My London Guide | Where to Eat, Drink, Shop & Wander

The walks, parks, restaurants, and little rituals that make London a city I never tire of.

London is a city I never seem to tire of.

I love the architecture, the shopping, the vibrant art scene and the incredible diversity of its food. But more than anything, I love how walkable it is.

Some of my happiest London days involve very little planning. I walk through the parks to get where I'm going, browse the shops along Old Bond Street, stop for lunch, see an exhibition, have a drink somewhere fabulous and keep walking.

And then there is the pub culture. I love watching London spill out onto the pavement after work, everyone gathering for a drink. It gives the city an energy that feels distinctly its own.

This isn't really a guide to everything you should see in London.

It's simply the London I love.

Walk & Wander

One of the great pleasures of London is its parks.

I don't necessarily visit them as destinations—I walk through them to get places. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens can turn an ordinary journey across town into one of the best parts of the day.

I also love walking Old Bond Street, browsing the designer shops and then continuing through Mayfair with no particular urgency.

London rewards walking. You notice the architecture, the little mews, the pubs, the beautiful storefronts and all those tiny details you'd miss from the back of a car.

Eat & Drink

London's food scene is extraordinary, and I love that you can eat incredibly well at almost any price point.

Zuma and Coya are longtime favorites. Dishoom is a weekly staple. The River Cafe is wonderful for a long lunch, and Los Mochis brings a completely different energy.

Then there's The Churchill Arms—a wonderfully eccentric, flower-covered London pub where I go for the Thai food. It is exactly the kind of place that could only exist in London.

Closer to home, The Abingdon in Kensington is my neighborhood gastropub—the kind of place I'm genuinely happy returning to again and again.

And one of my very specific London rituals: Peking duck at the Royal Garden Hotel. Order it in advance.

A Proper London Drink

London does drinks particularly well.

An Aperol at the Serpentine on a beautiful day. A martini at Connaught Bar when I want something decidedly more glamorous. Drinks at the Eagle Bar at sunset.

I love both sides of London—the casual drink outside a pub and the perfectly made cocktail in a beautiful hotel bar.

There is room for both.

Art, Shopping & a Movie

Art is always part of London for me. I love seeing what's on rather than working through a list of museums. The V&A is one I return to, particularly when there's a fashion or design exhibition that interests me.

Shopping inevitably makes its way into the day too. Old Bond Street in Mayfair for the grand names, but also wandering and seeing what I stumble across. King’s Road in Chelsea and High Street Marleybone are also my favorite areas to wander and peruse.

And one of my less obvious London pleasures is watching a movie at Everyman Chelsea.

Plush banquettes, a great cocktail delivered to your seat and a film? It's such a civilized way to go to the movies—and particularly good on one of those very London rainy afternoons.

MBellished Tips

Walk whenever you can. And use the parks to get where you're going.

Don't over-plan. Leave enough time to wander into a shop, gallery or pub that catches your eye.

Book the Peking duck ahead. This one requires planning.

Check what's on. London always has an exhibition, play or show worth seeing.

Embrace the pub. Even if you're not a beer drinker, stop for a drink and enjoy the ritual.

Always carry an umbrella. It is London, after all.

What I Brought Home

London always sends me home with ideas.

Something I saw in a museum. A beautifully designed restaurant. A window on Bond Street. The way someone put an outfit together. A detail in an old building.

And usually something from the shops.

What I love is the constant conversation between old and new. London holds onto its traditions while continually reinventing itself—and I find that endlessly inspiring.

MBellished Passport

Stay: Kensington · Mayfair · Chelsea
Wander: Hyde Park · Kensington Gardens · Mayfair · Chelsea
Eat: Zuma · Dishoom · The River Cafe · Los Mochis · Coya · Churchill Arms · The Abingdon
Order Ahead: Peking duck at the Royal Garden Hotel
Drink: Serpentine · Connaught Bar · Eagle Bar
Art: V&A · Whatever exhibition catches your eye
Do: A movie at Everyman Chelsea
Perfect For: Art · Food · Shopping · Walking · Long stays
MBellished Mood: Cosmopolitan · Elegant · Creative · Lived-in
My London Rule:Walk there. There's probably a park along the way.

London is grand without taking itself too seriously. Historic but constantly changing. Elegant in one moment and wonderfully eccentric the next.

Perhaps that's why I never feel finished with it.

There is always another street to walk, restaurant to try, exhibition to see or pub to wander into.

And that's exactly how I like it.

My London!