Springtime in London: City Guide & Photo Diary

I’m back with part two of our springtime trip to England: in this edition, I’ll be sharing everything we got up to during our five days in London. You can read part one, covering the Lake District, here.

Earlier this year, as I felt my 30th birthday very quickly creeping up, I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to spend it than London. London is a place I’ve felt an inexplicable draw to ever since I was a teenager, so it just felt right to celebrate such a big birthday here, in a city that always feels a bit like coming back to myself.

Below I’m sharing where we went, ate, shopped, and stayed during our five days in the city, in the hopes that it might help you with any future travels. Bear in mind that this was my sixth trip to the city so we spent most of our time more deeply exploring the neighbourhoods we love, from Shoreditch to Notting Hill, rather than visiting too many of the tourist hot-spots. Less an itinerary and more so a list of personal recommendations from my desk to yours, these are the places I would share with a friend if they asked for my favourite spots.

TO STAY

I personally love staying in two different hotels when I visit a city, and given that there were two legs to our time in London (one night before heading to the Lake District and five nights upon our return), it made sense to stay in two spots and explore a couple of different neighbourhoods.

Our first night was spent at Templeton Garden in Earl’s Court, which is a neighbourhood I had stayed in twice prior and really enjoy as a home base. Walking distance from many of the museums in Kensington and situated right on the Circle and District lines, the neighbourhood is central enough without feeling like you’re right in the thick of it. The hotel itself is set on a quiet Victorian terrace-lined street and backs onto a lovely private garden, so it really felt like a peaceful oasis. The restaurant, Pippins, and lobby bar, Sprout, are both beautiful, and the lobby is so serene (and scented in Santal 33).

We stayed in one of their ‘Classic’ rooms, which was actually quite spacious considering it’s their smallest two-person room. I was pleasantly surprised to find a gorgeous balcony with a small bistro table overlooking the street. The room was decorated in a palette of muted tones with warm woods and was full of English charm. It was an absolute treat staying here and I would absolutely come back for a longer stay.

For our second hotel we headed a little bit more central to Paddington, to stay at the absolutely beautiful Grand Hotel Bellevue. Tucked away on a quiet tree-lined street away from the bustling station, and overlooking the serene Norfolk Square, this thoughtfully designed escape is set within another row of elegant Victorian townhouses. Stepping into the lobby, there’s a dramatic moodiness that feels akin to stepping into a dimly-lit jazz bar — all lacquered surfaces and velvet seating.

Pondicherry Bar in the lobby is the perfect little spot for a nightcap, with its dim lighting and Emily Adams Bode-designed tapestries hanging on the wall. The halls feel almost labyrinthine, which creates a sense of mystery and brings some welcome privacy and quiet that you don’t often see in larger hotels — it really felt like we had a little wing to ourselves and we didn’t see a single other guest on our floor.

Upstairs, our room felt luxurious. High ceilings with ornate cornicing, plush dark green carpet with matching linen curtains, and dark wood accents (including an oversized headboard and a wardrobe I’ll be dreaming about), the room felt layered and so inviting. Spending a few days here was the cherry on top of a truly magical trip and I would happily book in here again.

TO DO

• Victoria & Albert Museum | The V&A is one of my favourite museums in London, specializing in decorative arts. Their South Kensington location is absolutely massive and it wouldn’t be difficult to spend a full afternoon perusing the incredible fashion, textiles, and design history here. There is also the newly-opened V&A East Storehouse, which turns the archives into a museum in its own right.
• The Design Museum | We came to the Design Museum specifically to see the Wes Anderson Archives exhibition, which is on through August 16, 2026 and was absolutely incredible. Displaying Wes Anderson’s personal archives, along with set pieces, costumes, and puppets from across his decades-long career. We spent nearly three hours combing through absolutely everything, and watching all of the short films on view, which sadly meant we didn’t have time to explore the rest of the museum. However, it’s worth coming for this exhibition alone if you’re able, just make sure to book ahead.

• The National Gallery | Another of my favourite museums in London, I think this trip may have been the first that I didn’t visit! I’ve been enough over the years to know this is a gorgeous spot to spend several hours (particularly ideal for a rainy day), and like most museums in London, entry is completely free. From da Vinci to Van Gogh, Botticelli to Constable, and one of my all-time favourite works, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, the Gallery is kind of a must and I’m so disappointed we couldn’t make it here this time!
• Museum of the Home | One museum I’ve not yet had the chance to visit is Museum of the Home, located in Shoreditch. Exploring all things related to domestic life, from account books to wallpaper, the Museum of the Home sounds right up my street.
• Eltham Palace | One more that’s on my list still to visit — Eltham Palace. Combining 1930s art deco with a medieval royal palace, it looks absolutely exquisite.
• Notting Hill | As much as I tried to emulate the cool east London girls during my teenage years, I’ve come to accept that I’m a west London girl at heart and could happily spend all day strolling through Notting Hill along Portobello Road, Westbourne Grove, and Golborne Road. The Portobello Road Market runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and is fun to peruse if you can make it there early enough. Westbourne Grove is one of my favourite nooks for shopping, with stores like Sézane, Me+Em, Rixo, Daylesford Organic, and Couverture & the Garbstore in an environment that feels distinctly less touristy than somewhere like Soho or Covent Garden. If you have a rainy evening to contend with, Electric Cinema is the perfect spot to spend a few hours.
• Marylebone & Soho | These two neighbourhoods are kitty-corner to each other and make for a very quintessential London stroll. In & around the Marylebone high street are some must-visit shops and cafés (Daunt Books, Flabelus, VV Rouleaux to name a few), and continuing southeast, you’ll find yourself in the heart of Swinging Sixties-era London in Soho.

• Wander through Kensington Gardens | Take a stroll through Kensington Gardens for a little escape from the bustling city. Originally one of King Henry VIII’s many hunting parks, then a place for the fashionable set in Georgian-era London to people watch, and most recently, a beautiful public park for all to enjoy. I love sitting next to Round Pond with the swans, and there’s even a wildflower meadow to the south-east of the palace.
• Columbia Road Flower Market | If you’re just visiting, flowers might not be the most useful purchase, but I couldn’t recommend a trip to Columbia Road more. Happening on Sundays, the market is a feast for the eyes — I saw the most incredible hydrangeas I’ve ever seen in my life here and I haven’t stopped thinking about them. It’s worth going just to admire the beautiful blooms, and there are many lovely shops along the strip that are a bit more suitcase friendly so you can easily fill a morning here.

TO SHOP

• Liberty | In my mind, no trip to London is complete without a trip to Liberty (at least if you care about textiles, design history, and beautiful department stores). It’s my favourite store in the world and feels reminiscent of a time when people truly cared about the clothes they wore — Oscar Wilde described it as “the chosen resort of the artistic shopper.” Liberty is about so much more than selling clothing: what began in the late 1800’s as a store selling imported fabrics, became a textile designer in its own right, and even helped to pioneer the Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts movements. It’s equal parts museum and incredible shopping experience — a must visit!

• Straw London | A gorgeous east London shop, Straw can be found on Columbia Road. Selling beautiful baskets, clothing, knitted accessories (like the bonnette I couldn’t stop wearing all winter), small homewares, and those hemp rubber garden clogs, it feels like a quaint village shop in the middle of bustling London.
• If Only If | My nightgown purveyor of choice, IOI is a dressing room-esque shop in the heart of Belgravia. I beelined here immediately after landing and dropping my bags off at the hotel to buy this very special nightie.

• Hai | This sweet little shop in Shoreditch is a silk lover’s heaven. They design beautifully feminine pieces that still feel so wearable, and have expanded into cottons and knits if silk isn’t quite your thing. I have one of their little silk bags that I use for special occasions, and although I didn’t leave with one, their silk dresses have firmly skyrocketed to the top of my wishlist.
• Fermoie | Founded in 2012 by the previous owners of Farrow & Ball, Fermoie is a British designer and printer of fine textiles. Their fabrics are all designed in-house and have this incredible way of interacting with light. At their Pimlico Road showroom, they sell fabrics, wallpapers, lampshades, and cushions, and also have an amazing sample room that was just calling my name. It’s officially on my bucket list to have a Fermoie lampshade one day. A really fun one to visit if you’re into textiles!
• MG&Co | A hardware and home goods store just off Pimlico Road, MG&Co is owned by interior designer Matilda Goad. Calling this a hardware store is something of a misnomer; these aren’t your ordinary hooks and knobs but true pieces of art in their own right. The perfect spot for some unique pieces for your home — I picked up four of these incredible knobs for our closets and have half a mind to also order these hand towels and matching bath mat as well.

• Studio Faeger | An interior design studio and home goods shop in Connaught Village, not far from Paddington Station, Faeger sells home goods inspired by the English countryside and quintessential British living — think whimsical hand-painted lampshades, refinished antiques, and beautiful linens.
• C.Atherley | Founded by Cath Kidston (the woman herself, and unrelated to her eponymous brand), C.Atherley creates bath, body, and home products inspired by the scented-leaf geranium. The brand offers a gorgeous mix of items across their four scents, each one based upon a specific variety of the plant. I left with a hand cream in the original scent, and it’s both excellent as a functional product but also just a beautiful aromatherapy experience to use. You can visit the shop in Connaught Village.

• VV Rouleaux | A ribbon and trimmings shop in Marylebone that’s unlike anything I’ve ever visited before. Rows upon rows of ribbon, tassels, trims — it’s just magical. Worth going here just to overhear the conversations between customers and staff; there was one woman having a custom hat designed (yes, they do that in the store as well) for Ascot — if only! I left with a gorgeous beaded tassel that now has pride of place hanging on my MG&Co. doorknob.
• Daunt Books | Touristy, yes, but the Daunt Books location in Marylebone is a sight to behold. It’s just a beautiful book shopping experience if you can time it right (I recommend coming early). They also have a lovely, albeit much smaller, location in Notting Hill if you’d like to avoid the Marylebone crowds.
• Choosing Keeping | The stationery lovers among us already know Choosing Keeping, but if you aren’t tapped in, this is a magical shop in Covent Garden selling the most incredible array of stationery, art supplies, and novelty items from all over the world. It’s a store that makes me believe I can live a life more beautiful than I’d ever imagined, and makes me want to learn calligraphy and send letters with a wax seal bearing my initials.

• Daylesford Organic | Oh how I love Daylesford. We stayed at one of their properties in the Cotswolds several years ago and ever since, I’ve felt a bit sentimental about the shop. They have a couple outposts in London where you can of course buy beautiful produce and other groceries, but they also sell beautiful homewares as well. I particularly love the Bamford toiletries; the shop sells the same products they stock their hotel rooms with, and the scents always transport me right back to the Cotswolds.
• D.R. Harris & Co. | One of the oldest pharmacies in London, D.R. Harris & Co. is an experience akin to C.O. Bigelow in New York and Santa Maria Novella in Florence — a genuine old world apothecary that feels like stepping back in time. Much of the furniture is original to the shop’s opening in the late-18th century, and they still make the same products that made them popular with the fashionable set in Georgian-era London.

TO EAT & DRINK

• Regency Café | This little café opened in 1946 and feels untouched by time. Serving up English classics in a no frills setting, you can spot the café in this conversation between Paul Mescal and Paul McCartney. We visited a few days before this video was released and it was extremely validating — I guess I do have an idea of the cool spots!

• Dishoom | An obvious one but we simply cannot visit a city with a Dishoom and not visit. We ate at the Kensington location this time and it was beautiful. Get the black daal and chicken ruby.
• Paul Rothe & Son | A cozy little deli in Marylebone that’s been owned and operated by the same family since 1900. It’s another one of those spots that feels torn out of a different time, and stepping inside, I’m always struck by the length of the menu and the number of jam jars lining the walls. I love coming here for lunch, sitting at the window, and just watching the world go by. If choices overwhelm you like they do me, just get the pastrami and pickle sandwich — it’s incredible.
• Lina Stores | The perfect spot for a bite to eat after visiting one of the many museums in South Kensington (or, visit one of their nine other locations around town). Some of the most delicious fresh pasta I’ve had outside of Italy!

• Towpath | A sweet little canal-side café in De Beauvoir Town, Towpath feels like a real hidden gem and community gathering place. I’d recommend coming early as the tables do fill up. A very special spot!
• The Dreamery | A tiny and very whimsical ice cream and natural wine spot in east London not far from Towpath. The chocolate olive oil ice cream is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted — rich, salty, earthy.
• Slayer Pizza | A little NYC-esque pizza spot on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill. Very cute inside and while not the best pizza I’ve ever had (Toronto has a surprisingly amazing pizza scene so my standards are quite high), I would go back for the vibes.
• Layla | A very cute neighbourhood bakery and café with locations in Notting Hill and Acton.
• Granger & Co. | Come here for the best ricotta and banana pancakes you may ever taste. We came to the Marylebone location and I adored the ’70s-inspired interiors and massive skylight, but they have three other locations around the city depending on what suits.
• The Standard Hotel Bar | We came here for a little pre-dinner tipple on my birthday. Very sexy and very ’70s inside, and the drinks were delightful. Bonus points for the photobooth.

• The Hero | My birthday dinner spot and the most special meal of the trip. The Hero is a pub in Maida Vale that’s part of a restaurant group called Public House which runs a number of other spots all around town. The main pub is on the ground floor, but the upstairs dining room is truly lovely. Both the interiors and the food are laid back and familiar like any pub should be, but done so beautifully. We shared the chicken and tarragon pie, chips, lemon meringue ice cream, and ginger pudding, and it was everything I wanted for my birthday.

I hope this list provides a little bit of inspiration for your next trip to London. It’s a city I love so dearly and I’m already yearning to go back.