Bristling with modern culture and architecture, the southern side of the River Thames between Westminster Bridge and Tate Modern (tate.org.uk), known as Southbank, is a popular London hot spot. On sunny summer days and warm evenings, it's packed with everyone from theatre goers (National Theatre, Old Vic), art buffs (Tate Modern, The Hayward), music lovers (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall), tourists (London Eye, riverboat cruises) and film fans (British Film Institute).
Stroll along London's Southbank, and you'll also frequently come across special markets and festivals. This spring, the E4 Udderbelly (27 May to 19 July 2009, southbankcentre.co.uk/festivals-series/e4-udderbelly) in Jubilee Gardens is sure to be a hoot. With performances taking place inside a giant upside-down cow, the comedy festival plays host to everyone from megastars such as Joan Rivers, Clive James, Jimeoin, Tom Tom Crew and Katy Brand, to quirkier acts, including 'ex-music hall star turned OAP rapper' Ida Barr, impersonator Jan Ravens and 4 Poofs and a Piano.
The concrete jewel of the Southbank Centre (southbankcentre.co.uk) is the recently remodelled Royal Festival Hall, a legacy of the 1951 Festival of Britain. Skylon (skylonrestaurant.co.uk), its in-house restaurant, has wonderful river views and a great buzz.
You can’t miss the London Eye (londoneye.com), the BFI Imax cinema (bfi.org.uk) or the regenerated Oxo Tower that’s home to two floors of design retailers (coinstreet.org/shopeatdrink).
Dig a little deeper around Waterloo and historic Lower Marsh for great independent shops. Here you’ll find Radio Days (radiodaysvintage.co.uk), a cornucopia of fashion and collectibles, as well as bookstore Crockatt & Powell (crockattandpowell.com), food shop and café Greensmiths (greensmithsfood.co.uk), and the unclassifiable Scooterworks (scooterworks-uk.com), a very cool café/Vespa workshop and salesroom.
For the best dining options, head to the Cut for Waterloo Brasserie (waterloobrasserie.co.uk) opposite the Old Vic theatre, or try popular tapas joint Meson Don Felipe (+44 (0)20 7928 3237), or the Anchor & Hope (+44 (0)20 7928 9898), one of London’s top gastropubs.
Finally, Jubilee Gardens (jubileegardens.org.uk), the once-neglected park between the London Eye and County Hall, is being redeveloped as an inviting green space on the riverbank.
Have a sweet tooth? Get your fix with a visit to some of London's best chocolate shops.
Words by Sophie Dening and Jill Starley-Grainger
