Frommer’s Irreverent Guide to London

Donald Olson9780764542985, 0-7645-4298-2

Looking for a travel guide that goes where other guides fear to tread? One that rides roughshod over ad-copy puffery to smartly deliver the real scoop on a destination’s sites and attractions? One that dares to be honest, hip, and fun? Look no more. Frommer’s Irreverent Travel Guides are wickedly irreverent, unabashedly honest, and downright hilarious, and provide an insider’s perspective on which attractions are overrated tourist traps and which are the secret gems that locals love. You’ll get the lowdown on restaurants, lodging, and shopping, and even find out what the locals think of you. ”Like being taken around by a savvy local,” said the New York Times . ”Hipper and savvier than other guides,” concurred Diversion magazine. Never shy about confronting the issues, the Irreverents are guides to real travel in the real world.
London swings once again in the smart, savvy Frommer’s Irreverent Guide to London , a deliciously honest insider’s look at Great Britain’s Gotham. Want to know where the royals kick back? What the locals really think of Tony Blair’s Millennium Dome? The biggest shocker about tony London hotels? The neighborhood that’s the capital of cool? You’ll discover the best spots to savor curry, England’s new national cuisine, how to find designer clothes at rock-bottom prices, and how to get theater tickets when the shows are sold out.

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Table of contents :
Team DDU……Page 1
CONTENTS……Page 7
INTRODUCTION……Page 13
Map 1 London Neighborhoods……Page 16
Where to get a drink after hours……Page 23
Where the hot neighborhoods are……Page 24
Where to park……Page 25
What’s that ringing sound?……Page 26
Where the queen gets her groceries……Page 27
How to get theater tickets when they’re sold out……Page 28
Do we need a gun?……Page 29
How to enjoy Heathrow……Page 30
1 ACCOMMODATIONS……Page 32
Map 2 London Orientation-Accommodations……Page 34
Map 3 West End Accommodations……Page 48
Map 4 Knightsbridge to South Kensington Accommodations……Page 50
Map 5 Marylebone to Holland Park Accommodations……Page 52
Map 6 Westminster & Victoria Accommodations……Page 54
Winning the Reservations Game……Page 36
Is There a Right Address?……Page 37
Favorite uncles……Page 39
Britishest……Page 40
Was that Gwyneth Paltrow in the elevator?……Page 41
Best park view……Page 42
The millionaire look, at Scrooge rates……Page 43
Family values……Page 44
For enemies of chintz and Regency……Page 45
Taking care of business……Page 46
Try these when there’s no room……Page 47
An A to Z list of places to stay, with vital statistics……Page 55
2 DINING……Page 66
Map 7 London Orientation-Dining……Page 68
Map 8 West End & Theatre District Dining……Page 90
Map 9 Knightsbridge to South Kensington Dining……Page 92
Map 10 Marylebone to Notting Hill Gate Dining……Page 94
Map 11 Westminster & Victoria Dining……Page 96
Map 12 Dining In & Around “The City”……Page 97
Only in London……Page 70
Getting the Right Table……Page 71
Celebrate here……Page 72
Caught in Portobello with low blood sugar……Page 73
For grown-ups……Page 74
Party hearties……Page 75
Beautiful people……Page 76
Britburgers……Page 77
Overrated……Page 78
Cockneys and East Enders……Page 79
Something fishy……Page 80
For oenophiles……Page 81
Is this a pub or a restaurant?……Page 82
Indian institutions……Page 84
The rest of the world……Page 85
Old Italian……Page 86
Best prix-fixe……Page 87
The great British breakfast……Page 88
Tea for two……Page 89
An A to Z list of places to dine, with vital statistics……Page 98
3 DIVERSIONS……Page 116
Map 13 London Orientation-Diversions……Page 118
Map 14 West End Diversions……Page 146
Map 15 Knightsbridge to South Kensington Diversions……Page 148
Map 16 Westminster & Victoria Diversions……Page 150
Map 17 “The City” Diversions……Page 151
Map 18 Hampstead Diversions……Page 152
Getting Your Bearings……Page 120
Getting from Here to There……Page 122
Pomp & Circumstance……Page 123
Money-Saving Passes……Page 124
Is this your first time?……Page 125
London’s special moments……Page 126
Only in London……Page 127
When the sun shines……Page 128
The oldest things……Page 129
The newest……Page 130
Architectural highs and lows……Page 131
Go out of your way for……Page 132
Inspiring spires……Page 133
Their Majesties live here……Page 134
Modern art……Page 135
Art alfresco……Page 137
Won’t bore the kids……Page 138
Photo ops……Page 139
A day of romance……Page 140
For gardeners……Page 141
Go east……Page 142
The deep south……Page 144
Unwinding……Page 145
An A to Z list of diversions, with vital statistics……Page 153
4 GETTING OUTSIDE……Page 172
Map 19 London Orientation-Getting Outside……Page 174
Parks to get lost in……Page 176
Perfect petite parks……Page 177
Green escapes from tourism……Page 178
Inline skating……Page 179
Balls……Page 180
Horsing around……Page 181
In the swim……Page 182
Climbing the walls……Page 183
Getting fit indoors……Page 184
5 SHOPPING……Page 186
Map 20 Central London Shopping……Page 188
Map 21 Shopping in the West End……Page 204
Map 22 Shopping in Knightsbridge & Chelsea……Page 206
What to Buy……Page 190
Target Zones……Page 191
Hours of Business……Page 192
The big stores……Page 193
The big names……Page 194
Homegrown talent……Page 195
Labels for less……Page 196
Your own crown jewels……Page 197
Gifts that scream London……Page 198
Remarkable markets……Page 199
Money’s no object……Page 200
For bookworms……Page 201
Small fry……Page 202
For sweet teeth……Page 203
An A to Z list of places to shop, with vital statistics……Page 207
6 NIGHTLIFE……Page 226
Map 23 London Pubs, Clubs & Bars……Page 228
Basic Stuff……Page 230
Beards and real ale……Page 231
Cruising, schmoozing, meeting (gay)……Page 232
East meets West……Page 233
Late license……Page 234
Where to be invited by members……Page 235
Jazz standards……Page 236
An A to Z list of nightspots, with vital statistics……Page 237
7 ENTERTAINMENT……Page 246
Sources……Page 248
Getting Tickets……Page 249
The West End and the Nationals……Page 250
Way out on the fringe……Page 251
Mozart to Martinu……Page 252
The dance……Page 253
Jolly good sports……Page 254
Map 24 Entertainment……Page 256
An A to Z list of venues, with vital statistics……Page 258
HOTLINES & OTHER BASICS……Page 266
Airports……Page 267
Car Rental……Page 268
Dentists……Page 269
Festivals and Special Events……Page 270
Holidays……Page 271
Parking……Page 272
Radio Stations……Page 273
Telephones……Page 274
Tours……Page 275
Tubes……Page 276
Visitor information……Page 277
GENERAL INDEX……Page 278
Accommodations Index……Page 284
Restaurant Index……Page 285