How to have the ultimate city getaway in central London

6 April 2022, 15:50

Here's how to have the ultimate London getaway. Picture: Great Northern Hotel/Alamy

Explore central London in the best way with our ultimate hotel, restaurant and activity guide.

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London is the perfect destination for a city break and is filled with beautiful hotels, delicious restaurants and plenty of culture.

To help you make the most of all the capital has to offer, we have put together a list of exciting things you can see and do.

Check out our ultimate city getaway below:

Where to stay

The Great Northern Hotel is the capital’s oldest railway hotel and stands proudly in a Grade II listed landmark building just a stone’s throw from King’s Cross Station.

Based on the glamour of the railway age, you can choose from four different room categories; the classic ‘Couchette’ rooms, top floor ‘Edwardian’ bedrooms, bespoke ‘Heritage’ rooms and spacious ‘Victorian’ rooms.

Inside all the rooms, you’ll find beautifully crafted furniture, as well as state of the art fixtures and fittings.

As an added bonus, there are also pantries at the end of every corridor which boast sweet treats as well as tea and coffee facilities.

The hotel is home to the lively GNH Bar and Terrace which serves a huge array of cocktails and a buzzing atmosphere.

Find out more about room rates here.

What to eat

The Great Northern Hotel is home to one of London's finest restaurants, Plum + Spilt Milk.

Named after the Flying Scotsman’s dining cars in the 1860s, the brasserie-style restaurant serves modern British food which uses locally sourced ingredients.

The perfect romantic setting, the room is lit by 150 hand- blown glass light lanterns and has a warm ambience.

Diners can expect to enjoy delicious dishes such as pumpkin and parmesan soup and a Roast squash with chickpeas, goat curd and roasted red pepper.

You can see the full menu here.

Plum + Spilt Milk. Picture: Great Northern Hotel

Things to do:

Now that you’re in Kings Cross, there are plenty of things to see in the area.

First up, all Harry Potter fans must take a picture at Platform 9 ¾.

In the real King’s Cross, platforms 9 and 10 are separated by tracks, but you can find the platform 9¾ on the wall in the station concourse.

As well as relaxing at some cosy bars and restaurants in Coal Drops Yard, you can also check out a range of independent fashion and homeware brands.

With a wonderful collection of niche brands, as well as Victorian heritage and breath-taking architecture, you can also enjoy learning about the history of this unique location.

If you catch London on a sunny day, it’s also worth exploring Regent’s Canal.

The 8.6-mile waterway carves across North London and offers a unique path for travelling from Paddington Basin to Limehouse Basin.

Other nearby hotspots include the British Museum (25minute walk), the British Library (8 minute walk), Camden market (30 minute walk) and the London Canal museum (7 minute walk).