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Posted May 26, 2010, 9:40 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Wiltshire, England
Posts: 1,938
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Here are my suggestions - you might want to look at this thread, too - not all will be relevant, but some will. I hope you have a great time!
- I am going to see a play. Here in Miami the dress code is very lax and casual (some even go in jeans..I know very odd), but in some places in the States people wear suits. How does one dress for a play in London?
Dress how you like - some people do dress up to go to the theatre, but equally people also go in casual clothes and no one minds. Unless you're going to the opera, or some upmarket bar/restaurant, pretty much anything goes in London.
- Since I am going to get hammered by the exchange rate I would like to know of some cheaper places to eat lunch. Any ideas?
Ah, cheap, good quality lunches in London are always difficult, especially in Westminster and the City of London.
This post by Muppet on Sunday lunch in Brick Lane is well worth reading.
Outside the East End, Crepeaffaire is one of the better chains, otherwise pubs are a good bet - I'd say stick with the simple dishes and they can't go too far wrong.
One cute pub near where you are staying is the Queen's Arms.
In Westminster, the Footstool restaurant in the crypt of St John's Church in Smith Square does a lunchtime buffet option (or at least it did the last time I went there, last year). The choice is limited (pie + salad), and the price is probably a bit higher than you'd like (the last time I was there, pie+salad+a bottle of beer came to about £13) but it's a really great location, you get served straight away, the food is always good quality, and it will fill you up for the rest of the day. There aren't many places in Westminster where you can say that.
When I worked near Oxford Street, I enjoyed going to a place called Squat and Gobble, which is also near the British Museum. It's small, lively and goes good fruit drinks, but it is a bit love-it-or-hate-it.
Finally, good places fill up quickly, so it's best to eat early, at about 12, rather than waiting til 1 or 2.
- My boyfriend will be coming with me. Are there any cool gay bars in the area. We are not disco, club, or sex club people. We like to relax and hang out.
Old Compton Street in Soho is a few stops away on the Picaddilly Line, and it's famous for being the centre of London's gay community, so that's probably a good place to start.
- Are there any must see places besides Buckingham Palace, Eye of London, Parliament, Tower Bridge, London Tower, Canary Wharf, the West End, and Trafalgar Square. I know there is so much more, but I would like to sort out the good and the bad.
I'd add the British Museum to the list, partly because of its scale and partly because it's such a spectacular building.
If you like the theatre, I'd definitely visit the Globe, which is a replica of a Tudor theatre. You can do tours, but one of the best ways to see it is to get a £5 ticket for the standing area, and go to a performance. You don't have to stick through the whole play, you can just watch for 15-20 minutes, get a feel for it, then leave. It really is an amazing theatrical experience - you can go right up to the stage and lean on it if you like. When I went to the Globe for the first time, it was one of the best experiences I've ever had in London, even though the play itself wasn't that great.
If you want to soak up London's history and are looking for an alternative to the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, where most of the former monarchs are buried, is a good bet.
Canary Wharf itself is a bit sterile - I'd recommend a boat trip from Westminster or the Tower of London to Greenwich. Greenwich is livelier, and has great views of Canary Wharf, plus you get great views of the skyscrapers on the way.
Otherwise, I think just soak up the atmosphere - you've given yourself a good long time to explore, which is great. You might want to explore some of London's markets, or one or two of the neighbourhoods outside central London (e.g. Hampstead, the East End, Chelsea, Islington etc) as a change. The Regent's Canal, which runs through north and east London, is pleasant to walk along, and you can use it to navigate through some cool places.
- Is the Eye of London worth the money taking a ride? Is there anything we should not waste or time or money on?
Yes, I've been on it a couple of times, and enjoyed - especially at the end of a trip, when you can pick out all the places you've been. If you want a cheaper alternative, again, a boat trip is a great substitute.
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Going to London
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