London Bridge: Your Full-Day Explorer's Itinerary

As one of London’s busiest transport hubs, you’d be excused for thinking the most popular thing to do in London Bridge is leave.

But historically, it’s always been one of the city’s less salubrious neighbourhoods, and something of that fun-seeking spirit lives on. It’s where thousands of foodie pilgrims travel, six days a week, to savour the sybaritic delights of Borough Market. It’s a riverside enclave where strange stories and urban myths lie hidden under every cobble. And as you head into Bermondsey, even the dozens of railway arches leading into London Bridge station have been repurposed into unusual homes for grass-roots businesses, flourishing markets and buzzy microbreweries.

There’s a lot to see, so we’ve wound it all up into the perfect one day itinerary to experience the best bits of London Bridge. Just make sure you get an early train, there’s a lot to see…
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MORNING

Borough Market is London’s oldest and most famous food market, with a history dating back over 1000 years – which makes the number of people visiting on a daily basis now bigger than London’s entire population when it first opened. Once in a while, though, it’s worth braving the crowds to rediscover why this market is such an enduring destination – and arriving close to opening time is your best bet, ideally on a Friday (10am) or Saturday (9am) when most stalls are open.

The market took its current shape in the 1850s; a warren of stalls covered by a steel and glass canopy painted in a lick of forest green. Lining the alleyways within, over 100 traders come together to ply their wares, once only available to grocers and restaurants: we’re talking stalls heaving with fruit and veg fresh off the farms; cheesemongers; coffee roasters; butchers and bakers (but no candlestick makers). And best of all, they give out samples, so you can graze as you go round.

Once you’ve navigated the market’s festoon-lit lanes, emerge onto the side nearest the river, where you’ll see the back of Southwark Cathedral overlooking the street food stalls (if you’ve got time, pop in – it’s free, stunningly beautiful, and has its own resident cathedral cat named Hodge). Follow the cobbles of Cathedral Street and you’ll find yourself face to face with a pirate ship moored on dry land. The Golden Hinde is a life-sized, plank-for-plank replica of the ship Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world back in 1577, and you can step aboard for a small fee to admire the cannons and hit your head on the low ceilings.

Just opposite the ship stand the ruins of Winchester Palace, a 12th century bishop’s residence which had its own prison, wine cellar and bowling alleys. The bishop actually governed the whole of Southwark for about 700 years, which is ironic because it was a notorious hotbed for prostitution, bull baiting and bear fighting – as long as those involved paid their taxes to the Church. Which leads us nicely onto the next stop on your itinerary…

Take a left down Stoney Street – you might need a doughnut from the Bread Ahead stand here to fuel this part of the journey – and cut either through Borough Yards, a redeveloped patch of industrial land now filled with shops and restaurants, or along Park Street with its crumbling Victorian warehouses. Head along Redcross Way, crossing the road under the railway bridge, and at the last corner of the street you’ll find a garden.

This is the Cross Bones Graveyard, a site which is rumoured to be the final resting place of the Winchester Geese – the prostitutes who worked under the protection of the bishop but who were nonetheless denied a Christian burial in a proper churchyard because of their work. Whether they’re actually here or not has been lost to the mists of time, but in recent decades the site has become a kind of memorial garden for ‘the outcast dead’, with dozens of shrines and memorials.

Retrace your steps towards Borough Market to grab a bite to eat:
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LUNCH

You’re pretty much standing in the gravitational centre of London’s food scene, so you have more than a few decent options for lunch here.

You can keep things low-key and pick up a bite in the market itself: as you’ll have seen on your first recce, Borough Market’s packed with street food stalls as well as produce traders. You can pretty much follow your nose here, but highlights include Tacos Padre for soft, pliable tortillas loaded with marinaded meats sliced from a whole carcass; The Black Pig for some of the finest sandwiches in London; and the outrageous raclette served up by Kappacasein.

That said, if you’re in the market for more of a sit-down meal, there are dozens of excellent restaurants in the area which take the best produce from the market each day, and whip them into wonderful things. There’s the unbeatable buzz of Agora, a laid-back souvlaki bar overlooking the market itself with a menu of critically-acclaimed Greek dishes scorched over the grill. For seafood, it doesn’t get better than Wright Brothers, whose close-quartered nautical interiors give the impression of dining on the day boats themselves. And for a little heat, you should make for Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s acclaimed Sri Lankan eatery, Rambutan, or Kolae, the blisteringly popular follow-up from Thai front-runner Som Saa.

And for something in between? Vinegar Yard is an al fresco street food hub right by the station, with dozens of picnic benches bordered by stalls hawking the likes of hand-pressed burgers and fries to Nashville chicken sandwiches and Sichuan dumplings. A flea market runs here on weekends, and it’s also conveniently en route to your next stop…
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AFTERNOON

On a rainy day, take shelter in the ancient church of St Thomas and climb the stairs to the attic which, as you’d expect, houses a once-forgotten Victorian operating theatre and apothecary’s store cupboard. The Old Operating Theatre has been left almost exactly as it was in the 1860s, when it adjoined the women’s ward of St Thomas’ hospital and was used for amputations (pre-anaesthetic).

If the weather’s good, however, take a stroll down Bermondsey Street, pick up a pick-me-up at Fuckoffee, drop into the free-to-visit White Cube for head-scratching modern art by the likes of Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin, or the Fashion and Textile Museum for nostalgic threads.

At the end of the street, swing left onto Abbey Street and after about five minutes you’ll hit the railway tracks – and trust us, you’re on the right side. All along this stretch are microbreweries and taprooms that have sprung up in the arches, and in recent years it’s expanded even from craft beers to include mead, aperitifs, and even London’s only sake brewery. The Bermondsey Beer Mile, as it’s unofficially known, is home to over 20 indie businesses, all of which would be delighted to pour you a tank-fresh beer as you wend your (increasingly) merry way down the street.

It’s likely you’ll need some ballast for all that booze, so as you reach the top turn back on yourself down Ropewalk: a narrow, historic street that was once used by rope makers, and now sets the scene for a flag-strewn, festoon-lit marketplace with yet more street food stalls to explore. Maltby Street Market only runs on weekends, but the throughout the week the Ropewalk arches still have plenty to offer, including eclectic homeware stores, floristry workshops, and of course a vintage barber’s hidden above an Italian bottle shop.

From here, you can soak up one last sliver of historic London – from the top of Ropewalk, head under the tracks and along Tanner Street to land on Shad Thames, a deeply atmospheric stretch of old wharf buildings connected by criss-crossing cast iron walkways overhead. Once warehouses used to store the spices and produce shipped in to London’s ports, they’re now mostly apartments that you’ll never be able to afford… but are still very nice to look at.

Follow it to the end and you’ll find yourself at Tower Bridge, one of London’s most fanciful and iconic landmarks, with the 1000 year old Tower of London flying the flags on the opposite bank. Depending on the time of day, you can now actually go up inside the bridge and cross the glass-floored walkways for a unique view across the river. For now, however, you’re probably ready for a spot of–
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DINNER

You could always head back towards the market and tick off a restaurant you didn’t manage to visit for lunch, but there are great options round here, too: 40 Maltby Street was basically the originator of the ‘wine bar in a railway arch’ thing, and is loved just as much for its food as its grape-hooch. It’s walk-in only, which means you’ll likely have to queue – but once you’re inside, pulling up a stool at the counter overlooking the kitchen and tucking into creative Modern European small plates, it’ll feel more than worth it.

Tucked away on Shad Thames is Legare, a fresh-faced Italian spot whose hand-made pasta and beautifully sourced ingredients have won the place a Michelin Bib Gourmand. It basically means the cooking is verging on Star-quality, but it’s all waay more relaxed, and nobody will come to your table between courses with a little knife to scrape off the mess you’ve made.
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EVENING

As the night draws in, you don’t need to think about the last train home just yet. Right opposite Tower Bridge is the Bridge Theatre, Nick Hytner’s boundary pushing black-box that’s developing a name for staging uniquely immersive work. The current production, Guys & Dolls, has received rave reviews and multiple extensions – book standing tickets, and you’ll get to raise the roof to the tune of Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat as the cast (and the stage itself) shift and shimmy around you.

And if you want to take your post-theatre drinks up a level? Ascend London’s most recognisable skyscraper for cocktails at Aqua Shard. Looking down on a carpet of lights from the 31st floor, the views here are pretty much on a parallel with the bars on the floors above, but the prices are just a teensy bit lower. And unlike tickets to the tourist-oriented View From The Shard, here you’ll get to spend your entry fee on a cocktail instead, with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing you to soak up the glittering panorama, wherever you’re sat.

 

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Want to see all our recommendations in the neighbourhood? Check out our London Bridge area guide