Where to stay in London: our guide to the best places

No trip to London is complete without a wander around the historic district of Soho. Pubs and bars where artists and writers like Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud used to drink are peppered on every corner and still attract the city’s countercultural creatives who flock to the iconic gay bars and hallowed music venues that have played host to countless jazz, blues and rock’n’roll icons, like the French House, the Coach & Horses and Ronnie Scotts. 

Today, you’ll find Soho a relatively polished place with chic cocktail bars and restaurant, but there are still relics of the area’s old school past with legendary old cafes and social clubs still going strong. Here are our favourite things to do in this bustling district or look at our pick of the best hotels in the area if you want to base yourself here. 

Staying in Kings Cross is as strategic as it is stylish in our opinion. The bustling area is as well-connected as it is ‘viby’, and for such a well-known pin drop on the old Monopoly board, it still has a decided neighbourhood feel.

Landmarks like Coal Drops and the station square (where Time Out cover star DJ AG can be found spinning beats) mean swish designer boutiques and edgy London street culture sit side-by-side, adding to King Cross’s not-too-gritty-but-not-too-polished appeal. And what it lacks in beer gardens and cute artisanal bakeries, it makes up for in music venues like Scala, cafes, pizzerias, cocktail bars and even a pop-up cinema on the canal during summer. Check out our favourite hotels in the area.

David Attenborough once said that Richmond was his favourite place in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Add a little countryside whimsy to your schedule by making a beeline for the leafy neighbourhood. Here you’ll find the huge grassy expanse that is Richmond Park, which sports freely roaming deer, woodland and hidden flower gardens. It also packs in the brilliant Kew Gardens and in the summer months there’s no better place for a stroll than its romantic riverside. 

Whether you want to see beautiful stately homes, explore hidden green spaces or sink a drink in a historic pub, you’ll find it here. Want to base yourself in the area? Check out our favourite Richmond hotels. 

Drawing in tourists like a moth to a flame, Covent Garden is very special indeed. In one afternoon, you could easily shop both ends of the fashion spectrum, pick up a black lava sea salt ice cream and watch the world’s longest running play (Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ if you’re wondering). 

It’s architecturally stunning thanks to its neo-classical piazza and market buildings and it’s packed full of culture as the home of the Royal Opera House and a slew of famous theatres. You’ll find lots of hotels here, some better than others, so we’ve recommended the ones worth your time in our guide. 

Once the home of the hipster, whether it’s cereal cafes, indie sleaze gig venues, or ‘fourth wave’ coffee shops, Shoreditch has seen a variety of fleeting trends and scenes for the last few decades, as art school kids began to infiltrate the area. The subcultural cool kids may be few and far between nowadays, but you’ll still find a creative edge in many of the bars, music venues and restaurants here.

Come the weekend, this is a place to party with rowdy clubs and nightlife, but you’ll also find plenty of wholesome things to do here too, like Brick Lane’s great curry houses, vintage shops stuffed with treasure, Columbia Road Flower Market and cultural gems like Dennis Severs’ House, Raven Row and Rich Mix. Thinking of sticking around? Check out our list of best hotels. 

London neighbourhoods don’t come more charming than Hampstead, its quaint village is full of cute shops, cafes and art studios. It’s also peppered with historic pubs which are the perfect place to rest your legs after stomping around Hampstead’s most famous spot: the Heath. 

Head to Hampstead Heath for glorious hilltop views of the London skyline, 790 acres of woodland, meadows and its three famous wild swimming ponds, which are the only place to be on a swelteringly hot summer’s day. Check out our guide to the best hotels in the area if you plan on spending more than a few days here. 

You may know Dalston for its main drags Kingsland High Street and Ridley Road, both of which deliver a decent night night out thanks to their share of wine bars, clubs and music venues that are open as late as it gets in London.

This is a genuinely diverse area and by exploring the back streets you’ll also find plenty of surprises. Its strong Turkish community makes it one of the best places in London to get a kebab, a haircut or a hammam scrub, while you can also embrace the quieter charms of London Fields and leafy Islington. Find out where to stay with our guide to the best hotels in the area. 

Tourists haven’t typically found their way to Peckham, but there’s plenty to love about this south east London neighbourhood. From the cacophonous thoroughfare of Rye Lane with its chaotic mix of fruit and veg stalls, clothing stores on top of chicken shops and arty cafes, to the quiet Rye where you’ll find sprawling greenery and charming pubs and restaurants. 

Have a mosey beneath its railway arches which are filled with breweries, bars and tattooists, hang out in historic boozers and  pie and mash shops, or catch a film at the beloved Peckham Plex. Stay nearby at our pick of the best south London hotels.

Camden Town spent decades as the bedrock of London’s alternative scene. Home to a bustling market teaming with unique vintage boutiques and stalls, iconic music venues like the historic Jazz Cafe and the Roundhouse which dates back to the swinging sixties, and a truly tantalizing array of street food from all over the globe, it has plenty to tempt tourists. 

You can have a wild night out here pretty easily, or head out on a scenic canal walk, oh, and don't mind the crowds. Find our pick of which hotels to book, here. 

Named after Clerks’ Well, which can still be seen on Farringdon Lane, Clerkenwell is the place to be if you want easy access to Michelin-starred restaurants (meat marvel St John is a highlight), buzzing markets and museums. 

Look out for excellent streetfood at Exmouth Market and Leather Lane and don’t miss its numerous museums and attractions housed in beautiful historic old buildings like the Charles Dickens Museum and The Postal Museum and Mail Rail. Make it your base while you’re here by checking into our pick of the best hotels.