London (draft)
Art Museums
Tate Modern: The Gerhard Richter exhibit is there until Jan 8th - will you be there then? His work is the best painting I’ve ever seen. He’s phenomenal. Go if the dates work out. Even if his work is no longer there, go anyway because the permanent collection is fantastic. They have great resources online and apps and explanations in the rooms and on the walls. Among my favorite things there: a small version of Ai Wei Wei’s sunflower seeds and a whole collection of Rothko’s.
National Portrait Gallery: I never made it here but everyone recommends it. It’s near Trafalgar Sq if you wanna check them out on the same day.
Serpentine: This gallery is smack in the middle of Hyde Park. Go see it one day while walking through the park. It’s small and has one exhibit at a time. I’m not familiar with their current show, but again it’s easy (and free) to drop in when you’re already in the park. Go see the cafe that’s build right in front of the gallery itself - it’s actually a work of structural art itself.
V&A: The museum space itself is structurally gorgeous - there’s a huge courtyard with a beautiful fountain in the middle of the space. The post modernism exhibit is there until Jan 15th and is highly instructive and an easy one to absorb. They walk you through the defining pieces and people of the 1970 - 1990s post-modern era in a way that’s sorta academic (like, this proceeded this which begot this which takes you to Andy Warhol and the neon 1980s and Madonna). The gift shop - I got my hot pink watch there - and cafe are great, too.
White Chapel: This is a cozy, well curated gallery in E. London. I saw the Rothko in Britain exhibit there (still up) which I loved - it consists of just a single Rothko painting but tells a story (through surrounding letters, imagines, audio, etc) of how the American artists work originally ended up in Britain. It’s well done if you have the patience to pay attention to all the fine print in this single room. The dining area in the gallery looks quaint although I never had a chance to try it. If you make it to E. London this is worth visiting, I think.
White Cube: This is a small gallery space in E. London located on Hoxton Square. The area reminds me of the Mission (well, all of E. London has that kind of feel to it). I don’t know anything about the current exhibits, there. If you go, this casual diner-like place, the Breakfast Club, is across the street and always seemed packed when I walked by and seemed especially popular for brunch.
Tate Britain: I didn’t see it but friends did and liked the John Martin exhibit here. If you can only do one of the Tates, skip this and spend time in the Tate Modern.
Restaurants:
La Fromagerie: This is in central London in Marylebone (where I lived) and they have delicious brunch (and lunches), assuming you like cheese.
La Petite Maison: This is in Mayfair, a fancy part of central London, and on a cozy alley amongst cute shops and nice bars. It’s French with Italian influence.
Modern Pantry: A short menu, simple, and nicely done. I don’t have anything to suggest immediately nearby, but, it’s between central and E. London.
Riding Horse Cafe:
The Hix: Contemporary and popular place. Check out the bar downstairs, too, it’s a sorta fancy but living-room decor kind of lounge space. It’s nicely done.
Dinner: This is a Heston Blumenthal restaurant in the Mandrian Oriental. He’s a sorta crazy, adventurous, famous British chef. It’s pricy and has a lot of old, traditional British dishes on the menu. This would be good for a particular kind of taste (not everyone’s), so read the menu and see if it appeals to you.
Parks / Activities:
Regents Park: Beautiful for walking. There’s a delicious and casual sausage place in the middle of the park called the Honest Sausage that I totally recommend. The Queen Mary rose garden is nearby, too. You could check out all 3 in combination, and / or head to Marylebone High Street for a meal.
Borough Market: A great Saturday activity. You can grab breakfast or lunch while walking around and sample tons of food. Monmouth Coffee there is quite famous, too. Apparently the inspiration for Blue Bottle, etc.
High Tea: I don’t have a favorite place to suggest, but afternoon Tea is a fun activity. Actually, you can try the at the Mandrian Oriental.
Other:
The Londonist has great recommendations (daily and weekly) of things to do - they span talks, festivals, openings, etc.
