London area of City guide

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

The Square Mile is the space that was contained within the mediaeval walls of London, a history remembered each November in the pomp of the Lord Mayor's Show. Now it is the nation's financial centre and embodies the capital's mix of tradition and change. A place of mighty skyscrapers, this tiny area (only twenty minutes walk from one side to the other) generates 3% of the UK's income. The City by night is among the most stunning sights in London, a ghost town of towering skyscrapers and stunning ancient buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral, the spiritual heart of Great Britain, and the Bank of England, which has regulated the finances of Britain from the same spot since 1694. Around the edges of the city are a few business hotels and stupendously expensive restaurants and bars, where the super-rich can blow their bonuses.

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

City Hotels

in or near City
Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
335-337 Old Street, EC1V
Prison cells are VIP booths in the bar at the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, a 128 room hotel in the Old Magistrates Court and Police Station, opposite ... More
 
 
 
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
 
 
 
Crowne Plaza Kings Cross
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
1 Kings Cross Road, WC1X
Halfway between the City and the west End, the Bloomsbury area is an oasis of calm in the very heart of the capital. It's a lovely ... More
 
 
 

City Entertainment

in or near City
PICK
Heroes Grotto of Comedy
London > Entertainment > Comedy Clubs
27 Throgmorton Street, City, London EC2N
Empty for four years, the building next to Drapers Hall and behind the Bank of England which used to be Throgmortons became Heroes Grotto of Comedy ... More
 
 
 
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Guildhall School Of Music And Drama
London > Entertainment > Arts and Drama
Silk Street, City, London EC2Y
Part of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama , this is Grade II-listed building on Silk Street houses the Silk Street ... More
 
 
 
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Milton Court, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
1 Milton Street, Barbican, City, London EC2Y
Milton Court, opened in September 2013, provides the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with state-of-the-art performance and teaching facilities. The £89 million building on Silk ... More
 
 
 

City Sights and Attractions

The best museums, galleries, attractions in or near City
PICK
Bank of England Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Bartholomew Lane, City, London EC2R
Sorry, no free samples here but you can get your hands on a real gold bar. Housed within the Bank of England, the Bank of England ... More
 
 
 
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Mansion House
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
City of London, City, London EC4N
Mansion House, the Palace of the London Mayor, was originally for the Lord Mayor to represent the City in appropriate style, Sir Crispin Gascoigne was the ... More
 
 
 
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St Stephen Walbrook
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
39 Walbrook, City, London EC4N
One of Sir Christopher Wren's smaller masterpieces, this church has been immaculately restored. The central altar is by Henry Moore, and there is a magnificent organ ... More
 
 
 

City Shopping

The best shops and markets in or near London's City
PICK
Beau Gems
London > Shopping > Jewellery
26 Royal Exchange, City, London EC3V
A high-class repair service for all varieties of damaged items. Antique jewellery and second-hand designer watches are on offer.... More
 
 
 
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Penhaligon's
London > Shopping > Perfume and Cosmetics
8 Royal Exchange, City, London EC3V
130-year-old scent emporium with royal warrants. For a sweet-smelling, sensory overload, Penhaligon’s has to be the place to go. From the original Hammam Bouquet to the Winston ... More
 
 
 
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Mont Blanc
London > Shopping > Gifts and Luxuries
10 Royal Exchange, City, London EC3V
As Mont Blanc's opulent pens are not officially available over the internet, you will have to visit one of their special boutiques in order to acquire ... More
 
 
 

City Restaurants

What are the best dining options in or near City London?
PICK
Goodman City
London > Restaurants > American restaurants
11 Old Jewry, City, London EC2R
American Cuisine... More
 
 
 
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Browns Restaurant & Bar
London > Restaurants > Brasseries
8 Old Jewry, City, London EC2R
Brasserie ... More
 
 
 
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The Anthologist
London > Restaurants > British restaurants
58 Gresham Street, City, London EC2V
British Cuisine... More
 
 
 

City Pubs

The best pubs in or near London City.
PICK
The Lamb Tavern
London > Nightlife > Pubs
10-12 Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch Street, City, London EC3V
Located within the beautiful nineteenth century covered Leadenhall Market, the Lamb Tavern is a traditional British pub that's popular with city workers and tourists. The historical ... More
 
 
 
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The George
London > Nightlife > Pubs
40 Liverpool Street, City, London EC2M
One of five different restaurants and bars within the confines of the Andaz hotel, the George is a traditional looking pub - not your typical hotel ... More
 
 
 
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The White Horse
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
2 Exchange Square, Appold Street, City, London EC2M
A Geronimo Inns pub in the City, The White Horse gives city workers a bright, airy space to eat, drink and relax and its pub garden ... More
 
 
 

City Nightlife

City clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
PICK
Reserve Bar Stock Exchange
London > Nightlife > Bars
46 Gresham Street, City, London EC2V
Reserve Bar Stock Exchange in the City uses the stock market model to price its drinks - prices change in line with their popularity on the ... More
 
 
 
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All Bar One Cannon Street
London > Nightlife > Bars
103 Cannon Street, City, London EC4N
Bright airy chain bars with a good range of beer, wine and spirits offering reasonable gastropub style food. Comfortable, with plenty of tables, leather sofas, polished ... More
 
 
 
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Dirty Martini, St Paul's
London > Nightlife > Bars
130 Wood St, City, London EC2V
This chain of glamorous cocktail bars is a great spot for after work drinks and big nights out, with regular happy hours and drink deals. There ... More
 
 
 

City Leisure

City gyms, sporting activities, health & beauty and fitness.
PICK
Postman's Park
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
King Edward Street, City, London EC4M
Bounded in by surrounding office buildings, Postman's Park's appeal lies in what it symbolises as much as how it looks. Located just north of St Paul's ... More
 
 
 
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Urban Golf
London > Leisure > Golf
12 Smithfield Street, City, London EC1A
OK, so you may not be able to soak up the rays on this indoor course but it’s a brilliant idea that has been stylishly executed. ... More
 
 
 
La Fitness
London > Leisure > Fitness
48 London Wall, City, London EC2M
... More
 
 
 

City Education

in or near City
PICK
City Journalism
London > Education > Professional Training
106 Bunhill Row, City, London EC1Y
City’s Print Journalism course is recognised as the best in London. Although places like Goldsmith’s are trendier, City is respected in the industry thanks to a ... More
 
 
 
Pitman Training Centre
London > Education > Professional Training
Warnford Court, 29 Throgmorton Street, City, London EC2N
Secretarial, clerical and IT training... More
 
 
 
 
 
 

City Meeting Venues

Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course in or near City.
PICK
Guildhall
London > Business > Venue Hire
Gresham Street, City, London EC2P
Conference facilities can accomodate for up to 2000 people.... More
 
 
 
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Brewers' Hall
London > Business > Venue Hire
Aldermanbury Square, Moorgate, City, London EC2V
... More
 
 
 
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Skinners' Hall
London > Business > Venue Hire
8 1/2 Dowgate Hill, City, London EC4R
... More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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