When visiting one of the world’s most loved cities, you are spoilt for choice and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Keeping it simple, Swide have compiled a list of treats, some well known, to keep you busy when you’re not judging the latest trends. 

 

Number Sixteen Hotel

 

Designed Kit Kemp, Number Sixteen keeps its guests guessing right until they sashay in to the foyer. From the outside it appears to be an unassuming Victorian terrace situated in the heart of London, but this design hotel offers 42 individually decorated rooms to please the pickiest of visitors. The foyer welcomes the guests with austere ambience and attentive service, reminding you that his is not a private residence and is in fact a hotel to be treasured. Come rain or shine, guests will be in awe of the conservatory and private garden that are found here, making it easy to forget that you are a stone’s throw away from London’s major attractions. The perfect base for your visit.

Number Sixteen 16 Sumner Place South Kensington London SW7 3EG +44 (0)20 7589 5232 

 

LN – CC

 

Looking to break away from the crowds to discover what it is that makes Dalston the home of London’s hipsters? Then get yourself over to Dalston Kingsland to find, what has been called, the coolest place in the area. Not only a fashion find, this concept store is also a library, an exhibition space, a place for performance and oh so much more. They recommend that you contact them prior to visiting and you’d be a fool to throw caution to the wind. With its mixture of fashion, music and design, LN – CC has been drawing punters to this end of the city since it opened and we think you should swing that way too.

Late Night Chameleon Cafe, 18 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London E8 2EZ +44 0560 1190 162

 

The Southampton Arms

 Photography by Travels with Beer

After a day of rushing from show to show it is time to rest your feet and treat yourself to a tipple or two. We say, do it properly and head to a good ol’ English pub. This is just what The Southhampton Arms is; a celebrated pub that offers some of the finest ales, ciders and beers to whoever pass through. For those that stumble across it, they’ll quickly realise that this place likes to keep things simple, for outside you’ll find an old painted sign that reads ‘Ale, Cider, Meat’… pretty straight forward, no? This is a simple drinking hole with a warm, local atmosphere and is the perfect place to embrace pub culture.

Southampton Arms, 139 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1LE, +44 (0)20 7485 1511

 

The Victoria & Albert Museum

 

Yes, the V&A is internationally known, but it is essential on every sightseers to-do list. Housing some of the world’s most spectacular collections of sculpture, textiles, ceramics, photography etc (the list is endless), the V&A will bring you back down to Earth after a weekend’s worth of fashion and fun. With an eclectic array of exhibitions to view, you can guarantee that each visit will reveal something capable of taking your breath away. Also, when you have cantered around the museum, there is the beautiful café where coffee and cake is a mandatory snack.

V&A, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, Tel. +44 (0)20 7942 2000

 

Corner Room

  

Last minute restaurant bookings giving you hell? London has some of the best no-booking restaurants to offer. We suggest Corner Room, located near Bethnal Green tube station, where you will be treated to a fusion of European food within an English setting. There is a 90-minute maximum stay policy, but this doesn’t interfere with your evening and actually makes everything taste that bit sweeter -Time is of the essence and all that. Serving up dishes like clam and cod chowder, mackerel with gooseberry granita and through to the caramel-streaked goat’s cheese, it is most certainly worth the wait.

Corner Room, Bethnal Green, Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, London E2 9NU  +44 (0)20 7871 0461

 

written by Ben Taylor

Credits - Travels with Beer