Declared a Royal Borough for the Diamond Jubilee, this is where explorer Sir Raleigh famously put down his cloak over a puddle to let Queen Elizabeth I walk. She knighted him on the spot.
Check out the Kensington Gardens to see the statue of Queen Victoria, the only other British Monarch aside from Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate a Diamon Jubilee with a 63 year rein.
The future isn’t possible without innovative design and efficient use of scarce resources. The Design Museum upholds its mantra by showing the best of design and architecture - A lesson in lifestyle
This newly expanded gallery is one of the most vibrant contemporary spaces in the country. Visit exhibitions by respected artists and afterwards grab a bite to eat at the Angela Hartnett restaurant.
Set in a stunning park, and sitting precisely on the Prime Meridian of the world, the Royal Observatory is a great way to spend an afternoon in South London.
Visit the annual summer exhibition, which is London’s largest open submission art exhibition. It has been going for 242 years, and is an incredible collection of established and emerging artists.
Experimental Cocktail Club is perhaps the closest we have to a genuine hidden drinking den, and the fact it's on the tourist strip of Gerrard Street makes it even more interesting. Read more.
Regent's Park is one of the city's most popular open spaces, covering 410 acres. Attractions run from the animal odours and noises of London Zoo to the enchanting Open Air Theatre. Read more.
The National Gallery is home to more than 2,000 works, with masterpieces from virtually every European school of art. Weekly late-night opening is on Fridays until 9pm, with tours, talks and music. Read more.
With thousands of flowers crammed into one noisy Victorian terraced street, London's Columbia Road Flower Market is a taste of the Old East End. Read more.
Greenwich Park offers a wide range of facilities and points of interest, including a child-friendly boating lake, six tennis courts and the National Maritime Museum just on the perimeter. Read more.
Selected galleries remain open until 10pm on Fridays. Friday Lates, held on the last Friday of the month (except December), comprise mostly free, drop-in events, workshops and entertainment until 10pm Read more.
You could walk past the door of this Soho speakeasy every day and never know it was there, and that's just how the owners like it. Read more.
Gentrification has sunk its claws into this once-scruffy boozer, for years one of the holdouts along the Portobello Road. Read more.
At Village East you can satisfy most brunch cravings. From sweetcorn fritters to a bacon sandwich with tomato and avocado, this is a place that takes weekend brunch seriously. Read more.
The scandalously successful New York nightspot established a London branch in early 2011. Read more.
