As you enjoy a slice of honey cake with tea at the Jewish Museum Café, it’s hard to believe that this little oasis is only a two-minute walk from the noise and bustle of central Camden. Whether you’ve come to this leafy suburban street to make your way around the museum or are just looking for a bite to eat, the recently relaunched café is a hidden refuge from the world outside. Walking through the front door, it’s quickly apparent that the recent £10 million refurbishment …More

Compared to US cities, London is a massive sprawl. From that first step past customs at Heathrow to the long trek on the Piccadilly Line out into the city, the place can be a bit overwhelming for the newbie to the city. It’s more than fine to hit a few tourist spots, but part of the city’s charm is to check out the place like, yes, a local—and break it down neighborhood by neighborhood. Oxford Street in Zone 1 is a bit well traveled, yet offers the visitor plenty of London zing. With some 300 …More

London is among the world’s most ethnically diverse cities—and has the cuisine to match. That the sun never set on the British Empire means that there is a culinary diaspora in the city—and a whole 24 hours’ worth of food sampling. Indian food more than gets its due in the city, yet other former British colonial outposts are represented in among the city’s eateries. Tuck in to Malaysian, West African or Jamaican food, or go for one of the cuisines represented by those emigrating from …More

The phrase “mind the gap” was more than a trendy slogan on t-shirts in the 1990s. While it was one of the more iconic legacies left in the US by the Britpop era, it actually has a raison d’être. If you weren’t clued in, its voiceover for an icon in its own right: the London Underground. Also known as the “tube,” London’s subway system is the second largest in the world. Its 11 lines stretch like a spider web across Greater London. Most importantly, it provides a …More

London and New York have plenty in common: iconic transit systems, neighborhoods called Soho and Chelsea, and among the English-speaking world’s finest theater (or in UK orthography, theatre). In fact, the London versions of Soho and Chelsea, rather than being the visual art and fashion hubs that they are in the Big Apple, are part of the West End, London’s theater capital. Mind, London’s reach as a cultural capital also extends to music, performance art and dance. But the city’s artistic …More

Some of London’s flashier exhibits are found strolling in fine British frockery such as those made at the hands of locals Erdem, Matthew Williamson or Sarah Burton, the designer of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress and bridal party. Yet while London has long been at the forefront of fashion (Carnaby Street, anyone?), the museums have long been swinging, albeit in a more stately fashion. Any mall store guidebook will map a stakeout of the British Museum, the Tate Modern or the Tower of London. Certainly …More

Angel-Islington is a bit off the usual tourist thoroughfares such as Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street and the like. But it’s not far away at all—it’s still within the downtown zone on London transit, allowing for a quick hop into an actual London neighborhood, rather than some Union Jack-clad theme park. The neighborhood owes its namesake to The Angel, an inn-turned-pub at what is today the corner of Islington High Street and Pentonville Road that dates back to 1639. Over the centuries, it was a …More

Mint Hotel-Tower of London opened this past winter. Certainly, a misty February morning done in the true English way sets a stunning backdrop to such iconic city sights as the Tower of London and the Swiss Re building, known more commonly as the “Gherkin.” For a city shutdown, a band of heavy snow also suits said landmark well. But now that the Mint Hotel’s location in Old Blighty has seen a few months of warm weather, Skylounge, located on the hotel’s 12th floor, has gotten due attention, …More

Knightsbridge, owing its namesake to a street that runs through said West London neighborhood, is synonymous with luxury. It’s the home to billionaires, a whole lot of tree-lined streets and the names that define London fashion. But on a more modest scale, it’s also the home of the Sloane Ranger, the young female upstart seen spending their inheritance on Sloane Street, one of the neighborhood’s key shopping arteries. Since we’re on the topic, let’s tackle the two retail grandes …More

Southwark is among London’s oldest boroughs. Located, as its name would suggest, on the southern side of the Thames, for centuries the area has been home to some of the city’s cultural bastions. Anyone whose high school English teacher attempted to curry literary favor with hormone-deranged teens by assigning the bawdy medieval Chaucer masterpiece “The Canterbury Tales” has heard of the Tabard Inn—the meeting point of the characters’ pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Beckett …More

London shopping means something different for everyone. Whether you're ready to drop serious cash for designer clothes, or if you want the thrill of the hunt (and the added thrill of a great bargain) in one of London's many markets, you can find it. Here's your insider quick-guide to where to shop, from high-end to high excitement. Harrod's Department Store is a must-visit for high-end shopping and immersion into British fashion. It is the department store to end all department stores, even if your shopping …More

Nestled just to the north of the ancient park known as the Hampstead Heath lies the London Jewish Cultural Centre, a beacon in the neighborhood for information and educational programs on topics having to do with Judaica.  The Centre is located at Ivy House, a grand mansion once owned by Russian fin de siècle prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. Today, it offers more than 80 classes on Judaism a term at affordable tuition rates. While the casual visitor to London might not have the time to take these all in, …More