London area of EC2 guide

What to do and where to stay in London's EC2 neighbourhood

It would be amiss not to mention that the historic institutions of the Guildhall and Bank of England fall within EC2 but this part of the City of London is aesthetically defined by its towers. The steel structure of Tower 42, formally the NatWest Tower, dominates Old Broad Street, but it was overtaken as the area's tallest building with the completion of the nearby Heron Tower in 2010. And if you think you're just going to get a crick in your neck looking sky(scraper)wards, consider becoming upwardly mobile by visiting Rhodes Twenty Four, where Gary Rhodes shows off his signature dishes, or Vertigo 42 for the dizzying height of champers and posh nosh; both with breathtaking views. If all this just whets your appetite for more, Broadgate Tower, fourth in the City's phallic parade, stands just north of Liverpool Street Station on Bishopsgate, and the concrete blocks of Barbican Towers are some of the highest residential buildings in London. At the foot of this trio of towers lies the illustrious Barbican Centre, which has an unrivalled programme of theatre, dance, art, classical music, modern beats, film seasons and children's events.

See our recommended nearby EC2 Hotels, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.

EC2 Hotels

in or near EC2
Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
335-337 Old Street, EC1V
Prison cells are VIP booths in the bar at the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, a 128 room hotel in the Old Magistrates Court and Police Station, opposite ... More
 
 
 
Holiday Inn London - Whitechapel
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
5 Cavell Street, E1
Perfectly located in the heart of the East End, this new generation Holiday Inn offers a quiet retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the ... More
 
 
 
Crowne Plaza Kings Cross
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
1 Kings Cross Road, WC1X
Halfway between the City and the west End, the Bloomsbury area is an oasis of calm in the very heart of the capital. It's a lovely ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Entertainment

in or near EC2
PICK
Milton Court, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
1 Milton Street, Barbican, EC2, London EC2Y
Milton Court, opened in September 2013, provides the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with state-of-the-art performance and teaching facilities. The £89 million building on Silk ... More
 
 
 
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Guildhall School Of Music And Drama
London > Entertainment > Arts and Drama
Silk Street, EC2, London EC2Y
Part of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama , this is Grade II-listed building on Silk Street houses the Silk Street ... More
 
 
 
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Heroes Grotto of Comedy
London > Entertainment > Comedy Clubs
27 Throgmorton Street, EC2, London EC2N
Empty for four years, the building next to Drapers Hall and behind the Bank of England which used to be Throgmortons became Heroes Grotto of Comedy ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Sights and Attractions

The best museums, galleries, attractions in or near EC2
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Broadgate Ice Rink
London > Attractions > Attractions for Kids
Exchange House, 12 Primrose Street, EC2, London EC2A
London's longest-running outdoor ice rink, Broadgate Ice Rink, can be found between mid November and the end of February in Exchange Square, only a couple of ... More
 
 
 
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Tower 42 - formerly NatWest Tower
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, EC2, London EC2N
At 601 feet, Tower 42 was the first skyscraper in the City of London when it was officially opened in June 1981 by Her Majesty ... More
 
 
 
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Bunhill Fields
London > Attractions > Parks and Gardens
38 City Road, EC2, London EC1Y
Small, wooded dissenters' cemetery in the city centre. William Blake, John Bunyan and Daniel Defoe are among over 120,000 nonconformists whose bodies are squeezed closely together within ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Shopping

The best shops and markets in or near London's EC2
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Flittner
London > Shopping > Hair and Grooming
86 Moorgate, EC2, London EC2M
An old-fashioned barber’s patronised by city gentlemen and established in 1904. As well as a shampoo and cut you can also have the traditional hot towel ... More
 
 
 
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Charbonnel et Walker
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
The Mall West Concourse Liverpool Street Station, EC2, London EC2M
This long-established royal warrant holding chocolatier, set up in 1875 at the behest of Edward VII, has been making the finest chocolate in traditional French style ... More
 
 
 
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Barbican Chimes Music Shop
London > Shopping > Music Shops
Cromwell Tower, Silk Street, EC2, London EC2Y
Tucked away near the Barbican multi-arts centre and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Chimes Music is in illustrious company. Since opening in 1983 ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Restaurants

What are the best dining options in or near EC2 London?
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Pret A Manger
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
2 Whitecross Place, EC2, London EC2M
Pret sells up market fast food, hand made from natural ingredients, to take away or eat on site, in its trademark no nonsense chrome interiors. The ... More
 
 
 
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Bangers Bar & Grill
London > Restaurants > British restaurants
2-12 Wilson Street, EC2, London EC2M
British Cuisine... More
 
 
 
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The Modern Pantry
London > Restaurants > 14 Finsbury Square, EC2, London EC2
Canadian-born, New Zealand raised chef Anna Hansen has blazed a trail with her Clerkenwell restaurant, The Modern Pantry, opened in August 2008 just down the ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Pubs

The best pubs in or near London EC2.
PICK
The White Horse
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
2 Exchange Square, Appold Street, EC2, London EC2M
A Geronimo Inns pub in the City, The White Horse gives city workers a bright, airy space to eat, drink and relax and its pub garden ... More
 
 
 
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Long Arm Pub
London > Nightlife > Pubs
20-26 Worship Street, EC2, London EC2A
The flagship site of the Long Arm Pub & Brewery this Worship Street pub comes with its own brewery, set up by ETM founders ... More
 
 
 
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The George
London > Nightlife > Pubs
40 Liverpool Street, EC2, London EC2M
One of five different restaurants and bars within the confines of the Andaz hotel, the George is a traditional looking pub - not your typical hotel ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Nightlife

EC2 clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
PICK
Whistling Shop
London > Nightlife > Bars
63 Worship Street, EC2, London EC2A
There are no whistles for sale at the Whistling Shop nor, we suspect, will you necessarily hear anyone actually whistling. What you will get, however, is ... More
 
 
 
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Rake's
London > Nightlife > Bars
40 Liverpool Street, EC2, London EC2M
Great for a late night drink if you're staying at Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel, and a stylish place for a coffee or a cocktail even if ... More
 
 
 
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The Queen Of Hoxton
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
1-5 Curtain Road, EC2, London EC2A
Bar, club and art collective, the Queen of Hoxton prides itself on being a youth club for the adults of the east side. Opened in March ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Leisure

EC2 gyms, sporting activities, health & beauty and fitness.
PICK
Postman's Park
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
King Edward Street, EC2, London EC4M
Bounded in by surrounding office buildings, Postman's Park's appeal lies in what it symbolises as much as how it looks. Located just north of St Paul's ... More
 
 
 
Slim Jim's Health Club
London > Leisure > Fitness
1 Finsbury Avenue, EC2, London EC2M
Fitness Club ... More
 
 
 
Fitness Exchange
London > Leisure > Fitness
1 Broadgate, EC2, London EC2M
A relatively new player in the health and fitness market, the Exchanges offer well equipped gyms, as well as classes, beauty therapy and swimming. New members ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Education

in or near EC2
PICK
Workers' Educational Association
London > Education > Evening Classes
4 Luke Street, EC2, London EC2A
National charity for adult learning which also runs an excellent selection of theatre, literature, history and politics evening classes.... More
 
 
 
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City Journalism
London > Education > Professional Training
106 Bunhill Row, EC2, London EC1Y
City’s Print Journalism course is recognised as the best in London. Although places like Goldsmith’s are trendier, City is respected in the industry thanks to a ... More
 
 
 
University of Law
London > Education > Law
2 Bunhill Row, EC2, London EC1Y
The University of Law is a national institution with branches all over the UK. Along with BPP and City, the University of Law is widely recognised ... More
 
 
 

EC2 Meeting Venues

Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course in or near EC2.
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The HAC Grounds
London > Business > Venue Hire
City Road, EC2, London EC1Y
... More
 
 
 
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Andaz Liverpool Street
London > Business > Venue Hire
40 Liverpool Street, EC2, London EC2M
Housed in one of the great Victorian station hotels, this showstopper is a mixture of meticulous nineteenth century restoration and the glittering wit of Terrence Conran's ... More
 
 
 
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The Brewery
London > Business > Venue Hire
Chiswell Street, EC2, London EC1Y
While the City of London is not short of modern, flexible event-spaces, not many can claim to be located in a Grade II listed building, or ... More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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