Public Transport

To travel on London’s transport, you can now use debit cards. However, foreign cards do not always work so the best bet is to get an Oyster card. These are prepaid cards which you swipe when entering and leaving a train, bus or tube and it saves you digging into your purse or wallet every time. You can buy them and top them up with money at many local stores and at train and tube stations. They are a far cheaper way to travel compared to buying a ticket each time.

Cycling

Bikes are a fun way to explore London, especially at the weekend when the traffic calms down. There are increasing numbers of bike lanes around London as the Mayor tries to encourage a more environmentally friendly capital. The Boris bikes can be rented in a great many locations or if you plan on staying a while, you may want to buy your own.

Cars

With a great public transport system, you really don’t need a car in London. However, for the times when you really need a car, ZipCar offers an easy solution for short rental periods and of course the usual car rental suspects are more efficient for longer rental periods.  Driving around London can be scary to the uninitiated but you soon get used to it. Many London roads were designed for horse and carriages so aren’t very wide which we suspect keeps wing mirror vendors in business! There are some great day trips to be had from London into the countryside. There are very cute, typically English villages within an hour’s drive from our apartments where you can have a walk in beautiful countryside and stop at a pub for lunch. Or maybe a trip to Oxford (1 hour) or Bath (2 hours) and their beautiful and ancient architecture.

Airports

If you have a choice of where you fly in to, Heathrow is best suited for our apartments and then it’s a 15 minute journey into London on the Heathrow Express and a short cab or tube ride from there. Gatwick is south of London but not a million miles away. The Gatwick Express train is only a 25 minute trip and you arrive at Victoria where another 15 -20 minute tube ride will see you at our nearest tube stations.

Airport Transfer

If wrestling with arms full of luggage and foreign transport maps isn’t your thing, we offer an airport transfer service, collecting you from the arrivals lounge and delivering you straight to your new apartment. Just speak with your agent who will be happy to arrange this for you.

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The Gallery

A great neighbourhood bar with good food and a nice vibe.

The Wet Fish

Art, music, great atmosphere and delicious food. The locals love it.

Rosas Thai Cafe

Authentic Thai cuisine in a cute local hangout.

Ronis

A delicious array of fresh baked bread and bagels or Mediterranean food for snacks and cakes for special occasions.

The Cedar

Lebanese food in a restaurant that has been voted best takeaway restaurant. Kebabs (Gyros for our North American friends) and mezze.

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Public Houses, long since shortened to pubs, became the focal point of British social life. In the 1500s, there was one pub for every 200 people and for many years, beer was often a safer alternative to untreated water.

The beer of those days wasn’t the beer most countries drink but what is now referred to as bitter. Bitter differs from lager in manufacturing process and taste. Bitter and ales can be something of an acquired taste, ranging in flavour from chocolatey to what could easily be described as dishwater (but in a good way!) and traditionally served warm (though nowadays you’ll normally find ales and bitters served cool).

While pubs these days are generally open plan, for many years they had different sections for different classes and in our pre-enlightened days, male only areas.

Hampstead Pubs

Holly Bush : a 17th century pub with great food and selection of beers and wine.

The Wells Tavern: a Georgian pub right next to Hampstead Heath known for its excellent food.

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While the use of “town” is perhaps rather overstating the small area known as Chinatown, it fulfils the China part exceptionally well. Whether its Hong Kong, Szechuan or Peking style food you crave, Chinatown has undoubtably some of the best Chinese food in the world. While there are a few buffet style establishments here, the quality is infinitely better in the a la carte restaurant. Find a restaurant that has a lot of Chinese people eating there and you wont go too wrong.

If you are staying in our Baker Street apartments then jump on the Tube to Queensway. Near the top end by Hyde Park, there a few very good Chinese restaurants and also, if you want to try, or already know how, to cook your own Chinese food there is a great Oriental Supermarket.

Royal China

If you’re a fan of Dim Sum then this is your Sunday lunch sorted (booking recomended). A great selection of Dim Sum on Sundays and great Hong Kong favourites any time.

Mandarin Kitchen

While it looks a bit basic on the outside, the food is excellent. One of the best hot and sour soups!

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In the days of old (around 50 years ago!) Britain was not known for its great food. The primary “going out” meal and takeaway meal was fish and chips. And they were always served wrapped in newspaper. Fortunately for Britain, 50 years has seen a lot of foreigners come to live here and bring with them a wonderful variety of food.

However, fish and chips are still very much part of the scene and as British as the Queen. And the green things you see in the photo are mushy peas, the traditional accompaniment, rather nicer than they look. Salt and vinegar are the only thing you should put on fish and chips, ketchup a sure sign that you are not British! Some restaurants add tartar sauce but this is not for the purists.

And now for the hard part, finding a good fish and chip shop. There have probably been duels fought over which is best but the following two are generally considered great contenders in London. Geales is a short tube or cab journey while the Sea Shell is only an 8 minute walk from our Baker Street rental apartments.

Geales

The Sea Shell

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However, if you regularly intersperse your words with “Dr Watson I presume” then don your deerstalker, fill your pipe and take the five minute stroll through Sherlock’s old stomping grounds to the museum. And you could not be better placed in our Baker Street Apartments, only a five minute walk away.

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As with most London parks, it was a former king’s hunting ground but unusually was opened to the public in the 1600s. In fact in the plague, many Londoners camped here to escape disease. At one end of the park is the famous Park Lane, home to the Dorchester Hotel and the exclusive area of Mayfair. At the other, the magnificent Kensington Palace, the famous home of Lady Diana.

Within the park, the Serpentine lake provides boating and swimming oportunities. Members of the Sepentine swimming club brave icy waters for the annual Christmas Day race. In fact, the park hosts all manner of events throughout the year from music to races. The annual London to Brighton Car Run sees around 400 pre 1905 cars start the 60 mile race to Brighton. BST Hyde Park hosts famous bands throughout the summer on a massive stage.

For refreshment, the park has a number of coffee vendors and 2 restaurants overlooking the lake. The Diana Memorial Fountain is a great place to cool off in the summer and the Serpentine Gallery offers a number of exhibitions through the year as well as providing a space each year for an architect to design and build a structure, often quite unusual.

In the Winter, Hyde Park is home to the Winter Wonderland, a large amusement park with a slightly Tyrolean/Alpine theme and great for kids large and small, .

https://www.bst-hydepark.com/

https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/

https://www.veterancarrun.com/

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It was originally part of Henry VIII’s hunting grounds and was destined to contain a summer residence designed by Nash. The King decided against it but a couple of Nash buildings remain along with lush and beautifully manicured gardens and a boating lake. Although commoners were originally only allowed access twice per week, the park is now open to the public every day.

The Park has a number of cafes and playgrounds and is also home to the London Zoo although, most of the animals would probably rather you travelled to their home countries to try and see them than watch them in their cages!

A great place to escape busy London life for an afternoon and hire a boat, take a picnic and a significant other!

The park is also home to London’s largest open air theatre that hosts regular plays and musicals throughout the summer.

Regents ParkVisitor Information
Regents Park Open Air Theatre

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When you rent from Hampstead Apartments you will be a 6 minute car ride or short Tube or bus journey from this delightful park.

Find out more at:
Hampstead Heath Visitor Info
Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds

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Madame Tussauds has moved with the times and now incorporates various experiences outside of just standing next to your favourite monarch, movie or music hero. 4D Marvel Hero and Giant Kong areas await.

For our Baker Street apartment guests this is only minutes walk away. Spend your Sunday with the stars!

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