Here are our recommended hotels to stay near Guildhall. Please note that discounts are limited and are on a first come first served basis.
60 Upper Thames St.
London EC4V 3AD
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
10 Trinity Square
London EC3N 4AJ
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
5 Threadneedle St
London EC2R 8AY
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
50 – 60 Southampton Row
London WC1B 4AR
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
8-14 Cooper’s Row
London EC3N 2BQ
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
45 Prescot St
London E1 8GP
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
24 30 W Smithfield
London EC1A 9HB
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
8-10 Paul St
London EC2A 4JH
United Kingdom (Google Maps)
In our view, London is one of the best cities in the world for wining and dining. You can find all types of cuisines and watering holes, from traditional pubs offering great value classics to fine bars, bistros, and world-class restaurants.
Here’s a tiny handful (it had to be 50) of random recommendations, starting with their proximity to Guildhall and the hotels listed above. We’ve also included options in Covent Garden, Soho, Mayfair and elsewhere.
For Sunday, please check opening times in advance. Some restaurants and bars are closed for Sunday evenings, or close earlier than usual.
The Bull and Hide, Bishopsgate: traditional pub with London charm
Balfour at St Barts, Smithfield: modern British fare
The Ned, Bank: take your pick from 10 bars and restaurants
The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town, Spitalfields: hidden basement bar
Nightjar, Shoreditch: cocktails and live music
Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn: historic pub tucked away, excellent for real ales
The Market Porter, London Bridge/Borough Market: a busy local
The Porterhouse, Covent Garden: big Irish pub with cosy Dingle Whiskey Bar
The Wigmore, Portland Place: elevated classic pub fare
Duke’s Bar, Mayfair: the inspiration for the James Bond martini, “shaken, not stirred”
The Connaught Bar, Mayfair: classy; evoking the 1920s
The Lamb & Flag, Covent Garden: a favourite of Charles Dickens
Lady of The Grapes, Covent Garden: organic wine bar
The French House, Soho: characterful pub with eclectic history
The Lyric, Soho: Victorian, wood-panelling, etched glass
Cahoots, Soho: 1940s themed bar in an abandoned train station
Swift Soho, Old Compton St: live jazz and blues Fridays and Saturdays
Disrepute, Carnaby St: basement bar, velvet ottomans, vintage whiskeys
The Blind Pig, Soho: speakeasy vibe
The Bloomsbury Club: for aficionados of the iconic Bloomsbury Set
Library Bar, Lanesborough Hotel: classy cocktails
Balfour at Bow Wine Vaults: bistro close to St Paul’s
The Ivy City Garden: in historic Bishopsgate Gardens
Crispin, Spitalfields: modern European
Bourne & Hollingsworth, Clerkenwell: faded stately home grandeur
Kitty Fisher’s, Shepherd Market, Mayfair: cosy bistro
Hawksmoor Guildhall: London steakhouse, closes 4pm Sundays
Origin City, Smithfield: authentic “pasture to plate,” sustainable and organic
The Ivy Asia St Paul’s: lively and colourful, with views of St Paul’s
Bubala, Spitalfields and Shoreditch: Middle Eastern vegetarian and vegan
Duck & Waffle, Bishopsgate: gastro diner with 40th-floor views
Fenchurch Restaurant: Sky Garden rooftop in the City, British-Caribbean
Bob Bob Ricard, City: glamorous dining, British-French
High Timber Restaurant: riverfront dining with South African inspiration
Kol, Marylebone: Mexican-inspired, Michelin-starred fine dining
St. John, Marylebone: cult restaurant, also at Smithfield and Spitalfields
Padella, Borough Market or Shoreditch: casual pasta bar
Mildred’s, Soho and Covent Garden: 100% plant-based, since 1988
Frog by Adam Handling Restaurant, Covent Garden: best of British tasting menu
Rovi, Fitzrovia: Ottolenghi with a focus on vegetables and fire cooking
Sabor, Mayfair: Michelin-starred Spanish cuisine
Myrtle, Chelsea: modern European with an Irish influence
Darby’s, Battersea: NYC-inspired oyster bar, grill, and bakery
Fallow, St James: “conscious gastronomy” with vegetarian and vegan options
Spring Restaurant, Somerset House: elegant dining
Dean Street Townhouse, Soho: all day British classics including afternoon tea
Hoppers Soho: popular Sri Lankan and South Indian
Doppo, Soho: a little Italian gem
Andrew Edmunds Restaurant: 38 years in Soho, seasonal modern European
Señor Ceviche, Carnaby Street, good value Nikkei Peruvian cuisine
Packed full of history but oozing with 21st-century contemporary vibe, the streets of London invite you out to explore. If you have factored in a little extra time to enjoy our home city, here are some suggestions to get you out and about.
The weekend of 4-5 November will see various fireworks displays and bonfire events all around the UK. Bonfire Night marks the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 led by Guy Fawkes. Most events in London require tickets to be purchased in advance including the huge fireworks extravaganzas in Alexandra Palace and Battersea Park.
Columbia Road Flower Market, Bethnal Green: Sundays 8:00 – 15:00
Borough Market: London’s oldest food market: Tuesday – Sunday
Maltby Street Market, Bermondsey: Farmers foodie market Friday – Sunday
The British Museum, Bloomsbury: open daily 10:00 – 17:00
Tate Modern, Bankside: open daily 10:00 – 18:00
Natural History Museum, South Kensington: open daily 10:00 – 17:30
Science Museum, South Kensington: open daily 10:00 – 17:15
V&A, South Kensington, open daily: 10:00 – 17:45
After lying derelict on the banks of the Thames for 30 years, the iconic Battersea Power Station has been transformed as part of a massive regeneration project. It’s a brand new neighbourhood of shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, apartments, and entertainment, with echoes of its industrial past. Ascend one of the four chimneys 109m for stunning 360 views of London’s skyline in the Chimney Lift. (Pink Floyd fans might remember the album cover of Animals).
Where east meets west at Longtitude 0º. Walk the Prime Meridian line at Greenwich Royal Observatory. Visit the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House for free. Explore the famous Victorian tea clipper, the Cutty Sark, and colourful Greenwich Market. Get there by river boat, Docklands Light Railway, or IFS Cloud Cable Car.
Catch the late autumn colours at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, open daily in November 10:00 – 16:00. Travel by taxi, tube or river boat.
Daunt Books, Marylebone: beautiful galleried independent bookshop, open daily
Brick Lane Bookshop: independent; pair with Brick Lane Beigels
Stanfords, Covent Garden: specialist in travel and maps
Treasures of the British Library, St Pancras: free exhibition, open daily
See London from the water on a Thames river cruise:
BBC Earth Experience, Earl’s Court: featuring narration from David Attenborough
Clip ‘n Climb Chelsea: all-weather, all equipment provided, no experience required
Junkyard Golf Club, Shoreditch: the craziest golf, plus cocktails
The LEGO® Store, Leicester Square
Hamley’s, Regent St: famous toy shop
Richmond Park: home to herds of deer and views of London; nearby riverside walks
London Eye: London’s most popular attraction
Southwark Cathedral: where John Harvard was baptised in 1607
Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, Shaftesbury Avenue
Union Chapel, Islington: alternative Christian space for reflection
Most Holy Trinity Dockhead, behind St Saviour’s Dock, near Tower Bridge
London Central Mosque, Regents Park
Hyde Park Chapel: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Radha-Krishna Temple, Soho
The London Buddhist Vihara, The Avenue, Chiswick
Please note information can change. Please use the links to check opening times, menus, and reviews. We hope you enjoy your time in London.
The Thinkers50 team.
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
