From left to right: Trunk Clothiers in Marylebone; The Ham Yard Hotel; Heaven nightclub

LIKE THIERRY HENRY up front for Arsenal, London will forever be a leader of allure, charm and fast-paced creativity. It’s a capital that’s morphed through various periods and struggles – as good cities do – and has today landed, like many of its global contemporaries, at a crossroad largely signposted by gentrification and money.

Still, it’s a city that remains undeniable in its appeal – holding attraction like few others given it penned the liner notes on 70-plus years of contemporary culture. Come to London to breathe in what’s gone before and become inspired about what’s ahead – because it remains a driver of international trends and intangible cool (even if many writing the new script have had to move beyond the M25). London is about being enveloped by history, fun and possibility – an ultimate choose-your-own adventure. You just need to know where to look.


Read more of Esquire’s travel guides:

The Paris guide

The Wanaka, New Zealand guide

Where to shop for menswear in Tokyo


Where to eat, drink, stay and shop in London

Where to eat and drink in London

From left to right: Noble Rot Mayfair; Counter 71; Bibi Mayfair

London’s done drinking well since before Alfred The Great took the throne. But it’s only the last 15 or so years that have seen its food scene elevate to a place of excitement (or, as Australians may put things, acceptability). The new culinary wave is built on leaning into local produce and seasonality, so too a ‘middle’ tier that’s seen a proliferation of so-called gastro pubs (a term that still makes us clench), a slew of interesting new chefs and several recent openings that prove ‘Modern European’ no longer means overpriced disappointment. 

Counter 71

Where: 71 Nile Street, London N1 7RD

Chef Joe Laker’s Counter 71 is a great start to any London adventure – 16 seats and 16 courses of faultless British imagination around a former pub’s converted marble countertop. It may sound stuffy – it’s not, it’s brilliant.

@counter_71

Agora

Where: Borough Market, 4 Bedale Street, London SE1 9AL

Agora – a sister venue beneath Borough Market beacon Oma – is Greek done damn well, where the breads are flat and the proteins perfectly grilled.

@agora.ldn

Tollington’s Fish Bar

Where: 172 Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London N4 3AJ

If a side trip to Spain doesn’t inform the itinerary then steer for the unique charms of Tollington’s Fish Bar – a wonderful Spanish style seafood affair held within a traditional British chippy from the ‘80s.

@tollingtons.fishbar

Cafe Cecilia

Where: 32 Andrews Road, London E8 4FX

Cafe Cecilia is a worthy Hackney destination – for the pork and apricot terrine, with the deep-fried bread and butter pudding a must. 

@cafececilialondon

Noble Rot Mayfair

Where: 5 Trebeck Street, London W1J 7LT

Elsewhere, Noble Rot may have sprouted into a chain, though its mod-Brit menus remain impressive and the Georgian charms of the Mayfair outpost is best for louche lunching and people watching.

@noblerotmayfair

Lita

Where: 7-9 Paddington Street, London W1U 5QH

When in in Marylebone be sure to make it Lita – a welcoming and airy modern bistro that offers an inventive ‘Mod Euro’ menu thanks to standout chef Luke Ahearne.

@litamarylebone

Bistro Freddie

Where: 74 Luke Street, Greater, London EC2A 4PY

Keeping on the bistro bent, Shoreditch’s Bistro Freddie is superb in both atmosphere and delivery (though it’s tight – be sure to book).

@bistro_freddie

French House

Where: 49 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 5BG

Soho’s historic French House is still a worthy journey into the classics and a downstairs bar that rightly frowns on phone use in favour of conversation and personal interaction. 

@frenchhousesoho

Black Bear

Where: venues in Camden, Exmouth Market, Brixton, Victoria, Canary Wharf and Shoreditch

Need a burger? Head for Black Bear.

@black_bear_burger

Bibi Mayfair

Where: 42 N Audley Street, London W1K 6ZP

Fancy some Indian? Beyond the old-school ways of Brick Lane, Bibi Mayfair is a contemporary, elevated and peerless take on a wide set of Indian flavours utilising the finest local ingredients. 

@bibi_ldn

The Hero

Where: 55 Shirland Road, London, W9 2JD

As for the pubs – because this is London and pubs are ace – Maida Vale’s The Hero is currently living up to its name as a magnetic destination melding interior beauty, drinks and decent menus.

@thehearo_w9

The Engineer

Where: 65 Gloucester Avenue, London, Greater London, NW1 8JH

Visit the The Engineer for the pan fried lamb rump with seasonal asparagus and discrete back garden.

@theengineerpub

The Devonshire

Where: 17 Denman St, London W1D 7HW

As for Soho’s The Devonshire, know it pulls the finest Guinness in the capital, washed down with upstairs dining that’s equally attractive. 

@devonshiresoho

The best cocktail bars: Paradise After Dark, 42, Happiness Forgets and The Painter’s Room

Where: (Paradise After Dark) 61 Rupert Street, London, W1D 7PW

(42) 42 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 4JH

(Happiness Forgets) In the basement, 8-9 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NU

(The Painter’s Room) Claridge’s, Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR

Keeping things liquid – with a garnish of class – and cocktails are best served at Paradise After Dark Soho, Mayfair’s 42 (say hi to the ceramic leopards), Happiness Forgets and the art deco-ness (it’s a word!) of The Painter’s Room at Claridge’s. 

@paradisesoho; @jks_restaurants; @happiness_hoxton; @claridgeshotel

Bar Lina

Where: venues in Soho and Shoreditch

Elsewhere, Bar Lina means wandering through a Brewer Street deli to a green door before descending into a den of fun where time quickly become irrelevant.

@barlinasoho

Connaught Bar

Where: The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL

As for whether the martinis at the Connaught Bar are worth it? Short answer: fuck yes!

@theconnaughtbar

Algerian Coffee Stores

Where: 52 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 4PB

To right an evening’s wrongs, coffee is best served at Algerian Coffee Stores and the traditional Bar Italia.

@algerian_coffee_stores; @baritaliasoho

Where to stay in London

Inside the Ham Yard Hotel. Photography: courtesy of Ham Yard Hotel

Ham Yard Hotel

Where: 1 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT

Soho is again swinging. As a London base in which to stay and play it cannot be surpassed, with Ham Yard Hotel a central beacon of brilliance. ‘The Yard’ doesn’t miss a beat – a stylish and proudly British property serving a side of seclusion and personality you won’t find elsewhere. The hotel is, in fact, but one piece of a U-shaped mini-village that includes the 91-bedroom property, apartments and a smattering of shops – some labels likely familiar to Australian travellers.

Space and colour abound within Ham Yard Hotel – the designer work of co-owner Kit Kemp and her notable ability to neatly blend texture, print, colour and culture. It may sound like a curious cocktail but it works – her output rightly acknowledged globally and a further layer of allure in staying here.
Communal areas abound at The Yard – and where The Library calls you to become lost to a book and some tea, all the while keeping an eye on which celebs may be checking in, it’s what rests upstairs and down below that cannot be surpassed.

The spacious rooftop garden is an ‘impossible’ concept in central London – yet here, the fourth-floor, guest-only terrace of plants, kitchen gardens, bee hives and serenity is pure escapism. So too the subterranean cinema and imported 1950s Croc Bowling Alley (yes, bowling alley).

Kemp’s designer approach means each room and suite is individually styled – Esquire’s one-bed terrace an elevated spread of light and colour; a lounge and dining room replete with kitchenette and separate king bedroom with spacious bathroom of deep marbling and even deeper bath.

Did we mention the terrace? This alone is worth the price of admission given the chance to take in some air and ease into a view that spills across the Soho’s ceramic chimneypots, the spire of Saint Anne and beyond.

Reservations for the Ham Yard Hotel can be made here.

Where to shop in London 

Outside Trunk Clothiers in Marylebone (left); Percival Menswear

Staying in Soho means a chance to explore many new(ish) boutiques worthy of some time and some spend.

The best streetwear stores in London: LFDY, Ovo Clothing, Aimé Leon Dore, YMC, WRSTBHVR, The End, Percival

Where: (LFDY) 1D Poland Street, London, W1F 8PR

(Ovo Clothing) 1C Poland Street, London, W1F 8PR

(Aimé Leon Dore) 32 Broadwick Street, London W1F 8JB

(WRSTBHVR) 1A Poland Street, London W1F 8PR

(The End) 59 Broadwick Street, Carnaby, London W1F 9QS

(Percival) 7 Marshall Street, London W1F 7EH

On Poland Street you’ll find German streetwear label LFDY (Live Fast Die Young) and Canadian outfit Ovo Clothing, so too Aimé Leon Dore’s sumptuous London flagship and café. Here too are YMC, WRSTBHVR, and The End a nearby draw for some solid kicks and a chance to also peruse the Percival Menswear boutique that sits opposite.

The best department stores in London: Selfridge’s, Trunk Clothiers, Margaret Howell

Where: (Selfridge’s) 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB

(Trunk Clothiers) 8 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PU

(Margaret Howell) 63 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW

Of the major department stores, Selfridge’s remains the standout for exclusive labels and broader selections, with Trunk Clothiers in Marylebone worth the short walk. So, too, the Margaret Howell outlet above Oxford Circus on Margaret Street.

Bonus: If you find yourself here – the nearby Charlotte Street Magazines is a must for print junkies, so too magCulture in EC1.

The best Savile Row tailors: Richard James and Casley Hayford

Where: (Richard James) 29 Savile Row, London W1S 2EY

(Casley Hayford) 3 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PB

As for Saville Row? Make it modern with Richard James or Casley Hayford.

The best vintage: Nordic Poetry

Where: 141 Bethnal Grn Road, London E2 7DG

Superior vintage can be found at Nordic Poetry in Shoreditch.

@nordicpoetry

Things to do in London

Heaven nightclub (left); The Blvatnik Building at the Tate Modern. Photography: INSTAGRAM | @hazelredmond_

London offers a rather endless list of possibility in which to become lost. Of the many musts – grab a Lime bike and explore centrally from two-wheels. While we’d never suggest such in Paris, London’s crafted a noticeable (read: safe) downturn in traffic on the back of the congestion change and its expansion of the contentious Ultra Low Emission Zone. The parks are a must – St James’s forever a favourite – for some reprieve and downtime.

Grape & Fig

Where: 310-312 Regent Street, London W1B 3AU

If if the weather permits, head past Grape & Fig (Regent Street) for a cheesebox and charcuterie to take to a patch of grass for people (and squirrel) watching washed down with some Pimms (heavy on the fruit, thanks).

Spitalfields Markets

Where: 65 Brushfield Street, London E1 6AA

Out east, Spitalfields Markets and its environs are a worthy weekend detour, so too an amble along Regent’s Canal around Little Venice, emptying out into Camden.

The best modern and contemporary art galleries: Tate Modern, The Serpentine, Saatchi and Whitechapel

Where: (Tate Modern) Bankside, London SE1 9TG

(Serpentine South) Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA

(Saatchi) Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY

(Whitechapel) 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX

Elsewhere, Tate Modern remains unsurpassed in architectural standing and artistic collections. Though also check The Serpentine, Saatchi, and Whitechapel galleries.

The Barbican

Where: Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS

The Barbican is another worthy of seeing what’s on and a meander – to experience this Brutalist, post-war vision of modern living.

Drumsheds

Where: 6 Glover Drive, London N18 3HF

As for some late-night landmarks in which to move – Drumsheds is a cavernous, industrial space that points to the electronic scene of yesteryear.

The best nightclubs: Heaven, Fabric, FOLD and Phonox

Where: (Heaven) Under The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NG

(Fabric) 77a Charterhouse Street, London, EC1M 6HJ

(FOLD) Gillian House, Stephenson Street, London E16 4SA

(Phonox) 418 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AY

While Heaven and Fabric are still doing good things in this space – the latter celebrating 25 years this year. FOLD, meanwhile, is guaranteed to rattle the teeth. While Phonox is a decent night out in Brixton.

Related:

Where to shop for menswear in Tokyo: the Esquire guide

Where to eat, drink, stay and shop in Paris: the Esquire guide