ooooh, sea-change’s london suggestions!
(this is completely unorganized and probably missing SO MUCH OMG, but:)
-brick lane and spitalfields market
-portobello market
-if you get a nice enough day, start at tower bridge and walk along the southbank of the thames to westminster - you’ll pass all sorts of amazing stuff.
-relatedly, i think the tower’s pretty great
-and also the globe (although the main thing there is the performances, and they may be over?)
-and borough market! another thing you’ll pass on the walk, or otherwise the easiest way to get there is from the london bridge tube stop. it’s a food market, and everything there (from fresh-pressed juice to fish&chips to chai to homemade sausage) is amaaazing. in fact, jamie oliver’s favourite butcher operates out of the market! (if you go once, trust me, the fish curry at the centre of the market is what you want to make sure you eat. if you go twice, there’s a ‘grilled cheese’ stand nearer the back that… literally grills cheese and puts in on bread.)
-sticking with the food theme, if you like italian, trattoria mondello’s on goodge street is a must.
-the idler academy is really great, even if you’re just visiting their cafe/shop
-likewise the last tuesday society is sublime, but if you can’t attend an event, their curiosity shop is super great!
-if you’re obsessed with perfumery, like me, then penhaligon’s is a must-stop. my scent of choice is juniper sling, and make sure you smell it as i’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t love it, but there’s something for everyone’s tastes.
-another daytrip option is brighton, which i loved.
-marylebone high street in general. it’s got daunt books and a bunch of other lovely shops. you could spend the morning wandering regent’s park, the afternoon shopping, and the evening at the marylebone!
-piccadilly street - particularly, waterstones’ flagship store (if only for the view from the 5th floor over central london), fortnum & mason (for tea & preserves!), and hatchard’s (stephen fry’s favourite bookstore!). also, there’s a little antique market in the courtyard of a church just down from there, and the royal academy’s just across the street - which, even just the courtyard is worth taking a look in (sometimes the exhibits aren’t of interest tbh).
-and, of course, do everything in your power to get to at least one theatre production! the west end can be pricey, but there are day-of discounts, as well as markdowns for people under 26. and there’s tonnes of other theatres, too. the lyric, the bush, battersea arts centre, and the southwark playhouse, to name just a few, all always have excellent seasons for generally much cheaper than the west end. (another thing to note: for the most part, musicals are more expensive.)
-if you want to go for high tea, the haymarket hotel on - unsurprisingly - haymarket in central london is a great choice.
