My reply to anyone who asks me what I think the best museum in London is will always be the Museum of London. Where else can you find a complete history, from the Bronze, Middle and Stone ages going back to as early as 4200BC, right through to the Olympic Games in 2012 and even more recent times, all under one roof?
The exhibits and stories on display at the Museum of London are, quite frankly, amazing, and deserve to be at the top of the bucket list of everyone visiting the capital. See how not all roads led to Rome but also to London (or Londinium) in the Roman galleries, how Lundenwic and Lundenburg – to give the capital its Medieval and Saxon name – developed during those respective eras and the stories behind that most told event of the English primary school curriculum, the Great Fire of London and the protagonist baker who failed to keep a close eye on his oven timer.
Wherever I go on holiday, I always try and check out the city’s museum for the best stories of where I am and what I am standing on and the Museum of London is up there with the best of them in telling the story of how London became the major world city that it is today. The temporary exhibitions are impressive too, with the story behind that iconic soundtrack to the city, London Calling by the Clash, when I visited.
Find your way with 222 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
In the heart of Southeast London sits "Eltham Palace and Gardens". Once a medieval estate, in the '30s it was styled with mesmerizing art deco furnishings.
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They have an array of all the classic pastries you’d expect from a French bakery, from pain au chocolat & croissants to my favourite croissant aux amandes.
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Their Reading room is a mix between a gallery and a library with books and lots of places to sit and read or do some work on your laptop.
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The Barbary pays homage to the culinary traditions of the countries from the Atlantic Coast through to the Mediterranean Sea leading to the Middle East.
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With connections to the local skate scene, it's a place where the mulleted, leather-jacketed alternative students from art unis head for a big night.
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"Kew Gardens" is the famous UNESCO world heritage site in Southwest London. It's great to visit for its plants, flowers and Christmas festivities!
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"Canopy Brewery", just below the railway tracks, is another perfect spot to sample some of London's finest brews, directly from the source!
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"Tayyabs" in London is a legendary Punjabi run. I'll go weak at the knees at the aroma of their sizzling platters of marinated lamb chops & shami kebabs...
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"Sambrook's Brewery" in London is tucked among housing and insustrial estates; it's off the beaten track but should be on every beer lover's map...
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"Mondo Brewery" in London is a meeting point for me and other appreciators of hoppy liquid gold. Plenty to love, but no other taproom has free popcorn!
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222 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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