MINI GUIDE
Art in London
COMPILED BY LORNA PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PETER DRAGICEVICH, STEVE FALLON, EMILIE FILOU AND DAMIAN HARPER. PHOTOGRAPHS: © TATE PHOTOGRPAHY, UKARTPICS/ALAMY, © VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON, SIMON BROWN, KRIS KIRKHAM PHOTOGRAPHYLondon essentials The know-how
FURTHER READING
Lonely Planet’s London
(US$21.99) is a
comprehensive guide to
visiting the city, individual
chapters available at
lonelyplanet.com (US$4.95);
for short breaks, there’s
Pocket London (US$13.99).
Check out artmonthly.co.uk
for listings of London gallery
previews, events and closing
exhibitions. The Improbability
of Love (US$19.99;
Bloomsbury) is
a satirical window into the
London art
scene by
Hannah
Rothschild,
chair of the
National
Gallery.BEST GALLERY EATING
ONational Dining Rooms Oliver
Peyton’s restaurant at the
National Gallery features
seasonal regional specialities
(below), plus an extensive
selection of British cheeses
for a light lunch (peyton
andbyrne.co.uk; Sainsbury Wing;
lunch from US$10).
OPortrait This restaurant above
the National Portrait Gallery
overlooks Trafalgar Square and
Westminster. The brunch and
afternoon tea are highly
recommended (npg.
org.uk; afternoon tea US$36).
OWallace An idyllically placed
brasserie in the courtyard of the
Wallace Collection. The emphasis
is on seasonal French-inspired
dishes, or you can partake in the
English tradition of afternoon tea
(wallacecollection.org/visiting/
thewallace-restaurant;
Manchester Sq;
afternoon tea
US$24.50).Lime Tree Hotel is a
family-run hotel in a Georgian
townhouse exuding understated
elegance, championing British
design and has a lovely garden
in which to catch the afternoon
sun (limetreehotel.co.uk; 135–137
Ebury St; from US$160).
Every bedroom is put
together like a work of art at
The Soho Hotel. The location
is perfect, close to the West
End’s shops, restaurants, theatres
and big-hitting galleries
(sohohotel.com; 4 Richmond
Mews; from US$470).WHERE TO STAY
Stylish Citizen M has super-
king-sized beds and bright décor
in its rooms. Its restaurant works
on a self-service basis and the
bar/lounge is a clever blend of
designer and homely style
(citizenm.com/london-bankside;
20 Lavington St; from US$150).TRANSPORT
Direct flights are available on
Bristish Airways from Singapore
and Kuala Lumpur to London
Heathrow (ba.com; from
US$691). The airport is well
served by train and bus, and has
its own tube station. Public
transport in London is expensive
but comprehensive: buy an
Oyster card from any of the
city’s tube stations for cheaper
fares (zone 1 single from
US$3.20; tfl.gov.uk). Or hire a
public ‘Boris bike’ (US$2.70
access fee, first half-hour free,
US$2.70 for every half-hour
after that; tfl.gov.uk/modes/
cycling/santander-cycles).A room in the two-bedroom
Soho Suite at The Soho HotelSights Sleeping