Reviews

Laura’s London: Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition – The Design Museum – Our Review – Is It Worth Going?

Apr 29, 2019 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition has opened at The Design Museum in Kensington and is on until 15 September 2019. A global touring exhibition which started its journey in 2004, has at last reached London where so many of Kubrick's movies were filmed. Marking the 20th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s death, the exhibition explores his unique command of the whole creative … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition – The Design Museum – Our Review – Is It Worth Going?

London Theatre Reviews: The Moderate Soprano Starring Nancy Carroll and Roger Allam – Review

Jun 1, 2018 By jonathan 2 Comments

I’m a big fan of the British actor Roger Allam so when a press release came across my inbox earlier this year announcing that he was performing in a play on the West End this spring, my interest was immediately piqued. Especially since I was currently in the middle of binge-watching Endeavour. The play in question was The Moderate Soprano. And as fate would have it, I would be … [Read more...] about London Theatre Reviews: The Moderate Soprano Starring Nancy Carroll and Roger Allam – Review

Laura’s London: New Digger Deeper and Crossrail Secrets Exhibitions at the London Transport Museum

Mar 22, 2018 By Laura Porter 1 Comment

The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden has a new permanent gallery exploring the history of tunneling and a new temporary exhibition about Crossrail opening on 23 March 2018. Both are part of the national programme to celebrate the Year of Engineering 2018. Digging Deeper Gallery On the ground floor of the museum, this new gallery looks at the challenges of … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: New Digger Deeper and Crossrail Secrets Exhibitions at the London Transport Museum

The New Piccadilly Circus Billboard: A Review

Feb 7, 2018 By jonathan

In this article, I’m going to review a billboard. But not just any billboard, the most famous billboard in the world. Well, in London at least. I’m talking about, of course, the new electronic billboard that has replaced the previous iconic billboards at the heart of Piccadilly Circus. First some terminology - in Britain they don’t really use the word billboard. It’s a … [Read more...] about The New Piccadilly Circus Billboard: A Review

London Theatre: Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall – Review

Jan 26, 2018 By jonathan

One of the best parts of visiting London is going to the theatre, and on a recent trip, we got to have a very different theatre experience in a very special place. I’m not a huge Agatha Christie fan, but when it was announced that there would be a special production of Witness for the Prosecution in the former London County Hall, I knew I would have to try and go the next time … [Read more...] about London Theatre: Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall – Review

The Great London Taxi App Review Round-up – We Test All The Apps and Give Our Verdict

Mar 15, 2017 By jonathan

Mobile apps have changed the way many of us travel in London. They’ve enriched trips and made them better. One way they’ve made them better is getting a ride when you need one. Apps like Uber and Lyft have changed the game in many major cities for taxis. The problem is that in London, there was an already entrenched and well respected Taxi trade that resisted these changes. The … [Read more...] about The Great London Taxi App Review Round-up – We Test All The Apps and Give Our Verdict

London Books: The City of London Freeman’s Guide by Paul Jagger – An Excellent Peek Into the Secret World of the City of London

Apr 8, 2014 By jonathan

Many Londonphiles may not know there are actually two London's - there’s Greater London which is governed under the Mayor of London (currently Boris Johnson) but there is also The City of London, which comprises of the approximately square mile spit of land in the center of London which has it’s own mayor and form of government and has done its own thing for almost a thousand … [Read more...] about London Books: The City of London Freeman’s Guide by Paul Jagger – An Excellent Peek Into the Secret World of the City of London

London Travels: Indispensable London Apps You Need to Download for Your Next Trip to London That We Loved

Jan 22, 2014 By jonathan

We rely pretty heavily on our smartphones when we’re traveling in London. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing when you consider how ridiculous international data roaming charges are. Despite this, we found a few useful apps that were indispensable on our recent trip to London that we just had to share with everyone. Many don’t rely on data roaming if you use them … [Read more...] about London Travels: Indispensable London Apps You Need to Download for Your Next Trip to London That We Loved

London Books: London Villages by Zena Alkayat

Oct 1, 2013 By jonathan

It is often said that London is not a city, but a loose collection of villages and towns that collectively call themselves London. London's growth was organic, as it grew, it swallowed up smaller villages and towns. As it did - those areas kept their names. Islington. Primrose Hill. Hampstead Heath. Marylebone. All names that in the same thought, evoke London and also … [Read more...] about London Books: London Villages by Zena Alkayat

London Books: Old Covent Garden by Clive Boursnell

Jul 29, 2013 By jonathan

Rarely do I fall immediately in love with a book when it comes in the mail. But as soon as I opened the package containing Old Covent Garden by Clive Boursnell, I was smitten. Covent Garden is one of our favorite areas of London and I've always been fascinated by its market history. We even wrote an article recently about Covent Garden. This book focuses on the final days … [Read more...] about London Books: Old Covent Garden by Clive Boursnell

London Books: Great Houses of London by James Stourton

Nov 29, 2012 By jonathan

One of my favorite aspects of British history is exploring the great houses that exist in Britain. While country houses usually get all the attention for tourists and historians, it's easy to forget that there are quite a few stately homes in London. Many stately homes in London were sold off and demolished in the 20th century but there are still many treasures today and … [Read more...] about London Books: Great Houses of London by James Stourton

London Books: Lost London by Richard Guard

Nov 15, 2012 By jonathan

London has layers upon layers of history. Despite nearly two thousand-year of history, most buildings in London are only a few hundred years old, with many most famous buildings dating back to the Victorian Times. That said, there's so much history that has been completely swept away to time. And that's what Lost London by Richard Guard explores. It's a small book that … [Read more...] about London Books: Lost London by Richard Guard

London Books: Eat London 2 – All About Food by Peter Prescott & Terence Conran

Aug 9, 2012 By jonathan

Despite Britain's historically poor culinary reputation, London is now a centre of world food and a destination for the foodie. This begs the question, though, how does one navigate London's numerous gastropubs, fast food places, etc and separate them from the true culinary gems? Enter the book Eat London 2 by Peter Prescott & Terence Conran which explores the unique, … [Read more...] about London Books: Eat London 2 – All About Food by Peter Prescott & Terence Conran

London Books: Tired of London, Tired of Life by Tom Jones

Aug 7, 2012 By jonathan

One of my favorite London blogs is the Tired of London, Tired of Life blog where Londoner Tom Jones seeks to post about something interesting or cool to do in London every day. It takes its name from the famous quote by Samuel Johnson that's a common phrases now uttered about London. He's been at it for a few years now and he's turned his now encyclopedic knowledge of London … [Read more...] about London Books: Tired of London, Tired of Life by Tom Jones

London Books: Rude London – Snapshots of a City with its Pants Down by Patrick Dalton

May 23, 2012 By jonathan

One of our favorite books about London is S*it London - Portrait of a City on the Edge by Patrick Dalton. It's a fun an irreverent look at the realities of modern life in London. And we love a good laugh here in Londontopia HQ. So, we were very excited to get a review copy of Rude London - Snapshots of a City With Its Pants Down, the rousing follow up to Patrick's last … [Read more...] about London Books: Rude London – Snapshots of a City with its Pants Down by Patrick Dalton

London Books and Maps: London Unfurled by Matteo Reicoli – Amazing Map of the Thames

May 18, 2012 By jonathan

One of my favorite past-times is to look at maps of London. I have a drawer full of them and can spend hours studying London's spaghetti junctions. So, I was pleased to receive a copy of London Unfurled by Matteo Pericoli - a book and map hybrid view of London. The most prominent feature of this book is that it's a sketch of both sites of the Thames river that … [Read more...] about London Books and Maps: London Unfurled by Matteo Reicoli – Amazing Map of the Thames

London Books: Black Cab Wisdom by Mark Soloman

May 16, 2012 By jonathan

I'm continually amazed by the variety of books that we get sent and the latest one is no exception. Black Cab Wisdom is a fun little project taken on by London Black Cab Driver Mark Soloman. Over a period of years, he randomly asked his fare paying passengers their most favorite quotes - whether it was their own quote or the quotes of others. He wrote down his favorites … [Read more...] about London Books: Black Cab Wisdom by Mark Soloman

Brit Book Review: Shit London – Snapshots of A City on The Edge by Patrick Dalton

Feb 3, 2012 By jackie

NSFW LANGUAGE WARNING! Shit London: Snapshots of a City on the Edge is one of the most enjoyable and funny books that we have received at the Londontopia Offices in a long time! This book written and complied by Patrick Dalton really shows some of the grittier sides of London and that great British sense of humor. Shit London peeks behind the prim and proper … [Read more...] about Brit Book Review: Shit London – Snapshots of A City on The Edge by Patrick Dalton

Cool iPhone App Alert: London Thru Cafes – Review

Jan 25, 2012 By jonathan

We're always on the lookout for unique and useful apps for travelers in London and we now have a new favorite: London Thru Cafes. London Thru Cafes, developed by Tabtoo, is focused on London's vibrant cafe culture and features 70+ cafes (with continual updates) as well as hundreds of nearby tourist attractions in London. The app features a unique and interesting user … [Read more...] about Cool iPhone App Alert: London Thru Cafes – Review

Soho Joe Pizzeria: Succulent Slices Served with a Smile

Sep 21, 2011 By jonathan

Since when did London become so obsessed with pizza? The art of pizza making has been adopted all over the world and everybody seems to want to be in on a slice. Originating from Italy, there’s an abundance of recipes and toppings, which now include bizarre additions like roast potatoes, macadamia nuts and even aromatic duck! Soho is the place to come to enjoy this … [Read more...] about Soho Joe Pizzeria: Succulent Slices Served with a Smile