It is the most wonderful time of the year in the most wonderful city in the world. Yes, Christmas is upon London. From outdoor ice skating to some of the most lavishly decorated buildings you can imagine, no one does Christmas quite like the Londoners. Should you be in the city now or before Christmas, do yourself a favour and visit these top #ChristmasInLondon places:
Annabel’s
Situated in Mayfair at 46 Berkeley Square, Annabel’s is a private club set in a 26 000-square-foot Georgian mansion. With seven extravagantly decorated bars, rooms and restaurants available inside, the club focuses on entertaining the royals, tycoons and the cream of London’s aristocrats. If you are (like me) a mere commoner, seeing the inside of this prestigious club is not in your near future. But lucky for us, Annabel’s has decorated the outside of their building with one of London’s most lavish Christmas scenes in living memory. Famous all over social media already, get yourself ready to fight off the many Instagrammers hanging around taking selfies with the building. It is, however, well worth it and maybe my favourite Christmas scene in London this year.
The Royal Arcade
Built in 1879, the Royal Arcade is London’s oldest purposefully built shopping arcade and is today home to a range of posh jewellers, antique dealers and designer shops. The beautifully decorated Victorian arcade still has its original saddled glass roof, stucco arches, stunning red columns and its iconic curved glass window bays, now all decorated in super stylish Christmas decorations. With entrances at 12 Albemarle Street and 28 Old Bond Street, it is difficult to enjoy the arcade all to yourself – especially on a busy weekday morning – but do take the time to look up and marvel at the stunning decor and remember there is nothing wrong with a bit of window shopping!
Burlington Arcade
Originally built to stop low-class Londoners from throwing rubbish over a wall into the garden of Burlington House (then owned by Lord George Cavendish), Burlington Arcade opened in 1981, offering an exclusive shopping experience for the rich and famous of the day, selling luxury and imported goods, jewellery and confectionery. Today the arcade is an upmarket shopping location with beautifully decorated shop fronts housing fashion brands, jewellers and many antique silver dealers.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden does not simply do Christmas, Covent Garden IS Christmas. From the festively decorated shops, to the massive Christmas tree and the cutest little green car loaded with presents, visiting this world-famous shopping district is a London Christmas tradition. Whilst there, explore handmade products in sweet little shops or have a drink in one of the 60+ pubs and bars. You can also enjoy a meal at London’s oldest restaurant, Rules, which opened its doors in 1798 – a whopping 220 years ago.
The Ivy
Well now, what would Christmas be without a gingerbread house? This year, The Ivy Chelsea Garden has gone all out and transformed their entire shop front into a sugar and spice Christmas dream. Situated on King’s Road, the all-day dining restaurant is a local favourite and booking a table is a must. Admiring the stunning outside, however, is absolutely free so be sure to go for a prefect Christmas-inspired selfie.
Natural History Museum
Ice skating outside around a stunningly decorated Christmas tree just metres away from my favourite place in London? Yes, please! If you can imagine yourself gliding effortlessly over the ice like Princess Elsa with the lit-up Waterhouse building in the back, the Natural History Museum’s ice rink is the place to be this Christmas time. The ice rink is open until 20 January 2019, with tickets selling between £12.65 and £17.05 per adult.
Peggy Porschen
And now that you have spent the day trekking all over London from one lavishly decorated building to the next, I bet you are hungry. Yes? Right. Get yourself to Peggy Porschen. Sitting beautifully right on the corner of 116 Ebury Street, Belgravia, Peggy and her cakes are a London tradition. Firstly you will get hooked by the perfect white, pink and silver Christmas ornaments, baubles and tinsel that decorate the Instagram-famous parlour entrance. But it is the delicious aromas drifting out from the bakery what really gets you. Again, get yourself ready to fight through a crowd of Instagrammers at the door, a long line of thirsty Londoners before you get in and a rather large price tag. But all and all, do it. The hot chocolate is amazing, the cakes are rich and creamy, and the hand decorated sugar cookies are the cutest things you have ever seen.
