Crumbs & Doilies

Part of a larger group of wonderfully homey, modern and totally English hotels, one of the highlights here is high tea. What's truly thoughtful is that you don't have to rush to make tea time (a tough ask when sightseeing with little ones) since here, it's served all day. Kids go bonkers for the three-tiered trays of scones, cakes, and sandwiches while parents appreciate the quiet respite (and lengthy cocktail menu) of the hotel bistro, Oscar. This is the sister hotel to The Crosby in NYC.

Tastefully decorated and full of the scent of fresh-cut flowers, The Corinthia is all about understated glamour. The hotel boasts a superb spa, a speakeasy-inspired bar, and perfectly-executed, classic British cuisine at Kerridge's Bar & Grill. They also have a large selection of penthouses if you’re looking to indulge. It’s a great pick if you’re hoping to stay in the vicinity of Trafalgar Square and the theater district.

In keeping with the Firmdale theme, this 58-room boutique hotel is brimming with character, from the individually designed rooms, to the screening room and film club, to the great seasonal-produce-focused Brasserie Max.

It's a steal to stay at this hotel—which is part of the Soho House family—especially in the charming and cleverly named "Broom Cupboard." Located in Soho, it can be a bit noisy, but the amenities basket is kitted out with earplugs and loads of their famous Cowshed products. The restaurant and bar have a bustling and inviting feel making it great for a pre-dinner drink.

The Firmdale group has a strong hold on the hospitality scene in London, and this Soho venture is its splashiest yet, with a bowling alley, a theater, and a "village square" of cool shops like Dinosaur Designs and Frescobol Carioca. The interiors are still in owner Kit Kemp’s signature eclectic and colorful but totally English style, and the high tea here is just as fun and quintessential as at the other locations. (On weekdays, the cozy corner seats in the bar are a sublime under-the-radar spot to catch up on emails.) Besides the Soho location, the other big draw is that every single room and suite boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning city views.

Covent Garden is one of London’s most charming, central neighborhoods, but until recently, there was no place really remarkable to stay. The Henrietta changed all of that. Rooms are small but plush, with lots of velvet, gold and marble accents and big windows looking out over London’s rooftops. Mini bars are stocked with small batch vodkas, and with the Experimental Cocktail Club recipe book by each bed, provides all the inspiration you need to mix your own cocktail before heading out. The bar downstairs is an Art Deco jewel box and merits a visit whether you’re staying or not.

Opened by a Frenchman as a restaurant in the mid-1800's, the Café Royal came to be known not only for its wine cellar—at the time, the largest in the world—but also as the intelligentsia's favorite watering hole. Everyone from Oscar Wilde—today, the sleek, green glass-tiled absinthe bar is named after him—to Rudyard Kipling, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, and later, David Bowie, Princess Di and Mick Jagger showed up. When the glamour died down, the small hotel chain The Set came to the rescue for a revamp via David Chipperfield Architects and reopened the institution as a hotel and private club. Nowadays, the hotel, café, bar, and club attract a new kind of intelligentsia— namely fashion and media types—and is a hive of activity especially around fashion week, Frieze, and PAD. If you're splurging, don't miss the dreamy, pastel-hued Dome suite on the top floor, which boasts a terrace overlooking Regent Street, and the Akasha Spa, which is an unlikely, peaceful haven in the middle of Piccadilly.

How Soho can absorb one more hotel defies belief, but Kettner’s, in Nick Jones’s signature fashion, feels like it has been there from the start. The property dates to 1867, and if you believe the rumors, it was once owned by the chef to Napoleon III. Most recently, it has been restored to all its Georgian glamour. The hotel restaurant is straight out of Paris with mirrored walls, elaborately sculpted cornices, and lavishly upholstered seats. The champagne bar feels like an old-world lounge with an original mosaic floor, sink-into armchairs, and horseshoe-shaped marble bar. Each of the thirty-three bedrooms is a hybrid of an English country manor and a 1920s boudoir. The sofas are clad in rich buttery velvet, the wallpaper is vintage, and the sheets Egyptian cotton. Thoughtful touches like deep tubs and Cowshed products in the Georgian-style bathrooms, Roberts radios, and proper alarm clocks make it feel more like the home of an incredibly chic friend than a hotel. Go big and book into the Jacobean suite for a dose of period grandeur—wood-paneled walls, a bed the size of a small ship, a freestanding copper tub, and your own entrance.

At Ian Schrager’s latest Central London foray, you'll find a sceney spot where sleek, almost Nordic accommodations contrast with a rococo dining room and lobby. Chef Jason Atherton’s restaurant is worth trying if for no other reason than to see the floor-to-ceiling gallery walls (the food is good, too), and the cocktail bar in the lobby draws a good crowd as well. A stay here is cocoon-like, in that you have everything you need for hours on end from plush bedroom amenities, including in-room TV yoga sessions courtesy of Yoga for Bad People, cocktails and haute cuisine—so much so that coming out to the city streets can be pleasantly disorienting. It's a true escape even for the city's own.

Hotel Costes is (if you ask us) the most seductive, decadent place to sleep in Paris, and its sibling in London, L’oscar, is no different. It’s all excess. L’oscar is a former Baptist church that hotelier Jacques Garcia stuffed with his signature red velvet everything, Lalique butterfly taps in the bathrooms, and chandeliers aplenty. Guest rooms come with yoga mats, incredible city views, and beautiful mosaic showers. But we especially love the bar, which is swathed in plush navy velvet, wood-paneled walls, and impressively stacked bookshelves.

Soho House’s Nick Jones has, with his signature pizzazz, created one of the more exciting hotels to hit the capital in recent years. The cavernous lobby of the Ned is totally untraditional—and we dig it. Organized almost like a maze, with Cecconi’s on your right, a huge bar on your left, and a raised platform (often with a full jazz band) in front of you. No walls separate any of these elements, so the entire space booms. The rooms are exquisite, many with wood-paneled walls, enormous beds, and beautifully upholstered furniture. It all feels very Tudor. The minibar is one of the better ones we’ve come across: an antique chest filled with crystal glasses, premium booze, and god this makes us happy, decent tonic. Cowshed products, powerful hair dryers and straighteners, and a deep tub comprise a dream bathroom. Bank Street is, predictably, banker land during the week and a dead zone on the weekend, but given how central it is, it’s a breeze to get around—if you can be bothered to leave the hotel at all. Rooms and lobby aside, the listed, Lutyens-designed building has a hammam-style spa, a gym with a boxing ring and pool, and no fewer than ten restaurants.

Originally opened in 1889, the Savoy has since undergone a £100 million restoration, retaining vestiges of its Art Deco past while adding a whole lot of luxe and glamour. In addition to the meticulous rooms, a glass of champagne at the hotel's Beaufort Bar, followed by dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Savoy Grill makes for a pretty perfect stay.

Part of the prestigious Firmdale group, The Soho Hotel is situated on a quiet street in what is an otherwise bustling neighborhood. Each of the 96 surprisingly spacious rooms have been individually decorated—unheard of for a hotel of this magnitude—but all share a decidedly English mix-and-match aesthetic (florals and stripes here, ikats and plaids there). In the lobby, the eclectic vibe translates to a giant Bottero cat, more print-on-print action, and lots of floor-to-ceiling windows. Stop by The Refuel Bar for an evening cocktail or afternoon tea service.

The Stafford is a well-kept secret. So well-kept, that despite a decade of near constant travel to London, many staffers had never heard of it. Hidden down a quiet residential street in Mayfair, the hotel has 107 rooms and occupies a collection of 17th-century townhouses. The rooms are spacious, with beautiful vintage wallpaper, separate dressing rooms, and all-marble bathrooms. And despite being in the middle of the city center, The Stafford is blissfully quiet. History buffs, or anyone else for that matter, shouldn’t miss Winston Churchill’s former home, a few doors down.

From the team behind Palomar, a major hit for its take on Israeli food, comes this spot which delves deep into the food of the Barbary coast in North Africa, which greatly influenced Levantine cuisine. At the Palomar, everyone knows the best seats in the house are at the bar, so now at The Barbary, the only seats in the house are at the 24-seat bar where much of the food is prepared. The vibe is as electric as at its counterpart and the food is as spectacular if not more. Order a wide selection of dishes to share, and don't miss the roasted aubergine, the chicken msachen and the lusciously crumbly, buttery, knafeh for dessert.

Baos are soft, doughy rice-and-milk buns, stuffed with any number of Taiwanese-style delicacies, like slow-cooked pork or daikon. And there are lines out the door for them at this sleek, wood-lined shoebox of a spot in Soho at any given time of day. (They also serve really good battered fries and chicken nuggets.) Like many good things in London, the founders first gained popularity for their Baos with a roving market stall that's still going in Hackney (where the lines are just as long). They're so popular that only a few months later, they opened another spot in Fitzrovia which is just as popular.

Restaurateurs (and brothers) Sam and Eddie Hart were among the first to bring a tapas-centric menu to London. Their tiny Barrafina, which has five outposts, only offers seating at the bar; you'll want to get there on the early side. The menu is old-school when it comes to tapas, so we recommend classic favorites like the traditional Spanish tortilla or the chorizo with potato and watercress.

Jason Atherton is the master at creating a buzzy atmosphere at his restaurants, as evidenced by the fact that it's nearly impossible to land a reservation at Pollen Street Social and the Social Eating House. Meanwhile, Berners Tavern, located inside Ian Schrager's Edition Hotel in Fitzrovia, is no exception, attracting locals in the creative industry for breakfast and lunch meetings, and a decidedly more dressed up crowd for dinners and weekend brunch. Here, inside the large ballroom-like space, which is covered from floor to ceiling in a dramatic display of framed images, Atherton serves up meaty, seasonal British game along with some of the best Dover Sole in town. The sleek private dining room for 12 doesn't lose out on any of the drama, as its situated right under a restored, historic skylight.

The phrase "over-the-top" is basically synonymous with Bob Bob Ricard: There's the hyper-luxe interiors that look like they were created by Wes Anderson's design team, there's the champagne on tap—just press the "Champagne" button at your table—there's the rich Russo-British Chicken Kievs, caviar and the like, and there's the fact you absolutely have to dress up (no sneakers allowed) or else the bouncer at the door won't let you in. It's all in good tongue-in-cheek fun, and if there's one spot that's perfect for starting a big, celebratory night out in London, it's here. And, if your booking is for more than 10 people, you get upgraded into the private dining room, which is possibly even more stylized than the rest of the space.

Bocca di Lupo's Chef Jacob Kennedy recreates classic Italian dishes from all over Italy—from Sicily to Piedmont and back—with true authenticity and at a very reasonable price. All the dishes on the menu, including appetizers, come in small and large portions so you can piece a meal together with a scattering of smalls, or heck, have the appetizer as a main. It’s a popular place, so book ahead.

At any hour of the day or night—it's open pretty late—this Soho walk-in spot blares punk rock from the speakers while churning out incredibly flavorful ramen in a seriously complex bone broth. Everything on the menu is delicious but the top choices are probably the Tonkotsu (made with a 20 hour pork bone broth), the Chicken Tantanmen, and the soft shell crab starter with its addictively spicy chili ginger sauce.

The lobster at this brilliant fast-casual concept is made three ways: steamed all the way through, finished on the grill, or stuffed in a roll (get a side of fries, trust). Each of the nine outposts is perpetually buzzing, so expect lines out the door and truckloads of tourists. But the service is efficient, so you're guaranteed a stellar experience no matter what. They don’t take reservations, so go early and grab a drink. Hugely popular since it opened, there are now numerous offshoots all over the city, though we prefer the Dean Street original.

This little sister restaurant to Angela Hartnett's Murano isn’t really a step down: It has a menu of hearty, Northern Italian dishes, like Fritto Misto, Linguine Vongole, and Osso Bucco perfected by Hartnett's deputy, Sam Williams. It’s the kind of place that’s great for both a leisurely family lunch (there’s even a kids menu) or a dressed-up dinner with friends in the private room that seats 22.

What started as a no-frills fried chicken spot in Haggerston with kitschy mismatched China and picnic tables for large groups outside, now has its upscale counterpart in Covent Garden's Seven Dials. It makes sense, too: Their phenomenal fried chicken just couldn't be contained to one small spot in Haggerston. Not only is their chicken incredibly succulent and their crust perfectly crunchy, but the flavors of their sauces are pretty otherworldly. Don't miss the intensely spicy chicken wings, or the K-Pop bun which comes with gochujang sauce, or their General Tso Fried Chicken. In fact, come with a group so you can order the whole menu and sample it all. While the concept of fried chicken and sour drinks is enticing, stick with their sangria, beer, or wine.

Much like its sister restaurant Portland down the street, the somewhat austere, casual interiors belie the exquisitely prepared dishes that appear on the table. The idea here is to order a few plates to share from each category on the menu and they'll appear in no particular order as they're churned out of the kitchen. Here, everything from the halibut and herring caviar crudo to the seasonal vegetable plates are beautifully served and thought out. And because this was once a pizzeria, they've kept the oven and mastered the art, turning out beautiful pizzas and some hearty oven-baked meat dishes.

London is the kind of city where residents find it perfectly reasonable to eat sashimi flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market for lunch and an authentic Bangladeshi curry for dinner. Global cuisine is London cuisine—and vice versa. But when all you crave is unintimidating, wholesome grub executed well (especially before a night at the theater), Cora Pearl delivers. From the same people as Mayfair’s Kitty Fisher’s, the menu is made for rainy Sundays when only a rare roast beef and Yorkshire pudding will do. Monday through Saturday however, Cora Pearl's ham and cheese toastie with pickles, proper thick-cut chips, and old-fashioned trifle to share keep us quiet and contentedly well-fed.

This spot comes from the same team behind the iconic Wolseley, and while it's a bit more low-key, it has the same "grand café" theme. The low-lit, low-ceilinged rooms are pretty great, and the all-day menu mimics the same feel with old-style Germanic standouts like wiener schnitzel, in addition to other European classics.

Ask any Los Angeleno which restaurant justifies a slow crawl across the I-10 on a weeknight and the answer is almost always Din Tai Fung. The experience runs like a finely oiled machine from start to finish, to the point that it's (blessedly) predictable and outrageously tasty. Now, with an outpost open in Covent Garden, Londoners can breathe easy. Yes, you will wait, but you’ll wait with a ticket and a tick-the-box menu for no longer than half an hour. Once you’re seated, those delectable soup dumplings will be on the table in minutes, and the whole thing will cost you less than your weekly coffee order.

This relatively new and growing chain of modern Indian restaurants reveals a new dimension to a city already well-versed in the cuisine. Expertly decorated to resemble an old Iranian Bombay cafe, the vibe is casual and, as tradition dictates, ideal for both large groups and singles reading the paper and having a chai. The long menu of rotis, naans, grilled meats, and stews is spice-inflected but not necessarily curry heavy.

It's not a big surprise that restaurateur Alan Yau—Wagamama, Hakkasan, and Yauatcha—has moved on to his next big concept. (He’s sold all three of his ventures.) While the food and the beer list at this Chinese gastropub is undeniably stellar (as expected, the Cantonese roasted duck is the thing to get), the interiors, by Turkish design firm Autoban, might just be good enough to usurp the spotlight—You don't miss out on either in either of the private rooms which seat up to 12.

As lavish as they come, this is an old-school, Greek seafood institution that's become famous in Montreal, New York, and the world over the last forty years. Now it's arrived in London, taking up residence in no less than a grand old listed building in Mayfair. Here, on ostentatious slabs of white marble, fresh fish flown in from the Mediterranean is displayed in the "market" before diners are led to their sleek, white tables. What's next is transcendent seafood served along with some of their classic starters like octopus salad and their famous, thinly sliced fried zucchini. Fish this fresh comes with a price tag.

How do you create what is possibly the perfect restaurant? Take a beautiful grey marble bar, put the kitchen right there in the bar, slide eleven seats around it, and serve rich, fresh dishes inspired by southern Europe. Come with one other person or go big and book out the entire restaurant. Then order the mackerel with pickled carrots, the rich duck capelletti, and the unexpected cuttlefish ragu with tapioca crisps. Whatever you order, you won’t regret. And finish it off with a bottle of...sake. The selection is impressive and unexpected (there’s also a wine list if you want to go that route).

Like all good things in London, this burgeoning chainlet is growing fast. Once a beloved food truck with a cleverly built-in pizza oven, it now has not one but two bricks-and-mortar outposts. The thin-crust pizza at all their charmingly lo-fi locations is superb, as are the negronis and affogato. At the new spot off Carnaby, we’re looking forward to fried pizza courtesy of their first authentic Neapolitan fryer—the guys spent a couple of weeks in Naples recently to learn the art of frying pretty much everything.

Readers of the Financial Times will be familiar with Honey & Co. chefs and owners Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich. Their Levantine, vegetable-forward recipes feature in the paper weekly, though nothing beats tasting the chefs’ dishes themselves. Self-described as a Middle Eastern–style diner, Fitzrovia’s Honey & Co. is warm and inviting, with Moroccan-tiled floors, shelves heaving with jars of preserved lemons, and seats for a mere twenty guests. Those seats fill up daily with hungry Londoners craving butternut squash falafel, marinated eggplant, and braised artichokes. The food is heavy on vegetables and brightened up with assertive sauces and spices, accompanied by homemade iced teas and really, really good coffee.

It took a while for one of London's most popular—and hardest to book—restaurants to expand, but it finally has and this new venture from Honey & Co. couldn't be more true-to-style fantastic. For one, there's way more room at their new, characteristically pared-back dining room for the droves of fans, and for two, they've added a grill—hence the name. You can expect a whole new selection of their seasonal and varied mezze dishes along with a grill-centric take on the mains. Expect kofta, shish, kebabs, bbq, and the like, though there are too many incredible dishes to call out as favorites. Much like its predecessor, this will be a spot to go back to time and again. Honey & Co diehards will be glad to know their famous "cheesecake" made it onto the menu for dessert.

When the venerable Sethi family, of Gymkhana fame, opened up a new Sri Lankan spot, at lighter prices than those of its sister restaurant, Londoners came in droves. The new space has been beautifully transformed into a Sri Lankan establishment of yore, with busy tiled floors and dark teak seating, ready for the Sethi's super-simplified menu of "Hoppers, Dosas, Rice, Roast" and more traditional foods from Sri Lanka and the Tamil Nadu region of India. The Hoppers—a thicker dosa, basically—are the obvious choice, though the roast section of the menu brings some welcome surprises like a Buffalo Biriani and an incredible Lamb Roti. Peace has been restored, and so too have the lines up the street.

Ikoyi is named for the swish Lagos neighborhood cofounder Iré Hassan-Odukale grew up in. The cooked-to-perfection West African fare is prepared by Hassan-Odukale’s school friend, Chinese-Canadian chef Jeremy Chan. Chan, who hails from the kitchens of Noma and Dinner, and Hassan-Odukale have put a great deal of thought into every detail, from the incredibly sleek, almost mid-century modern dining room to the unusual and fascinating cocktail list. Then again, this is St. James's—there is no room for error. Order the suya beef blade with rich, smoked bone marrow and jollof rice, get a side of the sweet buttermilk plantain, and if nothing else, order the Guinness Stone Fence. Guinness is popular in Nigeria, and this cocktail, with cacao-nib-infused rum and lime flower, elevates the humble pint to a sublime creation.

Perfect for a meal right before showtime in the West End, the Indigo restaurant at the One Aldwych Hotel comes with the added bonus that its entire menu is gluten- and dairy-free. Head upstairs to airy, modern mezzanine overlooking the beautifully appointed hotel lobby and enjoy a guilt-free meal that's also pretty affordable.

J. Sheekey is known for its super fresh oysters and its quiet, old-school British vibe, which makes sense, because it's been around forever and the quality is always the same. You'll get consistently fresh fish, great service, and a seamless experience any day of the week.

To appease the masses of fans of Smoking Goat, the teensy dive bar that served up some of the—if not the—most incredible Thai BBQ in town, chef Ben Chapman expanded into a much bigger, glitzier space in Soho. Here, thrillingly, with a long bar facing the kitchen you get to watch the action unfold in the mighty kiln for which the restaurant is named. It would be hard to name one dish to go for, as all the sharing plates on the menu are pretty unforgettable, so the best bet is to book downstairs with a large group so you can dive in and share it all—it's a short menu.

Tucked away on Charlotte Street, you'll find one of the most spectacular chef's tables in London. In this cozy, horseshoe-shaped space, up to 20 guests crowd around James Knappett's open kitchen where he continually develops his ever-changing 11-course tasting menu that's won him a Michelin Star. Plus, he's picked up a few tricks at a pretty impressive list of restaurants including Per Se, Roganic, and The Ledbury. This special culinary performance can be hired out for the evening, too.

A cult classic for years in Soho, these authentic Japanese noodles come in a variety of hot and cold broths with a selection of flavors and toppings; some of our favorites are wakame seaweed and poached egg. Rice bowls and small plates are also delicious here, all with a focus on fresh ingredients.

What started as two school friends operating a small enterprise out of a ship container at Pop Brixton has grown into a beautiful restaurant in the heart of Soho. Kricket does Indian—flecked with Anglo influence—small-plate style. The menu is direct, divided into declarative categories, like meat and fish, rice, and vegetables. Our favorite: Keralan fried chicken and kulcha bread with date and pistachio, which is perfect for sharing. The space is all industrial: exposed pipes and brick, unexpectedly softened with pink leather stools, and pretty tile floors. Just arrive early; it’s near impossible to get a seat after 6:30 p.m.

Every Londoner who frequents Soho knows Lina Stores. The Italian deli has occupied the same spot for close to eighty years, keeping pantries stocked with obscure pastas and excellent tomato sauce. The owners have had the good sense to open a restaurant on nearby Greek Street, and we can confidently say the pasta here is better than anywhere else in the area. Sit at the bar—it’s always the best seat anyway—and watch the chefs prepare your dinner. Classic Roman puntarelle (a bitter chicory) is on the menu, doused, as it should be, in a salty anchovy dressing. Pappardelle arrives in a rich rabbit ragu. The crab pasta is spicy and citrusy, and the gnudi smothered in brown butter and sage are is so good we ordered two. Bonus: practically every dish costs less than ten pounds.

Margot brings a ritzy, glitzy (expensive) Italian dining experience to the heart of Covent Garden. And the kitchen delivers. Despite the formality of the space, this is still Italian cooking: Plates are meant to be shared. Nothing dispels stuffiness faster than four people helping themselves to an antipasto board of bread, prosciutto, artichokes, and more. Then comes the pasta—thick ropes of tagliolini twirled around prawns and sweet tomatoes, pappardelle with wild boar ragu, you get the idea. For dessert, order the tortino de riso, rice infused with vanilla and Marsala, topped with silky almond cream. You won’t be sorry.

Meraki is the latest from Arjun and Peter Waney, the duo behind three of our other London favorites: Zuma, Coya, and Roka. The kitchen specializes in region-specific small bites, like salty cured fish roe and tomatoes from Santorini. In terms of décor, the look is clean and contemporary—not a whiff of the traditional taverna—which makes Meraki great for more buttoned-up lunches and dinners. In other words: This is not the spot for a raucous family meal with kids. Xenia (Greek hospitality) is key here, and the wine list is exciting, heavy on Aegean labels you won't see elsewhere. Everything on the menu is really well prepared; particular standouts include the dolmades served with a rich, lemony, egg yolk emulsion, and the barrel-aged feta, which is somehow creamy, salty, sour, and sharp all at the same time.

The team behind acclaimed Ottolenghi is also at the helm of this fresh, light, and airy brasserie with fantastic Middle Eastern-influenced small plates. The main floor is tranquil and offers more formal dining, but we love eating downstairs, where communal tables look onto the lively open kitchen. Be sure to check out the interesting wine selection and the crazy mirrored loos. This is a particularly great choice for a pre-theater meal.

This place is perfect for some pre- or post-theater drinks and delicious tapas, many of which are cooked right in front of you on the open grill at the end of the long sleek bar. For a full meal, head upstairs to the dining room, which features an impressive gold-leaf ceiling.

With a focus on the food of Jerusalem, the décor here is sleek and fun, as evidenced by the deep jewel toned leather banquettes. There's a long, bustling bar serving drinks and dinner to walk-ins from the short and shareable menu. Our picks: Delicious "Moroccan" oysters (a Jersey oyster with Moroccan-inspired sauce) and the insane stovetop or "Plancha" dishes, like a rich and creamy polenta with buttery layers of mushroom, asparagus, and parmesan.

Like all good things in London, this burgeoning chainlet is growing fast. Once a beloved food truck with a cleverly built-in pizza oven, it now has bricks-and-mortar outposts. The thin-crust pizza at all their charmingly lo-fi locations is superb, as are the negronis and affogato. At the spot off Carnaby, we’re looking forward to fried pizza courtesy of their first authentic Neapolitan fryer—the guys spent a couple of weeks in Naples recently to learn the art of frying pretty much everything.

The décor, from artfully peeled paint to battered wood floors, is as spot-on as the no-fuss Venetian small plates here. The menu ranges from a simple bowl of olives to an intricate cuttlefish concoction. It can be a wait to get a seat at this locale, which is why the bar downstairs serving classic Italian cocktails is often our first port of call. The success of the first location prompted the opening of several more iterations across London.

From Will Lander of the Quality Chophouse fame and Daniel Morgenthau of 10 Greek Street comes this sleeper hit of a restaurant, tucked away on a quiet street in Fitzrovia. In a small dining room with almost no decoration beyond its pretty, dangling lights and the bustling open kitchen, comes some of the most inventive, beautifully presented cuisine in town, where seasonal vegetables are the stars. Order a few plates to share or go for the tasting menu for the whole table—you're in good hands here.

Quo Vadis is a classic private club, but the downstairs dining room is open to the public and a wonderful, characterful Soho haven at that. Owned by the Hart brothers, of Barrafina fame, with a kitchen run by Chef Jeremy Lee, their daily changing menu features the best meat and vegetables of the season, though you might be just as happy with their eel sandwich on house-made sourdough. They know how to make a classic cocktail here, too. The whole place is full of old Soho charm, accentuated by illustrator John Broadley's artwork which punctuates the entire space, menus included.

Yotam Ottolenghi has opened yet another restaurant that Londoners cannot get enough of (his seventh). This time it’s in Fitzrovia—a neighborhood that, until recently, was a kind of a culinary wasteland. The addition of Rovi has changed all that. The magic here lies in the fresh, vegetable-centric dishes slathered in all manner of Israeli and Palestinian sauces and a bright, cheerful dining room with high ceilings and red banquettes. The wine list is stellar and features some rarely seen Palestinian labels.

Operating since 1798, Rules has the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in London (as they point out, their existence has spanned the rule of eight monarchs). The straightforward menu is all about classic British cuisine, with an emphasis on game that the proprietors raise themselves on an Essex estate.

Set in a huge, light-filled space in Somerset House, Spring is helmed by chef Skye Gyngell, who won a Michelin star for her restaurant at Petersham Nurseries—and then promptly left. She’s finally returned after a long time away and is back to her old tricks: Light, seasonal, Italian-inflected dishes that are essentially perfect. For a private meal or event, there's the Salon, which is a pretty magical light-filled space located under an original glass atrium that can seat up to 45 at tree-lined tables (yes, tree-lined).

The encyclopedic menu ranges from traditional (acorn-fed chorizo) to deliciously inventive (air-cured tuna loin with pear) and also includes fantastic charcuterie (the ham is out of this world) and cheeses. It's also worth noting that this is a restaurant where the vegetarian dishes definitely don't feel like a consolation prize. The Borough location is the original, with a large outdoor seating area, but the buzzy Soho space is also worth a visit.

Michelin starred dim sum? Yeah, we're game. All of the dumplings are worthy of the rating, but the Peking spring rolls, sticky rice in a lotus leaf (with chicken and shrimp) are also amazing. Their delicious desserts and pastries are a well-kept secret and a welcome departure from green tea ice cream.

From Tony Conigliaro, the don of cocktail-making in London and founder of 69 Colebrooke Row, and Marco Arrigo, the head of quality at Illy, comes an Italian-inspired coffee and cocktail bar so perfect that it might just beat the real thing. Here, you can have your cappuccino at the bar—made with UHT milk, just as the Italians do—or sit at one of the tables sipping transcendent cocktails served by mixologists in elegant, crisp white uniforms. The space is tiny, which actually makes the experience all the more charming and authentic.

The Blind Pig is a proper speakeasy. In other words, it’s difficult to find. (Look for the old-school optician’s sign and knock). Once you’re inside, the dark, moody interior feels a little illicit in the best way. The low ceiling is entirely mirrored, the bar is a long sheet of polished copper, and the booths are a rich brown leather you immediately want to melt into. The cocktails are tongue-in-cheek interpretations named after the figures from our childhoods—Peter Rabbit, Pooh, even Harry Potter—with a full illustrated menu to match. Aptly, the Harry Potter is a reimagined butterbeer bitter, butterscotch included.

This recently renovated watering hole in Soho is a classic pub, a modern cocktail bar, and tiny restaurant, all in one. Downstairs, you can grab a craft microbrew or cider with other locals sipping pints after work. Upstairs, you’ll find The Mulwray for mixed drinks and wine, while in the basement, there’s an eleven-seat kitchen bar, Evelyn’s Table. This means you can eat lunch, have an afternoon pint, grab dinner and a late-night cocktail without having to leave the building. The bar snacks at the Blue Post is maybe our favorite thing about the place. Peanuts dusted in harissa, a fried fish sandwich, and the most perfect bar snack of all: the sausage roll.

From the infamous "Quatre Garçons," a group of French dandies known for their splashy bars and eateries, comes this pitch-perfect wine bar known as the CVS for short. They've intelligently created a two floor suite of comfort, full of soft upholstery, cushions, rugs, and walls painted dark, velvety tones. It has that clubby feel of the kind of place you'd stick around for hours, and undoubtedly will, for the extensive wine list (pages upon pages of mostly European bottles) and phenomenal snacks—the mandatory charcuterie and cheese boards (sourced at Androuet, no less) and an ever-changing sandwich that's earned top marks.

This two-story space is decorated with antiques, complete with chandeliers overhead. It can get crowded, service can be leisurely, and prices aren't low, but if you're looking for speakeasy chic, right down to the inventive cocktails and the vested and mustached waiters, this is it.

Hovarda is technically an Aegean restaurant, but we like it better for drinks. Part of the appeal is that it's open late and serves great salty snacks until the early hours of the morning. Vegetable fritters and tzatziki with pita for dipping go especially well with a chilled glass of white wine. As evening becomes night, the music gets louder, the DJs set up shop, and suddenly Hovarda feels more like a club than a restaurant—but a club you would happily sit in for a while, with a yuzu margarita in hand.

One of the best wine magazines by the same name—a magazine that's made wine cool, accessible, and well, un-stuffy—has opened a live extension, a wine bar with the very same qualities. The bar itself has been around since the early 18th-century—cozy fireplace included—but under the ownership of Noble Rot founders Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew, it's alive again with a whole new spirit. There's a delicious, seasonal menu of rich, homey pub-style cuisine for one. And for two, the extensive wine list is more like a booklet, with informative, chatty, friendly descriptions of each wine category—the owners are serious aficionados after all.

One of London's market stalls-turned-chainlet success stories, this one is expanding quickly with cool, industrial looking shops popping up all over the city. With 14 equally intense flavors including Creme Brulee and Belgian Chocolate Truffle, these sourdough doughnuts are pretty over the top, though worth the caloric overload. Word of advice: Stop by in the morning as the fresh ones are exponentially better.

It's no surprise that the biggest hits at this Swedish import are the cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron buns, though their breads and smorgas-like filled baguettes are pretty off the charts too. While this is their first venture into Central London, there's also a shop in Hoxton that has a tiny bit more space for customers to stop and enjoy the coffee and baked treats. We love this particular shop for its convenience.

In a matter of just a few years, Australian roasteries have taken over the London coffee scene. And for good reason: They brew strong, flavorful coffee that’s not burnt. While we can rattle off a whole list of other good Aussie cafes—including Workshop, which is expanding quickly—Kaffeine remains a firm favorite. Tucked away on a quiet street in Fitrovia, they serve a coffee so intense it’s almost sweet. If you’re an aficionado, you can opt for a flight, which includes a "cascara" palate cleanser. Their sandwiches, salads and baked goods, which include a coffee flavored cookie made for dipping, are the best grab-and-go in the area.

For Honey & Co. fans and newbies alike, this is a dream delicatessen packed with Middle Eastern specialty goods, fresh produce, house-made spice mixes, and vernacular kitchen essentials. Just across the street from the original, in a bright space with yellow tiles and a counter packed with co-founder Sarit's wonderful pastries, plus many of their mezze dishes for takeaway, a visit to this spot can quickly and dangerously become a habit.

The Hummingbird Bakery landed in Notting Hill in early 2004 to become the home of quality American baking in London. Today it has branches across the city in Soho, South Kensington and Spitalfields, and is famed the world over for its delicious cupcakes and other sweet treats and desserts.

More community hub than just a café, this addition to Kensington’s coffee scene offers monthly live music sessions and rotating art installations. The food is exactly what we want when we’re in a hurry—Parma ham and white bean hummus on the best sourdough, a couple of fried eggs, and granola with thick-as-ice-cream Greek yogurt. The coffee is always perfectly made, but we tend to go for the iced matcha, which has a hint of lemon.

It can be surprisingly hard to find a healthy breakfast or lunch to go in London, which is why places like 26 Grains are a godsend. The concept is pretty simple—choose a grain (of which there are twenty-six, duh), a few spices, and a couple of toppings, and you are good to go. Plus, you sit for a meal at the communal table, which is a lovely experience, complete with beautiful, handmade ceramic dishes. At breakfast, you'll find porridge and bircher muesli and at lunch, it's more like quinoa, rice, and the like. Don't miss the turmeric almond milk latte.

Faux flowers get a bad rep, but in the hands of designer Abigail Ahern they can add mood, beauty, and texture to a room. She first started her pro-faux crusade at her Islington shop, and it quickly caught on to the point that Heal's, the home emporium, has given Abigail a stand-alone "florist" shop. You'll find endless fake varieties—from ferns to hydrangeas, to ridiculously cute moss dog sculptures—another quirky Ahern signature.

Alex Eagle's eponymous concept store has moved from its Knightsbridge townhouse local to an expansive loft space in Soho. The owner stocks hard-to-find brands like Isa Arfen, Lemaire, and Protagonist mixed in with homewares by hip design studios like Makers & Brothers. With the odd Jean Prouvé stool or Alex Eagle collaboration—many are her takes on classic heritage brands like Swaine-Adeney—dotted here and there, this shop is always packed with discoveries.

Aram has been around since the sixties, continually introducing the best of modern design to the city. Brands like Vitra, Knoll, Poltrona Frau, Aram Designs and Cassina are all arranged beautifully in this expansive and clean Covent Garden setting.

Fancy, high-tech sex toys, beautiful apothecary items, lingerie, and general erotica (there's a small but mighty selection of dirty books) is all on offer at this tasteful shop. The lingerie runs the gamut from tame (Stella McCartney, Paloma Casile) to risqué (the house line of intimates is pretty heavy on the latex), and includes a good range of bridal.

This legendary store opened in 1875 on Regent Street, and to this day maintains its beautiful wood-paneled interiors and grand Tudor revival exterior. While the Liberty brand is alive and well, still selling their trademark flower print fabrics, so is their buying team with small capsules from all our favorite brands including Frame, Acne, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, and Kenzo. Treat yourself to a scarf here as they always have the widest and most wonderful selection, and the staff in the Scarf Hall on the first floor are famously good at advising you on how to tie them.

With an incredible range of maps, atlases, travel guides, accessories, globes and more, this long-standing classic is one of the biggest travel bookshops in the world. The store is old, but the philosophy is contemporary, as the guides and focus shift with the trends. Don't miss the map of the solar system above as you're walking up the stairs.

Established in 2009 by brothers, Henry and George Graham, Wolf & Badger is predicated on the idea of launching new soon-to-be big designer talent.

Benjamin Pollock's toy theater shop was revamped in the 1960's by Marguerite Fawdry (it was her idea to add a museum), and Mr. Pollock's grandson runs the shop and adjoining museum to this day. There are old-fashioned teddy bears, doll houses, zoetropes, and vintage games that kids and adults alike will find fascinating. The specialty here, however, remains the mini-theaters. The toy store still stocks them and makes for the start of a very fanciful toy collection.

While you can walk in and bowl, booking ahead is strongly recommended. This is a great place for parties.

Picturehouse is known for taking old movie theaters and jazzing them up with plush decor, all-day cafés, and bars. The newest of the group, right smack in central London in the Trocadero is no exception, with a much more contemporary look that makes you feel like you've walked into a big, clubby bar rather than a movie theater. You sort of have, in that the top floor is an exclusive member's bar with a terrace that provides great views of the bustling surroundings. And oh, there's the seven theaters themselves which have undergone a massive renovation and now have comfier red velvet seats and better screens (with cool retro curtains).

One of the most wonderful house museums in London, this 19th-century home, designed by the famous architect himself, is exactly as he left it 180 years ago. In his life, he was a well-traveled collector, which is reflected in the way he liked to cram his collections of Etruscan figurines and 16th-century Roman plaster casts on every available surface. In short, it's a multi-story cabinet of curiosities, packed with history and inspiration.

This cultural institution has some of the best shows on Fashion, Photography and Design every year, not to mention the London Design Biennial. Aside from the galleries, there are a couple good spots to have a snack, take in the views of the Thames and also take the kids. Every Saturday, Somerset House offers kids a range activities from painting and model-making to fashion design and animation. Each workshop is designed to encourage and inspire fresh activities to try at home. The courtyard, which is by a great concert series in the summer, is transformed into a public ice skating rink every winter.

Hidden in this iconic Brutalist building is a hub of creativity curated by the current doyenne of cool, shop owner Alex Eagle. Many fashion companies are set to move in here (including the British Fashion Council), though Eagle is still free to host and create just about anything she desires—currently it's The Infinite Mix a powerful show of video installations put on by the Hayward Gallery. Stay tuned for everything from fashion presentations, to pop-ups, concerts and more. At the heart of this creative hub is a leafy café with incredible views of the Thames, where London's creatives convene.

Interior designer Marc Peridis opened this sustainable design gallery in 2012, and it has slowly gained acclaim in design circles. Open by appointment only, it's a bit of an industry secret. In a narrow six-floor Soho townhouse, Peridis curates and commissions stunning work from a stable of international designers like Markus Friedrich Staab, Nina Toolstrup, Hamajima Takuya, and more.

Though the hotel is located right in the center of the city overlooking Piccadilly, its subterranean spa feels miles away from the bustling streets above. The space itself is gorgeous, and spending a couple of hours between the sleek and modern gym, pool, and hammam facilities makes for a pretty spectacular spa day. When you book in with some of the expert healers—a resident Reiki master, nutritionist, etc.—the spa also doubles as the most luxurious practitioner's office ever.

Will Williams and Jess Cook took a two and a half year hiatus and traveled to India (and then the world) to learn everything they could about Vedic Meditation, only to return to London to bring it to the masses. Learning the technique takes place over three consecutive sessions: they'll give you a personal mantra in the first session, followed by two sessions of meditation training after that. Then, you're ready to practice on your own and reap the benefits—better sleep, less anxiety, focus, the works—or join their popular group sessions in Victoria (no lotus position required).

Opened in July, DryBy is a blow dry and nail art studio that has, in a short span of time, become much more than a salon. In muted tones of grey and pink, it's a haven of calm and relaxation for the working women of Fitzrovia. Aside from the fact that the friendly team are pros at what they do—whether its one of the five blow dry styles, or cool nail art—it's the heavenly interiors, the glass of Prosecco that comes with the treatment, and the owners, sisters Anita and Krisztina, welcoming demeanor. They also happen to have the largest selection of CND Shellac colors and the best nail art this city has to offer.

Dr. Maalouf is wonderful with children, unflappable, and gentle. A highly recommended doctor.

The Corinthia in Covent Garden is one of those places that generally lives up to all the hype. As soon as you enter the space you immediately understand why: the interiors are dark, it's covered in Italian marble, and the vibe is moody but polished. The ESPA is one of the city's largest with twenty-nine treatment rooms and even a stainless steel swimming pool. Along with a robust roster of treatments—signature facials and massages—there's also a selection of customized treatments that focus on detox, sleep, and pregnancy. The best part? Their day spa offerings include access to everything from the gym and thermal floor to the sauna and steam rooms and relaxation areas.

Fabi Waisbort's West End practice is a go-to for the London theatre crowd. Using a mix of osteopathy, acupuncture, and massage, Fabi and his team will cure just about any pain or ailment whether you're performing or not.

This may just be one of the best cuts you'll ever get in London, let alone your life. While George cuts, his sister—well-known in her own right—heads up color, and his mom stops by routinely with home-baked treats. The space feels more like a cozy living room than an antiseptic salon, as his favorite books line the shelves, art from his own collection dots the walls, and there's space to work at your laptop while your color sets. What's better, he offers healthy snacks along with “George's Marvelous Medicine,” a juice packed with hair-healthy nutrients.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

After trying out a few locations in London, SKINWORK (formerly known as Face Place) has permanently relocated to the incredibly chic studio in Soho. Though the space is a little more of-the-moment than what you'll find at their other salons (Eagle has spruced up their stark aesthetic with mid-century furniture and sheepskin pillows), their approach to skincare is as clinical and no-nonsense as ever. The signature facial combines a round of extractions with a galvanizing treatment which promises to tighten and rejuvenate skin tissue. They also offer some pretty effective peels.

Brown's has epitomized British luxury since the Victorian era. And after its recent top-to-bottom revamp, it started racking up accolades for its elegant, amenity-packed rooms (there's even cookies-and-milk turndown service for kids) and classically British HIX restaurant at lightning speed. Request the Kipling Suite: Legend has it this is where The Jungle Book was written.

This is one of our favorite grown-up hotels in London. It is decorated beautifully in subdued tones and offers pretty wonderful services, many of which are geared toward families (on-call babysitters, goody bags, video games). On sunny days, the rooftop pool is the best spot to take in everything on offer: hula hoop classes, alfresco lunch, and twice-daily kids' swim hours. Beyond than the now-famous breakfast spread, there's no lack of dining and boozing options thanks to the Blue Bar, the Berkeley Café, and the luxe terrace bar.

Borough Market is London’s oldest market and offers a dizzying expanse of food options, most of them organic and fresh from the farm. For kids, weaving through the stalls (the baked goods and sweets offering is particularly on point) and taking in the sites and smells is a total blast. Since it's a covered space, it makes for a great rainy day excursion.

A beautiful, wood-lined bakery that turns out beautiful cakes, croissants, and scones. The space itself is airy and kind of refined for a bakery, making it the perfect destination for tea. It's a good spot for a mid-day break as it doesn't fill up as much as other central London sweet stops.

Every single Sunday this East End street morphs into a sprawling outdoor flower market, packed with stalls of wildflowers and potted plants. Columbia Road itself is a great shopping street for home goods, vintage wares, and delicatessens—all the stores open their doors for market foot traffic.

Philippe Contini’s modern chain of patisseries has just arrived in London from Paris and Japan, and packs some serious heat: These pretty little confections are some of the best treats in the city. At the Marylebone HQ, each individual pastry is presented in its own refrigerated glass cloche—sleek, modern, and fanciful all at once. Kids will go nuts in here and so will anyone with a serious sugar addiction. The 'Paris Brest' is insane.

We love this thoughtfully packed confectionery for its old-fashioned blue-and-white packaging and sweetly illustrated chocolate boxes. We're hooked on the rose and violet chocolates, but you can personalize an assortment to suit your tastes. Meanwhile, the molded chocolates are beautiful—i.e., they're great souvenirs to take back home.

The original Primrose Bakery was born over a decade ago (there are multiple locations), mainly because the owners wanted to make cupcakes, which were already killing it overseas, available in London. Over the years, The assortment has expanded to include classic chocolate cake (it's the moistest, richest, most perfect thing ever) and a menu of made-to-order layer cakes, which can be decorated any way you like.

This restaurant is situated in a great location, right on the square, making it the ideal spot for traditional afternoon tea in a posh Chelsea environment (the menu is refreshingly well-priced despite the environs). The Botanist Breakfast, which is perfect for kicking off a full day of wandering, includes a generous main dish and coffee and rings in at £12.

This is the kind of Hampstead Heath go-to where everyone, even the family dog, is welcome. The atmosphere is cozy and traditional with maroon leather seats, chalkboard menus, and lots of distressed wood. Don’t miss the bread basket, homemade ice cream, and ale (for grownups only).

The sausages and schnitzels are good, but it's really the atmosphere that makes this Marylebone spot worthwhile. Modeled after an old-world Viennese café, it looks like a meticulously considered set from Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. There are dark wood booths, Tyrolean landscapes on the walls, and an old-school newspaper rack, which all help it achieve the feeling of a time warp. Not surprisingly, it’s from the team behind The Wolseley and The Delaunay, who are known for their cinematic spaces.

Known for his relaxed approach to cooking, Bill Granger has fronted major culinary hits in Australia and Asia. This bright, airy, and generally packed place on Westbourne Grove is his first London restaurant, and like its predecessors, it offers casual all-day dining with a comfort-food slant (awesome mash) and a fantastic weekend brunch. Look for simple dishes, like the signature ricotta hotcakes or the full Aussie breakfast. The no-reservation policy means you'll probably have to wait, but it's totally worth it. For the North Londoners reading, there's a second location in King's Cross, plus two more in Clerkenwell and Chelsea.

The original ROKA restaurant is housed in a large, open space with light wood fixtures, an impressive robata grill in the center of the dining room (it has an oddly hypnotic effect on kids), and floor-to-ceiling windows that open out onto Charlotte Street on nicer days. Grilled items are of course what this place is all about, but not in your usual combination of flavors: asparagus is dressed with sweet soy and sesame and black cod gets a yuzu miso treatment. There's also fresh sushi and sashimi options if you're feeling like something a little less charred. There are multiple locations across the city.

At four locations deep (three of them are in the UK), this casual Italian joint can easily qualify as a chain. Their approach to pizza, however, is very mom-and-pop: all are made in a wood-burning oven, resulting in a chewy, crispy crust that's actually pretty hard to find in London. You can get a table inside the sprawling, industrial-looking dining room, have a quick snack at their bar, or order for takeaway.

This is one of London's best spots for Chinese. At first glance it looks a bit on the small side, but because it's actually split into several levels, it can comfortably accommodate bigger parties (make a reservation). The home-style tofu is a favorite among locals as are the pork buns, which are served as if they are little burger buns. As a whole, the menu errs on the spicy side, so ask for milder, kid-friendly options.

Run by husband-and-wife team Ian Paley and Emily Dyson, this multilevel space is stocked with independent designers from all over the globe. While the women's section is home to plenty of international names that are hard to find elsewhere (along with a strong NYC contingent like Rachel Comey and Steven Alan), it's the meticulously edited kids’ selection—Morley tees, Oeuf toys—that's earned the shop praise from locals and visitors alike.

These beautiful boutiques are now peppered across the city and stock impeccably crafted, stylish, yet age-appropriate childrenswear. The clothes are classic with a distinct French feel and a painstaking attention to detail, from the hand-stitching to the organic cotton. Bonpoint also carries shoes, toys, books, and more. It's pretty expensive, but you totally get what you pay for, so whatever you buy for your oldest now will still be in pristine condition for your youngest years later.

High up on Rosslyn Hill in Hampstead, this recently-expanded shop stocks an ample mix of conventional toys along with science and craft projects. Wrapping paper, party favors, and plenty of stickers are also available, making the birthday present-buying chore a bit easier. Anyone who has a child caught up in the Lego or Sylvanian Families mania will be well taken care of here. Their Schleich shelf, full of those classic and very realistic plastic animals, totally triggers nostalgia.

This store actually has no sign, so you have to look hard. Kristin Baybars, who has run the shop for decades, stocks everything you could ever want for a dollhouse. The front of the store has traditional kids toys and imported dollhouse accessories, but as you venture farther back, you'll find handmade British pieces on display inside kooky old cabinets and quintessentially English townhouses. You'll either leave with a bunch of miniatures or grand plans for a dollhouse of your own, just remember to bring cash as they don't accept cards. Photo: The Small Desk

This cozy, intimate bookshop has something for everyone. A separate children's section encourages parents to linger with their little ones, and almost every section in the store features bookmarks with comments by the knowledgeable staff.

Papouelli—formerly known as Papillon—focuses on beautifully crafted, classic children's shoes that are actually practical. Their bestselling moccasins are adorable, though they also sell loafers, booties, and special occasion shoes for littles of all ages.

Nowhere else in London will you find this many Calico Critters, or, as they're known in the UK, Sylvanian Families. The store stocks the full UK range, as well as a large number of imports from the US and Japan. They also do amazing window displays.

This indoor skate park offers full-day lessons for beginner and advanced skateboarders of all ages, as well as skate camps and after-school clubs. Kids especially love Gary, but all the guys are very knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming. The skate park itself is an iconic scene of punk life in London.

Beyond being a beautiful place to pass an afternoon, this is also London's oldest botanical garden (it dates back to 1673). Don't miss the newest addition, the Garden of Edible and Useful Plants, where you'll find foliage with a variety of uses, from perfume to cosmetics. P.S. Closed Saturdays.

Straddling Westminster and Camden, Regent's Park features the largest grass area for sports in London, plus an Open Air Theater, Regent's College, Regent's Canal, the London Zoo, restaurants, cafes, and much more. Every October, the park hosts Frieze, with two enormous pavilions and sculptures throughout the park.

The animals at the London Zoo are well kept, so a visit here is always a happy one. Plus, a recent renovation converted many of the animals' enclosures, making them truer to how they live in nature. There are also a number of daily kids activities that are heavy on fun without skimping on education.

Kids love these fun duck-themed tour buses-slash-boats, which are a wonderful and unique way to see the city. They offer great views from the river of many of the major sites adults want to see, making it fun for the whole family.

Ball pools, indoor ride, and go-karts are just a few of the highlights offered at this mega kids center. You can keep a littles entertained here for an entire afternoon, which is precisely why it's such a popular birthday party venue.

This beautiful and peaceful park is in the Royal Borough of Kensington—more precisely, in the posh neighborhood of Holland Park, which is known for its beautiful Victorian townhouses, tony shops, and great restaurants. The northern part of the park is a semi-wild woodlands, while the rest of the park boasts the famous Orangery, tennis courts, a cricket pitch, a Japanese garden, a giant chess set, an impressive children's Adventure Playground, and even a youth hostel.

Divided by the Serpentine Lake, the impossible-to-miss Hyde Park is central London's most prominent chunk of greenery. It's worth getting lost: You'll find the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial; an awesome pirate ship playground; the very cool Serpentine Gallery; the lakeside Lido Café; sports facilities; boating; seasonal events; and many wonderful walks and paths to wander. From November to January of each year, the entire place is decked out in holiday decorations for the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, including an ice-skating rink and a winter festival.

Legoland is full of rides for older kids, but there are also plenty of games and activities for younger Lego fans to get into, including Duplo Land. What's more, they're consistently unveiling fresh attractions, so no two visits are the same.

This colorful and well-equipped playground with jungle gyms, tire swings, picnic tables, and more is just behind Marylebone High Street at the end of Paddington Street Gardens (where you'll find a beautiful English rose garden). The space is covered with trees and makes a for a supremely peaceful break from errands or sightseeing.

Originally built in 1910, Electric Cinema is one of the oldest movie theaters in the UK: It's been running on and off since that time, but it caught our attention when it was leased to Soho House as part of its Electric House property. The Saturday night Kids Club shows a great selection of films for little ones, and kids love hanging out in the unusual leather sofa seating.

Here, both adults and kiddos can explore virtually every scientific topic of the modern world, including space, agriculture, energy, time, medicine, psychology, and even identity. There's a 3D Imax theater, an Apollo 4-D Cinema, galleries, hands-on displays, flight simulators, and much more. While it's easy to pretend it's just for the kids, you'll be shocked by how much you'll learn yourself.

The flagship studio in Fulham has a spacious upstairs area for decorating your own pottery and a new party room in the basement—ideal for birthday parties and special events. The shop was set up by London's Emma Bridgewater in 1998, and has a very homey feel. Don't miss the adorable Little Toy Shop in front, packed with goodies for little ones. They also have a location in Battersea, and in Chessell, on the Isle of Wight.

Each season's offering here includes both classic and new tales presented by talented thespians, plus plenty of resources that teach kids about the theater. Meanwhile, the Polka theater offers plenty of workshops during half-term weeks.

Built in 1881, the Natural History Museum is also a world-renowned research center and boasts as much historical significance as scientific: Specimens collected by Darwin can be still be found in its halls. In addition to permanent galleries (we love the Earth Galleries, designed by Neal Potter) and exciting exhibitions, the museum features a wildlife garden, shows, films, hands-on activities for kids, and more. Especially fun for kids are the Dino Snores sleepovers, where, in Night at the Museum fashion, kids discover what happens when staff and visitors go home. During the holidays, they'll also enjoy the museum's outdoor skating rink (which can be reserved in its entirety for private sessions with an ice marshal). While it's wonderful for families, the museum proves equally interesting for adults, who can enjoy programs like Nature Live and talks with experts in science and natural history. Go right before 10 a.m. and enter on the right-hand side near the science museum to dodge the lines.

Alexandra Palace (or "Ally Pally," as London kids have nicknamed it), is like a park, rec center, and a concert venue wrapped into one Victorian package. As if that weren't enough, its location also provides one of the best views of the city. Between the ice skating rink, the paddle-boat-filled lake, the skate park, drive-in movie theater, and the farmer's market, it's a definite go-to for tiring out the littles.

This wildlife reserve in the Cotswolds is pretty beautiful. There are tons of activities and stations for kids to learn about the 500 species of birds that live here. Also worthwhile is a tour of the grounds and of the Marshmouth nature reserve for more bird and animal sightings. Definitely a day's worth of family activities outside of London.

This unique playground located towards the northern end of Hyde Park has an enormous pirate ship, a sandy beach, teepees, and mini houses to climb in and out of—all in the spirit of Peter Pan. Most of the facilities are wooden and beautifully designed. Parents can hang out at the café which serves casual fare.

Ever wish you, er, your child, could stroll along the Great Hall, stumble into Dumbledore's office, hang out in the Gryffindor common room, or pay a visit to Hagrid's hut? Complete with two soundstages where the Harry Potter series was filmed over the past 10 years and features like the "creature effect" workshop, where you can see how they created such beasts as the giant Basilisk head, this is Mecca for all Harry Potter fans. Reservations are required

Kew Botanical Garden's Treetop Walkway literally lets you amble through the trees. The path leads underground first, to the Rhizotron, where an installation teaches you about tree roots. Then, you'll head 59 feet up to walk amongst the lime, sweet chestnut, and oak trees and mingle with the resident birds and bees. It's a very special experience for adults and kids alike. During the holidays, they do up the entire place in lights and guide after-dark tours along the path as well.

At a sprawling 2,500 acres, Richmond Park is the largest Royal park in the city. Just a few miles southwest of central London, it's most famous for its red and fallow deer which roam freely. As a National Natural Reserve, there are many hills, ponds, gardens, and grasslands to explore, making Richmond Park a beautiful (and often much-needed) natural respite for busy urbanites.

This newly refurbished and serene playground at St. Luke's church is tucked away behind King's Road. There are plenty of swings, picnic tables, jungle gyms, and climbing equipment. The gardens just next door are great, too.

For a soccer-obsessed kid, seats at a Chelsea game are about as good as it gets. The Premier League boasts some of the best players anywhere (their matches are the most watched in the world), and fiery Chelsea coach José Mourinho guarantees a good show. The West Stand Lower is the family area; if your littles are on the younger side, you'll appreciate the no-swearing policy and the less rowdy atmosphere.

This colorful indoor climbing frame for 6-month to 11-year-olds is part of the Talacre Sports and Community Center, and just a short walk from the Kentish Town West station. If you want to bring your really little ones to play, a good time is between 9-10:30am on weekdays for the "Under 5 Only" session.

This private members’ club comes at a price, but the variety of activities available to kids and parents is pretty astounding. It’s located right in Chelsea, with views of the Thames; parents can enjoy the gourmet food, stunning modern décor, and the amazing views, while kids have the options of beach club (indoor pool), massive soft play center, music booth, kitchen (with cooking activities), music room, and art lab. Kids will love it, and adults will find the whole experience oddly peaceful for a kids’ activity center.