What's New in London?
 

...since I was last there about 35 years ago? :)

I'm leaving next Tuesday for a week and will be spending some time with my nephew who is studying there.
I'm planning to visit some old favorites but I know there are a lot of interesting new places and things to see and Fodorites always have such great suggestions, so I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Any good day trips from the city?
I know Highclere Castle tours don't start until March, but is it feasible to take the train and just see the grounds? And maybe the village? (Yes, I'm a diehard Downton fan)
Is it still possible to get theater tickets to top shows on short notice?
Any good restaurant suggestions? I'm staying in Shoreditch but any area will do.

TIA for any info.

We really enjoyed a day trip to Bletchley Park a few years ago.

Have you been to Sir John Soane's museum? We did that at New Years - I had not been in many years.

London Walks are always interesting, in my experience.

I'll try to think of some more.

Shoreditch: loads to choose from. Last visit (january) liked Dishoom and Smokestak. Andina (peruvian) and On the Bap (Korean fast food) also very nice.


If you're in Shoreditch and you want an out of this world and time experience book a place on a Dennis Severs' House tour. You'll know so much more about the area and it is a unique house.

https://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk

>>I know Highclere Castle tours don't start until March, but is it feasible to take the train and just see the grounds? And maybe the village? (Yes, I'm a diehard Downton fan)<<

The village yes - the grounds/bldg no. You can't see it from outside at all. You can visit the Carnarvon Arms pub but I wouldn't bother honestly

Yes you can still get last minute tickets at TKTS. It is now a fancier stand-alone bldg in Leicester Sq and they sell bot discounted and full price tickets. If what you want to see is listed at TKTS @ full price then you are better off booking at the theatre and avoiding the small fee TKTS charges.

>>Any good restaurant suggestions? <<

Hundreds ;) What sort of budget and what sorts of food do you like/dislike?

Bampton is the village used for filming Downton Abbey:
https://www.oxfordshirecotswolds.org...film-locations

I just recently heard about Dennis Severs house, menachem! I'm definitely planning a visit there next time we're in London. Looks fascinating.

panecott, of you like modern art, a visit to the Tate Modern is worthwhile.

Most of the museums have (for pay) exhibitions - some really good ones include: Cezanne at the Nat'l Portrait, Opera and Winnie the Pooh (not together :) ) at the V&A, Modigliani at Tate Modern, The Impressionists in London @ Tate Britain

Have you been to the Cabinet War Rooms? It looks like they opened in time for your last visit 35 years ago, and they have been expanded several times since then and now have grown into the Churchill War Rooms, with a museum devoted to Churchill. I have not yet been to the museum since it opened, but the war rooms themselves were very worthwhile.

The Churchill War Rooms are fantastic (did you see Darkest Hour yet?); and also the Imperial War Museum (free) is great and has fascinating and well-done WWI galleries opened for the centerary of the conflict.

These suggestions are fabulous. Thank you, everyone, and keep them coming! :-)

janis, we're pretty adventurous eaters so will try most cuisines. Budget - reasonably priced. We don't need 4 star restaurants.

Changes in my 35 years of living and visiting London:

Pubs . . They used to be everywhere and were for the most part run by individual Publicans. They are almost all corporate affiliated now.

Fish & Chips . . The Chippies were many and staffed by folks who knew what they were doing. Like the pubs, there are fewer of them and with a few notable exceptions, mostly fast food quality.

The busses the old fashioned lumbering things, unique to London are mostly replaced with modern ones that could be seen all over the world.

I think you'll be impressed with how much wealthier and cleaner the city has become. Also, the food's better.

Can't help with what's new. I go for what's old.

My friend and I bought theater tickets several times a week, prices were so good. We always got great seats and I was so happy to go to the theater, I get little opportunity at home. So, if you like the theater, make Leicester Square a stop. You also can buy tickets ahead of time, you don't have to go each day.

The Royal Academy has an exhibition starting next week; 'Charles I - King and Collector' that should be good.
Spitalfields as mentioned is interesting; not an area you would have visited 35 years ago.
The South Bank has improved immensely since you were last in London; start at Borough Market (or start at the Shard) and walk through Borough Market continuing along the river to the Tate Gallery, and crossing the Millenium Bridge to St Pauls. Or continue to the London Eye from the Tate. Best on Thursday or Friday - Borough Market is not always fully open, and it gets very busy later in the morning.
For a daytrip; Oxford perhaps?

Thank you again for all these suggestions - just the type of thing I was looking for. I'm going to try to do most of them and some that I got in the Lounge (Churchill's War rooms was on many lists! Tate also. ).

I'm beginning to think I should have planned to stay more than a week, and am not sure now that I'll have time for any day trips :-(

I definitely won't wait another 35 years to go back!

Rich, can you name any of those exceptions to the FF fish and Chips? I love F&C and was really hoping to have "the real thing" in London.

I don't live there now, but was there a couple of months ago.

The SeaShell at Lisson Grove seems just as good as ever. It burned down a few years ago but rebuilt and he kept is much as it was.

Home

The Golden Hind . . it's now at several places but the original at 71a-73 Marylebone Ln. is my favorite. https://www.goldenhindrestaurant.com/

Fish Bone (82 Cleveland St, Fitzrovia) was still much like the small chippies last time I was there

FISH BONE RESTAURANT

A lot of folk like Rock and Sole, but I have not been there in years.

https://www.rockandsoleplaice.com/

There are undoubtedly others that I have not been to lately. When I first lived there, you could not swing a cat without hitting a chippie shop . . no longer!

Ate fish and chips here last time we were in London. Welcome to The North Sea Fish Restaurant | northseafishrestaurant.co.uk It's quite good, though our server was a bit slow.

FD

Thank you both! I should be able to find one of these that works.

Something both very old and very new: the Mithraeum three levels under the new Bloomberg HQ in the City of London. Free to visit but advance booking required - and it is proving tremendously popular since opening late last year so do it as soon as you know your dates: https://www.londonmithraeum.com/ If you haven't been to London for a number of years, you'll be amazed at the new buildings in the City: the Gherkin, the Cheese Grater, the Walkie Talkie..... The Sky Garden at the top of the last one will give you a great view of these and more. Again, free but requires advance booking: https://skygarden.london/sky-garden. From Shoreditch, you are within walking distance of both these - and of Poppies in Spitalfields which always shows up on lists of best chippies in London. Enjoy your visit and come back and report on what you enjoyed most!

The British Library is new since you were there, and currently has an exhibition on Harry Potter and the History of Magic. The Museum of London has an outpost in Docklands which is probably new since you were there. Come to that, the whole Docklands development is probably new for you.

I was going to recommend the Geffrye but it is closed until 2020.