London's Irish community have always celebrated St Patrick's Day in the traditional manner, with church services, music, dancing and plenty of Guinness and whisky. In recent years, the capital has also hosted a major weekend celebration - an event that has now grown so big that it rivals the parades in New York and Chicago. London's parade has floats from every Irish county, with hundreds of stalls along the route. There's also a stage in Trafalgar Square with live performances, and a big ceilidh in Leicester Square where everyone can join in with the arms-by-the-sides Riverdance fun. An Irish food market in Covent Garden sells the country's famous beef, salmon and soda bread, accompanied by live acoustic music, and there are dozens of other events throughout the capital. Of course, the best places to celebrate are the pubs and Catholic churches throughout London, with their mix of religion, music and good cheer. Keep an eye on where the real London Irish go after the parade and you could be in for a memorable evening.
Hilton London Metropole
225 Edgware Road, W2 1JU
Towering over Edgware Road, the upper floors of the Hilton London Metropole - which include the Asian... More
The Berkeley
Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RL
Served in the appropriately themed Caramel Room with its low-lighting, chocolate-coloured wall coverings and snappy faux-crocodile fabrics, afternoon tea at... More
Royal Eagle Hotel - Trainspotting (1996)
26-30 Craven Road, W2 3QB
While most of Danny Boyle's Trainspotting takes place in rather insalubrious parts of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Renton... More
For two months in the summer, throughout August and September, visitors have the chance to look round Buckingham Palace and admire the interiors of this ...More
The Royal Academy heralds the new year with a blockbuster exhibition on the works of Vincent van Gogh - the first major solo exhibition dedicated ...More
The Hilton’s flagship property, this impressive hotel commands lovely views over Hyde Park and London’s cityscape. This place has got to live up to its ... More
Acclaimed in-house restaurant Nobu is reason enough to stay here, but with floor-to-ceiling windows offering unrivalled views of London’s exclusive Mayfair district and the skyline ... More
Originally the London residence of the first Duke of Wellington, Apsley House was designed and built by Robert Adam between 1771 and 1778 and retains ... More
A landmark triumphal arch set opposite the Duke of Wellington's residence at Apsley House, Wellington Arch was built in 1830 to commemorate the victories won ... More
Heywood Hill, run by John de Falbe, sells old, new and antiquarian books, specialising in literature, history, architecture, biography, travel and a well-stocked children's department. ...More
Established in 1853, Maggs Bros. Ltd., is one of the world's oldest and largest dealers in antiquarian, first edition, autograph and rare books. Books are ... More
There are two genuinely terrifying things about the Hilton's 28th-floor restaurant Galvin at Windows: the first is the sheer distance from the ground; the second ...More
The Instituto is the official Spanish Government Cultural Centre. The London branch is one of forty that make up the largest Spanish teaching organisation in ...More
Shepherd’s Market has been a discreet hub of the illicit trade, even before Jeffrey Archer and Monica Coghlan were caught creeping about its passageways. Of ... More
Between the Victorian elegance of Berkley Square and the Imperial magnificence of Piccadilly, you might be surprised to find a club that oozes with Eastern ... More
A favourite with young royals - Princes Harry and William, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been spotted here... all at the same time. And where ... More
There are two genuinely terrifying things about the Hilton's 28th-floor restaurant: the first is the sheer distance from the ground; the second is the scale ... More
The Hilton's flagship property, this impressive hotel commands lovely views over Hyde Park and London's cityscape. This place has to live up to its Park ... More
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London's Irish community have always celebrated St Patrick's Day in the traditional manner, with church services, music, dancing and plenty of Guinness and whisky. In recent years, the capital has also hosted a major weekend celebration - an event that has now grown so big that it rivals the parades in New York and Chicago. London's parade has floats from every Irish county, with hundreds of stalls along the route. There's also a stage in Trafalgar Square with live performances, and a big ceilidh in Leicester Square where everyone can join in with the arms-by-the-sides Riverdance fun. An Irish food market in Covent Garden sells the country's famous beef, salmon and soda bread, accompanied by live acoustic music, and there are dozens of other events throughout the capital. Of course, the best places to celebrate are the pubs and Catholic churches throughout London, with their mix of religion, music and good cheer. Keep an eye on where the real London Irish go after the parade and you could be in for a memorable evening.
