A Wanderer’s Guide to London

London– a city where you can find a century-old bookshop down the street from the latest TikTok-famous food stall, and where every cobblestone and café holds the promise of a new adventure. While studying at LSE Summer School, I wanted to see as much of the city as possible so I explored many places both through walking and via public transportation. Based on my experiences, I've put together a guide to my favourite spots to wander around in London!

Shopping

With London being such a diverse city, it's a great place to shop around both large brand name stores and lowkey vintage shops.

If you’re looking to do some vintage shopping, I recommend heading to Brick Lane Market. Just a 30 minute bus ride from campus, Brick Lane market is full of different stalls selling antiques, art, clothing and various trinkets that are just waiting to be explored. Similarly, Portobello Market in Notting Hill has many streets full of vendors selling vintage items such as cameras, clothing, art prints, and plenty of cool jewellery.

If you’re looking for souvenirs to bring as gifts home, then head to Apple Market in Covent Garden. Just a 10-minute walk from campus, there are different stalls open every day selling handmade jewellery, crocheted flowers, vintage watches and more.

For those of you who love stationery, my favourite hidden gem shop is Choosing Keeping. This beautiful stationary shop is tucked in a corner near St. Martin’s Lane and sells beautiful one-of-a-kind stationery items from notebooks and fountain pens to realistic food candles and hand shaped clips. I got some of the cutest art prints and postcards to mail back home from there.

Food

If you’re looking to grab a bite to eat on a weekday or weekend, the bustling Borough Market is a must visit location. With TikTok famous food like the Black Pig’s pork sandwich, or the chocolate covered strawberries, Borough Market is filled with vendors selling fresh produce, artisanal cheeses and meats and made to order food that is amazing. My favourite items were the lavender lemonade and the paella.

Another food shout out goes to Apple Butter Café, which is still my favourite café of all time. A beautiful two-story café with a prop apple tree in the middle, this café is great for brunch with friends. Must try items are the red velvet latte, truffle grilled cheese and mango smoothie bowl.

London also has many bakeries that not only have delicious pastries but are absolutely stunning architecturally.  The Cheeky Scone in Notting Hill specialises in gourmet scones, both savoury and sweet and each scone comes with clotted cream and your choice of jam. Arome Bakery located in Covent Garden combines Japanese flavours with French patisserie to make beautiful and tasty pastries. The honey butter toast and the nori and tomato pain suisse are a must try from this place. If you have a sweet tooth, then I recommend visiting Buns from Home. They specialise in hand rolled sweet buns that are akin to a hybrid of a cinnamon roll and croissant. They have a variety of flavours and fillings that are released as limited editions, like pistachio, chocolate drizzle or vanilla custard, all of which are delicious and cure any sweet craving. 

Bookstores

For book lovers looking to satisfy their inner reader, Daunt Books is a stunning Edwardian bookshop with oak galleries and beautiful skylights located in Marylebone. They sell their iconic tote bags at the front and have a table of recommended book selections that rotate out every month. Foyles is a more modern bookstore with 5 stories, including a café great for sitting down to read with a cup of coffee.

Museums

The best thing about museums in London is that many of them are free. Some of them require you to register for tickets in advance but a few of them you can just show up and walk in. The British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are two must visit spots that, while a bit touristy, have some of the best exhibits for history or art lovers . However, my personal favourite was the Sir John Soane Museum. Located just behind the LSE campus in Lincoln’s Inn Field, it was the former home of architect Sir John Soane. Inside is an eclectic collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and even an Egyptian Pharaoh’s crypt that will surprise, amaze and intrigue you as you wander the maze of this apartment.

 

With these recommendations in mind, make the most of what London has to offer, it’s worth it.

 

This blog was written by one of our 2024 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the Summer School experience at LSE.