Must-Visit Little-Known Attractions of Each London Borough
Most people who visit London or are planning to do so usually concentrate on an itinerary that includes the main and most famous attractions of the city such as Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and others. They may not be aware of the fact that London conceals a lot more in its underbelly in the form of little-known gems that they can explore and discover places like ice cream parlours, underground bars or even inner-city farms. They will have more fun in exploring such little-known gems than getting on to the beaten track. London has 33 boroughs and each one of them has some of those gems that you must explore.
Given below are the little-known attractions of some of the boroughs.
Given below are the little-known attractions of some of the boroughs.
Barking and Dagenham
Capital Karts – Rippleside; You might not have imagined that right in the city, there is a race track and that too the largest indoor track in the UK, where you can try your driving skills and test how fast your adrenaline starts pumping. Moreover, if you have any desire to succeed Lewis Hamilton, you have the opportunity to practice your skills right in the city.
Barnet
Belmont Children’s Farm – Mill Hill: This animal farm has all sorts of animals that the children will love to interact with, ranging from ferrets to alpacas. This place in Mill Hill acts like a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life where you can relax, get rid of your stresses and get rejuvenated. The farm also offers an on-site waffle café. There are over 30 types of animals in the farm.
Bexley
Cocoa & Heart – Bexleyheath: If you wish to kindle your innate talents and learn new skills, this is where you should go as Cocoa & Heart offers lessons on baking bread and making chocolate besides teaching sewing and candle crafting. This is one hidden gem that will help you in bringing out your creative side and empowering you with a new skill.
The most convenient place to stay in London is Park Grand London Hyde Park Hotel as it is a luxury hotel offering utterly comfortable accommodation with the best of facilities, hotel amenities and services designed to pamper you. Moreover it is located close to Hyde Park and most other attractions of central London, making it easy for its guests to visit their places of interest at ease.
Brent
Lexi Cinema – Kensal Rise: A charitable institution, this cinema is following a noble mission of donating its entire profits to a charity in South Africa. In order to get maximum amount for charity, the cinema is run by passionate volunteers. You will have done a good turn if you visit the cinema, watch a movie and gobble down popcorn, and you will be happy that your money has gone towards a good cause.
If you wish to enjoy 5-star luxuries without having to pay 5-star hotel rates, you should opt for staying at 4 Star Hotels in Paddington London as you will get almost all the comforts and facilities of a 5-star hotel at a lower cost and close proximity to Paddington station and other attractions of central London.
Camden
Chin Chin Labs Ice Cream – Camden Lock: This is Europe’s first ever liquid nitrogen ice-cream parlour that offers futuristic, scientific desserts that are available in a wide choice of delicious flavours. It is not likely to remain as a hidden gem for long because a second location has already been opened.
The Nosebag: Located just off Cornmarket, this pretty little café/restaurant serves wholesome and hearty quiches, salads, chilli con and such other items. They serve large portions but some people complain that their water glasses are too small.
Brown’s Café: Although there may be other Brown’s Cafes in London, the original one is in Oxford Covered Market and it is the favourite place to hang out, for students, tourists, locals and professors. The café offers a relaxed atmosphere that welcomes customers. All the dishes in this no-nonsense café are home-made and freshly prepared. The café offers mouth-watering apple pie perfect for those cold days in the market. They also sell cakes and biscuits to go perfectly with a nice cup of tea or coffee. Home-made breakfast is served from 8-4:30 and as such early birds can fill their stomachs before moving out for the day. This café is only a hidden gem for outsiders as it is a favourite with the locals and no longer a secret.
Brown’s Café is an unpretentious typical English “Caff” that has been patronised by students, locals, professors and tourists for decades. However, a Portuguese family has run it for many years. The food served here is cheap, homely, prepared well and served amicably. It appears that it has been around forever as is revealed by its décor highlighted by wood-panelled walls painted pale green, dusty bunches of plastic flowers, checked vinyl tablecloths on some of the wobbly tables. Its most famous dish is apple pie, smothered in yellow custard sauce and the other fare served here includes shepherd's pie, stuffed jacket potatoes, liver and onions, haddock and chips, plus sandwiches and burgers -- none of it costing much more than a fiver and all of it homemade by the family owners.
Brown’s Café serves breakfast throughout the day and it costs just a fiver for the full breakfast with toast and coffee. The vegetarian breakfast that it serves includes cheesy omelettes, and stuffed baked potatoes. Apart from that, there is limited choice for vegetarians. Occasionally, the café serves Portuguese sweet eggy pastries that are homemade and delicious. It is good to buy them when they are on. Although the place is always busy and crowded, it is not difficult to get a seat as table turnover is fast. For people in a hurry, it is best to go early for lunch. The café still makes tea in a big, old-fashioned tea kettle with real tea leaves.
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