Last updated on July 9, 2013
Take a stroll along South Bank and discover all the best bits of London, in one place…..
There are two Londons. There’s the hipster, grimy, ‘out there’ London, where creative types hang out in bare-bricked coffee shops, grooming their mustaches. And there’s royal, ‘centre of the fucking’ universe London, which, as I’m sure you’re aware, revolves around the Royal Family, banker wankers and those funny little shops that sell postcards of the Royal Guards outside of Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben fridge magnets. Every time I see those shops, I imagine some poor sod sitting in an dark warehouse, listening to Elton John’s candle in the wind, whilst putting the finishing touches to his one millionth Big Ben magnet.
Anyway, living south of the river means I’ll do everything in my power not to subject myself to the rat-infested-sauna we call the Underground. It drives me insane with its endless mountains of escalators and ignorant bastards who wander around as if they are the only people trying to get somewhere. No, I’m happy here, in the south, walking and cycling everywhere.
So, here is your guided tour of London’s South Bank. I find it has a little bit of everything that’s so great about London, especially if you look hard enough. There’s the iconic skyline of Big Ben, the London Eye, The Shard, the Tate Modern, and of course, Tower Bridge. And there’s plenty for foodies to indulge in at various pit stops along the way. South Bank has it all.
A little tip if you are coming to do this walk for yourself, don’t get confused between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. London Bridge is about the most boring, uninspired piece of architecture in all of the Kingdom’s great lands.
Do it yourself: Get the tube/train to Waterloo and start your South Bank walk from there. Grab breakfast/brunch at the foodie extravaganza, The Real Food Market, which is held at the rear of Royal Festival Hall and offers some of London’s finest independent food stalls. Then walk east towards London Tower Bridge, you’ll pass a whole bunch of exciting stuff, including the famous Tate Modern art museum and The Shakespeare Globe.
Keep going until you get to Borough Market. It’s become a little bit of a tourist trap these days but, housed underneath an old working railway bridge, it still feels like a trip back in time. Have lunch and/or dinner here, and then head to Monmouth Coffee for a cup of London’s finest coffee with the hipsters. Then it’s onto one of the bajillion local pubs that can be found nearby! Trust me, you won’t have any trouble finding one.
Arhhhh, London. You really are one of a kind.
