The back story
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The back story
The City of London and Southwark: the back story
The Roman city and the Square Mile of finance, and across the river, Southwark’s theatres, markets and inns.
Neighbourhood guide · the Square Mile and Bankside
The City & Southwark: Our Favourites
St Paul’s, the Tower and Tower Bridge, the Sky Garden and The Ned, and across the river, Tate Modern, the Globe, Borough Market and The Shard.
What's onThis week in London
What to see and do
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Wren’s masterpiece
St Paul’s Cathedral
Sir Christopher Wren’s great domed cathedral, completed in the early 18th century, with galleries to climb for views over London.
St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8ADExplore View on map
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The Crown Jewels
Tower of London
A castle by the Thames founded by William the Conqueror, home to the Crown Jewels, the Yeoman Warders and the ravens.
Tower of London, EC3N 4ABExplore View on map
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High-level walkways
Tower Bridge
London’s most famous bridge, opened in 1894, with high-level walkways, glass floors and the Victorian engine rooms to visit.
Tower Bridge Road, SE1 2UPExplore View on map
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A garden in the sky
Sky Garden
A three-storey garden with viewing terraces at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, with views across London.
1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AFExplore View on map
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A Victorian covered market
Leadenhall Market
An ornate Victorian covered market in the City, with painted ironwork and glass roofs over shops, pubs and restaurants.
Gracechurch Street, EC3V 1LTExplore View on map
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London’s great food market
Borough Market
A historic food market by London Bridge, with stalls of produce, cheese and street food under Victorian ironwork.
8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TLExplore View on map
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London’s highest views
The View from The Shard
Viewing galleries near the top of The Shard, the tallest building in the UK, including an open-air skydeck.
Joiner Street, SE1 9QUExplore View on map
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London’s oldest Gothic church
Southwark Cathedral
A Gothic cathedral beside Borough Market and London Bridge, with links to Shakespeare and a peaceful churchyard.
London Bridge, SE1 9DAExplore View on map
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A Second World War cruiser
HMS Belfast
A Royal Navy cruiser from the Second World War, moored on the Thames near Tower Bridge and open to explore.
The Queen’s Walk, SE1 2JHExplore View on map
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Modern art in a power station
Tate Modern
The national museum of modern and contemporary art, in a former power station on Bankside, with the vast Turbine Hall.
Bankside, SE1 9TGExplore View on map
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Shakespeare in the open air
Shakespeare’s Globe
A reconstruction of Shakespeare’s open-air playhouse on Bankside, with plays in summer, candlelit performances in winter and tours.
21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DTExplore View on map
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Brutalist arts centre
Barbican Centre
A great arts centre in the Brutalist Barbican Estate, with concerts, theatre, cinema, art galleries and a tropical conservatory.
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DSExplore View on map
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Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate
Horizon 22
A viewing gallery on Level 58 of 22 Bishopsgate in the City, with 300-degree views; visits are booked in advance in timed slots.
22 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4BQExplore View on map
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A garden in a ruined church
St Dunstan-in-the-East
The shell of a Wren-era church, damaged in the Blitz, now a garden of climbing plants and trees in the heart of the City.
St Dunstan’s Hill, EC3R 5DDExplore View on map
Where to eat
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Nose to tail
St. JOHN Smithfield
Fergus Henderson’s famous restaurant near Smithfield Market, cooking “nose to tail” British food in a white-walled former smokehouse.
26 St John Street, EC1M 4AYExplore View on map
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Handmade pasta by the market
Padella Borough Market
A small, busy pasta bar by Borough Market, serving handmade pasta at modest prices.
6 Southwark Street, SE1 1TQExplore View on map
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Above Borough Market
Roast
A British restaurant in the glass Floral Hall above Borough Market, known for its roasts and breakfasts.
The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, SE1 1TLExplore View on map
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Around the clock, 40 floors up
Duck & Waffle
A restaurant on the 40th floor of a City tower, serving its signature duck and waffle with views across London.
110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AYExplore View on map
Bars and nightlife
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London’s last galleried coaching inn
The George Inn
The last galleried coaching inn in London, owned by the National Trust, off Borough High Street.
75-77 Borough High Street, SE1 1NHExplore View on map
Shopping
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Shops and a roof terrace
One New Change
A modern shopping centre beside St Paul’s Cathedral, with a roof terrace looking at the dome.
One New Change, EC4M 9AFExplore View on map
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Luxury in a historic exchange
The Royal Exchange
The grand classical building opposite the Bank of England, founded as an exchange in the 16th century, now home to luxury boutiques and dining.
Royal Exchange, Bank, EC3VExplore View on map
Where to stay
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A 1920s banking hall
The Ned
A hotel in Sir Edwin Lutyens’s former Midland Bank headquarters in the City, with restaurants around a vast banking hall, a spa and a rooftop.
27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJExplore View on map
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Rooms in the sky
Shangri-La The Shard
A luxury hotel occupying floors high in The Shard, with an infinity pool and some of the highest hotel rooms in London.
31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QUExplore View on map
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Overlooking the Tower
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
A luxury hotel in the former Port of London Authority headquarters, a grand 1920s building overlooking the Tower of London.
10 Trinity SquareExplore View on map
Share your City & Southwark tips
Been there? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
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