Michelin Travel Publications (Firm) - Michelin Green Guide London, 10e

Key to maps

Soha, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, The Strand

Whitehall, Westminster, Buckingham, St Jamess, Pimlico

3a Knightsbridge, Kensington, Chelsea, Earls Court

3b Hyde Park

Mammersmith & Chiswick

Notting Hill, Bayswater, Paddington

Marylebone, Mayfair, Regents Park

Camden Town

Hampstead, Highgate

Bloomsbury, Holborn

10a The City

10b Clerkenwell, Islington

Hoxton, Shoreditch, Spitalfields, Whitechapel

Docklands

Lambeth, South Bank, Bankside, Borough

Greenwich

Southwest London

THE GREEN GUIDE LONDON

Note to the reader Addresses, phone numbers, opening hours and prices published in this guide are accurate at the time of press. We welcome corrections and suggestions that may assist us in preparing the next edition. While every effort is made to ensure that all information printed in this guide is correct and up-to-date, Michelin Travel Partner accepts no liability for any direct, indirect or consequential losses howsoever caused so far as such can be excluded by law.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

The blue-tabbed PLANNING YOUR TRIP section at the front of the guide gives you ideas for your trip and practical information to help you organise it. Youll find tours, practical information, a host of outdoor activities, a calendar of events, information on shopping, sightseeing, kids activities and more.

INTRODUCTION

The orange-tabbed INTRODUCTION section explores Londons History, spanning Roman Londinium to Henry VIII and to the modern day. The Art and Culture section covers architecture, art, literature and music, while London Today delves into modern London.

DISCOVERING

The green-tabbed DISCOVERING section features Principal Sights by region, featuring the most interesting local Sights and Walking Tours. Admission prices shown are normally for a single adult.

ADDRESSES

Weve selected the best hotels, restaurants, cafs, shops, nightlife and entertainment to fit all budgets. See the Legend on the cover flap for an explanation of the price categories. See Your Stay in London for a comprehensive list of hotels and restaurants.

Sidebars

Throughout the guide you will find blue , peach and green -coloured text boxes with lively anecdotes, detailed history and background information.

w A Bit of Advice w

Green advice boxes found in this guide contain practical tips and handy information relevant to your visit or to a sight in the Discovering section.

STAR RATINGS aaa

Michelin has given star ratings for more than 100 years. If youre pressed for time, we recommend you visit the aaa , or aa sights first:

MAPS

All maps in this guide are oriented north, unless otherwise indicated by a directional arrow. The term Local Map refers to a map within the chapter or Tourism Region. A complete list of the maps found in the guide appears at the back of this book.

CONTENTS

Monica Wells/Travel Pictures

Damian Davies/age fotostock

Welcome to London

As Samuel Johnson so famously said, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life and indeed, there are enough attractions, sights and sounds in Europes most exciting city to keep even the most jaded traveller happy for many weeks. The UKs capital is known not only for its British traditions but also for its thoroughly modern multicultural outlook, and youll find facets of almost every global culture have made their mark.

Juggler in the Piazza, Covent Garden

Imagestate/Tips Imagesa

WEST END ()

The beating heart of London, this vibrant district of theatres, restaurants, pubs and bars, centres around the cobbled piazza of Covent Garden with its famous street performers and the tight-knit grid of streets which make up the edgier entertainment district of Soho. This is an area to spend some quality time, whether relaxing at a pavement caf, taking in a musical or dancing the night away at a buzzing nightclub.

MAYFAIR, MARYLEBONE, REGENTS PARK ()

Two of the citys most upmarket areas, Mayfair and Marylebone, are located on the western edge and feature wide, quiet streets, leafy squares and luxurious shops and restaurants. Major shopping thoroughfare Oxford Street divides them, while to the North, Regents Park attracts Londoners and visitors alike to stroll in the grounds and picnic or play games on the grass, and visit the world-famous zoo.

POLITICAL CENTRE ()

Westminster is both Londons political centre and the home of the Monarchy, with HM The Queens official residence, Buckingham Palace, located to the west, and both the Houses of Parliament (Britains seat of government) and Westminster Abbey (site of coronations and royal weddings for centuries) near the banks of the Thames in the east. Whitehall, lined with the offices of almost every government department, links this area with the West End.

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA ()

Long the preserve of the wealthy and influential, the twin royal boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea are located to the West of Westminster, on the north bank of the Thames. South Kensington, the home of several major national museums, is the area many visitors gravitate towards, while Hyde Park is a serene place for a stroll. The chic boutiques of Knightsbridge and the Kings Road provide ample opportunity for window shopping.