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_City Overview Endlessly eclectic, dynamic and effervescent, London is truly one of the world’s great cities. This sprawling metropolis is a far cry from the scrabble of dwellings that first sprouted up along the banks of the River Thames to house river traders during their voyages towards the sea. It was the Romans who really kick-started the city, by establishing ‘Londinium’ as an important fortress town in the southeast of this then untamed island, guarding over the Thames and protecting against any incursions by fierce Celtic tribes. The Romans brought with them forts, roads and the rule of law prompting Roman historian Tacitus to boast of an AD60 city ‘filled with travellers and a celebrated centre of commerce’. Over the ages, London has grown against all odds as its resilient citizens faced up to a myriad of dangers that would undoubtedly have sunk a lesser place. The Great Plague, the Great Fire, the bitter English Civil War and a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament to name but a few. Even as London was taking its place on the 20th-century’s world stage, the German Luftwaffe attempted to bomb it off the face of the Earth during the World War II ‘Blitz’. These days, London is a truly multicultural city, with 37 distinct immigrant groups – each consisting of more than 10,000 people – as part of a population that is pushing inexorably towards the ten million mark. This multiculturalism perhaps best manifests itself on the plate. While Indian food is as much of a British institution as fish and chips, London residents and visitors could actually choose what type of restaurant to dine in by putting a pin in a globe. The sheer scale of Greater London can be daunting at first, sprawling 1500 sq kilometres (580 sq miles) across a voluminous plain, swallowing all in its path as it goes, but it is a city that is surprisingly easy to get around, as the ‘Tube’ is an easily understandable and comprehensive underground system. The old cliché of London being a collection of villages still rings true with each cog of the organically developed wheel boasting its own attractions, from leafy Richmond in the southwest or Hampstead in the north, trendy Hoxton in the east or Notting Hill in the west, right through to bustling Soho in the centre and the high-tech landscape of the Docklands to the east. The twin axis on which London rests is the Houses of Parliament to the west and ‘The City’ to the east. The seat of government (not far from the home of the royal family) is connected to The City (the financial engine room of London and the whole of the UK) by the River Thames and in between lie most of the tourist attractions and the busiest, liveliest nightlife areas. Overseeing the whole lot is Ken Livingstone and his mayoral government, who started their jobs in 2000, and are keen to make an impact on the city – probably most visible in the changing skyline. The City and the Docklands are both already shooting upwards. In summer, London’s bountiful green spaces fill up with office workers and tourists enjoying the surprisingly balmy days as café tables sprout across a multitude of pavements. In the depths of winter, when the grey skies and rain clouds descend, there are always the numerous cosy pubs to hide away in. Language Although English is the official national language in the UK, 275 separate languages are actually spoken in the nation’s multicultural capital. It is perhaps surprising, then, that the acquisition of a second European language remains a low priority among most of the native population. A typical London accent is characterised by a dropped ‘h’ at the beginning of words, a glottal stop instead of ‘tt’ in the middle of words and the elongation of ‘a’ to ‘i’. Professor Higgins (Rex Harrison) famously tries to cure Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) of this habit in the film, My Fair Lady (based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion), by making her recite ‘The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain’ and not ‘The rhine in Spine falls minely on the pline’. Cockney rhyming slang emerged in the nineteenth century as a means for East End residents to communicate without being understood by the police. The most commonly used phrases, such as ‘dog and bone’ for phone, ‘plates of meat’ for feet and ‘apples and pears’ for stairs, have since passed into the national vernacular. Getting There By Air London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Tel: (0870) 000 0123. Fax: (020) 8745 6061. Website: www.baa.co.uk Heathrow, 24km (15 miles) west of central London, is the world’s busiest international airport, serving destinations worldwide and coping with over 60 million passengers every year. The airport is massive, with terminals one to three linked to terminal four by the Heathrow Express. After a ten-year deliberation and some fierce opposition, plans to build a fifth terminal were approved in 2001 and there is currently talk of a new runway as well. Major airlines: The ‘world’s favourite airline’, British Airways (tel: (0845) 773 3377; website: www.britishairways.com), operates both national and international flights from Heathrow. There are over 90 additional airlines that operate in and out of this airport, serving 160 destinations worldwide. These include Air Canada, Air France, Alitalia, Cathay Pacific, Croatia Airlines, Gulf Air, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, South African Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Express. All domestic flights operate from terminal one. Airport facilities: Facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, airport information, hotel reservation and travel information desks, postal services, telephones and fax machines, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants, cafés, bars and a London Tourist Board centre in the London Underground station. There is also car hire available in all four terminals, from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt. Business facilities: The Business Centre Heathrow (tel: (020) 8759 2434; website: www.the-bch.co.uk) is located in the Queen’s Building, between terminals one and two. It offers 20 meeting rooms, a conference suite, computers with Internet access, faxes, photocopiers and audiovisual equipment. Transport to the city: The frequent Heathrow Express (tel: (0845) 600 1515; website: www.heathrowexpress.co.uk) train service to Paddington station (0502-2347) takes 15 minutes. Single tickets cost £11 pre-booked on the Internet or by telephone and £13 on the train, while returns cost £20 and £22 respectively. The airport is also on the London Underground Piccadilly line (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk), with the fare into the city centre being £3.60. There is also a Central Bus Station at Heathrow, where the main bus service to central London is the A2 by Airbus (tel: (0870) 575 7747; website: www.gobycoach.com), which goes to King’s Cross train station every 30 minutes (journey time – 1 hour 40 minutes) and costs £8 for a single and £12 for a return. At night, the N9 night bus service goes to central London every 30 minutes (journey time – 70 minutes) and costs £1. The Airport Travel Line (tel: (0870) 574 7777) provides further coach transport information. The Travel Line (tel: (0870) 608 2608) can provide information on all public transport to and from London. Taxis are readily available and cost around £40 to the city centre (depending on traffic conditions and time of day). London Gatwick Airport (LGW) Tel: (0870) 000 2468. Fax: (01293) 504 153. Website: www.baa.co.uk Gatwick, 45km (28 miles) south of central London, is the second busiest international airport in the UK, serving over 30 million passengers a year to around 200 destinations worldwide. The free Inter Terminal Transit train links the two terminals (north and south). Major airlines: British Airways (tel: (0845) 7733377; website: www.britishairways.com) operates both national and international flights from Gatwick, although it has cut its Gatwick flights markedly since the September 11 attacks. Over 90 other airlines also use Gatwick airport, serving over 200 destinations worldwide. These include Alitalia, American Airlines, Britannia, Delta Airlines, El Al, Estonian Air, Finnair, Maersk Air, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Sun. Airport facilities: Both terminals have bureaux de change, ATMs, airport information desks, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants and bars. There is also a post office in the south terminal. Both terminals have the following car hire providers: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and National. Business facilities: The airport provides a Fast Track priority service for business-class travellers, as well as a full range of business services at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport Hotel (tel: (01293) 518 080) and Le Meridien London Gatwick Hotel (tel: (01293) 567 070). Transport to the city: The newly revamped Gatwick Express train service (tel: (0870) 530 1530; website: www.gatwickexpress.co.uk) to Victoria station takes 30 minutes, with single tickets costing £11 and a return £21. Trains leave every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day. Alternative train services by Thameslink (tel: (0845) 748 4950) to King’s Cross take 40 minutes and cost £9.80. Coaches depart from the ground floor of the south terminal. Flightlink (website: www.gobycoach.com) goes to Victoria coach station in central London, while Speedlink (website: www.speedlink.co.uk) goes to Heathrow airport. The Airport Travel Line (tel: (0870) 574 7777) provides further coach transport information. The Travel Line (tel: (0870) 608 2608) can provide information on all public transport to and from London. Chauffeur-driven cars are provided by Checker Cars (tel: (01293) 502 808 (south terminal) or 501 377 (north terminal)). Taxis are readily available and a taxi ride to the centre of London costs around £65 for a journey time of approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. London Stansted Airport (STN) Tel: (0870) 000 0303. Fax: (01279) 662 066. Website: www.baa.co.uk This impressively modern and user-friendly airport is an expanding hub for the increasingly popular budget airlines, which offer cut-price flights to many cities across Europe. One of Europe’s fastest growing airports, Stansted is located 48km (30 miles) northeast of central London and in 2001 served 14 million passengers and 40 airlines. Major airlines: Scheduled flights to over 100 destinations are offered. Budget airline Ryanair (tel: (0871) 246 0000; website: www.ryanair.com) dominates the Stansted skies, followed by other low-cost carriers Buzz (tel: (0870) 240 7070; website: www.buzzaway.com) and Go (tel: (0870) 607 6543; website: www.go-fly.com). Other airlines include KLM, Lufthansa and SAS. Airport facilities: Newly renovated and expanded facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, airport information, hotel reservation desk, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants, bars and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz. Business facilities: The first-class lounge (open to all passengers, for a fee) has workstations with fax, telephone, e-mail and Internet. There is also an Internet café in the main terminal. Transport to the city: The Stansted Express (tel: (0870) 530 1530; website: www.stanstedexpress.co.uk) is the frequent and efficient service to Liverpool Street station, with laptop connections and newspapers in business class. The journey takes 45 minutes, trains run every 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time of day and a standard single fare is £13, a return £23. The main coach service to central London is the A6 by Airbus (tel: (0870) 575 7747; website: www.gobycoach.com), which goes to Victoria coach station every 20-30 minutes (journey time – 1 hour 45 minutes) and costs £8 for a single and £12 for a return. The Airport Travel Line (tel: (0870) 574 7777) provides further coach transport information. The Travel Line (tel: (0870) 608 2608) can provide information on all public transport to and from London. Taxis are usually available at the airport or can be telephoned; Stansted Airport Cars (tel: (01279) 662 444) charge around £70-80 for the 50-minute (depending on traffic and conditions) journey to central London. London Luton Airport (LTN) Tel: (01582) 405 100. Fax: (01582) 395 313. Website: www.london-luton.co.uk The UK’s seventh largest airport is 52km (32 miles) north of central London. Luton served 6.2 million passengers in 2000, with the most popular destinations being Glasgow and Edinburgh. Major airlines: Luton serves over 60 destinations and is the base for the world’s largest charter airline, Britannia Airways (tel: (0870) 607 6757 or (01583) 424 155; website: www.britanniaairways.com), and the popular low-cost airline easyJet (tel: (0870) 600 0000; website: www.easyjet.com). Other airlines include Monarch Airlines, Manx Airlines and Ryanair. Airport facilities: The airport has bureaux de change, ATMs, an information desk, shops, duty-free outlets, restaurants, bars and car hire from Avis, Budget, National and Sixt. Business facilities: An executive lounge is located in the international departure lounge (tel: (01582) 700 898). Facilities include fax, telephone, e-mail and Internet. Transport to the city: The Luton Airport Parkway station provides a fast link (approximately 30 minutes) to central London on Thameslink (tel: (0845) 748 4950; website: www.thameslink.co.uk) for £10 single. Trains run 0700-2200 Monday to Saturday and 0900-2000 Sunday. A free shuttle bus connects Luton Airport with the Parkway station. National Express (tel: (0870) 580 8080; website: www.gobycoach.com) runs services to Victoria coach station, as well as Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the rest of the UK. The Travel Line (tel: (0870) 608 2608) provides further information on travel to London. Taxis are available 24 hours and cost about £85 to central London. London City Airport (LCY) Tel: (020) 7646 0088. Fax: (020) 7511 1040. E-mail: info@londoncityairport.com Website: www.londoncityairport.com Voted the ‘Best City Airport’ in 2000, the business-orientated London City Airport is the most central of the capital’s airports, located just ten kilometres (six miles) east of the centre. The airport is relatively small, with only nine airlines, yet served its record number of passengers in 2000, with over 1,500,000 travellers passing through the airport. Major airlines: Lufthansa (tel: (0845) 773 7747; website: www.lufthansa.com) operates the most flights from London City Airport with four Frankfurt connections a day, followed by British European and KLM UK. Scheduled flights are also provided by Air Engiadina, Air France, Alitalia, Braathens/Malmö, CityJet, Crossair, Luxair and Scotairways. Airport facilities: These include bureaux de change, ATMs, information and hotel reservation desks, postal facilities, duty-free shopping, restaurants, bars, and car hire from Avis and Europcar. Business facilities: The Business & Conference Centre (tel: (020) 7646 0900) offers fully serviced conference suites and office space for hire. Transport to the city: There are two airport shuttle buses, which operate Monday to Friday approximately 0600-2100, Saturday 0600-1300 and Sunday 1100-2100. The green bus runs to Canary Wharf (£3) and Liverpool Street station (£6) (approximate journey times – 10 and 25 minutes respectively). The blue shuttle bus also runs to Canning Town station (£2.50), which is served by London Underground (Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway) and the journey takes approximately five minutes. Silvertown & London City Airport train station is a ten-minute walk from the terminal building for Silverlink Metro services to Richmond via Willesden Junction. There is a stand with licensed black taxis directly outside the terminal building. Fares to central London start from £20. The Travel Line (tel: (0870) 608 2608) provides further information on all transport to and from London. Approximate flight times to London: From New York is 7 hours 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 10 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours and from Sydney is 23 hours 5 minutes (plus stopover). Arrival/departure tax: None. Getting There By Water London is served by international ferry ports on the south and east coasts, including Dover, Folkestone, Ramsgate, Newhaven and Harwich. Since the 1980s, the city itself has become a summer cruise destination and there are plans to expand facilities at Greenwich Pier to create a cruise ship terminal. The Port of London Authority (tel: (020) 7743 7900; website: www.portoflondon.co.uk) can provide further information. Ferry services: These include Calais–Dover routes run by P&O Stena Line (website: www.stenaline.com) and SeaFrance (website: www.seafrance.co.uk). Hook of Holland–Harwich (Stena Line) and Hamburg and Esjberg–Harwich by DFDS Scandinavian Seaways (website: www.scansea.com). Transport to the city: Rail transport from Dover, Folkestone, Ramsgate and Newhaven is provided by Connex South Eastern (website: www.connex.co.uk) to Victoria station. Great Eastern Railways (website: www.ger.co.uk) and Anglia Railways (website: www.angliarailways.co.uk) run services from Harwich to Liverpool Street station. National Rail Enquiries (tel: (0845) 748 4950) can give information on all services. Getting There By Road Main roads are designated by a letter, followed by up to four numbers: ‘M’ (motorway), ‘A’ (major trunk road) and ‘B’ (minor trunk road). Traffic drives on the left and drivers must be over 18 years old. The speed limits are 113kph (70mph) on motorways, 97kph (60mph) on single-lane main roads and 48kph (30mph) in built-up areas. Seat belts are compulsory for drivers, front-seat passengers and rear-seat passengers (if fitted). Motorcyclists must wear helmets. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. Overseas driving licences and International Driving Permits are valid for up to one year. Insurance is mandatory. Overseas visitors bringing their own cars should bring registration documents and check with their insurance company as to whether a Green Card is needed. Breakdown service and general motoring information is available from the Automobile Association (AA; tel: (0870) 600 0371; website: www.theaa.co.uk), the Royal Automobile Club (RAC; tel: (0870) 572 2722; website: www.rac.co.uk) and Green Flag (tel: (0800) 328 8772; website: www.greenflag.co.uk). Emergency breakdown services (toll free): AA (0800) or (08457) 887 766 Green Flag (0800) 400 600 RAC (0800) 828 282 Routes to the city: The M25 encircles Greater London. The M1, M11, M20, M23, M3, M4 and M40 radiate from the capital to the rest of Britain. The M1 goes north all the way to Leeds, the M11 northeast to Cambridge and East Anglia, the M20 southeast to Folkestone (from where the A20 continues to Dover), the M23 goes south to Gatwick airport (and continues as the A23 to Brighton), the M3 southwest to Southampton, the M4 west to Heathrow airport and Bristol, and the M40 northwest to Oxford and Birmingham. Motorists and their cars can travel by train through the Channel Tunnel from Nord Pas-de-Calais, France to Folkestone in southeast England, courtesy of Eurotunnel (tel: (0870) 535 3535; website: www.eurotunnel.co.uk). Driving times to London: From Cambridge – 1 hour 15 minutes; Oxford – 1 hour 15 minutes; Folkestone – 1 hour 45 minutes; Birmingham – 2 hours 15 minutes; Bristol – 2 hours 45 minutes; Leeds – 4 hours. Coach services: National and international services use Victoria coach station (a few minutes’ walk from Victoria train station) at 164 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1 (tel: (020) 7730 3466). Facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, travel and hotel agencies, information desks and left-luggage office. National Express (tel: (0870) 580 8080; website: www.gobycoach.com) runs services throughout the UK. Eurolines (tel: (020) 7730 8235; website: www.eurolines.com) has departures to over 300 continental destinations. Getting There By Rail The British railway network is currently in crisis with delays, cancellations and poor travelling conditions common. Despite this, fares – particularly on routes via London – are among the highest in Europe. Services are provided by a number of independent operators, while Railtrack (website: www.railtrack.co.uk) is currently responsible for the track and for 14 major stations. However, the company has gone into administration and a new rail body is in the process of being created. Timetable information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: (0845) 748 4950) or the Railtrack website. London has numerous major stations. They all become very crowded during rush hour (0800-0930 and 1700-1830 weekdays), when services struggle to cope with the sheer volume of passengers. The major national stations in London are Victoria (southwest), Paddington (west), Euston and Kings Cross (north), Liverpool Street (east), Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central). Station facilities differ but most include ATMs, bureaux de change, shops, cafés and pubs. Tickets can be purchased at the station (ticket desks and machines) or on board. Rail services: Eurostar (tel: (0870) 518 6186 or (01233) 617 575 from outside the UK; website: www.eurostar.com) services from Calais, Brussels, Lille, Paris-Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris travel via the English Channel to Waterloo station. Eurostar is extremely convenient and, once time travelling to and from the airport and checking in etc has been taken into account, is usually quicker than flying (approximate journey time to Paris –3 hours). Tickets are available from the station or from the Eurostar Call Centre or website. The main London termini serve different regions of the country, as follows: Euston and King’s Cross – Midlands, north of England and Scotland; Liverpool Street – East Anglia; Paddington – Heathrow airport, the West Country, South Wales and the Midlands; Victoria – Gatwick airport and the southeast; and Waterloo – the south coast and the continent. There are also numerous regional stations, including Blackfriars, Charing Cross, London Bridge, Marylebone, St Pancras, Stratford and Clapham Junction (the busiest station in the UK). Overnight sleeper trains, run by Scotrail (tel: (0845) 755 0033; website: www.scotrail.co.uk), connect Euston with the Scottish destinations of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Fort William. National Rail Enquiries (tel: (0845) 7484 950) can provide information on all services, including journey prices, times and duration. Transport to the city: All railway stations are on the London Underground network. The old Stationlink buses (SL1 and SL2), which operated a circular route linking all major railway stations, have been replaced by two express bus routes, 205 and 705. Between them, they cover the major railway stations, with limited key stops in between, often at regional train stations. Both bus routes operate from Paddington to Liverpool Street (and back). Route 205 stops at Marylebone, Euston and Kings Cross St Pancras and operates daily every 10-15 minutes approximately 0500-2430. Route 705 stops at Victoria (coach and train stations), Waterloo and London Bridge and operates daily every 30 minutes approximately 0800-2000. Tickets cost £1 per trip. Licensed London taxis are readily available from ranks outside main train stations. The London Travel Information line (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk) provides information on all the city’s transport. Getting Around Public Transport Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234 (24-hour enquiries); website: www.tfl.gov.uk) provide comprehensive information on all forms of transport within London, as well as operating the buses. Interested visitors can trace the history and development of the city’s transport system at the London Transport Museum in the Piazza at Covent Garden (tel: (020) 7379 6344 or 7565 7299; website: www.ltmuseum.co.uk). The London Underground (website: www.thetube.com), commonly referred to as the ‘Tube’, is the oldest and most extensive underground system in the world and pervades both the life and layout of London. An on-going programme is replacing old rolling stock, modernising stations and improving efficiency, however, escalator and station closures are still a regular problem and long-term solutions are not helped by the fact that the system is effectively in limbo at the moment, with the Government and the Mayor of London at loggerheads over whether it should be part-privatised. Twelve underground lines, each with a different name and colour, are supplemented by the Docklands Light Railway, connecting the City of London and the Docklands. The entire network is divided into six concentric zones, which determine the price of tickets. Within the city centre (zone one) a single ticket costs £1.60, while to travel from zone one to other zones costs from £1.90 (to go to zone two) to £3.60 (to go to zone six). Carnets of ten zone-one-only tickets cost £11.50. Tickets should be purchased at the station and must be passed through the barrier ticket gates in order for the passenger to enter and leave the system (and avoid a £10 penalty fare). The London Underground runs 0530-2430 but should be avoided (where possible) during rush hour – 0800-0930 and 1700-1830 Monday to Friday. Regional and commuter rail services, such as Silverlink Metro (tel: (0845) 748 4950), run between numerous stations in the capital and often cover routes not served by the London Underground. London’s famous red ‘Routemaster’ double-decker buses are slowly being superseded by more modern single and double deckers. There are now only two fare zones for buses. Any journey that includes the city centre zone is £1 and any journey outside this zone is 70p. Single tickets are bought from the driver or bus conductor upon boarding and there is a £5 fine for travelling without a valid ticket. Carnets of six tickets (for any zone) can be purchased from newsagents for £3.90. Night buses, prefixed by the letter ‘N’, replace the standard services after midnight. Fares on night buses are the same as regular buses. There are a number of passes available, including the One-day Travelcard, which can be used on buses and London Underground. This costs £4.10 off peak (only valid after 0930) and £5.30 peak (valid from 0001). Both are valid all night until 0430 the next morning. A Weekend Travelcard, which is valid all Saturday and Sunday, costs £6.10. Prices quoted are for zones one and two only. The One-day Bus Pass is only valid on buses (zones 1-4) and costs £2. Weekly, monthly and annual passes must be accompanied by a photocard. All passes, as well as carnets for bus or London Underground, can be purchased at participating newsagents and supermarkets. There are a number of transport services operating on the River Thames. Commuter ferries between Savoy Pier (central at Embankment) and Greenland Pier (east at Greenwich) are run by Collins River Enterprises (tel: (020) 7977 6892; website: www.thamesclippers.com). A single costs £3. Connoisseur Charters (tel: (020) 7352 5888; website: www.connoisseur.co.uk) operates a high-speed commuter service from Chelsea Harbour in the west to Savoy Pier, which also continues on to Greenland Pier. A single from Chelsea to the Savoy costs £4. These commuter services operate approximately 0600-2000 Monday to Friday and 0930-1730 Saturday and Sunday. Full details of all river ferries (operators, timetables, routes and prices) can be obtained from Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk). Tickets for the various services available can be bought on board. Taxis London’s distinctive black taxi cabs are a pleasant – if pricey – way of getting around the city, as well as meeting the legendary ‘cabbies’. Fares start at £1.40 and increase by £1.80 per mile (or 30p per minute if travelling less than 10mph) up to £12, then by £2.55 per mile (or 45p per minute). Tariffs are higher on Saturdays and Sundays and even higher after 2000 every evening. Increased rates at night were introduced to get more cabs on the street, which has worked, although longer journeys can now be prohibitively expensive. A tip of 10-15% to ‘round up’ the bill is customary. Each taxi has a licence number and badged drivers must comply with official regulations. London cabbies have undergone intensive training – known as the ‘Knowledge’ – which involves riding around London on a moped learning all the street names, followed by a gruelling examination. Black cabs can be booked through Dial-a-Cab (tel: (020) 7251 0581; website: www.dialacab.co.uk) and Radio Taxis (tel: (020) 7272 0272; website: www.radiotaxis.co.uk). London taxi drivers’ unsurpassed understanding of the city has been tapped by a tour company, who offer black cab tours (tel: (020) 7935 9363; website: www.blacktaxitours.co.uk). Any complaints about black cabs should be directed to the Public Carriage Office, 15 Penton Street, London N1 9PU (tel: (020) 7941 7800). Minicabs (usually standard saloon cars) can be booked over the telephone or direct from offices throughout London. One particularly efficient and reputable city-wide firm is Addison Lee (tel: (020) 7383 5858; website: www.addisonlee.co.uk). Although generally cheaper than black cabs, there are numerous illegal and/or unscrupulous operators, so it is always wise for travellers to check that the company is registered. In particular, offers of lifts by unlicensed drivers off the street, late at night in the West End, should not be accepted. Transport for London (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk) can provide a list of licensed Private Hire companies, as well as information on black taxis. Limousines Chauffeur-driven luxury cars can be hired from several companies, including Carey Worldwide Chauffeur Services (tel: (020) 7235 0234) and London Chauffeur Drive (tel: (020) 7633 9410; website: www.lcd.uk.com). On average, stretch limousines cost about £50 (plus VAT) per hour in London, while a car with chauffeur starts from £30 per hour in London. Driving in the City London mayor Ken Livingstone infamous ‘congestion charge’ comes into action in February 2003. The aim is to ease traffic congestion, with a toll charge of £5 for entry to the city centre, as congestion currently makes driving one of the city’s least appealing pastimes. The M25 ring motorway and major routes into and out of the city are often at a standstill, particularly on Friday and Sunday evenings. Heavy traffic within the city centre has made many drivers bullish, with aggressive driving techniques increasingly common. Transport for London (website: www.tfl.gov.uk) can provide information on driving in London and on the congestion charge. Off-road parking is available 24 hours at NCP garage (tel: (0870) 606 7050; website: www.ncp.co.uk) around the city. The tariffs vary, however, from garage to garage. The cheapest NCP garage in London can be found at the Brunswick Centre, Marchmont Street, WC1, with prices here ranging between £3 for one hour and rising to £15 for 12-24 hours. Parking elsewhere can be much more expensive, especially street parking on central meters or pay and display bays. Street parking is prohibited within any area marked with a zigzag or double yellow line. On a red line, or a double red line, even stopping is forbidden. The minimum penalty for illegal parking is a £40 fine – wheel-clamping and impounding vehicles, both of which incur additional fines, are not uncommon. For further information, visitors can contact the 24-hour clamping hotline (tel: (020) 7747 4747). Many residential areas require residents’ permits to park and visitors should read the signs carefully for the operating hours of the pay spaces and the permit spaces. Essentially, since London combines terrible traffic with high parking charges and there is now the added uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the congestion charge, visitors are recommended to use public transport in central London. Car Hire Regulations vary but car hire companies usually require drivers to be around 25 years or older. A foreign national driving licence is valid in Britain for one year, although an International Driving Permit may be preferred if the licence is not in English. A credit card is essential and it is important to check what level of insurance is included in the price of car hire. All major car firms have locations all over the city, such as Avis (tel: (0870) 606 0100; website: www.avis.com); Budget (tel: (0800) 626 063; website: www.budgetrentacar.com) and Hertz (tel: (0870) 599 6699; website: www.hertz.com). Rates start from around £30 per day. There has been a recent growth in budget/Internet car hire companies, spearheaded by easyRentacar (website: www.easyrentacar.com), the first Internet-only car hire company with prices starting from just £7 per day. Bicycle Hire The London Bicycle Tour Company, 1A Gabriel’s Wharf, 56 Upper Ground SE1 (tel: (020) 7928 6838; website: www.londonbicycle.com), hires out bicycles for £2.50 per hour, £12 per day or £36 per week. Business Business Profile It is impossible to underestimate the importance of London to the UK’s economy. With an annual GDP larger than many small countries, the City of London is the epicentre of British financial life and one of the world’s leading international financial centres. This square mile located on the eastern side of central London and referred to as ‘The City’, boasts an impressive concentration and variety of banks, insurance companies and other business services. In fact, financial and business services throughout London employ around a third of the Greater London workforce. Over the last few years, the British government has delegated greater responsibility to the Bank of England (website: www.bankofengland.co.uk), while the London Stock Exchange (website: www.londonstockexchange.com) has floated itself. However, The City and the stock market in particular has been suffering badly in 2002. Post the September 11 terrorist attacks, investor confidence seems to have gone and the stock market has reached a six-year low. Major companies seem to be feeling the pinch, which has a knock-on effect on jobs. Beyond the financial heart of London, law, computing, design, media, arts and fashion are all struggling to avoid the global slump, with the advertising sector being worst hit. One industry that has shown signs of recovery is the tourism industry, which has fought back from the double setback of Foot and Mouth and September 11 to stage a partial recovery. Although 2001 was one of the worst years on record for tourism in London, 2002 levels look set to be only slightly down on those of the years preceding the outbreak of Foot and Mouth. The list of companies based in London is almost endless as most major international companies have offices here, including IBM, Sun Microsystems and Warburgs. London in the 1980s and 1990s saw a decline in production and manufacturing jobs and a growth in the service sector. However, strengths remain in modern product-based manufacturing – specialist firms producing niche products – and high-tech companies. New light industry parks have sprung up out of town, although many businesses (such as computing) still prefer to stay closer to The City. For the more fashionable industries, such as media and design, a West End address is the most sought after, especially one in Soho. To the east of the City, the Docklands has come of age and is now a credible and popular business location with good public transport links and modern office complexes. The centrepiece is Canary Wharf, Britain’s tallest building, which has been joined recently by two neighbouring skyscrapers. One of these, the state-of-the-art Excel, is increasingly giving traditional conference venues a run for their money, with the world’s largest travel exhibition, World Travel Market, moving to the venue for 2002. Unemployment in Greater London is low by European standards but slightly higher than the UK average at 6% (2001 annual rate) compared to a national average of 4.9% (2001 annual rate). Business Etiquette Business hours are officially 0900 or 0930 until 1700 or 1730, although in practice many companies have much longer hours. Business in London is intense and fast paced. Extended business lunches and post-work drinks were regarded as part of the modern working environment until relatively recently. Nowadays the emphasis is increasingly on hard work and long hours. Some older establishments may be strictly formal, however, meetings are (as a rule) relatively relaxed and first names are often used after the initial introduction. However, British businesspeople are unlikely to be overtly demonstrative – hand gestures and the use of expressive body language will be minimal and apart from shaking hands, physical contact should be avoided. Standard dress code is a suit and tie for men and a suit (or equivalent) for women but varies greatly depending on the company, with those in the new technologies sectors especially tending towards informality. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview London may be a vast, sprawling city that lives life at breakneck speed, but there is no need to feel intimidated. Before setting off it is wise to study a London Underground map to get a feel for the straightforward colour-coded system and also to bear in mind that many central areas are easily navigable on foot. The tourist heart of London lies mainly on the north bank of the River Thames, with the chunk of flat land between South Kensington in the west to Tower Bridge in the east stuffed full of things to do and see. Starting in the west, there are the three major South Kensington Museums: the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National History Museum and the Science Museum. Moving eastwards, the next attraction is Buckingham Palace, the city’s biggest single tourist attraction, back en vogue after the Jubilee Year in 2002. Within walking distance through St James’ Park, one of London’s most underrated parks, is Westminster with the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The section of river between Westminster and Embankment is particularly impressive for a stroll, although the action is further north. Here, the maelstrom of Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery and other attractions is backed up by Leicester Square, a madly busy tourist-infested piazza where many native Londoners would not be seen dead. Just north of Leicester Square is Soho, a bohemian quarter of gay bars, trendy restaurants and new media offices that merges into Theatreland, while slightly further northeast there is the complete contrast of the stately old British Museum. Just west of Leicester Square is Piccadilly Circus and just east Covent Garden. Over to the south side of the river, which is accessible from Embankment by the new pedestrian Hungerford Bridge, the once rundown South Bank is currently enjoying something of a renaissance with the British Airways London Eye dominating the scene, as well as the London Aquarium and the cultural South Bank Centre. Heading east along the south bank of the river is the Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre. Another pedestrian bridge, Lord Foster’s Millennium Bridge, connects the Tate Modern with St Paul’s Cathedral, back on the north bank. From St Paul’s, it is possible to walk through the City of London to reach the Tower of London further east. Tower Bridge connects this ancient seat of power to the new state-of-the-art home of London mayor Ken Livingstone on the south bank, City Hall. Tourist Information London Tourist Board Tourist Information Centre Victoria station forecourt, SW1 Tel: (0906) 133 7799 (24-hour general tourist information). Website: www.visitlondon.com Opening hours: Daily 0800-1900; Sun until 1700 (Dec-Mar). There are a further 18 tourist information centres (TIC) throughout the city. Passes The London Pass (tel: (020) 7287 6020; website: www.londonpass.com) allows free access for one adult to over 60 attractions (including the London Dungeon, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace). The ‘with transport’ option also includes free transport on all London buses, tubes and trains. The price varies depending on whether you take the ‘with transport’ option. A pass for one day costs £14 without transport and £21 with transport; for two days £23 or £33, three days £27 or £42 and six days £31 or £59. All prices exclude VAT. The London Pass can be purchased at the airport and tourist information offices around London. Key Attractions British Airways London Eye Towering 135m (444ft) into the heavens, right in the heart of London, the BA London Eye is literally an unmissable attraction. The initial engineering problems have long been forgotten and the world’s tallest observation wheel has emerged as one of the city’s most popular attractions. Its unparalleled views of the city, which are particularly impressive in the evening, reach as far away as 40km (25 miles). The experience is one revolution of the wheel, lasting approximately 30 minutes. In 2002, digitally programmed audio guides were introduced, offering a description of the attractions seen from the capsules. Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, SE1 Tel: (0870) 500 0600 (booking line). Website: www.ba-londoneye.com Transport: London Underground Waterloo or Embankment. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800. Admission: £10.50. Tate Gallery of Modern Art and Bankside Opened in 2000, the Tate Modern is a £130-million project that is regarded as a model of urban regeneration, with the disused Bankside power station transformed into an avant-garde space dedicated to 20th-century art. The permanent exhibition changes biannually so that much of the Tate Gallery’s collection of modern work can be on show, displayed thematically rather than chronologically. This includes major works by Matisse, Picasso, Rothko and Warhol, as well as contemporary pieces. The Bankside area itself is becoming one of the most exciting corners of the capital. The £14-million Millennium Bridge, the first new River Thames crossing in London for more than a century, has finally opened following major teething problems. Designed by Lord Foster, it provides a pedestrian link from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Tate Modern. Bankside’s cultural regeneration harks back to the area’s Golden Age as the centre of the Elizabethan theatre scene. Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed at the Globe Theatre here and can now be seen at the beautifully reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & Exhibition. Other attractions along the river, past Southwark Bridge towards London Bridge, include Vinopolis, an interactive celebration of wine, and the Golden Hinde, a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s flagship. Southwark Cathedral, with its new Visitor Centre and Exhibition, nestled under London Bridge, on the edge of the nearby Borough Market (website: www.boroughmarket.org.uk), a heaven for gourmets on Saturdays. Tate Modern Bankside, SE1 Tel: (020) 7887 8000 or 8008 (recorded information line). E-mail: boxoffice@tate.org.uk Website: www.tate.org.uk Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri and Sat 1000-2200. Admission: Free (donations welcome). Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & Exhibition Bankside, SE1 Tel: (020) 7902 1400. Website: www.shakespeares-globe.org Opening hours: Oct-Apr daily 1000-1700 (exhibition and theatre tour). May-Sep daily 0900-1200 (exhibition and theatre tour) and 1230-1600 (exhibition only). Admission: £8. Vinopolis 1 Bank End, Bankside, SE1 Tel: (0870) 444 4777. Website: www.vinopolis.co.uk Opening hours: Daily 1200-1800 (until 2100 Mon, Fri and Sat). Admission: £11.50. Golden Hinde St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, SE1 Tel: (020) 7403 0123 or (0870) 011 8700. Website: www.goldenhinde.co.uk Opening hours: Daily, hours vary. Admission: £2.75. Southwark Cathedral Montague Close, SE1 Tel: (020) 7407 3708. Website: www.dswark.org/cathedral Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1100-1700. Admission: £3 (exhibition). Transport: London Underground Southwark, Blackfriars or London Bridge. Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster contains the Houses of Parliament, part of which is, of course, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Big Ben is not (as many believe) the impressive London landmark rising above the seat of British government but it is actually just the huge bell inside, whose tolling tune is instantly recognisable, while the clock tower itself is called St Stephen’s. The most ancient part of the whole Palace, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old. After almost total destruction by fire, the rest of the palace was rebuilt during the 19th century, to designs by Charles Barry, in neo-Gothic style. All year round, free tours of the Palace of Westminster are available to UK residents if they contact their MP who can arrange them. Overseas visitors can also arrange small group tours by applying to the Parliament Education Unit. However, this is only possible outside of August and September, when the Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster takes place. This means that, while Parliament is in recess, extensive guided tours, lasting about 75 minutes and including the Royal Robing Rooms, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and Westminster Hall are offered. These are not free and they must be booked in advance (in person or from Firstcall). All visitors who want to watch Parliament at work, rather than tour the Palace, can watch from the Strangers’ Gallery. When Parliament is in session, there are two long queues (one for the Lords and one for the Commons) outside the Palace. Parliament Square, SW1 Tel: (020) 7219 4272. Fax: (020) 7219 5839. Website: www.parliament.uk Transport: London Underground Westminster. Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster Tel: (0870) 906 3773 (Firstcall). Website: www.firstcalltickets.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0915-1630. Admission: £7 (plus £2 for foreign-language guide). Parliament Education Unit Norman Shaw Building (North), London SW1A 2TT, UK Tel: (020) 7219 2105). Westminster Abbey Across Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey – a magnificent Gothic structure where innumerable members of the British royal family have been christened, married, crowned and interred. Consecrated in the 11th century, under Edward the Confessor, it was rebuilt over the next four centuries in Gothic style. Highlights include Henry VII’s Chapel, Poet’s Corner and the Coronation Chair. Parliament Square, SW1 Tel: (020) 7222 7110. Fax: (020) 7233 2072. Website: www.westminster-abbey.org Transport: London Underground Westminster. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1645 and Sat 0930-1445 (sightseeing; last admission one hour before closing); all day Sun (religious services only). Admission: £6 (concessions available); £5 (pre-booked guided groups); services free. Trafalgar Square It’s all change at Trafalgar Square as London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s plans for a ‘world-class square’ get underway. Although Admiral Nelson is still overseeing everything from the top of his column, he should see less traffic than he is used to and more relaxed tourists and locals. But he won’t be accompanied by as many of his famous pigeon friends. Construction has started on the increased pedestrianisation of the square, which should be completed in spring 2003, and Ken has banned seed-sellers from the square in an attempt to banish what he sees as a nuisance. The pedestrianisation will link Nelson’s Column in the centre with the north side of the square, where one of the world’s greatest galleries, the National Gallery, is to be found. It houses an incredible collection of Western paintings from the 13th to the early 20th century, as well as frequent special exhibitions. Round the corner, the National Portrait Gallery displays the country’s famous, infamous and forgotten in the media of oil, watercolour, marble and photography. In 2000, the Queen officially opened the new Ondaatje Wing (which includes a lecture theatre and restaurant) as part of a wider project to make the gallery more spacious and the art more enjoyable and accessible. Opposite the gallery is the beautiful 18th-century neo-classical church, St Martin-in-the-Fields, which hosts regular concerts and has a café in the crypt. National Gallery Trafalgar Square, WC2 Tel: (020) 7747 2885. Website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Wed until 2100). Admission: Free. National Portrait Gallery 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2 Tel: (020) 7306 0055. Website: www.npg.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (Thurs and Fri until 2100). Admission: Free. St Martin-in-the-Fields Trafalgar Square, WC2 Tel: (020) 7766 1100. Website: www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org Transport: London Underground Charing Cross or Leicester Square. Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace may charge exorbitant entry fees but, as the London home of the Queen, it draws millions of tourists each year. They flock to witness royal pageantry dating back centuries at the Changing of the Guard ceremony at 1130 daily April to July (alternate days at other times of the year), and for the rare chance to see inside a royal residence. The building, by John Nash and Edward Blore, was built in the 19th century around the shell of the older Buckingham House. The rather drab façade was added in 1913. The State Rooms of the Palace, including the Throne Room and the Picture Gallery, are only open to the public in summer. Buckingham Palace Road, SW1 Tel: (020) 7321 2233. Fax: (020) 7930 9625. Website: www.royal.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Green Park, Victoria or Hyde Park Corner. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1615 (6 Aug-3 Oct only). Admission: £11.50 (concessions available). Tower Hill The infamous royal fortress on Tower Hill, the Tower of London, was begun in 1078 by William the Conqueror and remained a royal residence until the mid-16th century. Today, it houses the priceless Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries. The history of the tower is a catalogue of intrigue and bloodshed – key historical figures, including members of the royal family, were imprisoned, tortured and/or executed here. There are hour-long tours of the main sights. Meanwhile, the nearby Tower Bridge – a prime example of Victorian architecture and engineering – spans the River Thames. Hydraulic machinery, hidden in twin neo-Gothic towers, lifts the central section to allow ships in and out of the Pool of London. Visitors can learn about the bridge in the Tower Bridge Experience or enjoy the excellent views towards Canary Wharf and the City of London. On the northeast side, the harbour at St Katharine’s Dock marks the beginning of the London Docklands, while the warehouses to the south house the stylish Design Museum. Tower of London Tower Hill, EC3 Tel: (0870) 756 6060 (information) or (0870) 756 6060 (tickets). Website: www.tower-of-london.org.uk Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800 and Sun 1000-1800 (Mar-Oct); Mon-Sat 0900-1700 and Sun 1000-1700 (Nov-Feb); last admission one hour before closing. Admission: £11.50 (concessions available). Tower Bridge Experience Tower Hill, EC3 Tel: (020) 7403 3761. Website: www.towerbridge.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (last admission 1700). Admission: £4.50 (concessions available). Design Museum 28 Shad Thames Tel: (020) 7940 8790. Website: www.designmuseum.org Opening hours: Daily 1000-1745 (Fri until 2100). Admission: £6 (concessions available). Transport: London Underground Tower Hill. St Paul’s Cathedral The dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is the third largest in the world and one of the most distinctive features of the London skyline. The present building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1710, on the site of the original cathedral that was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. On the inside of the dome, the Whispering Gallery, named for its incredible acoustics, offers a close-up of the frescoes of the life of St Paul that decorate the interior of the dome. From there, visitors can climb higher, up to two further galleries, which are outdoors and which offer magnificent views across the whole of London. Guided tours are also available Monday to Saturday. The main religious services are held at 1030 and 1130 on Sunday. Paternoster Square, EC4 Tel: (020) 7236 4128 or 7246 8348 (information line). Fax: (020) 7248 3104. Website: www.stpauls.co.uk Transport: London Underground St Paul’s. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0715-1800 and Sun 0745-1700 (worship); Mon-Sat 0830-1600, galleries from 0930 (sightseeing). Sightseeing is restricted on Sun and religious holidays. Admission: £6 (cathedral, galleries and crypt); concessions available. British Museum After the completion of a lengthy refurbishment programme – the centrepiece of which is the construction of Lord Foster’s ambitious glass-roofed Great Court – the British Museum is back in place as one of the world’s finest museums. Visitors to the British Museum must contend with a mind-boggling six million artefacts plucked (or plundered) by collectors from all corners of the globe. The awesome scale of the museum means it is essential to select just a few of the 94 galleries for close attention. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, a copy of the Magna Carta and the controversial Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens, which Greece want back before the 2004 Olympic Games. A new British Museum souvenir shop next to the museum opened in 2000, but the museum’s ongoing financial tribulations are still headline news. Great Russell Street, WC1 Tel: (020) 7323 8299. Website: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk Transport: London Underground Russell Square. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1730 (until 2030 Thurs and Fri). Admission: Free. South Kensington Museums The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is one of three major museums in South Kensington – the others being the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Founded in the 19th century as a museum of the decorative arts, the V&A’s 11km (seven miles) of corridors trace a path through paintings, jewellery, furniture and textiles dating from 3000BC to the present day. Highlights include the Raphael Cartoons, the sculpture court, the collection of vintage costumes and the ‘British Galleries 1500-1900’ – a comprehensive history of Britain’s design and art. The Science Museum has been voted London Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2001 and 2002. It offers interactive exhibits on all kinds of scientific topics, from Space, Time or Weather to Agriculture or Food, from Computing or Mathematics to Nuclear Physics or Veterinary History. One key gallery is ‘Making the Modern World’, which includes objects like early computers and early cars. The incredible Victorian building that is the Natural History Museum is divided into Earth Galleries and Life Galleries. The Earth Galleries explore our planet, while the Life Galleries explore the creatures that have inhabited it, from the dinosaurs to creepy crawlies. For live specimens, there is the Wildlife Garden outside. In autumn 2002, the first phase of the new Darwin Centre opens. The Darwin Centre will house the museum’s extensive collections of specimens, which date as far back as the 16th century but also include recent new species discoveries. It will also allow visitors to interact with the scientists using the collections and carrying out current research. V&A Museum Cromwell Road, SW7 Tel: (020) 7942 2000 or (0870) 442 0808. Website: www.vam.ac.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1745 (Wed until 2200). Admission: Free. Science Museum Exhibition Road, SW7 Tel: (020) 7942 4000 or (0870) 870 4771. Website: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800. Admission: Free. Natural History Museum Tel: (020) 7942 5000 or 7942 5011. Website: www.nhm.ac.uk Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1750, Sun 1100-1750. Admission: Free. Transport: London Underground South Kensington. Tate Britain The Gallery of Modern British Art opened in 1897, around the collection of sugar merchant Henry Tate, and now holds an unrivalled collection of English paintings from 1500 to the present day. Much 20th-century art has moved to the Tate Modern (see above), however, some remains here, from Gaudier Brzeska to Gilbert and George. The magnificent Turner Bequest is housed in the purpose-built Clore Gallery. Millbank, SW1 Tel: (020) 7887 8000 or 8008. Fax: (020) 7887 8788. Website: www.tate.org.uk Transport: London Underground Pimlico. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1750. Admission: Free (except for temporary exhibitions). City Hall City Hall, the new home of London’s mayoral government, occupies a prime site close to Tower Bridge on the banks of the Thames. The glass globe design is the work of celebrated British architect Lord Foster, using the same principle as Foster’s Reichstag in Berlin, where the glass symbolises the supposed transparency of government. The viewing level at the top, dubbed ‘London’s Living Room’, affords some sweeping views of the River Thames and the city and is designated as a public-access space, although the times have not yet been detailed. The Queen’s Walk, SW1 Tel: (020) 7983 4000. Fax: (020) 7983 4458. Website: www.london.gov.uk Transport: London Underground London Bridge. Opening hours: To be confirmed. Admission: Free. Further Distractions London’s Parks The parkland conurbation of St James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens stretches from Whitehall to Kensington in the west. St James’s Park and Green Park are at the heart of royal and governmental London, cantilevered around Buckingham Palace, while Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner is the place for soapbox philosophers to harangue passers-by. Kensington Gardens contains the delightful Serpentine Gallery (tel: (020) 7402 6075; website: www.serpentinegallery.org), as well as the glittering Albert Memorial. Regent’s Park, just north of Oxford Circus, is home to London Zoo (tel: (020) 7722 3333; website: www.londonzoo.com), while immediately next door is Primrose Hill, with a fabulous view and chic village atmosphere. Of the many other parks in London, two are huge but further out – Hampstead Heath in north London and Richmond Park in south London. Hampstead Heath boasts acres of natural parkland, the 18th-century Kenwood House (website: www.english-heritage.org.uk), numerous bathing ponds and another fantastic view over the capital. Richmond Park is the largest open space in London, first enclosed as a hunting park by King Charles I in 1637, it still boasts deer. St James’ Park The Mall, Horse Guard’s Road and Birdcage Walk, SW1 Tel: (020) 7930 1793. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground St James’ Park. Opening hours: Daily dawn to dusk. Admission: Free. Green Park Piccadilly, W1, The Mall and Constitution Hill, SW1 Tel: (020) 7930 1793. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Green Park. Opening hours: Daily dawn to dusk. Admission: Free. Hyde Park Bayswater Road, W2, Park Lane, W1, and Knightsbridge, SW1 Tel: (020) 7298 2100. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Lancaster Gate or Knightsbridge. Opening hours: Daily 0500-2400. Admission: Free. Kensington Gardens Bayswater Road, W2, and Kensington Road, SW7 Tel: (020) 7298 2100. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Lancaster Gate, Queensway or High Street Kensington. Opening hours: Daily dawn to dusk. Admission: Free. Regent’s Park Prince Albert Road, NW1/NW8, Albany Street, NW1, Marylebone Road, NW1, Park Road, NW8 Tel: (020) 7486 7905. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Regent’s Park, Great Portland Street, Baker Street, Camden Town or St John’s Wood. Opening hours: Daily 0500 to dusk Admission: Free. Primrose Hill Primrose Hill Road, NW3, Regent’s Park Road, NW1, and Prince Albert Road, NW1/NW8 Tel: (020) 7486 7905. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Chalk Farm. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Hampstead Heath East Heath Road, NW3, and Highgate Road, NW5, and others Tel: (020) 7482 7073. Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Hampstead, Belsize Park or Highgate; Silverlink Metro Hampstead Heath or Gospel Oak. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Richmond Park Roehampton Vale, SW15, Queens Road, Richmond Tel: (020) 8948 3209. Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk Transport: London Underground/Silverlink Metro to Richmond, then bus 371. Opening hours: Daily dawn to dusk. Admission: Free. Highgate Cemetery Resonating with the ghosts of such luminaries as Karl Marx and George Eliot, Highgate Cemetery is one of London’s most extraordinary places. With some of the finest Victorian funerary architecture in the country, many of the memorials are architecturally listed sites. The East Cemetery is easily accessible and contains Karl Marx’s grave and monumental bust. The West Cemetery contains remarkable Lebanon Circle, formed of 20 family catacombs surrounding an ancient cedar tree, as well as other notable monuments. Visitors can only explore the West Cemetery by booking guided tours in advance. Swains Lane, N6 Tel: (020) 8340 1834. Website: http://highgate-cemetery.org Transport: London Underground Archway or Highgate. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1100-1700 (Apr-Oct); until 1800 (Nov-Mar) – East Cemetery only. Admission: £2 (East Cemetery); £3 (West Cemetery standard tour). Tours of the City Walking Tours A variety of guided walks are available from several operators, including The Original London Walks (tel: (020) 7624 3978; website: www.walks.com) and Historical Walks of London (tel: (020) 8668 4019). Among many themed tours are The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (tel: (020) 7624 3978) and the Jack the Ripper Mystery Walk (tel: (020) 8558 9446). Guided walking tours usually take around two hours and cost £5. Alternatively, for self-guided walks, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Walkway stretches for three kilometres (two miles) along the South Bank of the River Thames (between Lambeth and Tower bridges), while 21 explanatory plaques trace a route along the Roman London Wall, starting at the Tower of London. Bus Tours Various competing companies offer similar bus tours of London’s sights, lasting between 40 and 90 minutes. Tickets start at around £14 and are valid for 24 hours and passengers can hop on and off at attractions en route. The main operators include Big Bus Company (tel: (0800) 169 1365 or (020) 7233 9533; website: www.bigbus.co.uk) and Original London Sightseeing Tours (tel: (020) 8877 1722; website: www.theoriginaltour.com). Boat Tours Westminster Pier is the main embarkation point for river trips. From here there are services east or downstream to Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier and the Thames Barrier by City Cruises (tel: (020) 7237 5134; website: www.citycruises.com). These one-hour Westminster to Greenwich cruises cost £6.30 (single) and £7.80 (return) – travellers must purchase tickets at the ticket office before boarding. Going west, summer services by WPSA (tel: (020) 7930 4721; website: www.wpsa.co.uk) depart from Westminster Pier upriver to Kew Gardens, Richmond and Hampton Court. Tickets must be purchased before boarding and cost £9 (single) or £15 (return) for the one-and-a-half-hour cruise to Kew, or £12 (single) or £18 (return) to Hampton Court, which takes over three hours (each way). Catamaran Cruises (tel: (020) 7987 1185; website: www.catamarancruises.co.uk) provides multi-lingual cruises from Waterloo and Embankment Piers. These 50-minute circular cruises cost £7. A day’s worth of unlimited travel on all Catamaran Cruises’ sightseeing services is available with the River Pass, which must be purchased at the ticket office, before boarding, and costs £10.50. Frog Tours (tel: (020) 7928 3132; website: www.frogtours.com) run unconventional tours on an amphibious craft, which starts at County Hall and rumbles through London’s streets (taking in Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace) before plunging into the River Thames for a 30-minute cruise. Single tickets for the 70-minute tour cost £15. Excursions For a Half Day Kew Gardens: On the western edge of the city, beside the River Thames, lie the Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 (tel: (020) 8940 1171; website: www.rbgkew.org.uk). This 121-hectare (300-acre) site was first planted in the 17th century and is now a horticulturist’s heaven. The glasshouses, including the beautiful Palm House, shelter rare orchids and palms. Transport to the gardens is by London Underground to Kew Gardens; or by train from Waterloo to Kew Bridge, which is also served by the Silverlink Metro. Admission costs £6.50 (concessions available). The gardens are open daily 0930-1830 (1930 on weekends); with the gardens closing earlier as winter sets in. Barnes Wetland Centre: Barnes Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes, SW13 (tel: (020) 8409 4400; website: www.wetlandcentre.org.uk), is the first wetland environment ever to be created in a capital city. The former 42-hectare (105-acre) disused reservoir has been transformed into an oasis for a multitude of watery wildlife, with the addition of 30 reformed lakes, ponds and marshland. With 250m (819ft) of boardwalk, 3.4km (two miles) of pathways and seven viewing hides open daily (0930-1800 summer and 0930-1700 winter), the centre provides close-up access to water-loving birds, mammals and insects from across Britain and around the world. There is also a visitor centre. Admission costs £6.75 (concessions available). Transport is by London Underground to Hammersmith, then free shuttle bus, or by train from Waterloo to Barnes, followed by a short walk. For a Whole Day Brighton: Known as ‘London on Sea’, Brighton’s young demographic (including residents of the calibre of Fat Boy Slim), vibrant nightlife, top-class restaurants and relaxed vibe all one place certainly make it the trendy coastal retreat of choice. Located on the south coast and easily and relatively cheaply accessible from Victoria station, Brighton’s tourist attractions also include the Royal Pavilion (George IV’s summer retreat), the newly renovated Museum of Brighton, the beach, pier and the old town around the Lanes. The Brighton Tourist Information Office, 10 Bartholomew Square (tel: (01906) 711 2255; website: www.tourism.brighton.co.uk), provides information and is open Monday to Friday 0900-1800, Saturday 1000-1800 and Sunday 1000-1700 in summer and Monday to Friday 0900-1700 and Saturday 1000-1700 (closed Sunday) in winter. Oxford: The ‘dreaming spires’ are a 90-minute drive northwest of central London. Harbouring one of the oldest universities in Europe, Oxford is steeped in history, architecture and traditions (such as punting on the river) but is also a bustling commercial city with good shops and excellent pubs. Trains to Oxford depart from Paddington station and the 24-hour Oxford Tube and CityLink coaches leave from just outside Victoria train station. The Oxford Tourist Information Office, The Old School (tel: (01865) 726 871; website: www.visitoxford.org), provides further information and is open Monday to Friday 0930-1700, Saturday 0930-1700 and Sunday 1000-1530. Hotels All hotel bills are subject to VAT (Value Added Tax) of 17.5%, which is usually added to the bill at the end, although may be included in the rate given for special deals etc. The prices quoted below are the starting prices for standard double rooms, excluding VAT and excluding breakfast, unless otherwise specified. Many corporate and weekend rates will be available, however, including the increasingly good-value Internet-only rates for many London hotels. Business Charlotte Street Hotel Situated in Charlotte Street, which is a Mecca for restaurants, and not far from the media companies of Soho, this hip hotel has a fresh, young feel in comfortable townhouse surroundings. A vast lobby on the ground floor leads to a drawing room and library – throughout the decor is bright and light with modern art. The hotel has 52 bedrooms, including four loft suites with high ceilings and large windows, and two spectacular open-plan Penthouse Suites. Each bedroom is equipped with CD player, VCR, two telephones with voice-mail, modem points, fax outlet, mobile phone and large writing desk. Private meeting rooms for up to 50 people can be hired and there is a state-of-the-art screening room. There is a lively brasserie-style restaurant, which also provides room service. 15-17 Charlotte Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7806 2000. Fax: (020) 7806 2002. E-mail: charlotte@firmdale.com Website: www.charlottestreethotel.com Price: From £210. Holiday Inn Heathrow Opened in August 2000, the Holiday Inn Heathrow is a modern, efficient hotel overlooking the airport, with views over the Western runway. Ideal for those who require proximity to Heathrow, all rooms are triple glazed so that the airport activity can be seen but not heard. Designed with function rather than aesthetics in mind, the hotel is comfortable yet impersonal, with 230 almost identical rooms all equipped with power showers and satellite TV. For business purposes, there are 16 meeting rooms available for hire, as well as a business centre providing secretarial and translation services. Bath Road, West Drayton, Middlesex Tel: (020) 8990 0000. Fax: (020) 8990 0199. E-mail: sb@london-heathrow.holiday-inn.com Website: www.london-heathrow.holiday-inn.com Price: From £145. The Landmark London Overlooking Regent’s Park, this five-star hotel, awarded the RAC Gold Ribbon award two years running, offers excellent business amenities in luxurious surroundings. Its striking Victorian architecture centres around an eight-storey glass-roofed atrium, infusing the hotel with daylight. The bedrooms are spacious and well equipped with desk, high-speed Internet access and three telephone lines. Each guest is given a personal e-mail address and fax number on arrival. There are ten function rooms with the latest audiovisual technology and a secretarial service is available. As an antidote to work there is a gym, complete with pool and steam rooms, and the restaurant, John Burton-Race at The Landmark, which has two Michelin stars. 222 Marylebone Road, NW1 Tel: (020) 7631 8000. Fax: (020) 7631 8080. E-mail: info@landmarklondon.co.uk Website: www.landmarklondon.co.uk Price: From £200. myhotel bloomsbury Minutes from the West End, this townhouse hotel promises a haven of tranquillity and a stay that is individually tailored to each guest’s need. Designed by the Conran Partnership following feng shui principles, the interior is bright, light and uncluttered. Guests are allocated a personal assistant on arrival to cater for their every need. Rooms are peacefully decorated in muted colours and furniture is well arranged to give the room a relaxing, unfussy feel. All rooms have air conditioning, CD player, fax and modem point. There are two adaptable conference rooms, which can cater for four to 100 people. The hotel also has a 24-hour restaurant and lounge bar and an in-house Yo! Sushi (see Restaurants). For relaxation, there is a library with juice bar and herbal teas and a fitness suite. 11-13 Bayley Street, Bedford Square, WC1 Tel: (020) 7667 6000. Fax: (020) 7667 6044. E-mail: guest services@myhotels.co.uk Website: www.myhotels.co.uk Price: From £185. Luxury The Lanesborough Minutes from Buckingham Palace, this lavish hotel treats its guests like royalty. Formerly Viscount Lanesborough’s country home, the building is Regency in style and filled to bursting with ornate furnishings. Guests can expect 24-hour butler service, personalised business cards and stationery on arrival, and state-of-the-art technology in their rooms – including a mobile phone, CD and DVD player, computer with Internet access and the latest software packages, and digital television. There are six private dining rooms for entertaining and meetings, as well as a small business centre. Michael Jackson, Madonna and Sylvester Stallone have all stayed here. Hyde Park Corner, SW1 Tel: (020) 7259 5599. Fax: (020) 7259 5606. E-mail: reservations@lanesborough.co.uk Website: www.lanesborough.com Price: From £325. The Ritz Since 1906, The Ritz in London has been providing exemplary service to its well-heeled guests. An elegant building overlooking Green Park, the interior is fastidiously decorated in Louis XVI style with marble columns, rich fabrics and antique furniture. The bedrooms are furnished in soothing pastel colours and two members of staff are on hand to service each room. For business matters, a computer, printer and scanner can be arranged in-room, as can secretarial support. Two large meeting rooms holding up to 100 people can be hired. Formal meals can be taken in the chandelier-filled restaurant, while the famous Ritz tea can be enjoyed in the Palm Court at 1530 or 1700 sittings, for which it is necessary to book well in advance. 150 Piccadilly, W1 Tel: (020) 7300 2308. Fax: (020) 7493 2687. E-mail: enquire@theritzlondon.com Website: www.theritzlondon.com Price: From £355. Moderate Hampstead Guest House Escape the city’s bustle at this charming bed and breakfast situated in one of London’s most sought after residential areas, just 15 minutes by tube from central London and a short walk from beautiful Hampstead Heath. Tucked away from a high street packed with stylish boutiques and bistros, the Hampstead Guest House is a three-storey Victorian house with seven bedrooms and an adjoining self-contained apartment. Previously the family home of proprietor, Annemarie Van der Meer, paying guests have been welcomed here for the past 20 years. The ambience is distinctly homely with eclectic, bohemian furnishings, a family dog, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a rambling garden. 2 Kemplay Road, NW3 Tel: (020) 7435 8679. Fax: (020) 7794 0254. E-mail: info@hampsteadguesthouse.com Website: www.hampsteadguesthouse.com Price: From £72 (including VAT). Ibis Hotel, Euston This French-owned chain hotel represents excellent value for money in a central location, just seconds from Euston London Underground and railway station. The hotel is basic in design, with 300 bedrooms, an informal restaurant and bar, and a private underground car park. The bedrooms are small, clean and uniformly kitted out with desk, chair and colour TV. The hotel does have a rather sterile, impersonal atmosphere though and is lacking any luxury features. However, its bargain rate means that it is almost always full. Conference facilities are available for groups of up to 800 people. 3 Cardington Street, NW1 Tel: (020) 7388 7777. Fax: (020) 7388 0001. Website: www.ibishotel.com Price: £74.95 per room. Other Recommendations 23 Greengarden House For those who want to feel like a London resident rather than a visitor, renting a four-star serviced apartment in the heart of the West End could be the perfect option. Set in the pretty, pedestrianised St Christopher’s Place, Greengarden House contains 15 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom apartments. Each apartment has its own living room, kitchen and bathroom, and comes fully equipped with every household appliance, including three phone lines with voice-mail and modem. Most are decorated with classical furniture in soft, warm colours, but there are also five ‘contemporary’ apartments in cooler colours, with crisper, cleaner lines. St Christopher’s Place, W1 Tel: (020) 7935 9191. Fax: (020) 7935 8858. E-mail: info@greengardenhouse.com Website: www.greengardenhouse.com Price: From £185. The Queensgate With so many boutique hotels opening in London at the moment it is hard to know which to choose, but there are not many as good as The Queensgate. This 26-room hotel in the heart of the ‘Museum District’ in South Kensington is ideally located for cultural tourists and avid shopaholics alike with Chelsea, Kensington and Knightsbridge within easy striking distance. Soft hues grace the bedrooms and Molton Brown toiletries the bathrooms. As a privately owned family-run concern, the personal touch is always there but so are all the mod cons like DVD players, modem connections and cable TV. Visitors should book early to secure one of the rooms with a private terrace. 54 Queens Gate, SW7 Tel: (020) 7761 4000. Fax: (020) 7761 4040. Website: www.thequeensgate.com Price: From £160 (including breakfast). Restaurants The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. All restaurant bills are subject to VAT (Value Added Tax) of 17.5%, which is usually included in the prices given. A service charge (usually 12.5%) may be included in the prices stated on the menu but it is more likely to be added to the bill at the end. This is technically an optional charge but it would be very unusual to ask for it to be removed. Where ‘Service is not included’, a tip of at least 10% is expected, although 12.5%-15% is becoming more common. Diners should check the bill thoroughly as tipping is not required on top of a service charge. The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include VAT but not service charge or tip. Gastronomic The Connaught The 25-year-long reign of award-winning chef Michel Bourdin at the distinguished Connaught Hotel in Mayfair has come to an end. Gordon Ramsay, nominally in charge, has made his protégé Angela Hartnett chef over the two formal spaces due to reopen in October 2002. The Edwardian-style mahogany-panelled dining room, previously known as The Restaurant, will be home to Angela Hartnett’s Menu, while the more intimate 11-table Georgian-style Grill Room will also serve a ‘Menu Prestige’. It remains to be seen whether the impeccable service and cuisine will continue. The Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, W1 Tel: (020) 7499 7070. Fax: (020) 7495 3262. E-mail: info@the-connaught.co.uk Website: www.savoy-group.co.uk Price: Menu unavailable on publication. Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s The combination of London’s only chef with three Michelin threes, Gordon Ramsay, and the funky New York designer, Thiery Despont, is nothing short of sensational. Having only opened in 2001, Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s won Time Out Magazine’s ‘Best New London Restaurant’ award and deservedly so. Possible starters on the three-course set menus (one for lunch and one for dinner) include Mediterranean bouillabaisse with escabéche vegetables, or lobster ravioli poached in lobster bisque, while delicious mains might include filet of sea bass wrapped in basil leaves, steamed with new potatoes and caviar sauce, or roasted baby lobster, cooked in lime butter, served with tomato couscous and pink grapefruit vinaigrette. The two highlights of the desserts are the simple but irresistible caramelised apple tart with vanilla ice cream and the bitter chocolate soufflé with white chocolate sorbet. The excellent lunchtime menu is not as much of a steal as it was on opening but still represents great value for money. Booking well ahead is essential for lunch and dinner. Claridge’s Hotel, Brook Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7499 0099. E-mail: gordonramsay@claridges.co.uk Website: www.savoy-group.com Price: £35 (set lunch), £50 (dinner). Wine: £25. Le Gavroche Since its opening in 1967 by brothers Albert and Michel Roux, Le Gavroche has been setting the culinary benchmark for the British restaurant scene. Currently run by Michelin-starred chef, Michel Roux Junior, with the assistance of award-winning maitre d’, Silvano Giraldin, diners can expect the highest standards of food, wine and service – at prices to match. Highly praised dishes include the artichoke hearts with foie gras, truffles and chicken mousse, the grilled sea bream with pea and wild mushroom sauce and the baked sea bass with tiger prawns. 43 Upper Brook Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7408 0881. Fax: (020) 7491 4387. E-mail: gavroche@cwcom.net Website: www.le-gavroche.co.uk Price: £65. Wine: £20. Lindsay House Irish-born chef, Richard Corrigan, has been lauded with praise for his modern British top-of-the-range cooking at Lindsay House. Encased within a discreet Regency-style townhouse, diners must ring the doorbell for admittance to the two-floor gold-embossed interior, which seats just 48. The innovative menu changes daily depending on market purchases but mains to look out for are the guinea fowl with cream cheese, basil and madeira jus or the red mullet with barigoule cream and artichoke vinaigrette. Sommelier, Thierry Talibon, also presents an extensive and impressive wine list. 21 Romilly Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7439 0450. Fax: (020) 437 7349. Website: www.lindsayhouse.co.uk Price: £65. Wine: £24. Nobu This devastatingly fashionable restaurant, located on the first floor of the Metropolitan Hotel, provides award-winning Japanese cuisine melded with South American influences in a relaxed yet classy environment. Smiling, uniformed staff guide the diner through an extensive menu with head chef Mark Edwards at the helm. The presentation is impeccable and the food itself unique. Signature dishes include black cod marinated in miso, chocolate cake with tea-tree ice cream or sake with gold leaf. There is plenty of opportunity for celebrity spotting. Tables should be booked weeks in advance. 19 Old Park Lane, W1 Tel: (020) 7447 474. Fax: (020) 7447 4749. Price: £85. Wine: £18. Business The Archipelago (formerly The Birdcage) Dining at The Archipelago is guaranteed to be a memorable experience. The restaurant is filled with global artefacts, exotic plants and racy paintings. Menus are written on papyrus scrolls and feature an outrageous pot pourri of ingredients for the dishes created by German chef Michel von Huschka. Diners must partake of a fixed-price meal – either two courses or three courses. The possible dishes are many and varied and change regularly, however, unusual ingredients – like crocodile, kangaroo, peacock and locusts – always feature. Not to everyone’s palate, The Archipelago certainly is unique. 110 Whitfield Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7383 3346. Fax: (020) 7383 7181. Price: £32.50 (fixed-price two-course menu) or £38.50 (fixed-price three-course menu). Wine: £18.50. Chives Chives is a sophisticated yet understated establishment in Fulham that has retained its reputation in spite of the change of chef, with Justin Earl coming in. Subdued lighting, besuited waiters and gentle classical music create a peaceful, gracious mood for a formal evening occasion. At Chives, there are no brash elements to detract attention from the excellent cuisine or the diners’ own conversation. The menu is of an impressively high standard and the food is fastidiously presented. Recommended dishes include roasted baby chicken stuffed with foie gras on a bed of girolles and leeks or the delicious rhubarb crème brûlée. 204 Fulham Road, SW10 Tel/fax: (020) 7351 4747. Price: £35. Wine: £14.50. Incognico Nico Ladenis’ unfussy West End restaurant provides the best-value set lunch in London. For a meagre £12.50, diners can enjoy a well-composed three-course meal, with a choice of two dishes per course. Sample menus include artichoke heart stuffed with wild mushrooms, chargrilled chicken with spinach, and a rich bavarois (custard cream) with blackcurrant sauce. An à la carte menu is also available. The interior is cosy and uncluttered but the service is patchy. 117 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 Tel: (020) 7836 8866. Fax: (020) 7240 9525. Price: £35. Wine: £12.50. The Ivy The restaurant of choice of many a celebrity, The Ivy is notoriously difficult to get into without a famous name or advance booking of at least six weeks. Once inside, the comfortable decor suggests a gentleman’s club with dark wooden panelling and diamond-patterned stained-glass windows. The food is simple but of high quality and includes traditional British favourites, such as bangers and mash, braised beef in stout or the potted shrimps, along with more European recipes, such as pork tenderloin on lemon polenta. The cosy environment, pleasing food and guaranteed celebrity spotting makes The Ivy a laid-back yet impressive venue for a business meal. 1 West Street, WC2 Tel: (020) 7836 4751. Fax: (020) 240 9333. Price: £50. Wine: £13. Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie For panoramic views of London, there is no better place to eat than the restaurant at the top of the Thameside Oxo Tower. In good weather, diners can eat on the terrace, otherwise they take a seat in the stylish minimalist interior. At lunchtime, the place is a favourite venue for business meetings, with light, well-prepared food and a set menu available (£28.50 for three courses). In the evenings, the place takes on a more festive mood, with its busy bar set against the stunning London nightscape. The cuisine is modern European, with dishes such as shaved smoked swordfish on vine tomatoes, whole fried sea bass with Thai dressing or Portuguese risotto, however, too often the dishes sound promising but fail to shine. The service can also be poor, but with those views the Oxo Tower remains perennially popular. Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, SE1 Tel: (020) 7803 3888. Fax: (020) 7803 3838. E-mail: oxo.reservations@harveynichols.co.uk Website: www.harveynichols.com Price: £65. Wine: £12.50. Trendy Deca Deca has risen from the ashes of the excellent Firebird and it is a worthy successor. Although this is the tenth restaurant from Nico Ladenis, Paul Rhodes is the actual chef who works his magic with the freshest of ingredients, for example oysters brought in from Loch Fyne in Scotland. Although Deca only opened in Spring 2002, dishes like the excellent duck breast in honey sauce or veal sweetbreads Pojarski have already won a lot of fans. The setting is intimate, bordering on nosy, with too many tables stuffed together at the front, so it is advisable to book one of the larger and more spacious tables to the rear. Although hugely expensive, the set lunch is excellent value at £12.50 for three courses. 23 Conduit Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7499 2964. Price: £50. Wine: £15. The Electric Brasserie Opened in May 2002 as part of the refurbishment of Portobello’s famous Electric Cinema, the Electric Brasserie has already garnished a regular clientele who come for the filling comfort food, such as chunky steak sandwiches, the traditional mains, such as fish and chips or sausage and mash, as well as more esoteric offerings like smoked eel. The setting is historic, as part of a building that was England’s first purpose-built cinema. A major revamp has brought in soft leather seating and chic wooden tables, with a large mirror on the wall creating a sense of space. A nice touch is the open kitchen where diners can watch their meals being whipped up by the young and often painfully hip cooking crew. 191 Portobello Road, W11 Tel: (020) 7908 9696. Website: www.electricbrasserie.com Price: £30. Wine: £12.50. Mash Brainchild of entrepreneur Oliver Peyton, who also owns the Atlantic Bar and Grill, Mash is a novel combination of restaurant, bar, micro-brewery and deli, housed in a bright, open space just off Oxford Street. The bar and micro-brewery downstairs is open until 0200, serving a trendy post-work crowd stylish cocktails, heady own beers and Modern European dishes ranging from the snacky to the more substantial. Enormous beer vats encased in glass line the back wall, while chairs are space-age pods and there is also a sunken cushioned seating area. Upstairs, the quieter restaurant is more exclusive and the food slightly classier, such as roast rack of lamb on thyme-roasted root vegetables with cranberry jus or baked halibut fillet with potato dumplings, ginger and savoy cabbage ragout, and saffron and anchovy butter. Some of the smart set may have moved on, but this is still a good West End choice. 19-21 Great Portland Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7637 5555. Fax: (020) 7637 7333. E-mail: info@gruppo.co.uk Website: www.gruppo.co.uk Price: £15 (bar); £30 (restaurant). Wine: £13. Beer: From £2.90 (pint). Moro Set in trendy, pedestrianised Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell, Moro is a Mecca for the cooler City crowd and hip media mob. Apart from an extensive zinc-topped bar, its decor is understated, allowing the vibrant Spanish/North African cuisine to speak for itself. Chefs Sam and Sam Clark have accrued prizes for their wonderful combinations of high-quality ingredients, herbs and spices, which include veal, farika and turmeric soup with almonds, chargrilled mackerel with potatoes or a fantastic Moroccan mezze platter. 34-36 Exmouth Market, EC1 Tel: (020) 7833 8336. Fax: (020) 7833 9338. Price: £30. Wine: £10.50. Sumosan This new Japanese restaurant, opened in May 2002, has gone down a storm, winning some favourable comparisons with Nobu (see above). Executive chef Bubker Behlit, formerly of the Radisson in Moscow, has created a menu that pleases lovers of sushi and sashimi, as well as offering tempura, soups, salads and extensive and adventurous appetisers and mains, such as foie gras teppanyaki or ebi fry, tiger prawns and scallops deep-fried in three different crusts. Lunch sets (such as salmon teriyaki set) range from £22 to £27, while tasting menus are available at lunch (£45) or dinner (£65). For pre- or post-dinner drinks, the J Bar below serves up some good cocktails and is an alternative eating choice for those looking for smaller sushi dishes and other nibbly treats. 26 Albemarle Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7495 5999. Fax: (020) 7355 1247. E-mail: info@sumosan.com Website: www.sumosan.com Price: £30. Wine: £13. Budget Café Emm This brasserie serves the best-value good food in Soho, so its no-booking policy means that a queue is inevitable unless it is very early evening. There is a selection of ten main courses at £5.95, including Cajun-style chicken with potato skins, homemade lentil rissoles and smoked salmon crêpes. Pay £2 extra and diners can choose from ten classier dishes, like chargrilled rump steak with new potatoes. The dark-wood interior is packed with candle-lit tables and the service is brisk but not rushed. 17 Frith Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7437 0723. Fax: (020) 580 2947. Website: www.cafeemm.com Price: £11. Wine: £9.90. Duke of York A quirky, little gastropub in a quiet Bloomsbury street, the Duke of York is a relaxed yet vibrant place to spend an evening. Unlike most gastropubs, it is not overly trendy, overly crowded or overly priced. Diners can mingle with pub punters and eat in the brighter red-toned bar area, decorated with contemporary art, or instead sit in private, little booths in the back dining room. The dishes range from modern British dishes like calves’ liver with herb mash through to sea bream tempura with stir-fried noodles, although they often sound better than they taste. 7 Roger Street, WC1 Tel: (020) 7242 7230. Price: £18. Wine: £9. Golden Dragon One of Chinatown’s best restaurants, the Golden Dragon is bedecked in red and gold and has a noisy, bustling atmosphere. In the daytime, the dim sum snack selection, brought to the table in a never-ending parade of bamboo steamers, is of exemplary quality. Main dishes, available both night and day, are excellent value and come in generously sized portions. As well as standard dishes, more unusual combinations are on offer like duck braised with bean curd, mushrooms and pak choi. 28-29 Gerrard Street, W1 Tel: (020) 7734 2763. Fax: (020) 7734 1073. Price: £15. Wine: £9.50. Mildred’s Mildred’s is a popular Soho establishment renowned for its tasty vegetarian cuisine. Although it recently moved a few streets, thankfully, the warm decor, relaxed atmosphere and low prices remain. One improvement is the size, with more space to accommodate the steady stream of regulars and savvy tourists. The healthy menu changes, however, the range of homemade veggie burgers are a constant temptation for even committed carnivores. Vegans are always catered for, as are those with wheat or dairy intolerances. A selection of organic wines and juices is on offer. The staff are young, trendy and helpful. Closed Sunday. No credit cards. 45 Lexington Street, W1 Tel/fax: (020) 7494 1634. Price: £15. Wine: £10.50. Wagamama An incredibly successful Japanese noodle chain, Wagamama provides reliably good food at bargain prices in a modern canteen-style environment. Not the place for privacy, diners are seated at long trestle tables next to strangers and served briskly by young, trendy staff. The menu is dauntingly long and contains countless combinations of ramen, soba and udon noodles, as well as stir-fry dishes, dumplings, soups and freshly squeezed juices. The food tastes remarkably good and has an aura of healthiness about it, emphasised by the no-smoking policy – unusual for London. This branch is just behind Selfridges on Oxford Street, but there are branches all over London, including Bloomsbury, Soho, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden and Leicester Square. 101A Wigmore Street, W1H Tel: (020) 7409 0111. Fax: (020) 7409 0088. E-mail: info@wagamama.com Website: www.wagamama.com Price: £15. Wine: £9.50. Personal Recommendations Hakkasan Alan Yau, the brains behind the massively successful Wagamama chain, has recently opened this chic Chinese restaurant. A basement location down a shifty looking alley in central London deters passing trade and helps give Hakkasan an all too rare (for London) sense of exclusivity. Once inside, diners are separated from the bar area by a beautiful latticework screen that almost forms an entire room within a room, while the dim lighting, soft blue glass and oriental detailing complete the luxurious feel. For the best food, lunch is the time to go, with the excellent dim sum already something of a London institution. But at night, the interior and the exquisite cocktails outshine the food. Diners are advised to arrive early for a chance to sit in the bar, soaking up the atmosphere while sampling one of the exotic concoctions (all at £8). 8 Hanway Place, W1 Tel/fax: (020) 7927 7000. Price: £45. Wine: £15.50. H2O H2O opened in summer 2002 and offers a real escape from the city. The restaurant is housed in an old riverboat that floats on a picturesque stretch of the River Thames at Richmond in west London. Not only is the location superb, but the restaurant delivers on the plate as well, with affordable and enjoyable Italian cooking. The starters feature the likes of bruschetta and spicy roasted peppers, with the mains offering decent upmarket pasta dishes, such as spaghetti with black truffles, chillies and parsley, as well as generous ten-inch pizzas, the best of which is the hearty 'British breakfast', unusual but guaranteed to satisfy most appetites. The dessert board changes daily. Booking is essential on sunny days and there are indoor tables for more inclement weather. Richmond Park awaits nearby for post-meal strolls. Richmond Bridge, Richmond, TW9 Tel: (020) 8948 0220. Price: £20. Wine: £10.95. La Trompette La Trompette recently snuck into the top ten of Harden’s London Favourites and is well worth the journey out to sleepy Chiswick. Its unlikely location on a quiet street just off Chiswick High Road deters casual passers-by, but owner Nigel Platts-Martin and head chef Ollie Couillaud have worked miracles in creating a genuinely world-class menu at out-of-town prices. Highlights include tenderloin of venison with celeriac gratin and classics like smoked haddock with poached egg and hollandaise sauce, while their steak tartar can make a decent claim to be the finest in London. The chic modern interior has a buzz but never becomes too noisy, while most conversations seem to be dominated by discussions about the quality of this fantastic-value Epicurean treat. 5-7 Devonshire Road, W4 Tel: (020) 8747 1836. Price: £30 (three-course set menu). Wine: £15. Malabar Junction A smart South Indian restaurant decorated in cool whites and greens with a large central skylight, Malabar Junction offers delectable dishes at reasonable prices. Catering for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, the food is very different from the North Indian tandoori, korma and tikka masala options. Instead, diners can sample spicy potato dosas with hot lentil sauce and coconut chutney followed by a tangy Cochin prawn curry or a deep-fried marinated flat fish. If dining in a group, it is advisable to check the bill carefully as there may be hidden extras. 107 Great Russell Street, WC1 Tel: (020) 7580 5230. Fax: (020) 7436 9942. Price: £20. Wine: £10. Zuma Hailed as the 'New Nobu', Zuma is certainly not short of hype and attracts a smattering of celebrities. This chic Japanese restaurant is split into a number of funky spaces with a bar and main restaurant accompanied by a sushi bar and grill. Designers from Tokyo are behind the sleek modern lines and the atmospheric lighting, which both add to the unmistakable buzz. Stand-out dishes include the black cod with prawns and fresh tuna tataki with a sweet dip. For those looking to really impress friends or business colleagues there is a 24-seat private room. 5 Raphael Street, SW7 Website: www.zumarestaurant.com Tel: (020) 7584 1010. Fax: (020) 7584 5005. Price: £40. Wine: £16. Sport The most famous sporting events in the capital are the London Marathon (website: www.london-marathon.co.uk) in April, the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in May (although not at Wembley again until at least 2006) and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club (tel: (020) 8946 2244 or 8944 1066; website: www.wimbledon.org) in June and July. Just outside London, Ascot Racecourse (tel: (01344) 876 876; website: www.ascot.co.uk) and Epsom Downs Racecourse (tel: (01372) 470 047; website: www.epsomderby.co.uk) host Royal Ascot and The Derby. Londoners are fanatical about football, but the future of the self-styled ‘home of football’, Wembley Stadium, is still an embarrassment. The planned redevelopment has been shrouded in controversy and heel-dragging since 2000, but finally the new plans have been given the go-ahead and fears that the National Stadium may be lost to Birmingham have been allayed. Support for one of London’s several Premiership football clubs divides the city. Rivalry between Arsenal (tel: (020) 7704 4000; website: www.arsenal.com) and Tottenham Hotspur (tel: (020) 8365 5000; website: www.spurs.co.uk) dominates the scene in north London, while Chelsea FC (tel: (020) 7385 5545; website: www.chelseafc.co.uk) draws the crowds in the southwest. West Ham United (tel: (020) 8548 2748; website: www.westhamunited.co.uk) has a loyal following in the east. In the southeast, Charlton Athletic (tel: (020) 8333 4000; website: www.charlton-athletic.co.uk) has managed to hold on to their top-flight status despite some sticky moments in recent seasons. Arsenal are once again the reigning Premiership champions (season 2001-2002) and increasingly are also matching Manchester United in Europe. National and international Rugby Union is based at Twickenham. Successful local clubs include Harlequins (website: www.quins.co.uk), Wasps (website: www.wasps.co.uk), Saracens (website: www.saracens.com) and London Irish (website: www.london-irish.com). Lord’s, St John’s Wood Road, NW8 (tel: (020) 7432 1066 (ticket office); website: www.lords.org), is the home of cricket’s governing body – the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC; tel: (020) 7289 1611; website: www.lords.org), founded in 1787 – and hosts league, cup and International Test matches. Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledrington Road, SE19 (tel: (020) 8778 0131; website: www.crystalpalace.co.uk), is the setting for major athletics events. Tickets to sporting events can also be purchased through Ticketmaster UK (tel: (020) 7316 4709; website: www.ticketmaster.co.uk). Fitness centres: Swimming pools, gyms and sports halls are available at London Central YMCA, 112 Great Russell Street, WC1 (tel: (020) 7343 1844), Chelsea Sports Centre, Chelsea Manor Street, SW3 (tel: (020) 7352 6985), and the massive Oasis Centre, 32 Endell Street, WC2H (tel: (020) 7831 1804), right in the heart of the West End. Fitness classes are also offered at Jubilee Hall Leisure Centre, 30 The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2 (tel: (020) 7836 4835). Golf: Regent’s Park Golf and Tennis School, Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1 (tel: (020) 7724 0643; website: www.rpgts.co.uk), offers professional lessons (£30 for thirty minutes or £95 for five lessons) and driving practice (£5 for 50 balls). The English Golf Union (tel: (01526) 354 500; website: www.englishgolfunion.org) have information on many of the capital’s golf courses. Swimming pools: Open-air swimming pools include the seasonal Brockwell Lido, SW9 (tel: (020) 7274 3088), and Parliament Hill Lido on Hampstead Heath, NW3 (tel: (020) 7485 3873), while the Oasis Centre (see Fitness centres above) has an indoor as well as an outdoor pool and is open year round. Tennis: Outdoor public courts are available at Regent’s Park, NW1 (tel: (020) 7486 4216). Islington Tennis Centre, Market Road, N7 (tel: (020) 7700 1370), and the Queen’s Club, Palliser Road, West Kensington, W14 (tel: (020) 7385 3421), have good indoor facilities. Watersports: Sailing tuition is offered at Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre, Millwall Dock, 235A Westferry Road, E14 (tel: (020) 7537 2626), and Lee Valley Watersports Centre on Banbury Reservoir, E4 (tel: (020) 8531 1129). Windsurfing, water-skiing and canoeing are also available. Shopping London is one of the world’s great shopping cities with over 30,000 retail outlets dotted across the capital. Typically for London, particular areas of the city have their own shopping characters. The King’s Road in Chelsea, SW1, has a long-standing reputation for fashion. Old and New Bond Streets, W1, harbour some of the city’s most exclusive designer outlets and high-powered art galleries. Saville Row and Jermyn Street, W1, remain the homes of bespoke tailoring. Knightsbridge, SW1, boasts world-famous Harrods, with its legendary sales and heavenly food hall. Oxford Street and Regent Street, W1, attract swarms of shoppers to well-known high-street clothing shops and megastores, including the immense and exclusive Selfridges department store and Hamley’s toy emporium, which now offers the unique chance for children to ‘sleep over’ for the princely sum of £10,000. Nearby Tottenham Court Road, WC1, is lined with electrical shops, while directly south, Charing Cross Road, WC2, has long been the centre for bookshops in London, with enticing second-hand shops and bigger chains, while London’s largest bookshop, Waterstones, is situated at Piccadilly, W1. Covent Garden is one of the most popular areas of town. The Piazza, WC2, once the site of the fruit and vegetable market, is now filled with specialist shops, cafés and craft stalls, while street performers and musicians entertain the crowds. Shoppers on the lookout for trendy clothes and shoe shops should head for Neal Street, WC2. Malls are not favoured in the city centre, where High Street shopping still dominates. However, out-of-town malls are becoming increasingly popular due to the difficulty of parking and traffic congestion within London. The massive Bluewater (website: www.bluewater.co.uk), one mile off the M25 ring road, is the biggest of this new type of shopping experience. Visitors looking for a gift that is representative of London need look no further than the number of tacky shops and souvenir stalls that line Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and other tourist-attracting areas. Passers-by are assaulted with all manner of kitsch, cute and colourful souvenirs, toys and clothes (mostly sporting a Union Jack or member of the royal family). More upmarket gifts can be found at the luxury department stores, such as Harrods and Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, Selfridges and Liberty in Oxford Street and Regent Street, and Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly. Visiting one or more of London’s markets is a way of combining shopping with a cultural experience. The vast weekend market at Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road, NW1, is one of the city’s top attractions (daily but primarily Saturday and Sunday 1000-1800). Visitors also flock to the Friday and Saturday (0800-1500) antiques and flea market on the Portobello Road, W10. In the East End, Sunday markets – selling everything from fruit and vegetables to jewellery and junk – are held on Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, E1 (open 0900-1400 and 0600-1300 respectively), while Columbia Road, E2, also on Sundays (0900-1300). Spitalfields Market, E1, is under threat, but continues to thrive, with its Sunday market (1000-1600) having expanded from organic produce to arts and crafts, antiques, records and clothes. Antiques are available from Camden Passage (in Islington) N1 (Wednesday 0800-1600, Saturday 0900-1700), and Greenwich Market, SE10 (weekends 0900-1700). For foodies, Borough Market, SE1, is still the best (Friday 1200-1800 and Saturday 0900-1600), while, Brixton market on Electric Avenue, SW9, offers the biggest selection of Caribbean food in Europe (open Monday-Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 0900-1800, Wednesday 0900-1500). A new arts and crafts market recently opened in Docklands at West India Quay, E14, specialising in paintings, sculpture, glass, soft furnishings and quirky clothes. Standard shopping hours are 0930-1800 Monday to Saturday (some shops stay open as late as 2000). Shops rarely close for lunch and many are now also open 1200-1800 on Sunday. Late-night openings are held on different days of the week, depending on the area. Most major stores and shops in the West End are part of the Tax-Free Shopping scheme run by Global Refund (tel: (0800) 829 373; website: www.globalrefund.com), which offers VAT (currently charged at 17.5%) refunds to visitors from outside the EU. To encourage European visitors, the Euro is now increasingly accepted in major shops, with over 40 Oxford Street retailers, accepting the currency alongside the Pound Sterling in September 2002. Culture London’s cultural scene combines the assurance of long-standing tradition with the verve of regained creativity. The sheer breadth of cultural activities on offer in London is breathtaking with over 150 theatres and 300 art galleries. Contemporary figures like Tracy Emin and Zadie Smith complement the rich heritage of Turner and Shakespeare. The hulking concrete mass of the South Bank Centre, South Bank, SE1 (tel: (020) 7960 4242; website: www.sbc.org.uk), is one of the city’s cultural Meccas. It houses the Hayward Gallery and three concert halls: the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. Next door is the flagship Royal National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (tel: (020) 7452 3400 (information) or 7452 3000 (box office); website: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk). Flying the cultural flag north of the river, the labyrinthine Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2 (tel: (020) 7638 8891 (tickets) or 7638 4141 (information); website: www.barbican.org.uk), is an all-inclusive performing and visual arts venue with a varied all-year programme of events. London Tourist Board’s Visitor Call service (tel: (0906) 133 7799) and Time Out magazine (website: www.timeout.com) provide details of the week’s entertainment. Ticket agencies include First Call Ticketing (tel: (0870) 840 1111) and Ticketmaster UK (tel: (020) 7344 4444; website: www.ticketmaster.co.uk). Music: The world-famous Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2 (tel: (020) 7304 4000; website: www.royalopera.org), has reopened after a facelift and is home to the excellent Royal Opera. However, despite some attempts to cut the price, ballet and opera tickets are still often fairly expensive. More accessible are performances by the English National Opera (website: www.eno.org) at the London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2 (tel: (020) 7632 8300). Large-scale concerts are sta