London area of Bankside guide

What to do and where to stay in London's Bankside neighbourhood

Five hundred years ago, Bankside was like Soho is today, a bustling, bawdy place, full of taverns, theatres, and seedier pursuits. Though it has cleaned up its act considerably since then, one of those theatres has risen from the grave, and now the timber and plaster of Shakespeare’s Globe again fills with eager theatregoers with a few hotels nearby for a convenient weekend jaunt. Just to the north, another ancient feature has found a new lease of life. One of the best views in London can be had from the middle of the Millennium Bridge, with the giant dome of St. Paul’s forming a perfect counterpoint to the 99-metre chimney of Tate Modern, Britain’s best modern art gallery.

See our recommended nearby Bankside Hotels, Events, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.

Bankside Hotels

in or near Bankside
Rosewood London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
252 High Holborn, WC1V
Located in High Holborn, Rosewood London is the most luxurious hotel in the area and is nearby to the capital's main business district and a number ... More
 
 
 
Holiday Inn London - Whitechapel
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
5 Cavell Street, E1
Perfectly located in the heart of the East End, this new generation Holiday Inn offers a quiet retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the ... More
 
 
 
Corinthia Hotel London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
Whitehall Place, SW1A
With 294 bedrooms, multi-level penthouse suites and terraces offering spectacular views of the River Thames, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall - the £300 million restoration of the ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Events

in or near Bankside
PICK
The View from The Shard
London > Events > Tours
Bankside, 96 Tooley Street, Bankside, London SE1
The View from The ShardAt almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in London, The View from The Shard offers visitors the chance to ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Entertainment

in or near Bankside
PICK
Drum Cafe
London > Entertainment > Live Music
Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close Bridge, Bankside, London SE1
100 people in a room, all armed with a large African drum, banging in unison, until reaching a deafening crescendo - that's the premise of Drum ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Rose Theatre
London > Entertainment > Theatres
56 Park Street, Bankside, London SE1
The Rose Theatre was built in 1587 but was only discovered in 1989 during excavations for new office buildings. Two-thirds of the original site were discovered, ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Shunt Vaults
London > Entertainment > Theatres
20 Stainer Street, Bankside, London SE1
The madcap Shunt Theatre company has created London's most unpredictable nightspot in the railway arches beneath London Bridge. Each week's entertainment at Shunt Vaults is curated ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Sights and Attractions

The best museums, galleries, attractions in or near Bankside
PICK
Southwark Cathedral
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
London Bridge, Bankside, London SE1
Dating back to around 1220 Southwark Cathedral is the oldest Gothic church in London. It has a varied and lively history and houses interesting memorials connected ... More
 
 
 
PICK
The Golden Hinde
London > Attractions > Boats and Bridges
St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, Bankside, London SE1
Sir Francis Drake completed the second-ever circumnavigation of the world between 1577-80 in a galleon ship called The Golden Hinde. The ship has been re-created and ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
London > Attractions > Museums
9a St Thomas Street, Bankside, London SE1
Hidden away in the roof space of the old St Thomas Baroque church, this restored 1821 women's operating theatre is the oldest operating theatre in England. ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Shopping

The best shops and markets in or near London's Bankside
PICK
Ginger Pig
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
8 Borough Market, Southwark Street, Bankside, London SE1
The original Ginger Pig was first established in the late '90s with this butcher's shop for cooks at Borough Market. Since then their farm ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Borough Wines
London > Shopping > Wine Merchants
Borough Market, Bankside, London SE1
Established in 2002 at the world famous Borough Market, Borough Wines grew from the need to promote a family vineyard to British wine drinkers. Offering a ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Borough Market
London > Shopping > Markets
Southwark Street, Bankside, London SE1
Nestled in-between Borough High Street, Bedale Street, Stoney Street and Winchester Walk lives "London's Larder", more formally known as Borough Market. This gourmand's delight is London's ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Restaurants

What are the best dining options in or near Bankside London?
PICK
Lobos Meat & Tapas
London > Restaurants > Spanish restaurants
14 Borough High Street, Bankside, London SE1
Creating competition for Tapas Brindisa, their former employer, Roberto Castro, Ruben Maza and Joel Placeres have teamed up to open Lobos Meat & Tapas next to ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Fish!
London > Restaurants > Fish and Seafood
Cathedral Street, Borough Market, Southwark, Bankside, London SE1
Fish! restaurant in the heart of Borough market, does what it says – providing the very best fish available in London to hungry customers. Established in ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Rabot 1745
London > Restaurants > Modern European restaurants
2-4 Bedale Street, Borough Market, Bankside, London SE1
A unique and innovative restaurant and bar with a terrace overlooking the bustling Borough Market, Rabot 1745 brings to Londoners the hugely popular cuisine of its ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Pubs

The best pubs in or near London Bankside.
PICK
Wheatsheaf
London > Nightlife > Pubs
6 Stoney Street, Bankside, London SE1
Following a three-year closure due to the Thameslink building works, the Wheatsheaf pub next to Borough Market reopened in December 2012. Drinkers who mourned the loss ... More
 
 
 
PICK
National Trust: George Inn, The George Inn Yard
London > Nightlife > Pubs
77 Borough High Street, Bankside, London SE1
Borough High Street was once crammed full of old coaching inns, providing accommodation and refreshment to weary pilgrims, merchants and travellers on their way up from ... More
 
 
 
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Charles Dickens
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
160 Union Street, Bankside, London SE1
... More
 
 
 

Bankside Nightlife

Bankside clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
PICK
The Rake
London > Nightlife > Bars
14 Winchester Walk, Borough, Bankside, London SE1
Beer is the draw here, over 100 different bottled kinds from all over the world squeezed into the compact space (said to be the smallest bar ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Call Me Mr Lucky
London > Nightlife > Bars
The Breakfast Club, 11 Southwark Street, Bankside, London SE1
Not content with leading London's breakfast scene, The Breakfast Club are now also pioneers in cocktail bars. Along with the opening of their café in London ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Vinopolis Wine Wharf
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
Stoney Street, Bankside, London SE1
Their extensive wine list is a veritable treat for connoisseurs and aspiring novices alike; there are 100 wines available by the glass and over 300 wines, ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Leisure

Bankside gyms, sporting activities, health & beauty and fitness.
PICK
Skypool at the Shangri-La Hotel
London > Leisure > Floor 52, Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, Bankside, London SE1
High up on the 52nd floor of the highest hotel in Western Europe sits the highest pool in Western Europe. The 11 by 4 metre ... More
 
 
 
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Snowsfields Wellness
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
41 Snowsfields, Bankside, London SE1
It's a relief to step into Snowsfields Wellness, with its shelves of carefully selected healthy and organic products. Unlike plenty of other places, each of the ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Potters Fields Park
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
City Hall, 110 The Queens Walk, Bankside, London SE1
Potters Fields Park occupies a prime spot between City Hall (from where the Mayor runs London) and Tower Bridge. The pedestrianised, grassy area on the south ... More
 
 
 

Bankside Education

in or near Bankside
Linguarama
London > Education > English Language Courses
101 Finsbury Pavement, Bankside, London EC1A
Over £1000pw. One-to-one business English courses.... More
 
 
 
The Art Academy
London > Education > Evening Classes
Mermaid Court, 165a Borough High Street, Bankside, London SE11HR
Art classes encompassing glass, metal, moulding and casting, life drawing and loads more.... More
 
 
 
WPF Therapy
London > Education > Professional Training
23 Magdalen Street, Bankside, London SE1
... More
 
 
 

Bankside Meeting Venues

Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course in or near Bankside.
PICK
Vinopolis
London > Business > Venue Hire
London Bridge, Bankside, Bankside, London SE1
This conference and event venue caters for between 10 and 1250 guests. Ideal for dinners, conferences, exhibitions, meetings, product launches & AGMs. ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Old Billingsgate
London > Business > Venue Hire
Old Billingsgate Market, 1 Old Billingsgate Walk, Bankside, London EC3R
A magnificent 19th-century market building designed by Sir Horace Jones and entirely renovated in 1988 by acclaimed architect Richard Rogers. At the foot of the City, ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Tate Modern
London > Business > Venue Hire
Bankside, Bankside, London SE1
Located along the banks of the River Thames in the former Bankside Power Station, originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1947, the architect of ... More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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