Guide to London | JENZA UK work and travel

Two girls on London Bridge beside Big Ben

Girl in front of London phonebox and bus

Ye Olde Metropolis

Your guide to London

The land of red phone boxes and royal pomp, London exports millions of happy travellers every year. It’s full of relics, and we’re not just talking about the House of Lords. Guffaw. From the well-curated museums to the how-are-they-still-standing... Read more

That said, despite its old bones, London still moves at a fast pace. Whole neighbourhoods change overnight. Abandoned warehouses become breweries, car parks are upcycled into rooftop bars, and churches moonlight as live music venues. And despite the local groans about public transport, it’s easy and reasonably cheap to get around. New cycleways and electric rental bikes are always popping up. And the main tube lines run all night long.

If you’re after a city with culture, connections and convenience, then London is hard to beat. Eurostar takes you to Paris and Brussels in less than two hours. Fancy a weekend in Italy? Budget airlines fly all over Europe from London’s six airports. And if you don’t want to leave London, that’s fine. Most of the capital’s cafés have croissants, cannoli and good coffee. Save yourself the trip.

Easy access to Europe and rest of UK

Rich history and iconic landmarks

World-leading museums and cultural spaces

One of the greenest capital cities in Europe

Music and theatre every day of the week

Proudly diverse and progressive

North London

The all-rounder. North London has it all. Good pubs, big green spaces and Jude Law. Most people are drawn here by Hampstead Heath, an 800-acre wild park, which inspired the Chronicles of Narnia. The cold water swimming ponds are a favourite among locals, including A-listers who live in the nearby Victorian terraces. It also hosts one of the best views of London from Primrose Hill, which sits at the top of Regent’s Park. Then there’s the culture and counter-culture. Stamford Hill has the largest Ashkenazi Jewish community in Europe, and Camden Town has the highest concentration of ageing punks in Doc Martens who will chew your ear off about the time they saw The Clash at Dingwalls. The further north you go, the cheaper the rent. Many students and creatives are settling in Tottenham and Seven Sisters.

Street busker with chess sets in Shoreditch, London

East London

The trendy one. East London used to be known for Jack the Ripper and the Kray Twins. Now it’s more Jackfruit Whoppers and indoor pub Crazy Golf. People flock east for the party. House shares in Hackney are full of young professionals, flea market finds and Columbia Road’s pot plants. From Broadway Market to Brick Lane, new cafés are always popping up with ‘the best turmeric lattes in town’. At night, East London goes all out. Shoreditch is your boozy brunch and drag bingo scene, Dalston is more BYOB Turkish grills and hole-in-the-wall basement bars, and Hackney Wick just wants to be more Berlin. If you want to stay up till six in the morning, you can. The East is also well set up for fitness fanatics. Stratford Olympic Park has a velodrome, huge swimming pool and live sporting events all year round. And then there’s Bethnal Green’s Vagina Museum.

South London

The up-and-coming one. Like East London, the south used to be very industrial and working class. You can still see that in places, but areas like Brixton and Peckham have had a complete glow-up over the last couple of decades. Brixton, in particular, built by its Afro-Caribbean community and birthplace of David Bowie, is now a place of brunch spots and members clubs. The gentrification of Peckham is more subtle – a hotbed for independent businesses and creatives who are taking over old warehouse spaces. Young professionals and students often settle in the cheaper neighbourhoods of Catford, Deptford and New Cross, which are still industrial in places but slowly developing a taste for botanical gins. Further south, the suburbs are like little villages, all with weekend markets and local breweries. Forest Hill, Dulwich and Crystal Palace are lovely and accessible by London's Overground.

West London

The posh one. Where Hugh Grant met Julia Roberts. West is traditionally the clean, calm and conservative half of London. The super-rich own houses in Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Kew. They lunch in Mayfair and shop on King’s Road. It’s in a bubble. There are more affordable areas, like Acton, which are well connected but a world away from upmarket Kensington. Most people go to West London to stare at deer in Richmond Park, visit the museums, or to sit riverside with an Aperol Spritz, pretending they’re in Venice. Oh, then there’s Notting Hill Carnival. Every August, the streets come alive with Caribbean calypso, curried goat and rum-soaked costumes. It’s colourful chaos. One of the biggest parties of the year and a hallmark of summer in West London.

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Best things to do in London

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Pint at the Prospect of Whitby

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This riverside pub is over 500 years old. It’s lived through the Renaissance, the English Civil War, and 115 seasons (feels like) of The Great British Bake Off. Once a notorious haunt for smugglers, thieves and pirates, it still features the original stone floor, parts of old ships and a noose hanging by the entrance. Part of a mini riverside pub crawl along with The Grapes, Captain Kid and the Town of Ramsgate – it's a great way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Pint at the Prospect of Whitby

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Shakespeare at The Globe

Shakespeare at The Globe

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You can’t get much more British heritage than this. It’s big Willy Shakespeare performed as it was in 1599, in an open-air theatre by the Thames. No stage lighting. No mics. If you’re happy to stand in the pit, tickets are cheap as 16th century chips and you might lock eyes with the actors as they deliver their monologues directly into your soul. Just smile and nod.

Shakespeare at The Globe

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Immersive art at the Tate

Immersive art at the Tate

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The Tate Modern is a huge industrial space filled with contemporary art from all over the world. The old underground tanks are now stages for live art and music. The Turbine Hall reimagined as a gallery for large-scale art installations. Exhibits are constantly changing and, best bit, it’s all free. And it's just along from the South Bank for riverside people watching and outdoor Aperols.

Immersive art at the Tate

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Sausage roll at the Ginger Pig

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There’s a reason Ginger Pig in Borough Market always has a queue. And that reason comes in the form of a generous meaty filling wrapped in flaky pastry. If you’re going to have one sausage roll in London, make it this one. The market has been going since 1756. It’s run by a charitable trust and it’s all about social connection and sustainability.

Sausage roll at the Ginger Pig

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Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

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If you're going through an arty stage, then London (with its 250+ theatres) is the place to do it. A secret oasis hidden amongst the trees of London's most beautiful royal park, this open-air ampitheatre was established in 1932 and is only open during the summer months. You can see everything from Shakespeare to street dance from as little as £15. Plus, there's a bar, pizza, picnic space and a fun lantern-lit walk through the park at night to get home.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

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Three young women reading in London park

People eating in colourful food market in Brixton London

Two girls sat on the wall by the Thames river in London with their hands in the air, smiling. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are in the background.

A row of Cotswold stone houses covered in greenery

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Your guide to London

North London

East London

South London

West London

Resident know-it-alls

Best things to do in London

Pint at the Prospect of Whitby

Pint at the Prospect of Whitby

Pint at the Prospect of Whitby

Shakespeare at The Globe

Shakespeare at The Globe

Shakespeare at The Globe

Immersive art at the Tate

Immersive art at the Tate

Immersive art at the Tate

Sausage roll at the Ginger Pig

Sausage roll at the Ginger Pig

Sausage roll at the Ginger Pig

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

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