Quirky Spots to Visit in London

by Nicole Clendinning

Not only is London the biggest financial Hub in the UK, it has been termed the world’s most innovative and influential global city. While there is no shortage of sights to see and things to do upon your first visit here, I’ve outlined some must see spots within London that are more off the beaten path.

Markets

There are currently around 280 markets in London,
some outdoors, some indoors, and ranging from selling food to groceries to
vintage clothing. While some smaller markets are only open on the weekend the
following are open 7 day a week.

Brick Lane Market

Not only home to an international food
hall, this market is also home to one of the largest vintage clothing markets
in London. Underneath the main food hall you will see a neon lined stairway
leading to an underground vintage clothing paradise! On days with good weather
the market spills outside into the main courtyard with food trucks and other
creative vendors.

Borough Market

Located right under London bridge, Borough
Market is quite large and popular on weekends as they sell a variety of
produce, cheese and meats that are harder to find in the grocery shops.

The exterior of Bridget Jones’ flat from
the movie series can be seen here, as well as the exterior of the ‘Leaky
Cauldron’ bar from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban!

Camden Market

One of the larger and more permanent
markets in London, Camden market is comprised of shops rather than pop up stalls.
Stables Market within Camden market has vendors selling out of what used to be
horse stalls for the Pickford Horse Hospital and guests can find unique
clothes, food and décor in the area. Surrounded by a network of canals and home
to influential musicians such as Amy Winehouse and The WHO, Camden is a unique
area popular for its rock music influence and is a London must-see!

Pop Brixton and BoxPark

Pop Brixton is a
food and drink market located in Brixton. The entire market is self contained
and made out of stacked shipping containers. Popular on a night out, visitors
are ID’d at the door upon entry and are able to flow freely between
restaurants, beer gardens, a small dining hall and a dancehall.

 Located in Shoreditch, BoxPark has the same
idea as POPBrixton but is a retail space as opposed to a food and drink spot.

Café’s and restaurants

God’s Own Junkyard

God’s Own Junkyard is a spot that screams Quirky.
The shop is home to the largest stock of vintage and neon signs in all of Europe.
Its free to enter and visitors can grab a bite to eat next door at the Rolling
Stones café.

The Breakfast Club

A chain of restaurants serving all day
breakfast around the city at a reasonable price. But before you go, be sure to
check out each location’s website prior to arrival, as many of them operate
secret bars within the restaurant, accessible by stating a secret phrase to the
host.

Churchill Arms

Very well landscaped flower covered pub
near Hyde park that boasts great pub style food and excellent photo
opportunities!

• Dans Le Noir- Farringdon

Diners eat in the dark and served by blind
staff. The restaurant’s website describes it as a ‘Unique sensory experience
that allows you to re-evaluate your perception of taste as this sense is
heightened with the absence of sight’. Definitely a cool experience!

Scenic/
Tourist

Getting Around

The transportation system in London was
designed to be efficient, considering it transports around 2 million people
each day on busses and tubes. When out sightseeing an alternative to using
London transportation is to purchase a ticket for a private hop-on-hop-off bus
system whose routes are designed to showcase the city’s top attractions and
sights. While these tickets can be pricey, I would suggest taking a ride on the
DLR line or the London Overground. For the price of normal subway fares, you can
ride these Overground tube’s which provide a good view of the city from above
and have a couple lines each, allowing you to do the whole network for a max
rate of £13.

Vauxhall City Farm

A notable quality of London is the lack of
green spaces and nature outside of the designated parks as the city is so
populated. In addition to Regent’s Park and Hyde Parks in central London, be
sure to check out Vauxhall City farm just a 5-minute walk south of the river Thames.
For a donation, guests are invited into the farm run by volunteers and able to
participate in the petting zoo and learn about all the farm animals they have
there. There is also a small restaurant guests can grab a bite to eat at, or a
hot drink on a chilly day (as its open all year round)

Roman Temple of Mithras

The city of London is over 2000 years old
and is full of history and culture. Although it is not hard to forget whilst
walking around and admiring the architecture of the old buildings in central
London, the Roman Temple of Mithras is a sure reminder of the city’s age.  Just south of central Bank station, a
Mithreum temple was discovered under one of the city’s busy streets in 1954
prior to a building’s construction that dates back to the 3^rd
century Romans!

Neals Yard

Hidden just off the main road, Neal’s Yard
is a colorfully decorated courtyard in Covent Garden. Tourists will find
multiple restaurants with patios in addition to the Neals Yard Remedy flagship
store. While you’re there, be sure to check out Homeslice pizza for a rotating
menu of craft 20” pizzas to share or sold by the slice!

Interested in studying in the UK? You can find out more by contacting one of our advisors!