Lets Discover · The City of London
Best Restaurants, Bars and Things to Do in the City of London
The City of London, known as the Square Mile, is one of the oldest parts of London and home to a concentrated and fast-evolving food and drink scene built around the area's large weekday working population. Sandwiched between the river to the south, Clerkenwell to the north, Shoreditch to the east and Holborn to the west, the neighbourhood contains everything from destination restaurants in converted historic buildings to outstanding street food markets and independent coffee shops tucked between office towers. Creators on Lets Discover have recommended dozens of venues across the Square Mile covering restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops and cultural landmarks.
What's on in The City of London
Upcoming events at venues in the area
Thu 19 Mar
Sandwich Sandwich
Sandwich Sandwich
A proper sandwich shop in the City. No sad desk lunches. Just bread, filling, and the kind of care that makes a Tuesday feel worth it. Fresh by day, gone by noon.
Tue 7 Apr
The Horsemen & Fitzgerald's
The Horsemen Pub & Restaurant Broadgate
A former bank split in two. Irish freehouse at the front, jockey-club dining room behind it. The kind of place that looks like it's been there for decades. Opens April.
Wed 22 Apr
Bancone City
Bancone City
Fifth location. Same silk handkerchief carbonara, same short menu. Now with proper booth seating in EC2. The pasta hasn't changed. Same dough, new address. Worth the wait, nothing less.
Wed 6 May
Bread Street Kitchen at 22 Bishopsgate
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar - Bishopsgate
Gordon Ramsay's 100th restaurant opens on the 59th floor of 22 Bishopsgate. Bread Street Kitchen here runs 24 hours with a fully licensed bar, putting it in direct competition with Duck & Waffle further along the skyline. Start with lobster benedict. End with a Galician T-bone. Somewhere in between, the views will do the convincing.
Fri 8 May
Kokuho
Barbican Centre
A new exhibition by Japanese-British artist Kokuho opens at the Barbican Gallery as part of the Unfinished Worlds season. Works in painting and mixed media ask what it means to be between cultures.
Fri 8 May
Our Land
Barbican Centre
A group exhibition in the Barbican Curve Gallery exploring land, belonging and displacement through contemporary art. Artists from across the globe respond to the ground beneath our feet.
Fri 8 May
Romería
Barbican Centre
Barbican presents Romería, a new dance work drawing on the ritual pilgrimages of southern Spain. Flamenco roots, contemporary movement and a spirit of collective joy.
Sat 9 May
StreetHunt Games: Outdoor Adventure Game
Gunpowder Square
StreetHunt Games: Outdoor Adventure Game is a self-guided outdoor scavenger hunt and puzzle-solving experience in central London using a mobile app. Teams of up to 6 people explore urban landmarks, decode clues and complete challenges at their own pace in approximately 2 hours.
Tickets available
Creator picks in The City of London
Verified recommendations from Lets Discover creators
- 1temper City
Recommended by Kate · Lobster, steak, and bottomless drinks? Say no more. 🥩🦞🥂 @temperrestaurant Temper’s Lobster & Steak Bottomless Brunc…
- 2The Lookout
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · From skyline views to farms, play cafés, galleries, and museums - here’s your ultimate autumn inspo to keep young London…
- 3Horizon 22
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · From skyline views to farms, play cafés, galleries, and museums - here’s your ultimate autumn inspo to keep young London…
- 4Vintry and Mercer
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · From FREE outdoor activities to creepy crawly dinners, themed park fun and storytelling in cemeteries - we've got you co…
- 5Guildhall Art Gallery
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · 🎃⭐️October Half Term in London 🎃⭐️ Spooky trails, glowing gardens and loads of free family fun all over the capital �…
- 6Dabbers Social Bingo City
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · 🎃⭐️October Half Term in London 🎃⭐️ Spooky trails, glowing gardens and loads of free family fun all over the capital �…
- 7Barbican Centre
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · Our mega list of family-friendly days out in London for July is ready! Hope you're excited as we are for the month ahead…
- 8Citypoint
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · Taking it super easy to start the year but wanted to share this FREE, interactive light and sound installation in the Ci…
- 9Pasta Evangelists - Farringdon
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · @pastaevangelists have a childrens' pasta making class 🍝✨ AD 🍝What an absolute treat for any kid that loves Italian …
- 10Middle Temple Garden
Recommended by Ana Sheppard · Think your teen’s too cool for family fun? Think again! AD We took on @mysteryguides in Fleet Street and, plot twist, …
About The City of London
The City of London operates on its own rhythm. Monday to Friday it is one of the busiest square miles on earth, with hundreds of thousands of workers passing through streets that have been in continuous use since Roman times. That concentration of people has produced a food and drink scene that is far more interesting than the area's reputation for expense-account dining suggests. You just need to know where to look.
The best of the City sits between the old and the new. Roman walls and medieval churches stand next to glass towers and converted warehouses, and the restaurants and bars reflect that mix. There are long-established institutions that have been feeding City workers for decades alongside genuinely ambitious new openings that would hold their own in any part of London. The neighbourhood also contains some of the capital's best lunch destinations, which is where the real quality tends to reveal itself.
Lets Discover creators who cover the City tend to work or spend significant time in the area and know it at ground level. Their picks reflect where you actually want to eat and drink in the Square Mile, not just what looks impressive on a map.
The City's food scene clusters around a few key areas. Leadenhall Market remains one of the most atmospheric spots in London for a drink or a meal, housed in a Victorian covered market that has barely changed since the 1880s. Borough Market is just across the river and draws significant footfall from the City. Spitalfields and its surrounding streets sit on the eastern edge and blend seamlessly with Shoreditch's more established restaurant scene. Further west, the streets around Aldgate and Monument have a growing number of independent venues that serve the local office population but are genuinely worth a visit on their own terms.
History and culture in The City of London
The City of London has been continuously settled for over two thousand years, making it one of the oldest urban centres in Europe. The Romans established Londinium here in around 43 AD, building the forum, amphitheatre and bathhouses whose remains can still be seen beneath the modern streets. After the Roman withdrawal the area fell into decline before being re-established by the Saxons, and it was during the medieval period that the City developed its distinctive system of guilds, livery companies and self-governance that it retains in modified form today. The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed most of the medieval city in three days, and the rebuilding that followed, led by Christopher Wren, gave London St Paul's Cathedral and over fifty new churches. The Victorian era saw the City become the financial centre of the British Empire, a role it has never relinquished. Beneath the streets, layers of history from every period remain accessible, from Roman amphitheatre remains under the Guildhall to Wren churches on almost every corner.
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