com |
 Photo: M. Lucking |
 Photo: G Mair |
 Photo: Phil McElhinney |
 Photo: Pete Warner |
 Photo: sarah r beck |
 Photo: Ben Gallivan |
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Indian literature and more |
38 Kennington Lane Brixton London, London SE11 4LS United Kingdom +44 20 7735 2101 http://www.somabooks.co.uk |
Soma Books earns its bread and butter by churning out some of the most interesting books by Indian publishers. The works of writers from the Asian subcontinent are featured and some very hard-to-find titles with an Asian focus are also up for grabs. African writers are similarly prominent in this small but very diverse bookshop. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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24-hour Care |
Lambeth Palace Road London, London SE1 7EH United Kingdom +44 20 7188 7188 http://www.guysandstthomas.nhs... |
24-hour emergency treatment available. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Lindsay McDermott |
 Photo: Rebecca Wallis |
 Photo: sternsegler |
 Photo: Pithawat Vachiramon |
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Sixties' sofas alongside rustic antique tables |
159-161 Tower Bridge Road London, London SE1 United Kingdom |
Don't get lost in this five-storey maze. Luckily, the warehouse is well organised, with twentieth-century offerings housed on the top floor and then the lower you go, the further back in time. Enjoy the wide range of furniture - look out for great chairs and sofas with styles ranging from Victorian to Art Deco and rustic. Whether you're a collector or just looking for something to put in your living room, you're bound to find something here. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Mark yourself |
30 Lower Marsh London, SE1 7RG United Kingdom +44 20 7928 1231 |
This friendly and, of course, Health Authority-registered studio offers both tattooing and body piercing, ranging from those dinky ankle roses to exotic designs. Andi Bone & Guests will sit down with you and discuss your ideas in a friendly environment - gone are the days of big scary bikers and dodgy shack-like studios. Custom work is a specialty, but no one will laugh at you if you only get a dainty butterfly on your hip. Review © 2007, Wcities |
