LONDON AT A GLANCE - London - page 7

LONDON AT A GLANCE
EATING
With thousands of cafés, pubs and restaurants, you're never far from a good place to fill
your stomach. For the widest choice, make for Soho or nearby Covent Garden , where
you'll find everything from triple-starred restaurants to cheap Chinese and hip diners. Head
out of the centre, though, to sample the best of the city's diverse cuisines, whether Por-
tuguese in Ladbroke Grove or Bangladeshi in Tower Hamlets . London's also a great
place for snacking, with a vibrant street-food culture; Borough Market , Maltby Street ,
Camden Market and Spitalfields are all good hunting grounds.
DRINKING
Found on just about every street corner, the pub remains one of the nation's most enduring
social institutions and its popularity in London sees no sign of waning. The City has prob-
ably the best choice of long-established drinking holes - though with the average pint cost-
ing over £3, it's worth knowing that you can pay half that at Sam Smith's pubs. Soho and
the East End attract a clubbier crowd, so you'll find a wide choice of bars and clubs along-
side good-old fashioned pubs. For a riverside drink, head for the South Bank or Dock-
lands , and for a lazy Sunday afternoon mosey on up to Hampstead or down to Green-
wich .
SHOPPING
From the folie de grandeur of Harrods to the street markets of Camden and Spitalfields,
London is a shopper's playground. In the West End, Oxford Street is Europe's busiest
shopping street, followed closely by Regent Street - here you'll find pretty much every
mainstream shop you could wish for. Charing Cross Road remains the centre of the city's
book trade, while Covent Garden has become a fashion and designer wear hotspot. St
James's equips the English gentleman, Bond Street deals with the ladies, but for haute
couture - and Harrods - head for Knightsbridge and Sloane Street. For something more
offbeat, or vintage, head out to Camden Market or Spitalfields and Brick Lane .
NIGHTLIFE
As well as two top-class opera houses, London has an enormous number of theatres , most
of which are centrally located in the West End districts of Soho and Covent Garden, and
boasts more comedy venues than any other city in the world. Although you'll find clubs
and live music venues all across the capital, East London remains the epicentre of the
city's clubland. London is also the gay capital of Europe, with Old Compton Street in Soho
still, so to speak, the city's main drag.