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Independent, London 465 guides to London Nobody pays to appear Every price checked at the source We take no bookings Est. 2026

Journal

Every guide we publish, newest first. London restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, afternoon tea, spas and nightlife, each one checked against the venue's own published information rather than against other guides.

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We take no bookings, sell nothing, and accept no payment for inclusion. Where a price or a rule appears here, it came from the venue.

A stage set with chairs and a table under blue spotlights
Things to Do

The Mousetrap: Even the Running Time Is Disputed

Seventy-four years in and the ticket sites still disagree by fifteen minutes. Ages, performance times and how long it is booking.

4 min read
A mass of coloured Lego bricks
Things to Do

The Lego Store Stays Open Until 10pm, Except on Sunday

Twelve hours a day Monday to Saturday and six on Sunday. When it is quiet, and what the store does not tell you about the Mosaic Maker queue.

4 min read
A pelican standing beside water
Things to Do

The Pelicans in St James’s Park Are Fed at 2.30pm

A daily feed by the lake that most people walking The Mall never notice, plus the chicks you are asked to keep away from.

4 min read
The theatre facade lit at night, signed Her Majesty's Theatre, with Phantom of the Opera on the canopy
Things to Do

His Majesty’s Theatre: Three Sources, Three Age Limits for Phantom

Its own operators disagree on the wheelchair rows and the age guidance. The two step-free entrances and the cloakroom that charges by item.

5 min read
The City of London skyline seen across the river
Things to Do

The Lookout at 8 Bishopsgate Is Free, and Open Late on Two Nights

A free gallery on the 50th floor, open to 9pm on Mondays and Fridays only. Booking, the queue, and the New Year's Eve exception.

4 min read
An ornate gilded theatre ceiling above tiers of balconies
Things to Do

Lyric Theatre London: 60 Steps Up to the Balcony

The theatre publishes a step count for every level. Where the step-free entrance is, the 73cm door frames and the 48 hour exchange rule.

5 min read
A bowling ball striking the pins at the end of a lane
Things to Do

Lane7 London Is Over 18s After 7pm

The curfew is earlier than most, ID is required, and bookings are non-refundable. Prices, the shoe rule and the adults-only arcade.

4 min read
A London street of brick warehouse buildings
Things to Do

London Museum Docklands Is Cashless, but the Lockers Need a Coin

Free and unticketed, open to 5pm daily. The luggage rule, the locker size and the one pound coin you still need.

3 min read
A minimalist Japanese shop interior with a bonsai tree in the foreground
Things to Do

Japan House London Is Free and Open Until 8pm

One of the few free cultural spaces in London you can reach after work, under 100 metres from High Street Kensington.

3 min read
Visitors in a dark room lit by coloured light projections
Things to Do

Lightroom London: There Is No Allocated Seating

The venue cannot guarantee you a seat, and the show runs on a loop. Prices, the pram rule and the two hour exchange deadline.

5 min read

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Questions we get asked

How often is the guide updated?

Continuously, and each page records the month it was last checked rather than only the date it was first written. Opening hours and prices in London change often enough that an unchecked guide is worse than none.

How do you decide what goes in?

Every entry is verified against the venue's own published information, not against other guides. Nothing is included in exchange for payment, and nothing is excluded for refusing it.