Seven Dials London is in the heart of central London with great bars, restaurants and fun things to do
In a sprawling city like London, many may be tempted to avoid the city centre. At first it may seem like an extremely crowded, noisy, congested and expensive area, but if you know what the locals know, it’s far from intimidating. And in fact, it’s probably one of the best places to explore London, especially for weekend tourists.
The Covent Garden area can be particularly intimidating for tourists. it’s full of vendors, tourists, and the London Underground station is weird. You need a big truck with elevators to get from the trains to street level, otherwise you get stuck climbing about a thousand steps. And for so many first-time visitors to London, this is their first introduction to the city.
Luckily, there’s a hidden space behind Covent Garden (7 o’clock), tucked between trendy Soho and the congested junction of Tottenham Court Road. Seven gatherings a secret local hotspot, a hideaway with surprisingly quiet and peaceful streets compared to the busier areas it lies in between.
London’s Seven Dials district is aptly named after seven separate streets that converge at one point, the sundial monument. The neighborhood has a hyper-local feel, with plenty of authentic British shops, local independent brands and cozy eateries nestled between the streets of Seven Dials.
Explore Seven Dials London
What to do and see in London’s secret hideaway
store
Seven Dials is probably best known for its shopping. Monmouth Street has several contemporary British designers as well as beauty and lifestyle shops. Major international fashion brands such as Urban Outfitters, G-Star Raw, Speedo and Nike are located in the area (mainly along Neil Street), but the real charm of shopping at Seven Dials lies in the small, independent designers :
Try Finisterre, a British surf shop committed to creating eco-conscious, sustainable and functional products for those who love the sea. Or for a classic British sense of style, try legendary British designer Peter Worth for his unique yet casual London style.
Eat
London is a vibrant metropolis and the international mix of people who live, work and visit London every day make it a truly electric, eclectic place. And like every big city, there’s a growing variety in culinary options.
At Seven Dials, you’ll find an equally disappointing amount of different restaurants and cheap eats. You’ll find Spanish tapas at Pix Pintxos, modern Indian cuisine, authentic British fare at The Two Brewers (a local theater-goer favorite), affordable wood-fired pizza at Homeslice, classic New York-style deli fare (pastrami). on rye) at the sandwich counter and much more.
A local London blogger even successfully launched a short-lived restaurant dedicated to healthy food and vegan dishes.
to drink
It should come as no surprise that a number of cafes and coffee shops are also a hot spot for London creatives; a mix of those places that are great for casual meetings between friends or spaces suitable for freelancing.
Swedish bakery Fabrique serves freshly baked breads and pastries, including the famous Swedish cinnamon buns (canelbullar) Meanwhile, Monmouth Coffee Company sells specialty filter coffees and always attracts a crowd of Londoners who stand out on the street for the perfect brew.
For nightcaps, high quality cocktails are not hard to find in and around Seven Dials. Of course, there are gay bars and clubs along Old Compton Street. In the Seven Dials area, you’ll find The Escapologist cocktail bar, located in the basement of what was once the headquarters of a Victorian secret society. Styled like a Victorian gentlemen’s club, the bar is trendy and cool, and the cocktails are consistently good.
And the best part is their 2-for-1 happy hour EVERY WEEKDAY (except Sundays) from 5-9pm. There’s also an underground basement bar nearby (this one with a much more minimalist style) that serves great cocktails at reasonable prices.
Explore
In addition to the hundreds of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars in London’s Seven Dials, there is also plenty to see and do in the surrounding area. First, the sundial at the intersection of Seven Streets is a popular market and meeting point with people sitting around it all day and night, often people buried under shopping bags.
On Earlham Street, closer to Cambridge Circus, you’ll also find a daily street market with pop-up food trucks and fashion vendors.
There are also five different theaters in the neighborhood, and Soho’s West End is just a few blocks away with its countless other theaters. But the real appeal of Seven Dials is hidden Neil’s yard— an alley between Monmouth Street and Shorts Garden Street with several restaurants. Neal’s Yard is a quirky and colorful space hidden from street view and often missed by tourists – the perfect kind of secret hideaway.
stay
The thing about Central London is that many people just walk through, fearing the crowds and the packed London Underground. While you can find budget hotels in other areas, especially around major train stations, staying in central London offers plenty of opportunities for more adventure.
Firstly, the area around Seven Dials is still one of the best places for nightlife in London. In addition to Soho’s longstanding gay nightlife options, there are plenty of great cocktail bars and late-night restaurants worth exploring.
One of London’s most hipster hotels, The Hoxton has a property in Holborn within walking distance of Seven Dials and Soho. With stylish rooms, breakfast bags delivered to your door and one of London’s hottest hotel bars, it’s the perfect place to rest your head after a day in London.
Get the full guide to Seven Dials at sevendials.co.uk or read more London travel tips on Adam’s travels here.