DK Travel : London : Places of interest

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Bond Street

London’s most exclusive shopping street, Bond Street (known as New Bond Street to the north and Old Bond Street to the south) has long been the place for high society to promenade: many of its establishments have been here for over 100 years. The street is home to top fashion houses, elegant galleries such as Agnews and the Fine Art Society, Sotheby’s auction rooms and jewellers such as Tiffany and Asprey. Where Old and New Bond Street meet, there is a delightful sculpture of wartime leaders Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill – well worth a photograph.
Brick Lane

Once the centre of London’s Jewish population, this street is now the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community. Head here for inexpensive, authentic Indian food at restaurants such as Preem and Shampan, where a three-course meal can be had for a mere £10. Some of the best bagels in the city are made at the Brick Lane Bagel Bake at No. 159 – a famous dawn haunt for late-night revellers. There are vintage clothing/designer shops and, on Sundays, a lively flea market.
British Airways London Eye

The highest observational wheel in the world, offering amazing views of the city and beyond. While waiting for a flight, visit the attractions in nearby County Hall –Saatchi Gallery, London Aquarium, Namco Station and Dalí Museum.
British Library

Now housed in a spectacular new building in St Pancras, the British Library holds copies of everything published in Britain, as well as many historical publications from around the world. Members have free access to these, while non-members can enjoy the magnificent space and the regular exhibitions put on here. A dazzling, permanent display in the John Ritblatt Gallery includes the earliest map of Britain (1250), a Gutenberg Bible (1455), Shakespeare’s first folio (1623), Handel’sMessiah (1741) and many breathtaking illuminated manuscripts. The glass walls in the core of the building reveal the huge leather volumes from the King’s Library, donated by George III. There are regular talks and events, a café, restaurant and, of course, a well-stocked bookshop.
British Museum
British Telecom Tower

At 190 m (620 ft), this was the tallest building in London when it opened in 1965. Sadly, the revolving restaurant on top has been closed, for security reasons, but the Tower Tavern in Cleveland Street has a good large-scale diagram explaining the tower’s constituent parts (as well as hand-pulled beer).
Buckingham Palace

Victoria Memorial, Buckingham Palace
Burgh House

Built in 1703, Burgh House houses Hampstead Museum, which has a good selection of local books and a map of the famous people who have lived in the area. The panelled music room is used for art exhibitions, concerts and meetings, and there is a pleasant café with garden tables.
Burlington Arcade

This arcade of bijou shops was built in 1819 for Lord George Cavendish of Burlington House (see Royal Academy of Arts) to prevent people from throwing rubbish into his garden. The arcade is patrolled by uniformed beadles who make sure that no unseemly behaviour, such as whistling, takes place.
Cabinet War Rooms

During the dark days of World War II, Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet met in these rooms beneath the Government Treasury Chambers. They have been kept just as they were left in 1945, with sandbags piled up outside and colour-coded phones. Take a guided audio tour through the rooms where ministers plotted the course of the war or visit the Churchill Museum which opened here in 2005.