Travel more cheaply by underground (“the tube”)
There is no better way to start our list of top tips than to get your day off to a good start. If you are thinking of travelling on London’s underground network, why not give yourself a lie-in because it is cheaper to buy a ticket after 9.30 a.m. when the worst of the rush hour is over. Not only will you save money, but you will travel in more comfort because the trains will be less crowded.
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Real English tea
If you fancy a cup of genuine, traditional English tea, you should visit one of London’s best kept secrets - The Café in the Crypt. The café lies deep down in St Martins 15th century crypt in Field Church near Trafalgar Square. Outside the church, they put on a free jazz concert at lunch times. This is something absolutely not to be missed.
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Best views of the city
One of the best, but less well known, places from which to view London is the Windows Bar on the 28th storey of Park Lane Hilton Hotel. For all those of you who have always wanted to feel like James Bond, this sophisticated bar is a real must. The drinks are all the more expensive for it, but the views are utterly fantastic.
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Second-hand clothes markets
If you like second-hand clothes or are simply interested in seeing what young, trendy Londoners shop for, then travel eastbound towards Petticoat Lane Market or northbound to the Bohemian Camden Market. The markets are open every day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; but a word of warning: Sunday is the day that sees most visitors so prepare for crowds.
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Fancy a curry?
Curry has become the number one dish throughout England. And where better to try curry than on Brick Lane in east London? A road stretching a good kilometre in length is lined with restaurants offering a varied range of exotic curries. The owners try and entice customers in by offering free wine. Le Taj, Café Naz and Bengal Blues are three of the better restaurants offering good, value-for-money food.
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Run round London
If you fancy shedding a few pounds after Christmas or simply wish to see London in an entirely different way, get your running shoes on and get yourself down to Nike Town at Oxford Street. At 6p.m. every Tuesday, Nike organises a jogging tour past some of London’s most famous sights. The tour is free and is on a first-come first-served basis. Find out more at www.runlondon.com
Party in Islington
Avoid the tourist bars and clubs of central London and head instead for Upper Street in Islington. This is where the “in” people like to party all night long. We recommend Kinky Munbo’s club with its mix of exotic cocktails and funky house-music in an atmosphere with antique candlesticks and thick, dark-red wall-to-wall carpet.
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Go to a matinee
London’s best shows and musicals are performed seven nights a week, but it is a lesser known fact that matinees are shown on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. It used to be particularly easy to get showings for the Wednesday performances. For really cheap tickets for the major shows, including The producers (taken from the film Springtime for Hitler) and Mama Mia, try the TKT kiosk in Leicester square where they sell tickets for the day’s performances at discounted prices.
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Shop till you drop
Busy Londoners are hard pressed to find time to go shopping, which means the shops around Oxford Street are still open at 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings. This gives you two extra hours to choose from among the enormous collections of fashionable new clothes on sale in well known stores such as Top Shop and Selfridges.
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Peckish at 3 a.m.?
If, now and then, you feel like a bite to eat after a whole night partying and dancing in Soho’s clubs and bars you don’t need to go far. Many restaurants in Soho’s Chinatown stay open well into the early hours. One of the best is 1977, where you can feast on spring rolls, prawn crackers, chow mein and egg-fried rice until you burst.
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