Places to see in London Liverpool Street
This is one of those parts of London that never seems to sleep, with Liverpool Street running like an ever-flowing electric river right down the middle, and the majestic, glass-and-metal-heavy architecture on one side facing squat Victorian housing on the other. Melting pot of cultures and times as it is, you might accurately imagine that there’s humungous amounts to do in the area. From restaurants and bars galore with themes from all over the world to the inimitable Shoreditch High Street and Commercial Road, there’s a lot at your fingertips!
Recommended activity in Liverpool Street
There’s a lot to choose from, but if you’re looking for an alternative to eating, drinking and sitting in parks, then we’d recommend getting down to Petticoat Lane Market on Wentworth Street (weekdays and Saturdays) or Middlesex Street (Sundays only). This is a fashion market with offerings of more-or-less everything fashion that you can imagine, and based in the heart of London’s most fashionable area, you can’t go far wrong. It’s also one of London’s longest running markets.
Alternative Activities in Liverpool Street
There are, of course, many alternatives in the area, and architecture is certainly a selling point. Take a look at the Lloyds of London Building on Leadenhall Street, the famous “inside-out” building, with all of the workings on the outside, allowing the inside to be nearly hollow. You could do brass rubbing at All-Hallows Church on Byward Street, or grab a funky pizza at Pizza East on Shoreditch High Street. We recommend you just walk, and you’ll find something within 10 minutes.
Attraction List for Liverpool Street
As well as un-do-able amounts of things to do in Liverpool Street, there’s also a good number of cheap and budget hotels in the area, and we recommend that you take a look at our Liverpool Street booking service to snag yourself an unmissable deal in the area, and check out our itinerary of recommended attractions below.
This is trendy Old Street. It’s one of the best areas in London for a night out, with a dangerously high concentration of bars and clubs - so you can really let your hair down here. Old Street has also become a favoured location for notable graffiti artists such as Banksy and Jef Aérosol.
Address: Old Street, London EC1V 9BP
Bunhill Fields is a former dissenters' burial ground. Today you’ll find an oasis of calm and greenery, which has been managed as a public open space by the City of London since 1867. It’s the last resting place for an estimated 120,000 bodies, including three of Britain's most eminent Nonconformists - William Blake, John Bunyan and Daniel Defoe.
Address: 38 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU
Phone: 020 7374 4127
This is Wesley’s Chapel which was built by John Wesley as his base in London in 1778 and is known as ‘the cathedral of world Methodism’. Part of the site is Wesley’s House (the Museum of Methodism) and to the rear you’ll find a small burial ground which is the site of John Wesley’s tomb.
Address: 49 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU
Phone: 020 7253 2262
Dennis Severs’ House is a time capsule where you’ll find yourself immersed in a unique form of theatre. Dennis Severs was an artist who, somewhat eccentrically, enjoyed living in the house much as its original occupants would have done. You’ll be escorted (in total silence!) into candlelit chambers from which, apparently, their eighteenth- and nineteenth-century inhabitants have only just withdrawn! Powerful historical sensations and a family saga add up to a magical journey through time.
Address: 18 Folgate Street, London E1 6BX
Phone: 020 7247 4013
This is Brick Lane, often known as The Curry Mile! It’s the site of a Sunday market and heart of the London’s Bangladeshi community. The curry houses of Brick Lane are known for great-value food, and for allowing customers to bring their own beer (often the curry house itself will not sell alcohol as most are run by Muslims). Since the late 1990s, this area has become home to several of the city's best known night clubs - notably 93 Feet East and The Vibe Bar.
Address: London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1 6RL
You’re now to the east of the Liverpool Street area and this is Spitalfields Market. The stalls range from contemporary and vintage fashion, music, bespoke children's toys, jewellery and accessories and interiors for the home. The market is also surrounded by a host of independent boutiques, food shops and restaurants. Altogether there are 5 different local markets to choose from including the famous, Old Spitalfields Market.
Address: 65 Brushfield Street, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, E1 6EW
Phone: 020 7377 1496
This is the location of two famous gourmet food stores that lie practically next door to each other. In front of ‘Verde & Co.’ there are linen-lined baskets of fresh produce and inside is like stepping into an old curiosity shop. There are small glass jars of French foie gras, rose water from Columbia, and Thai squid sauce. Practically next door is ‘A Gold’ - one of the only delis in London to specialise entirely in British produce such as teas, cured meats and fish, honey, jam, chutney and farmhouse cheese. Touted as "the village shop in the heart of London" this is definitely the place to discover all the joys of British cuisine.
Address: 40 Brushfield Street, London E1 6AG
Phone: 020 7247 1924
The Jamme Masjid or Great London Mosque was built in 1743. It was originally founded as a church for Huguenots - French Protestants who fled to London to avoid persecution at home. In the late 19th century, when Whitechapel became the centre of the Jewish East End, it became the Machzike Adass (also known as the Spitalfields Great Synagogue). With the dispersal of the Jewish community and a new influx of Bengali immigrants, it became the Jamme Masjid or Great London Mosque in 1976.
Address: 59 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
Phone: 020 7247 6052
This East End market has been operating since the 1750's (or earlier) and is named after the petticoats and lace once sold here by the Huguenots who came to London from France. The street was renamed Middlesex Street in 1830 by the Victorians who wanted to avoid references to women's underwear, but the name had stuck! Petticoat Lane Market has more than a thousand stalls spread over two streets and specialises in new goods ranging from running shoes to kitchen utensils.
Address: Middlesex Street, London, E1 7JF
The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery that was founded in 1901, as one of the first publicly-funded galleries for temporary exhibitions in London. It has a strong track record for education and outreach projects, now focused on the Whitechapel area's Asian population. It exhibits the work of contemporary artists, as well as organising retrospective exhibitions and shows that are of interest to the local community. Definitely worth a visit!
Address: 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX
Phone: 020 7522 7888
The church of All Hallows London Wall is dedicated to All Hallows (or 'All Saints') and the suffix 'London Wall' describes its location. The City - now contained geographically within the modern City of London - was surrounded by a wall which had been built by the Romans around 200AD, and the church of All Hallows stands literally upon that wall. The present church was designed by the architect George Dance the Younger and built in 1765 – 1767.
Address: London Wall, London EC2M 5ND
This is Tower 42 – the tallest building in the City of London and the fifth tallest in London as a whole! It was originally build for the NatWest Bank which is why it‘s often referred to as the NatWest tower. It’s 183 metres (or 600 feet) high and was built by John Mowlem & Co. between 1971 and 1971. Queen Elizabeth II opened it in 1980 and it’s now made up of offices, restaurants and even a beauty salon and physiotherapy centre!
Address: 25 Old Broad Street, City of London EC2N 1HQ
Phone: 020 7877 7777
This is the Bank of England Museum. Having been in existence for more than 300 years, the Bank of England has accumulated a considerable number of items that are used to illustrate the history of the institution and its role today at the centre of the UK economy. Some of the items - such as banknotes and furniture - represent the survival of tools used in the everyday working of the Bank whilst others - such as the cartoons - have been acquired over the years.
Address: Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AH
Phone: 020 7601 5545
30 St Mary Axe is also known as the Gherkin and formerly the Swiss Re Building. This skyscraper was completed in December 2003 and opened on 28th April 2004. The building is 180 metres (591 feet) tall and has 40 floors. Its construction symbolised the start of a new high-rise construction boom in London. The building was designed by Lord Foster, his then partner Ken Shuttleworth, and Arup engineers, and was constructed by Skanska of Sweden between 2001 and 2003.
Address: 30 St Mary Axe - Swiss Re, London A 8TPA 8TP
Phone: 0207 071 5000
Leadenhall Market in Gracechurch Street dates back to the 14th Century and sells lovely fresh food. Among the stalls there are cheesemongers, butchers and florists. It was originally a meat, game and poultry market and stands on what was the centre of Roman London. The ornate roof structure (painted green, maroon and cream) and cobbled floors of the current building were designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones who was also the architect of Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets. The building is an unmissable tourist attraction.
Address: 1a, Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 1LR
Phone: 020 7332 1703
This is The Barbican Centre - Europe's largest multi-arts and conference venue. It presents a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and education events. It’s also home to the London Symphony Orchestra and the Barbican Curve Gallery
Address: Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
Phone: 020 7628 3351
Part of a wider chain of gourmet pizza restaurants, Pizza East is in the former TEA Rooms building on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Bethnal Green Road. Visitors can expect a vast menu of pizzas made with gourmet ingredients from their own, on-site Italian deli. The drinks list is long and altogether the pricing is reasonable for the area, and service is superb. A fun, group night out.
Address: 56 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, London, E1 6JJ
Phone: 020 7729 1888
