Where to eat, drink and go out in London: 33 picks for study-abroad students, with student-vetted picks marked and prices in dollars.
Market · London Bridge / Southwark
Student-vetted pick.
London's big historic food market under the railway, full of street food stalls and produce.
Best for: lunch while grazing
Best time: late morning to lunch
Heads up: Very crowded on Saturdays; go on a weekday if you can.
Market · Hackney (by London Fields)
Student-vetted pick.
A local street food and produce market, then a picnic in London Fields.
Best for: a slow Saturday with locals
Best time: Saturday morning
Market · Bermondsey
Student-vetted pick.
A smaller, less touristy food market tucked under railway arches.
Best for: Borough Market food without the crowds
Best time: weekend, late morning
Market · Camden
Student-vetted pick.
A big, alternative market of street food, vintage and stalls along the canal.
Best for: street food and browsing
Best time: afternoon
Heads up: Busy and touristy on weekends; watch your phone.
Market · Deptford
Student-vetted pick.
Food stalls and small shops in railway arches by Deptford station, a local south-east London spot.
Best for: a local food stop, pairs with Greenwich
Best time: weekend daytime
Viewpoint · City of London (20 Fenchurch Street)
Student-vetted pick.
A free indoor garden and viewing deck at the top of the "Walkie-Talkie" building.
Best for: a free view with a drink
Price: free
Booking: Free, but book a slot online. Slots are usually released about 3 weeks ahead, on Mondays.
Best time: daytime or sunset
Heads up: Bring ID; there is security at the door.
From a student who went: “It's free but you need to book a spot.”
Activity · several London sites
Student-vetted pick.
Crazy golf built from junk and neon, with cocktails at the bar.
Best for: a group activity before drinks
Booking: Book a tee time ahead for weekends.
Best time: evening
Activity · several London sites (Shoreditch, Bloomsbury, Victoria)
Student-vetted pick.
Social darts with automatic scoring, with drinks and food served at your oche.
Best for: a group activity before drinks
Booking: Book an oche ahead.
Best time: evening
Activity · Shoreditch (Curtain Road)
Student-vetted pick.
A ball-pit cocktail bar for adults, with glowing ball pits and games.
Best for: a silly night with a group, a birthday
Booking: Book a ticket online ahead.
Best time: evening
Heads up: Smart-casual dress code.
Museum · Holborn
Student-vetted pick.
A small arcade of homemade, satirical coin-operated machines. Strange and very funny.
Best for: a quirky hour nobody else will have done
Best time: afternoon
Activity · Greenwich Peninsula
Student-vetted pick.
A guided climb over the roof of The O2 on a walkway, with a view across the city.
Best for: a view with a bit of adventure
Booking: Book a climb slot online ahead.
Best time: afternoon or sunset
Viewpoint · City of London (22 Bishopsgate)
Student-vetted pick.
A free viewing gallery on the 58th floor, higher than Sky Garden, with views across the whole city.
Best for: the best free view in London
Price: free
Booking: Free, but book a slot online. Slots go fast; a few walk-ins are released each day.
Best time: daytime or sunset
Heads up: Bring ID; there is airport-style security.
Garden · Barbican
Student-vetted pick.
A huge tropical greenhouse hidden inside the Barbican's concrete estate.
Best for: a calm hour and great photos
Price: free
Booking: Free, but open only on select days and you usually book a slot online.
Best time: daytime, on its open days
Area · Shoreditch / Spitalfields
Student-vetted pick.
Street art, vintage shops, bagel shops and weekend markets.
Best for: a wander, vintage shopping, cheap food
Best time: Sunday, when the markets are on
Area · Covent Garden
Student-vetted pick.
A tiny, brightly painted courtyard with cafés, tucked off Covent Garden.
Best for: a quick photo stop and coffee
Best time: daytime
Walk · Hampstead
Student-vetted pick.
A huge wild park with a city view from Parliament Hill and outdoor swimming ponds.
Best for: a long walk and a skyline view
Price: free
Best time: daytime; Parliament Hill at sunset
Walk · South Bank / Waterloo
Student-vetted pick.
The riverside walk past the National Theatre, a book market under the bridge and skate park graffiti.
Best for: a free river walk
Price: free
Best time: late afternoon into evening
Garden · Greenwich
Student-vetted pick.
A big hilltop park with one of the best views back to the city skyline.
Best for: a half-day out with Greenwich market
Price: free
Best time: daytime
Museum · Bankside
Student-vetted pick.
A modern art museum in an old power station; the free viewing level has a good river view.
Best for: a free museum, pairs with the South Bank
Price: free
Best time: daytime
Museum · Bloomsbury
Student-vetted pick.
A huge world-history museum (the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies).
Best for: a free museum; pick two or three rooms
Price: free
Booking: Free; booking a time slot is optional but helps at busy times.
Best time: weekday morning
Garden · City of London (near St Paul's)
Student-vetted pick.
A tiny hidden garden with a wall of ceramic plaques for ordinary people who died saving others.
Best for: a quiet 15 minutes near St Paul's
Price: free
Best time: daytime
Museum · Holborn (Lincoln's Inn Fields)
Student-vetted pick.
An architect's house packed floor to ceiling with art and antiques, left exactly as he arranged it.
Best for: a strange, small free museum
Price: free
Best time: daytime
Cocktail bar · Spitalfields
Student-vetted pick.
A hidden speakeasy reached through a fridge door inside a breakfast café.
Best for: a secret-bar first drink
Booking: Walk-ins usually fine; book for a weekend night.
Best time: evening
Cocktail bar · Soho (Kingly Court)
Student-vetted pick.
A 1940s wartime bar built like an old Underground station, with swing music and themed cocktails.
Best for: a themed night out with a group
Booking: Book ahead, especially Thursday to Saturday.
Best time: evening
Bar · Hackney (Haggerston)
Student-vetted pick.
A board game café and bar with hundreds of games and staff who teach you the rules.
Best for: a low-key night, a group that wants to talk
Booking: Book a table for evenings and weekends.
Best time: afternoon or evening
Bar · Clapham Common
Student-vetted pick.
A wine bar inside a converted Victorian public toilet by Clapham Common station, with cheese and charcuterie boards.
Best for: a date or small-group wine night
Best time: evening
Live music · Shoreditch
Student-vetted pick.
A Shoreditch pub with a small live-music room upstairs for new bands and DJ nights.
Best for: a pint and a gig
Best time: evening
Cocktail bar · Hackney (Mare Street, near Cambridge Heath)
Student-vetted pick.
A dark absinthe bar with fountains, inside the Last Tuesday Society and the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities.
Best for: something strange and memorable
Booking: Reservations strongly encouraged, especially Friday and Saturday.
Best time: evening
Club · Farringdon
Student-vetted pick.
London's best-known techno and drum-and-bass club, in old meat-market cellars.
Best for: a big electronic night
Booking: Buy tickets online ahead; popular nights sell out.
Best time: late night, Fri–Sat
Heads up: Bring ID; door checks are strict.
Club · Brixton
Student-vetted pick.
A one-room club known for long DJ sets and a strong sound system.
Best for: a night for people who care about the music
Booking: Buy tickets online ahead.
Best time: late night, Fri–Sat
Club · Elephant & Castle
Student-vetted pick.
A small, underground two-room club under railway arches.
Best for: an underground electronic night
Booking: Buy tickets online ahead.
Best time: late night
Club · Elephant & Castle
Student-vetted pick.
The famous big London superclub, with several rooms and a huge sound system.
Best for: the classic big-club night
Booking: Buy tickets online ahead.
Best time: late night, Fri–Sat
Heads up: Bring ID.
Club · Soho
Student-vetted pick.
A basement club with cheap entry, throwback and chart music, and a student crowd.
Best for: a cheap, easy weeknight out
Booking: Usually pay on the door; some nights also sell tickets online.
Best time: late night; Tuesday is a popular student night