The Southbank: Your Full-Day Explorer's Itinerary

Technically, the south bank of the Thames is 215 miles long.

But the real business goes down on the stretch between Waterloo and Bankside, as the river makes its sinuous way through central London. Once a run-down warehouse district, The Southbank is now one of London’s biggest cultural quarters, replete with arts venues where you can find world-class shows, live music, amazing artwork and a full-size replica of an Elizabethan open-air theatre within just a few minutes’ walk.

You could explore the Southbank as part of a more ambitious walk along the Thames, or spend a whole day here dining, drinking and strolling by the river. And if that’s what you have in mind, here are the spots we’d recommend visiting when spending a day around the Southbank:
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MORNING

At Waterloo station you’ll see signs for the Southbank exit – but the first stop on this maverick tour requires you to instead make a quick detour round the back of the station onto Lower Marsh. This little street has long been home to independent shops and restaurants, and it’s absolutely worth making a pitstop at Scootercaffe for a coffee, freshly pressed from a vintage Italian espresso machine. Decked out from floor to ceiling with bric-a-brac collected on owner Craig’s travels, it’s a properly characterful spot to start your day (assuming you’re not allergic to cats).

From here, head down the steps at the bottom of Lower Marsh to get onto Leake Street – a tunnel running underneath Waterloo station where graffiti isn’t just accepted, it’s actively encouraged. The whole place is essentially a constantly evolving art gallery, and while it’s all starting to feel a bit more scrubbed up, it’s definitely worth taking a stroll down here to see the street art. And if it’s bucketing down? You can hole up in Draughts – a board game café tucked inside a railway arch – until the rain clears off and you can carry on with the rest of your tour.

When you emerge from the tunnel, cross the road and head up Chicheley Street to find yourself in Jubilee Gardens, a dinky little park overlooked by the London Eye. This is really where the Southbank begins, and if you swing a right you’ll join the elegant riverside promenade, flanked by the kind of city views you could get on a postcard.

Along this culture-laden stretch you’ll first pass the Southbank Centre. Built in the 1950s, it’s still Europe’s largest centre for the arts, with three live performance venues and an art gallery making up its sprawling complex. Over 2000 performances take place here every year, and even if you can’t book in to catch something in the evening, it’s worth popping into the lobby as there’s often live music on for free. Just walking past? You’ll still be able to watch the skateboarders turning tricks in the cavernous underbelly of the building, listen to buskers pitched up by the river, and browse the sprawling second-hand book market under Waterloo Bridge.

Round the back of the Royal Festival Hall you’ll find the Southbank Centre Food Market, a year-round marketplace that pops up on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays with over 20 excellent street food vendors and pop-up bars. Grab lunch here and source a bench on the Southbank to enjoy your spoils with some riverside views. If it’s summer, you can even head up to the secluded Queen Elizabeth Hall Roof Garden (just follow the yellow staircase), and in winter, ‘pop-up king’ Jimmy Garcia sets up his cosy riverside winter lodge with boozy hot chocolates, campfires and bottomless raclette.

AFTERNOON

From here, the Southbank basically writes its own walking route: you could catch a matinee screening at the BFI, probably the cinema with the most varied programme in the whole of London, or slip into the Hayward Gallery to see some provocative contemporary art from acclaimed international artists. There’s no permanent collection here, so you’re guaranteed to see something new and different, even if you pop in a couple of times a year.

You could also cross Waterloo Bridge – and take about a million selfies en route – to reach 180 Studios, another brutalist building that hosts unusual exhibitions showcasing everything from Wes Anderson props and Gucci clothing to artwork made entirely of light. Round the corner is the famously beautiful Somerset House – it’s free to walk around the striking 18th century courtyard (also home to an amazing ice rink in winter), and there’s usually an avant-garde exhibition of some kind on here, too. If you’re feeling peckish, head upstairs at 180 to dine at the artsy Toklas, or grab a pastry from their ground-floor bakery.

Back on the Southbank, you’ll also pass the National Theatre, a famously controversial brutalist landmark which stages some of the best theatre shows in London. In the last few years it’s also become one of the Southbank’s saving graces when it comes to restaurants and bars – inside you’ll find the excellent Lasdun, a crisp-tablecloth kind of place for a pre-theatre meal or martini; trendy Forza Wine with its outdoor terrace overlooking the river; and The Understudy, a laid-back pub with craft beers, board games and dozens of benches outside for when the weather’s decent.

Carry on a bit further along the river and you’ll hit the OXO Tower – an ingenious bit of advertising masquerading as striking architecture. Back in the 20s it was illegal to put up skyline ads along the Southbank, so the OXO company went for an unusual design that just so happened to have some peculiarly-shaped windows. Along the ground floor you’ll now find quirky design shops just made for browsing. There are two gallery spaces above those, and on the 8th floor you can access a free public viewing gallery – or enjoy a drink on the terrace of the OXO Tower bar. Passionate cocktail connoisseurs, however, should stay on solid ground and head into the neighbouring Lyaness, the bar at the base of the Sea Containers hotel. Once placed at #1 in the World’s 50 Best Bars list, it’s a beautifully sleek spot serving envelope-pushing drinks that make use of all kinds of adventurous ingredients prepared in-house.

Outside you can see the optimistically branded ‘Thames Beach’ – a sludgy bit of foreshore which you can get down to, if you really wanted. The hardy types trawling the sand are known as mudlarkers, seeking out historic treasures washed up by the river. The Thames gives up more than you’d think – from poison bottles to Georgian cufflinks – but you’ll need a permit if you want to have a dig around.

Up on dry land you can continue your cultural excursion at the free-to-visit Tate Modern, one of the world’s most-visited museums. It’s packed to the rafters with masterpieces by Kandinsky, Pollock, Warhol, Picasso and Paula Rego, as well as three or four temporary exhibitions at any given time (which are ticketed separately) drawing attention to a particular artist or movement. There’s another of London’s best viewpoints here too; pop up to the 10th floor of the Blavatnik building for an eyeful of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the rest.

The final jewel at the end of this string of cultural pearls is Shakespeare’s Globe, a full-size recreation of the Elizabethan playhouse the bard and his merry men constructed back in 1599. It’s striking enough from the outside – an entirely round, timber-framed, thatched-roof building – but we’d seriously recommend booking to see a show here. ‘Groundling’ tickets start at a fiver, allowing you to stand in the open-air mosh pit in front of the stage, just like Elizabethan peasants would have done. It’s a quintessential experience to tick off your London bucket list, and you can even bring in your own snacks. Of course, if the weather’s really not playing ball, you can always book into a show at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the site’s candlelit, indoor theatre that’s equally atmospheric and stages – gasp – non-Shakespearean plays, too.

EVENING

From here, you can keep following the river to head into London Bridge, or you can cross the bridge itself to get into The City. But if you want to stay in the area, we’d recommend doubling back on yourself to take a walk down Roupell Street.

This is probably one of the most atmospheric streets in London. Lined by time-warped Georgian cottages, the whole street feels like a film set, with the odd vintage car to add to the scene. About half-way down you’ll hit one of our favourite pubs in the whole city, The King’s Arms, whose many charms include cosy interiors; great beer; and surprisingly good Thai food.

For a truly great meal, though, we’d recommend heading down Cornwall Road to The Cut for dinner at The Anchor & Hope. This humble-looking spot was one of the pioneers of London’s gastropub scene when it opened back in 2003, and it’s still leading the pack over 20 years later. Come here for a daily-changing menu of classic British fare, from dainty plates of cumin lamb with labneh to braised wild venison and hearty pies to share. Save room for dessert – they’re irresistible.

The Cut is home to another pair of highly esteemed theatres, The Young Vic and The Old Vic. Each pretty much does what it says on the tin: The Young Vic tends to stage new writing or modern classics given an unusual twist; The Old Vic is its more stately senior that puts on large-scale productions of familiar plays, with big name actors treading the boards. An annual highlight here is the joyously uplifting staging of Dickens’ Christmas Carol, adapted by the theatre’s artistic director, Matthew Warchus. And of course, by this stage you’ve pretty much looped back around to The National, where you can see anything from Shakespeare to brand new plays in their three state-of-the-art theatre spaces.

Whiiiich brings you right back to Waterloo station. But before you head home, sneak in a nightcap at Lost Property Office. It’s hands-down one of the best cocktail bars in London, hidden away inside a giant Brewdog of all places. Pick up the old-school telephone secret somewhere inside the pub, and you’ll get hustled into a dimly lit den with just a handful of seats, where the barkeeps rustle up impressive concoctions like their wasabi and black truffle infused take on a dirty martini.

It’s worth missing the last train home for.

 

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Looking for more recommendations? Check out our guide to the best restaurants around the Southbank