The best London

Here’s the top ten things to do in the City of London:

1. Best pub: The Hoop & Grapes, Aldgate

The Hoop is the oldest continuously licenced drinking establishment in the City. It also shares the distinction of being one of only three remaining timber-framed buildings which survived the Great Fire of London. The H&G is not really on the tourist trail, nor is it conveniently situated for the traders.

2. Best farmer’s market: Finsbury Square Avenue, Broadgate

Every other Thursday, the farmer’s market can be found tucked away in Broadgate with the UBS building looming over it. If you need a morning-after sausage sandwich or a cheeky paella for lunch, walk this way. As well as hot food, they also have a selection of stalls selling cheese, fruit, preserves and the most delicious cakes.

3. Best gardens: St Dunstan-in-the-East church gardens, St Dunstan’s Hill

Looking for somewhere peaceful to eat your lunch? Look no further than St Dunstan-in-the-East gardens, where the bombed ruins of an old medieval church and Wren Tower combine with climbing plants and a fountain to create a pretty City spot. The church was originally built around 1100 but severely damaged in the Great Fire of 1666. After it was rebuilt, Sir Christopher Wren added a steeple to match the original gothic church. The steeple later survived a WWII bomb attack that destroyed the church once again.

4. Best lunch: Pilpel, Paternoster Square

Pilpel, how many ways do we love thee? It serves up a pita stuffed with delicious felafel, hummous, tahini, crisp salad and chickpeas. Don’t sit at your desk bolting down egg mayo between meetings, take a walk up to Paternoster Square or Pilpel’s other outlet in Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, find yourself a nice place to sit and enjoy.  

5. Best theatre: Bridewell Theatre & Bar, Bride Lane, Fleet Street

Hidden away down one of Fleet Street’s many alleyways is the Bridewell Theatre, part of the St Bride Foundation which brings together education, exhibition, theatre and a library dedicated to the history of print and graphic art. The Bridewell Theatre runs the Lunchbox programme – performances start at 1pm and last 45 minutes. You can even take your lunch in with you.

6. Best corporate art: Bloomberg SPACE, Finsbury Square

Despite its location in the offices of the financial news and information corporation, anyone can visit Bloomberg SPACE and it’s free entry. You will see contemporary art, installations and performance.

7. Best walking tour: Explore Barbican

The Architecture Tour explores the history of one of London’s most iconic post-war structures and the planning behind it, while the Hidden Barbican tour goes behind the scenes into hidden spaces. The visitors must have a head for heights. Tickets for both are £8.

8. Best bar with a view: Vertigo 42, Old Broad Street

As the second highest skyscraper in the City (recently overtaken by the Heron Tower) you can be sure the views from Tower 42′s Vertigo bar are pretty comprehensive. The prices are eye-watering, but it’s worth splashing out for the panorama of London spread out in miniature below. For obvious reasons, you need to make a reservation beforehand and sign in on arrival, but the good news is that jeans and trainers are allowed.

9. Best middle-eastern cuisine: Kenza, Devonshire Square

The decor at Kenza is gorgeous – intricate wall carvings and rich draperies abound – and the food is pretty amazing too. It’s typically middle-eastern fare but everything we’ve tried has been mouth-watering. Aubergine with broad beans and cheese, deep-fried pumpkin with walnut and pomegranate and feta with caramelised baby leeks are just a few of the dishes available.

10. Best small museum: Bank of England Museum, Threadneedle Street

Despite its location, at the heart of the ancient City and right next to one of London’s busiest Tube stations, the Bank of England Museum remains relatively little-known. Inflation is the topic of a current exhibition, which is interactive and informative enough to make us feel as though we understand it. You can also examine banknotes past and present, lift a gold bar and set your own interest rates. 

While we’re talking museums, no account of the City of London would be complete without a recommendation for the Museum of London.