10 Hidden Gems in London

Putting the ‘weird’ in ‘weird and wonderful’, the extraordinary Hunterian Museum is as good a place as any to commence our journey through London’s best under-the-radar attractions. Located inside the Royal College of Surgeons on Lincoln's Inn Fields, the Hunterian’s collection is not for the faint of heart, comprising as it does several thousand anatomical and pathological specimens from animals and humans, many of which date from founder and surgeon John Hunter’s 18th-century collection. Fetuses, syphilitic skulls, and primitive surgical instruments are the order of the day here. So yeah, if you have a taste for the macabre this one’s likely to be right up your street. Though perhaps not the best place for a first date.

Soho is no stranger to cool and quirky bars, as anyone who has ever entered the crypt at Garlic & Shots or sipped maritime-themed cocktails in Manzi’s Mermaid Bar will attest. Make for 3 Greek Street (formerly Milroys), a whiskey shop just south of Soho Square in which, against the back wall, a magical Harry Potter-esque bookcase conceals the entrance to one of the best speakeasies in the neighborhood. Descend to The Vault for exposed brick walls, atmospheric low lighting, and craft cocktails by candlelight. There’s live jazz on Mondays, to boot. Smokin’!

London ain’t short of an impressive garden or six. Kew, Regent’s Park, and Kensington Gardens, to name but a few. But Londoners in the know head for the diminutive Kyoto Garden in Holland Park, a hidden London gem that’s just a short stumble from the legendary Portobello Market, and the vast Westfield shopping complex in Shepherd’s Bush, yet feels a world away from both. It’s the kind of place for which the phrase ‘peaceful oasis’ might have been coined; a traditional Japanese garden that comes complete with koi ponds, tinkling waterfalls, and even an ostentation of resident peacocks.

Take a ride on Mail Rail at the Postal Museum in Farringdon. This quirky little place is great for kids, with an interactive exhibition and fun playroom. It’s also the only place in the world where you can view entire sheets of original Penny Black stamps. But the undisputed highlight here is a ride into the original underground tunnels on the same miniature train that was used to transport mail 100 years ago. 

Greenwich is home to more great London attractions than you can shake a very large stick at. We’re talking the Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark, Greenwich Market, and that other great hidden gem: the Victorian foot tunnel that runs beneath the Thames from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs. But before all that, there’s the Old Royal Naval College with its quite extraordinary Painted Hall. Designed by Sir James Thornhill, this baroque masterpiece has been described as Britain’s Sistine Chapel, thanks to the epic painting that adorns its ceilings.

This privately owned island on the Thames has a storied past that includes Henry VIII, The Rolling Stones, Doctor Who, and the inventor of the wind-up radio. The island opens to the public just twice a year, when resident artists allow visitors a peek into their studios and the opportunity to buy unique pieces of authentic Eel Pie Island art.

The young woman who perished in the attempt to save her sister from a burning building; a railway clerk who died trying to save a drowning boy; the men who were lost attempting to save girls trapped in quicksand. These are just some of the memorials to heroic self-sacrifice found in Postman’s Park, a quiet spot in the City that lies within view of St Paul’s Cathedral. The memorials detailing these selfless acts of Victorian heroism take the form of beautifully designed ceramic tiles, and the surrounding gardens provide a lovely spot for quiet reflection.

Surrounded by picture-perfect ornamental gardens and woodland, the Horniman in south London specializes in anthropology and natural history with a collection of over 350,000 objects. Don’t miss the eye-popping permanent exhibition of taxidermy animals. It’s here you’ll meet the famously overstuffed walrus that is the museum’s emblem. He’s been around as long as the museum itself – since 1901. Look out too for the ‘Horniman merman’, a nightmarish man-made amalgam of papier maché and fish tails that gives the exhibits at our old pal the Hunterian a fair run for their money.

Just a little north of Paddington lies Little Venice, a picturesque network of London waterways and canals that run all the way past Lord’s Cricket Ground and London Zoo to Camden Town and beyond. Think colorful barges, narrowboats and houseboats, picturesque towpath walks, and cute little bridges. You can take a cruise on the water, visit the UK’s only floating puppet theater, or simply set yourself up at one of the waterside cafés and watch the world go by over coffee, pastries, and a good book. Perfect.