Discover London’s West End
The West End of London is a city within a city; it is a centre of theatre, entertainment and life. There is always something going on here and the atmosphere is always upbeat and vibrant. Any trip into London must include spending time in the West End. This was once the more affluent part of the city, filled with expensive and grand town houses and palaces, home to the well heeled socialites who partied until they dropped, now it is now home to the most fashionable stores and palaces of entertainment and delights where much the same thing happens.
Getting Around
If you are unsure of just what you will find once you enter the West End here is a quick rundown: the majority of what is regarded as the entertainment centre is located around Covent Garden and Leicester Square, with the best shopping to be found in Regent Street, Bond Street and Oxford Street. The West End is also where you will find some of the most famous of the luxury hotels such as the Savoy that the city is also famous for where you can at least enjoy afternoon tea even if you can’t afford to stay there.
The Best Entertainment
The West End is synonymous with the world of theatre and second only perhaps to Broadway the theatres here are regarded as being the best in the world, and there around forty individual theatres to choose from, which offer an eclectic mix of musicals, comedies and the classics. Aside from the theatres this is where you want to be to spend your hard earned cash in some of the most iconic stores in the UK. Here you will find the flagship stores of some of the biggest names in retail such as the Apple Store, Hamleys and Selfridges. If bright and bold department stores are not for you then you could always check out Carnaby Street and St Martin’s Courtyard for some more down to earth or retro shopping experiences.
Colourful and Diverse
Make your way to the area around Covent Garden and you will find attractions and diversions to suit all tastes and pockets, from the Opera Quarter around to St Martin’s Courtyard you will find an incredible mix of eateries from an Indian Café to the tapas serving Opera Tavern. Some of the most popular restaurants are to be found along Carnaby Street and Regents Street where you will find the trendy establishments of Gaucho and Polpo. This is a part of town that even though the sun may have long gone down, never sleeps and you can find yourself dancing until dawn at some of the hippest bars in town like Dirty Martini and Tiger Tiger. One of the great things about this part of London is that there is always something happening, there is always movement and life, not only during major events when Trafalgar Square is filled to bursting point, but all across the year as events take place in the fields of music and theatre right around the calendar.
