Five Days in London

March 31 – April 4, 2025

A perfectly curated long weekend in London — private museum tours, West End theatre, a 10-mile Thames walk, world-class art, excellent shopping, and dinners that more than lived up to the hype. Another varied and stellar trip.

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The Skinny

Monday, March 31

•       Hua Ren Tang near Marble Arch — reflexology and Asian massage

•       Pop-ins along Marylebone High Street

•       Ambassador Club — Indian dinner in Soho

Tuesday, April 1

•       The National Gallery — Siena exhibit

•       National Portrait Gallery — Edvard Munch exhibit

•       Westminster Abbey — private tour of the new King Charles III Medieval Sacristy and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, plus Evensong in the choir stalls

•       Oma Restaurant — dinner at the hip Greek restaurant, Borough Market

Wednesday, April 2

•       Thames Path walk from Hammersmith to Richmond — roughly 10 miles, detouring through Kew Gardens

•       The White Swan — proper pub lunch in Richmond

•       Stroll along the river into picturesque Richmond

•       West End revival of the musical Oliver!

Thursday, April 3

•       Victoria & Albert Museum — private tour of the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Photography Gallery

•       Retail therapy: Joseph, Zara, Emilia Wickstead, Brown’s

•       Dinner at The River Café

Friday, April 4

•       Cheers!!

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The Meat on the Bones

Monday, March 31

Arrival & Marylebone

Arrived at 33 Eaton Terrace with travel mate Hope to big hugs and a hot breakfast awaiting from Carrie and Evie, who had arrived on Sunday. After regrouping — i.e., a well-earned nap — off to Hua Ren Tang near Marble Arch for reflexology and Asian massage. Pure heaven for £100. Highly recommended anytime, but especially post-flight.

A few pop-ins to shops along Marylebone High Street before heading back to freshen up. Drinks with the visiting Russlers and then off with Ian and his harem to the Ambassador Club for a delightful Indian dinner in Soho.

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Tuesday, April 1

Galleries, Westminster Abbey & Evensong

A full day ahead after a late morning of sleep and the adventure of tracking down a lilac phone left on the flight (concierge key was key). Off to The National Gallery for the Siena exhibit, which was fantastic.

Then over to the National Portrait Gallery for the Edvard Munch exhibit. While most famous for The Scream, Munch was also a significant portrait artist — the exhibit was fantastic, and blessedly short.

Westminster Abbey — A Private Tour

Snagging a cab, we hurried over to Westminster Abbey for a special private tour with Ptolemy Dean, the Surveyor of the Fabric — historian and architect to Westminster Abbey, and only the 19th person to hold that position since Sir Christopher Wren. The tour was to view the construction site of the new King Charles III Medieval Sacristy, being built in the exact spot a sacristy stood in the 1200s, butting up against the nave.

After four years of excavations and the moving of skeletons, the foundation is about to be poured, with completion hoped for summer 2026. This is only the second building constructed at the Abbey since the 1700s. The first was the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Galleries in 2018 — a glass tower leading up to the attic, now a public museum of Abbey treasures that had previously just been stuffed up there.

An unexpected highlight: Ptolemy had quietly arranged for us to sit in the choir stalls with the Crown’s dignitaries for the 4pm Evensong service. A beautiful and jaw-dropping experience. Ptolemy is beyond delightful in his demeanor and wickedly knowledgeable.

Dinner — Oma, Borough Market

Rushing to dinner — we had not anticipated the magnitude of the Abbey visit — we jumped a cab to the Borough Market area in Southwark. Ptolemy couldn’t resist a quick look at Southwark Cathedral, where he has both worked and been married.

Dinner at Oma was outstanding. A hip Greek restaurant smack in the middle of the open-air market, trains and tracks all around us, nestled in blankets and perfectly happy. The upstairs balcony is the full restaurant (reservations required); downstairs is more casual with a queue. Food is tapas-style and fabulous.

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Wednesday, April 2

Thames Path: Hammersmith to Richmond via Kew Gardens

A change of pace from history and culture: a walk along the Thames Path. We chose to start in Hammersmith and walk to Richmond — about 10 miles all told, in brilliant sunny skies. The tidal levels were dramatic (luckily it was low tide). We added Kew Gardens to the itinerary, which was stunning in bloom. The daffodils were just finishing, but the magnolias and cherry trees were at their absolute peak. Really, really good.

Pub Lunch — The White Swan, Richmond

Lunch was at The White Swan, taken inside for the full atmosphere despite the lovely weather. No fish and chips, but the burger and chips worked just fine, washed down with a pint of Guinness. After lunch, a stroll along the river into Richmond proper, full of pub-goers soaking up the sun. Very picturesque — this little town of Ted Lasso.

Evening — Oliver! in the West End

Back in time to dress, Thai takeout at 33 Eaton Terrace, and then the West End revival of Oliver! — entertaining, light, and a perfect cap to yet another stellar day perfectly curated by Mrs. Banwell.

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Thursday, April 3

Victoria & Albert Museum — Photography Gallery

A magical day starting with a private tour of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Sir Elton John and David Furnish Photography Gallery, with the Gallery’s director. The largest photography collection in the world. The current exhibit explored energy — how photography captures its effect on history, politics, and the social fabric. Totally fascinating.

Retail Therapy

Post-tour, retail therapy ensued — and was indeed very therapeutic. Successes at Joseph, the always-reliable Zara, Flabélès, and the home run: a MOB dress at Emilia Wickstead. Brown’s also highly recommended, for those who have time.

Dinner — The River Café

And then the River Café called. And did it ever live up to expectations. Buzzy, delicious, no wonder it has lasted all these years. A dinner and a trip to remember — especially when flanked by your people.

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Friday, April 4

Cheers!!

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Quick Reference

GALLERIES & MUSEUMS

• The National Gallery — Siena exhibit; highly recommended

• National Portrait Gallery — Edvard Munch exhibit; fantastic and manageable in length

• Westminster Abbey — book a tour; don’t miss Evensong; the Jubilee Galleries are a hidden gem

• Victoria & Albert Museum — Sir Elton John & David Furnish Photography Gallery; world’s largest photography collection

  
  

RESTAURANTS & BARS

• Ambassador Club — Soho; delightful Indian dinner

• Oma — Borough Market; Greek tapas-style; book the upstairs balcony; outstanding

• The White Swan — Richmond; proper pub lunch; full atmosphere inside

• The River Café — Hammersmith; buzzy, delicious; lives up to every expectation

  
  

WALKS & NEIGHBOURHOODS

• Thames Path — Hammersmith to Richmond is a superb ~10 mile day walk

• Kew Gardens — unmissable in spring; magnolias and cherry trees at peak in early April

• Marylebone High Street — excellent for shopping and browsing

• Borough Market — food market and great dinner destination area

SHOPPING

• Joseph

• Emilia Wickstead — the home run for occasion dressing

• Brown’s — highly recommended

• Zara UK — always

  
  

WELLNESS

• Hua Ren Tang near Marble Arch — reflexology and Asian massage; ~£100; highly recommended post-flight

THEATRE

• Oliver! — West End — entertaining revival; good for a light evening