London: Top Ten Hidden Gems

Description:

Above St Thomas Church in Southwark is London's oldest surviving operating theatre. Built in 1821, it was the scene of many amputations carried out with a saw and no anaesthetic. Blood would drip - or probably pour - off the wooden table and get soaked up by three inches of sawdust. One wonders what the congregation below would have thought of the screams emanating from upstairs, with the odd drip of blood seeping through the ceiling. With anaesthetics unavailable, patients would often awake from their drunken state (they had a choice of passing out from either alcohol or pain) in the midst of an operation. Fortunately the National Health Service's operating theatres have leapt forward, and medical students don't have such a frighteningly free rein.

Our Local Expert Says:

This is one of those places everybody knows about, but never visits, lovely place for tea

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One of the most fascinating city gardens is hidden behind towering brick walls near the Chelsea Royal Hospital. Founded in 1673 as an apothecaries garden to train students, Chelsea Physic Garden is still used today for education and medicinal research. 5, 000 plants are somehow charmingly crammed into lovely greenhouses, plots and trails. Their gallery houses gorgeous prints and watercolors. Public hours are restricted to Wednesdays through Fridays and Sundays, April through October. Also on site are a nice little shop and a cafe. Events, activities and lectures are held regularly. Most Londoners have heard of the garden yet few have ever visited this hidden gem.

Our Local Expert Says:

Ask at the desk to try on a true Royal Guard bearskin hat and scarlet tunic for a fun photo op.

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Dedicated to Her Majesty's Household Division which protects the Sovereign and Royal Palaces... in other words, dedicated to those who wear the red tunic and bearskin hat! Small and quiet, The Guards Museum is a perfect place to learn more about the royal guards and even have your photo taken in that famous regimental tunic and hat. On display are uniforms, helmets, instruments, medals, a tent from the Crimean War and more. There's a little shop next door to the Guards Museum and you might even catch the new guards forming at nearby Wellington Barracks before the Changing of the Guard ceremony at London's Buckingham Palace.

Description:

This century-old museum set in 6.4 hectares (16 acres) of landscaped gardens is quirky, funky, and fun. The collection was accumulated by Frederick Horniman, a Victorian tea trader. A full range of events and activities takes place here, including storytelling and arts-and-crafts sessions for kids, along with workshops for adults. The museum owns some 350,000 objects ranging from a gigantic, overstuffed walrus to such oddities as oversize model insects. There are also displays of live insects and a small aquarium constructed in waterfall-like tiers. The torture chair thought to have been an original used during the Spanish Inquisition was proven to be a fake, although the instruments are genuine.

Our Local Expert Says:

Moving museum dedicated to the Oliver Twists of London

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Located in a building rebuilt next to the demolished Foundling Hospital, this museum pays tribute to the city's original home for London's poor youth. Abandoned children and infants were given a new lease of life due to the kindness of the founders, composer George Frideric Handel, artist William Hogarth and Thomas Coram, a great philanthropist. Learn more about their history through the different permanent and temporary exhibitions held here and admire the unique and intriguing British paintings. Free for children under the age of 16. You can also find out about the yearly passes which are reasonable.

Description:

On a Sunday morning, come out for a stroll at Columbia road and you will immediately notice a crowd of people choosing fresh flowers and bouquets for themselves. Flanked by florists and nurseries on both sides, the road resembles a lovely and colorful garden. While you are in the city, do visit the Columbia road.

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With over 8,000 cookbooks on the shelves, Books for Cooks has been London's culinary avatar for over 35 years. An inviting cafe in the back lures patrons into spending hours leafing through cookery titles. The shop's cooking workshops and kitchen demonstrations are quite popular - check the website for current listings.

Our Local Expert Says:

City workers gather for an after hours pint spilling into the alley outside the pub

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Ye Olde Watling was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666. On the ground level is a mellow pub. Upstairs is an intimate restaurant where, sitting at trestle tables under oak beams, you can dine on simple English main dishes for lunch. The menu varies daily, with such choices and reliable standbys as fish and chips, lasagna, fish cakes, and usually a vegetarian dish. All are served with two vegetables or salad, plus rice or potatoes.

Description:

Tayyabs is so overwhelmingly popular with the London crowd that it's not unusual for diners to be lining up outside in any kind of weather. This chic, family-run Pakistani restaurant attracts customers from far and wide and is enamored for its succulent lamb chops, mouth-watering King Prawns and delicious homemade curries. One of the reasons that makes Tayyabs so popular is the prices, reasonable beyond belief for a popular London restaurant, and bring-your-own beverages means the meal doesn't cost a fortune paying for drinks. Though there is wheelchair access, the restaurant is so busy, there is little room to maneuvre. Online booking is highly recommended. - Richard Oldale

Our Local Expert Says:

Trendy venue in funky Camden

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This former railway engine shed built in 1846 as an engine shed is one of Londn's most unique music halls. Renovated in 1964, the Roundhouse has hosted famous artists like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Flyod throughout the 60s & 70s. Due to a lack of funding, the Roundhouse closed in 1983 but reopened in 1996. Today the venue continues to host international music legends.