London area of City guide

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

The Square Mile is the space that was contained within the mediaeval walls of London, a history remembered each November in the pomp of the Lord Mayor's Show. Now it is the nation's financial centre and embodies the capital's mix of tradition and change. A place of mighty skyscrapers, this tiny area (only twenty minutes walk from one side to the other) generates 3% of the UK's income. The City by night is among the most stunning sights in London, a ghost town of towering skyscrapers and stunning ancient buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral, the spiritual heart of Great Britain, and the Bank of England, which has regulated the finances of Britain from the same spot since 1694. Around the edges of the city are a few business hotels and stupendously expensive restaurants and bars, where the super-rich can blow their bonuses.

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

Andaz Liverpool Street
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
40 Liverpool Street, EC2M7QN
Housed in one of the great Victorian station hotels, this showstopper is a mixture of meticulous nineteenth century restoration and the glittering wit of Terrence Conran's ... More

 

 

Grange St Paul's Hotel London
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
10 Godliman Street, EC4V
Perfectly located in the heart of London's financial district, yet moments away from the delights of the West End, the Grange St Paul's mixes contemporary style ... More

 

 

Crowne Plaza London The City
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
19 New Bridge Street, EC4V
Rising from the very heart of the Square Mile, the listed façade of an early 20th Century building on the site of Henry VIII's Bridewell Palace ... More

 

 

Hotels in City

 

Bauhaus: Art as Life
London > Events > Exhibitions
Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street, City, London EC2
This year the Barbican will be showcasing the biggest Bauhaus exhibition in the UK for over 40 years; Bauhaus: Art as Life. The exhibition's name aptly ... More

 

 

Silent Film and Live Music Series
London > Events > Film Events
Barbican Screen, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, City, London EC2Y
With everyone currently falling in love with the film the Artist silent films are more relevant than ever thus creating the perfect timing for the Silent ... More

 

 

Events in City

 

Barbican Hall
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
Silk Street, London, City, London EC2Y
Described by the Queen as “one of the wonders of the modern world”, the Barbican Centre is an imposing collection of the finest in British arts. ... More

 

 

Barbican Theatre
London > Entertainment > Theatres
Silk Street, London, City, London EC2Y
The Barbican Centre's two theatre spaces - the Barbican Theatre and The Pit - offer everything from gritty reality to far-flung fantasy, from dance to ... More

 

 

Barbican Centre
London > Entertainment > Arts Centres
Silk Street, London, City, London EC2Y
Described by the Queen as 'one of the wonders of the modern world' , the Barbican Centre has also been voted 'London's ugliest building'. Ugly or ... More

 

 

Entertainment in City

 

Bank of England Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Bartholomew Lane, London, City, London EC2R
Sorry, no free samples here but you can get your hands on a real gold bar. Housed within the Bank of England, the Bank of England ... More

 

 

Mansion House
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
City of London, City, London EC4N
Mansion House, the Palace of the London Mayor, was originally for the Lord Mayor to represent the City in appropriate style, Sir Crispin Gascoigne was the ... More

 

 

Museum of London
London > Attractions > Museums
150 London Wall, City, London EC2Y
Experience the real flavour of London life from the prehistoric to present day when you visit the Museum of London, a modern ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in City

 

Ted Baker & Friends
London > Shopping > Clothing
120 Cheapside, London, City, London EC2V
We love the average Ted Baker store but with Ted Baker & Friends the cool fashion label has taken the shopping experience one step further - ... More

 

 

Flittner
London > Shopping > Hair and Grooming
86 Moorgate, London, City, London EC2M
An old-fashioned barber’s patronised by city gentlemen and established in 1904. As well as a shampoo and cut you can also have the traditional hot towel ... More

 

 

Penhaligon's
London > Shopping > Perfume and Cosmetics
8 Royal Exchange, London, City, London EC3V
130-year-old scent emporium with royal warrants. For a sweet-smelling, sensory overload, Penhaligon’s has to be the place to go. From the original Hammam Bouquet to the Winston ... More

 

 

Shopping in City

 

The Hawksmoor Guildhall
London > Restaurants > American restaurants
10-12 Basinghall Street, London, City, London EC2V
Frequently cited as 'the best steakhouse' in London, Hawksmoor has built up a reputation for serving up top quality British steaks, cooked simply over charcoal. Will ... More

 

 

Tokyo City
London > Restaurants > Japanese restaurants
46 Gresham Street, London, City, London EC2V
Japanese cuisine. Booking advised for lunch. Separate room for parties. ... More

 

 

Mehek Restaurant
London > Restaurants > Indian/South Asian restaurants
45 London Wall, Moorgate, City, London EC2M
Translating to 'fragrance' in English, Mehek promises "a wonderful aroma of high-quality Indian cuisine." Think fine dining, Indian-style. Having snatched an AA rosette in addition to ... More

 

 

Restaurants in City

 

The Old Red Cow
London > Nightlife > Pubs
71 Long Lane, London, City, London EC1A
One of the oldest pubs in Smithfield, The Old Red Cow has stood on this spot on Long Lane since the year dot. Steeped in history, ... More

 

 

Fox & Anchor
London > Nightlife > Pubs
115 Charterhouse Street, London, City, London EC1M
This renovated traditional pub in the heart of Clerkenwell has been serving the traders of nearby Smithfields Market for years. Under the Malmaison umbrella - the ... More

 

 

Jerusalem Tavern
London > Nightlife > Pubs
55 Britton Street, London, City, London EC1M
It’s teeny-tiny and, no, there aren’t enough seats, but the Jerusalem Tavern still provides a cosy nook to devour a rare breed of delicious ales. London’s ... More

 

 

Pubs in City

 

Vertigo 42
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, City, London EC2N
Forget the London Eye, Britain’s highest bar is perched in an eagle’s nest on the 42nd floor of Tower 42 (formerly the NatWest Tower). From this ... More

 

 

The Bathhouse
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
8 Bishopsgate Churchyard, London, City, London EC2M
Originally built as a Victorian Turkish Bathhouse, this one-storey building stands small next to its neighbouring City sky scrapers. But despite its diminutive one-storey stature, this ... More

 

 

Artillery Arms
London > Nightlife > Bars
102 Bunhill Row, London, City, London EC1Y
... More

 

 

Nightlife in City

 

Postman's Park
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
King Edward Street, London, City, London EC4M
Bounded in by surrounding office buildings, Postman's Park's appeal lies in what it symbolises as much as how it looks. Located just north of St Paul's ... More

 

 

Urban Golf
London > Leisure > Golf
12 Smithfield Street, London, City, London EC1A
OK, so you may not be able to soak up the rays on this indoor course but it’s a brilliant idea that has been stylishly executed. ... More

 

 

Chang's Hapkido Academy
London > Leisure > Martial Arts
Topnotch Health Club, 3 Tudor Street, London, City, London EC4Y
Grandmaster Gedo Chang's Hapkido martial arts schools emphasises practical self-defence, confidence, balance and fitness. The ancient Korean martial art of Hapkido is made up of three components: ... More

 

 

Leisure in City

 

City Journalism
London > Education > Professional Training
106 Bunhill Row, London, City, London EC1Y
City’s Print Journalism course is recognised as the best in London. Although places like Goldsmith’s are trendier, City is respected in the industry thanks to a ... More

 

 

Guildhall School Of Music And Drama
London > Education > Arts and Drama
Silk Street, London, City, London EC2Y
Careers and Student advice ... More

 

 

Education in City

 

Guildhall
London > Business > Venue Hire
Gresham Street, City, London EC2P
Conference facilities can accomodate for up to 2000 people.... More

 

 

Brewers' Hall
London > Business > Venue Hire
Aldermanbury Square, Moorgate, London, City, London EC2V
... More

 

 

Armourers' Hall
London > Business > Venue Hire
81 Coleman St, City, London EC2R
... More

 

 

Meeting Venues in City