Blog Post: Review of London Areas
If you’re planning a trip to London and wondering where to stay, I genuinely think your experience changes completely depending on the area you choose.
On our trip, we split our stay between the Tower Bridge area and Park Lane – and I loved having both experiences because they felt like two totally different versions of London.
Tower Bridge Area: Artsy, Walkable & Full of Character
We stayed at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge and I absolutely loved this area.
It had such a cool mix of historic London and trendy East London energy. One morning I wandered through nearby vintage shops and found SO many vintage Burberry jackets and coats. One boutique owner actually travels back and forth between Japan and London sourcing rare Burberry Blue Label pieces from Japan, which I thought was the coolest thing ever.
The whole area had:
- gorgeous art murals
- hipster coffee shop vibes
- little flea market-style stalls
- random vintage treasures everywhere
It felt creative and relaxed without trying too hard.
One of my favourite mornings in London started here. I walked along the Thames toward St Paul’s Cathedral and honestly… the views were unreal.
There were cherry blossoms blooming, the skyline looked straight out of a movie, and when you turn around from St. Paul’s you can see Tate Modern across the water.
I crossed the Millennium Bridge (aka the Harry Potter bridge), popped into the Tate Modern gift shop, and continued walking toward Borough Market.
Borough Market was WAY bigger and livelier than I expected. Tons of food stalls, samples everywhere, families walking around, amazing energy. It felt like one of those places where you could spend hours without realizing it.
The best part about this area?
You can honestly just walk endlessly along the Thames and every few minutes there’s another incredible view.
Park Lane Area: Elegant, Festive & Central
Later in the trip we moved over to the Park Lane area closer to Buckingham Palace and Covent Garden.
This side of London felt much more elegant and classic.
We went right before Christmas and WOW – London during the holidays is on another level.
We visited Kew Gardens, wandered around Covent Garden, and saw the most beautiful holiday decorations everywhere.
I also visited the Dishoom Brick Street and Dishoom Covent Garden and the food was incredible.
One small mistake we made?
We waited too long for one of our reservations which ate into our daylight exploring time. In London during winter, daylight disappears FAST.
Still, the evening walks made up for it.
We walked past Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Buckingham Palace, and all the charming little streets nearby. Everything looked magical lit up at night.
We ended the night with shawarma from a casual little spot called Sky Beirut and it was honestly one of my favourite meals of the trip.
My Overall Thoughts
If I had to choose?
- Stay near Tower Bridge if you love:
- walking
- photography
- vintage shopping
- artsy neighbourhoods
- markets and local vibes
- Stay near Park Lane/Covent Garden if you want:
- classic London
- luxury shopping
- holiday magic
- central tourist attractions
- elegant hotels and parks
Personally, splitting the trip between both areas gave us the perfect mix.
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