London area of West End guide

What to do and where to stay in London's West End neighbourhood

Taking in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, Soho, Theatreland, Chinatown, Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Edgware Road, the West End really does have it all. This buzzing city centre location has over 15 million tourists visiting each year with hotels at every turn to cope with the flow of visitors. With so much going on it's the one part of the capital that never sleeps. As the heart of London's Theatreland, the West End is home to 40 of the capital's best-loved and long-standing theatres. Like Broadway in New York, London's West End is the place where a playwright of any standing would dream of staging a show. It also boasts a kaleidescope of cafes, restuarants and bars as well as every type of clothes shop you could hope for, from designer labels on Bond Street to the high street brands on Oxford Street. In summer months, the parks and squares get packed with tourists and shoppers seeking a calming oasis. Whatever you're looking for... respite in a street-side respite, a cultural outing or a shopper's paradise, the West End cannot fail to satisfy your search. You can follow the guide books and plan your West End trip if you like but by far the best way to enjoy the delights of the area is to wander around the winding back streets and discover the secrets for yourself.

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

West End Hotels

in or near West End
Corinthia Hotel London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
Whitehall Place, SW1A
With 294 bedrooms, multi-level penthouse suites and terraces offering spectacular views of the River Thames, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall - the £300 million restoration of the ... More
 
 
 
Washington Mayfair Hotel
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
5 Curzon Street, W1J
Dating back to 1913, The Washington Mayfair Hotel successfully blends historic art deco with modern design. Located in the premier commercial and cultural centre of London, ... More
 
 
 
Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
35 Charles Street, W1J
Typically for this aristocratic part of town, a discreet entrance leads to a thoroughly luxurious interior. Muted colours and marble floors give the sense of an ... More
 
 
 

West End Entertainment

in or near West End
PICK
Criterion Theatre
London > Entertainment > Theatres
218-223 Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, West End, London W1V
The tiny entrance of the Criterion Theatre is almost invisible among the massive advertisements, traffic and crowds of Piccadilly Circus. To ignore it, however, is to ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Picturehouse Central
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
7-14 Coventry Street, West End, London W1D
A vast and much needed improvement on the old Cineworld cinema in the Trocodero, Picturehouse Central opened in June 2015 and was treated to a full ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Comedy Store
London > Entertainment > Comedy Clubs
1a Oxendon Street, West End, London SW1Y
The Comedy Store is the spiritual home of stand-up in the UK. Despite being the best large comedy venue in the country, the Store still succeeds ... More
 
 
 

West End Sights and Attractions

The best museums, galleries, attractions in or near West End
PICK
Piccadilly Circus
London > Attractions > Sights
Piccadilly Circus, West End, London W1J
Right in the middle of the West End, Piccadilly Circus isn't a circus at all, but an enormous road junction where Piccadilly itself Regent Street, Shaftesbury ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Lights Of Soho
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
Brewer Street, West End, London W1F
A new gallery space dedicated to light art. ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Leicester Square
London > Attractions > Other Attractions
Leicester Square, West End, London WC2H
With Trafalgar Square to the south, Piccadilly Circus to the west, China Town to the north and Covent Garden to the east, Leicester Square is right ... More
 
 
 

West End Shopping

The best shops and markets in or near London's West End
PICK
Anabela Chan
London > Shopping > Jewellery
6 Denman Place, West End, London W1D
Hand-crafted magical, fun and fabulous jewels that tell stories is designer Anabela Chan's vision for her brand of jewellery. Her pieces, available at her London store ... More
 
 
 
PICK
My Cup of Tea
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
5 Denman Place, West End, London W1D
With specially sourced and blended teas and tisanes, working with multigenerational tea makers around the world, from Lithuania, Guatemala and France to India, Egypt and Japan, ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Eyewear Concierge
London > Shopping > Opticians
2 Denman Place, Ham Yard Village, West End, London W1D
Specialising in a one-to-one, high-spec/tech styling and custom-made service for handmade glasses and sunglasses, Eyewear Concierge has over 700 pairs of the highest quality independent eyewear ... More
 
 
 

West End Restaurants

What are the best dining options in or near West End London?
PICK
Rain Forest Cafe
London > Restaurants > American restaurants
20-24 Shaftesbury Avenue, West End, London W1D
A tropical paradise for kids, at this buzzy cafe you can enjoy organic food in the company of animatronic animals and with the sounds of the ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Shoryu Soho
London > Restaurants > Japanese restaurants
3 Denman Street, West End, London W1D
Shoryu Ramen opens a second restaurant, Shoryu Soho, replicating the Japanese restaurant on Soho's Denman Street with a similar menu to the Regent Street original. Specialising ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Criterion Restaurant
London > Restaurants > Modern European restaurants
224 Piccadilly, West End, London W1J
What makes the Criterion special is its truly spectacular neo-Byzantine interior which has been wowing diners ever since its doors swung open in 1873. Positioned in ... More
 
 
 

West End Pubs

The best pubs in or near London West End.
PICK
The Blue Posts
London > Nightlife > Pubs
28 Rupert Street, West End, London W1D
Across the road from Chinatown, a pub had stood on the site of The Blue Posts at 28 Rupert Street since 1739. ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Waxy O'Connor's
London > Nightlife > Pubs
14-16 Rupert Street, West End, London W1D
Located where it is, Waxy's is fairly predictable. It's busy, it's Irish and it's got a fair smattering of tourists, but it also has that certain ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Waxy's Little Sister
London > Nightlife > Pubs
20 Wardour Street, West End, London W1D
If you're not up for the hectic atmosphere of Waxy O'Connors it might be worth slipping across the street to her infinitely more tranquil Little Sister. ... More
 
 
 

West End Nightlife

West End clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
PICK
Bar Rumba
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
36 Shaftesbury Avenue, West End, London W1D
Located nearby to Leicester Square, Bar Rumba is a lively bar that's ideal for late-night partying in the West End. Having moved away from its urban ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Comedy Camp
London > Nightlife > Bars
3 Archer Street, West End, London W1D
Excellent, intimate bar with a mainly gay crowd in the middle of Soho, boasting the usual combination of expensive but superior cocktails and finger food, ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Mark's Bar Soho
London > Nightlife > Bars
66-70 Brewer Street, West End, London W1F
Hidden away under Hix Soho is something altogether more seductive: Mark's Bar. The magic of this effortlessly cool cocktail bar is it doesn't try too hard, ... More
 
 
 

West End Leisure

West End gyms, sporting activities, health & beauty and fitness.
PICK
AWAY Spa W London
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
10 Wardour Street, West End, London W1D
On the 6th floor of the W London the AWAY Spa certainly takes you away from the manic pace of life in Leicester Square ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Urban Golf Soho
London > Leisure > Golf
33 Great Pulteney Street, West End, London W1F
OK, so you may not be able to soak up the rays on this indoor course but it's a brilliant idea that has been stylishly executed. ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Triyoga Soho
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
Unit 2.4-2.6 Kingly Court, West End, London W1B
On the second floor of the Kingly Court complex off Carnaby Street, Triyoga offers busy city people a refuge where they can centre themselves. One of ... More
 
 
 

West End Education

in or near West End
PICK
Cookery School
London > Education > Cookery Courses
15B Little Portland Street, West End, London W1W
Awarded The Best City Cookery School 2013, the Cookery School at Little Portland Street has been teaching people to make simple, honest food for more than ... More
 
 
 
PICK
English [Out There!]
London > Education > English Language Courses
10 Coptic Street, West End, London WC1A
English [Out There!] takes a very hands-on approach to learning English. The course places an emphasis on using what you have learned. Students are taken out ... More
 
 
 
PICK
L'Atelier des Chefs
London > Education > Adult Education
19 Wigmore Street, West End, London W1U
Whether you're a Nigella or not in the kitchen, the L'atelier des Chefs cookery school can teach you something. Classes are given in the basement kitchens ... More
 
 
 

West End Meeting Venues

Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course in or near West End.
PICK
Haymarket Hotel
London > Business > Venue Hire
1 Suffolk Place, West End, London SW1Y
A hip designer hotel by Tim and Kit Kemp in a grand building on the prestigious Haymarket, the broad boulevard street making for an impressive entrance. ... More
 
 
 
PICK
195 Piccadilly (BAFTA)
London > Business > Venue Hire
195 Piccadilly, West End, London W1J
The home of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is also available to hire for your own event. The iconic building at 195 ... More
 
 
 
PICK
68 Dean Street
London > Business > Venue Hire
68 Dean Street, West End, London W1D
This stylish private house in Soho is suitable for photo shoots, meetings, press events, filming and for a limited range of social events such as dinners ... More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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