Guide: Three less touristy – but cool – places to go in London
After I lived in London a lot of my friends have asked me about places they should go to when visiting London. Most of them have already heard about – or been to – the must-see, tourist places such as Oxford Street, London Eye, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, Camden Market and so on. I usually tell them about these three places and I figured I would share it with you lovely HC readers as well!
1.Skygarden
If you fancy a view over London but aren’t a big fan of giant spinning wheels, then Skygarden might be the place for you. It is a garden on the top floor of the Walkie Talkie building on 20 Fenchurch Street in central London. It is completely free to go, but the drinks and food are quite expensive (there is a bar and a restaurant). You have to book a visit online on their website (https://skygarden.london/booking), and you can only see available dates three weeks in advance. When you’ve chosen a day, you are required to choose a time slot of when you want to be there – it is important that you arrive on time, otherwise you might not get in. You will have to go through security check and show your passport, divers license or another form of ID. It sounds a bit scary, but the view is definitely worth the visit – and it’s one of the few free things you can do in London.
Closest tube station: Monument Station or Bank Station
2.Cirque le Soir
Cirque is a club on Ganton Street in central London. It is circus/freakshow themed and has fire dancers/eaters, clowns and all kinds of costumed people (mostly scary looking). A good way to get in is to get in touch with one of the many promoters wandering the streets in Soho on Friday and Saturday nights. They will most definitely be able to get you in for a discounted price. I am pretty sure the standard price to get in is £20, but the few times I’ve been there I got in for £10 with a promoter and got free alcohol all night. Throughout the night they have the aforementioned fire shows, but on top of that they have also a popcorn stand with free popcorn, a photobooth, a ball-pit (!!!) and sometimes a fortune-teller and a chance to get your picture taken with some snakes. The place is not very big and it doesn’t really have a dance floor, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a dance night out, but would one hundred percent recommend it for the experience.
Closest tube station: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus
3.Daunt Books
This is very different from the two suggestions above. Daunt Books is a book shop, but it’s not just any book shop – it’s the London book shop. There are a few of them around London, but I would recommend the one in Marylebone (83 Marylebone High Street). I will not say a whole lot about it – I will mainly let the picture speak for itself. They have very nice staff who know what they’re talking about, and just the most aesthetic look and greatest atmosphere. The perfect place to go for a book-lover!
Closest tube station: Baker Street or Bond Street