The back story
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The back story
The South Bank and Bankside: the back story
From the 1951 Festival of Britain to Tate Modern and The Shard: how the south bank of the Thames became London’s cultural riverside.
Neighbourhood guide · the cultural riverside
South Bank, Bankside & London Bridge: Our Favourites
The cultural riverside from the London Eye to Tower Bridge: the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre and the BFI, Tate Modern and the Globe, Borough Market, The Shard and the old inns of Southwark.
What's onThis week in London
What to see and do
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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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A half-hour turn above the Thames
London Eye
The giant observation wheel on the South Bank, with glass capsules that take about 30 minutes to make a full rotation.
Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PBExplore View on map
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Sharks under County Hall
SEA LIFE London Aquarium
An aquarium in the old County Hall beside the London Eye, with sharks, rays and penguins.
County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PBExplore 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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Concerts, art and the riverside
Southbank Centre
The riverside arts complex of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Hayward Gallery, with concerts, exhibitions and riverside terraces.
Belvedere Road, SE1 8XXExplore View on map
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Three stages by the river
National Theatre
The National Theatre’s Brutalist home on the South Bank, designed by Denys Lasdun, with three auditoriums: the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman.
Upper Ground, SE1 9PXExplore View on map
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The home of the BFI
BFI Southbank
The British Film Institute’s cinema under Waterloo Bridge, with four screens of new releases, classics and seasons, and the BFI Mediatheque.
Belvedere Road, SE1 8XTExplore View on map
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Britain’s biggest screen
BFI IMAX
The BFI’s IMAX cinema in the drum-shaped building at the Waterloo roundabout, which the BFI describes as the biggest screen in Britain.
1 Charlie Chaplin Walk, SE1 8XRExplore View on map
Where to eat
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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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River views from the Festival Hall
Skylon
A brasserie with floor-to-ceiling windows over the Thames inside the Royal Festival Hall.
Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XXExplore View on map
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At the National Theatre
Lasdun
A modern British brasserie inside the National Theatre, named after the building’s architect.
National Theatre, Upper Ground, SE1 9PXExplore View on map
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Bao by the market
BAO Borough
The Borough Market branch of the Taiwanese bao restaurant, with a karaoke room.
13 Stoney Street, SE1 9ADExplore View on map
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Level 33 of The Shard
Hutong
A Northern Chinese restaurant on Level 33 of The Shard, with views over the City and the river.
Level 33, The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9RYExplore View on map
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Street food under the arches
Maltby Street Market
A street-food market along the Ropewalk, a narrow lane of railway arches in Bermondsey, busiest at weekends.
Ropewalk, Maltby Street, SE1 3PAExplore 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
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A riverside pub on Bankside
The Anchor Bankside
A historic pub on the river at Bankside, between Southwark Bridge and Borough Market, with a terrace facing the City.
34 Park Street, SE1 9EFExplore View on map
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Cocktails on Level 52
GŎNG at Shangri-La The Shard
The cocktail bar on Level 52 of The Shard, which the hotel describes as London’s highest hotel bar.
Level 52, The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QUExplore View on map
Shopping
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A former wharf under glass
Hay’s Galleria
A former 19th-century wharf on the river near London Bridge, roofed in glass and filled with cafés, shops and the sculpture The Navigators.
Battle Bridge Lane, SE1 2HDExplore View on map
Where to stay
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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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A former magistrates’ court
The Dixon
A boutique hotel in a former Edwardian magistrates’ court on Tooley Street, near Tower Bridge.
211 Tooley Street, SE1 2JXExplore View on map
Share your South Bank tips
Been there? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
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