London area of Southwark guide

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

Renowned for its old inns and taverns, Southwark is also the historical home of the capital's arts and entertainments industry. London's first theatres - the Globe, the Hope and the Rose - were all built there in the 16th century and Shakespeare's plays first performed there. Nestles on the South Bank beside the Thames, the rebuilt Globe is now one of the most popular theatres in London, while the neighbouring Tate Modern, housed in an imposing former power station, is among the world's most popular art galleries. London's modern City Hall and the magnificent gothic Southwark Cathedral complete a remarkable set of buildings that show five centuries of London's architectural achievements. Next to the cathedral is the world-famous Borough Market, open Thursday to Saturday and brimming with fresh, organic produce. New to the Southwark skyline is the 306-metre tall Shard of Glass skyscraper, set to become the 45th tallest building in the world on completion. As well as Bankside, the borough takes in the up-and-coming areas of Bermondsey, Camberwell and Peckham, where the sitcom Only Fools and Horses was set. This part of London is currently popular with young professionals and artists due to its proximity to the centre of town and low property prices. In the south of the borough lies leafy, suburban Dulwich which forms a welcome contrast to the bustling energy that defines the rest of one of London's oldest areas.

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

Southwark Hotels

in or near Southwark
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
 
 
 

Southwark Entertainment

in or near Southwark
PICK
Shortwave Cinema
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
10 Bermondsey Square, Southwark, London SE1
Shortwave films, a company whose primary objective was to promote emerging film and video artists, have set up this independent cinema in Bermondsey Square. As you'd ... More
 
 
 
Bermondsey Project Space
London > Entertainment > Unit 7, 46 Willow Walk, Southwark, London SE1
... More
 
 
 
Woolfson & Tay
London > Entertainment > Arts Centres
12 Bermondsey Square, Southwark, London SE1
The multi-functional bookshop was opened in a tight South London community by local residents, who already harboured a special non-for-profit company 'Living Imprint'. This company has ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Sights and Attractions

The best museums, galleries, attractions in or near Southwark
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White Cube Bermondsey
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
144-152 Bermondsey Street, Southwark, London SE1
Jay Jopling's third - and largest - White Cube art gallery in London is located on Bermondsey Street and set in a former 1970s warehouse. At ... More
 
 
 
Auto-Italia
London > Attractions > Unit 2 Rubicon Court, 3 York Way, Kings Cross, Southwark, London N1C
... More
 
 
 
Gallery Yujiro
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
Studio Unit A502, Tower Point, Tower Bridge Business Complex, 100 Clements Road, 100 Clements Road,, Southwark, London SE16
Gallery Yujiro occupies a culturally relevant spot. On the top floor of an industrial building in Bermondsey, it overlooks Building One the very place where ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Shopping

The best shops and markets in or near London's Southwark
PICK
Coleman Coffee Roasters
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
55 Stanworth Street, Southwark, London SE1
Wake up on a Saturday morning and smell the freshly roasted coffee at Coleman Coffee Roasters, a small batch coffee roastery at No. 55 Stanworth Street ... More
 
 
 
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St John Bakery
London > Shopping > Delicatessens
Arch 72 Druid Street, Southwark, London SE1
Fegus Henderson's St John stable extends from the restaurant by Smithfield to this bakery in Bermondsey. Although primarily a wholesalers, St John Bakery does open its shutters ... More
 
 
 
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Lassco RBK
London > Shopping > Bath and Kitchen
Brunswick House, 30 Wandsworth Road, Southwark, London SW8
Salvage bathrooms. A fantastic place to shop for very cheap bathroom fittings, or very expensive ones that are affordable having been rescued by the Lassco crew. ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Restaurants

What are the best dining options in or near Southwark London?
PICK
Café Amisha
London > Restaurants > Italian restaurants
161 Grange Road, Southwark, Southwark, London SE1
Italian Cuisine... More
 
 
 
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Tower Tandoori
London > Restaurants > Indian/South Asian restaurants
74-76 Tower Bridge Road, Southwark, London SE1
... More
 
 
 
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M Manze
London > Restaurants > British restaurants
87 Tower Bridge Road, Southwark, London SE1
Traditional pie and mash shop for takeaway or eat in, established in 1902. Serving traditional pie and mash along with eels (jellied or stewed) in authentic ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Pubs

The best pubs in or near London Southwark.
PICK
Loyal Tavern
London > Nightlife > Pubs
171-173 Bermondsey Street, Southwark, London SE1
In September 2019, Bermondsey institution Village East becomes the Loyal Tavern as ex Duck & Waffle executive chef Tom Cenci teams ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Nightlife

Southwark clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
PICK
40 Maltby Street
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
40 Maltby Street, Southwark, London SE1
Under the railway arches on Maltby Street is a food lover's paradise, filled with shops from the likes of St John Bakery, Monmouth Coffee, Kernel Brewery ... More
 
 
 
The Horniman at Hay's
London > Nightlife > Bars
Hay's Galleria, Tooley Street, Southwark, London SE1
Bar ... More
 
 
 
Balls Brothers
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
Mark Lane, Southwark, London EC3R
A traditional chain of wine bars and restaurants that carry a wide range of wines from around the world, as well as some beers, spirits, tobacco ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Leisure

Southwark gyms, sporting activities, health & beauty and fitness.
PICK
Burgess Park BMX Track
London > Leisure > Burgess Park, Albany Road, Southwark, London SE5
A legacy of the 2012 London Olympics, the state of the art £1.1m Burgess Park BMX Track opened to the public in August 2013, a year ... More
 
 
 
Bermondsey Spa
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
Spa Road, Southwark, London SE16
... More
 
 
 
Miami Health Club
London > Leisure > Fitness
210 Old Kent Road, Southwark, London SE1
Fitness Club ... More
 
 
 

Southwark Meeting Venues

Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course in or near Southwark.
PICK
The Biscuit Factory
London > Business > Venue Hire
Drummond Road, Southwark, London SE16
Peek Frean & Co made biscuits here in Bermondsey for 123 years, from 1866 until 1989 when the factory closed. Home to baked goods like the ... More
 
 
 
Premier Inn London Tower Bridge
London > Business > Venue Hire
159 Tower Bridge Road, Southwark, London SE1
... More
 
 
 
Village East
London > Business > Venue Hire
171-173 Bermondsey Street, Southwark, London SE1
Located on the edge of Bermondsey's 'Creative Quarter' (a regenerated area of 2-bedroom flats mostly inhabited by lawyers and estate agents), Village East is an ambitious ... More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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