How You Can Experience London Like a Local

Condé Nast Traveler

30-06-2025

Transcript
Hi, I'm Sarah Allard, London local and travel expert.
Now, the internet has plenty to say
about what you should do when you're in my city,
but not all advice is made equal.
I'm here to take you beyond the tourist traps
to the places that make London actually special.
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I feel like the cafe and bakery culture in London has,
particularly over the last five years, just gone crazy.
You can absolutely expect to see people queuing
for maybe even up to an hour at their favorite bakery now.
Let's see where the internet recommends
we get some pastries.
So I'm actually seeing quite a lot of Afternoon Tea.
Afternoon Tea is a great shout,
but it's not really something
that a lot of us London locals tend to do.
I might go for Afternoon Tea, maybe, if my mom is visiting.
The Ritz is probably the most iconic spot that you can go,
but if you really wanna get yourself immersed in local life,
then I would totally recommend a bakery.
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Morning. How are you?
[Server] I'm good, how are you?
I'm good, thanks.
I'd love a maritozzi.
Thank you [laughing].
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This is a maritozzi.
So this is the reason why I love Forno
and I think it's the best bakery in London.
When you're in Forno,
I feel like you see every type of Londoner.
There's people that have just come in from a run.
There's parents with kids, you've got people working,
people meeting up, having a chat.
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What do you think makes Forno so popular?
Why do you think you get these Saint and San-yous?
I think part of the appeal is seeing the bakers
create the goods, like in front of you,
people are always taking photos,
like walking to the bathroom.
We see them like sneakily pull out their phone [laughing].
With the maritozzi we're like making all day long
because we just sell out.
So we always have the buns ready
to fill with cream throughout the day.
A maritozzi is basically like a bready bun.
Brioche, yeah. Brioche bun.
And then we make a Chantilly,
which is a sweetened whipped cream
and we just fill that in the center.
[Sarah] So what do you reckon is like the maximum number
of maritozzis you've made in a day?
I think easily like 300 to 400.
My Gosh.
I dunno how you're supposed to eat one because...
[Server] Oh yeah, that's...
Is there a technique to eating one?
Like no, but I've seen every way here.
I've seen people like tackle it with a knife and fork.
Some people just go for it.
I don't think there is like a one way,
but I really enjoy watching
the customers struggle [laughing].
So there's really no pretty way to eat this,
but I'm just gonna go for it.
So good.
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So London is often referred to as The Big smoke,
but it's actually one of the world's largest urban forests.
So let's see where the internet suggests that we go.
Okay, I'm seeing a lot of Hyde Park.
Hyde Park. Hyde Park.
And you know what? Hyde Park is amazing.
It's iconic park right in the center of the city.
It's huge, but you won't find many locals there.
Where you will find locals
is somewhere like Hampstead Heath.
Hampstead Heath isn't exactly a secret,
but what you might not know about
is this hidden structure
tucked away in plain sight called The Pergola,
and it's just covered in these beautiful vines and flowers.
And on a day like today, it's just beautiful.
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So there's a lot of different information out there
about what this actually started life as.
And some say that it started life
as a pleasure garden in the 20th century
for London's high society, which I kind of love.
When you're here, you can just imagine people
swanning around having drinks, chit-chatting.
I love to think of it as that.
Bearing in mind, we're in the city, it's so quiet here
and you actually really feel like you are in nature.
I can just hear the birds singing.
You kind of get the little buzz of insects
now and then, it's so peaceful.
And the smell of the flowers,
I wish you could smell it, it's just absolutely amazing.
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One of the reasons I love the Heath so much
is that you get these incredible views
that you just don't get from the tourist traps.
London I'm looking at you.
The people watching here is so good
and if you're lucky you can actually spot
the odd celebrity or two.
I've actually heard that Harry Styles
walks his dog through here.
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When it comes to art and culture, London is hard to beat.
Our history combined with how multicultural London is,
creates this incredible creative scene
that people come from all over the world to experience.
Let's see what the internet says we do for a bit of culture.
I've seen the British Museum, Tate Modern,
the National Gallery, all really great options.
But if I had an afternoon to spend somewhere
for a bit of culture,
I would come to The Wallace Collection.
It's super central.
We're just moments from Oxford Circus here.
So it's a really busy part of town,
but actually you wouldn't know it
from where we are right now.
And it does feel like a bit of a hidden spot.
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First of all, the gallery itself is so beautiful
and that's before you've even got to the art on the walls.
It's home to one of the most impressive
fine art collections in the world.
Some of this stuff dates back to the 14th century
and one of the best parts about it,
like a lot of the galleries in London,
is that it's actually completely free
to just come in and wander around.
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The vibe of the gallery is so peaceful.
You genuinely feel like you've snuck into someone's home
and like you're looking at their private art collection.
I like to come here in the afternoons.
You often find that you might have the place
to yourself just like I do now.
I feel like every time I come here
I discover something new.
There's just so much to see.
Now, I don't believe in ghosts,
but it is said that some of the paintings here are haunted.
I'll let you tell me which ones you think might be.
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I don't think it's any secret
that us Londoners love a drink.
We are so spoiled for choice when it comes to amazing pubs,
amazing bars, and the absolute best thing we love
is drinking a pint in the sunshine.
In fact, someone's even invented an app
where you can track exactly which pubs
have sun at exactly what time.
So let's see where the internet thinks
that we should go for a drink.
So I'm seeing a lot of pubs in Central London.
The ones in Central London are really, really good.
But I think that coming to East London
you're gonna have a far more authentic experience
of what it's like to be a local in London.
My top recommendation would be
to come to Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green.
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So today I'll be joined for a drink by my friend Hannah.
So Hannah is an amazing drinks writer.
She's been writing about drinks
for about six years it's been,
and now got a really exciting gig writing
for The Guardian. Yeah.
As the drinks critics so everything from wine
to beers to BuzzBallz.
And cocktails. What a job.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much. This is the menu of today.
I kind of want to start with something sparkling.
I love anything 75 and I also love cognac.
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Thank you so much. Of course.
Oh my gosh. Cheers. Cheers.
So good to see you.
How was it?
Oh, it's a lot stronger than I thought it was gonna be.
Which obviously because it's got cognac in it.
What do you think it is about Satan's Whiskers
that the locals love so much?
Well, I feel like you've kind of already answered
the question, like this is a bar that is for locals.
I mean, when we were up at the bar
and we kind of noted that the menu is something
that changes absolutely every single day.
That was something, 'cause when it opened 13 years ago,
like no one was drinking cocktails in Bethnal Green.
And the daily changing menu gave locals
a reason to come back.
And since then they've won like pretty much
every single award there is to be won of Euro bar in London.
I've actually come here before
and I've been sitting at the bar
and someone's literally challenged me
and said, Okay, gimme four ingredients
that you like and I'll make you something.
And there aren't many places in London
where you can get that.
Tell me a bit about like the drinking scene in London,
how it's changed since you've been writing about drinks.
Do you think that there's been a bit of a move away
from super experimental types of cocktails?
I always get asked at the start of the year
about drinks trends for the rest of the year.
And I think that the idea of trends,
like whether it's in hospitality or food or drink
or even fashion, it's this idea that it's kind of like
out with the old in with the new.
But I think the thing that I love the most
about London drinkers and drinking establishments
is like the sheer variety.
And just because you, I dunno, for example,
get into clarified tomato cocktails,
it doesn't mean that you're gonna completely forget about
orange wine or kind of like a dirty martini
with blue cheese.
Tastes are constantly expanding, evolving
and I think it's such a treat to be part
of such an experimental and diverse drink scene.
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So whenever I'm traveling, going to a market
in that place is one of my absolute favorite things to do.
I think you really get to know the culture
and the people really well.
And I have to say that London does markets the best.
Let's see what the internet thinks
is the best market in London.
So I'm seeing a lot of mentions of Borough Market
and Camden as well.
I love Borough Market.
It's so iconic and there's some really incredible
food places there to try.
But it can be quite touristy and it gets super busy.
I'd much prefer to hop on my bike
and come here to Broadway Market.
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I absolutely love Broadway Market.
It is definitely one of my favorite places
to come at the weekend.
But you'll find it's gonna be bustling
every day of the week.
It's always full of interesting people
and there are some really good snacks around.
The shopping here is also really good
and I feel like every time I come away from Broadway Market,
I have something that I didn't know that I even needed.
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One of my favorite stops on Broadway Market
has to be the Broadway Bookshop.
I come in here all the time
and you can just get lost in here for ages and ages.
Yes, we get lost a bit sometimes too
if we get stuck on doing a bit of shelving
and it's really satisfying, sort of arranging everything.
During the week, we usually have our locals
and we've got locals who've been coming
for the whole 20 years
and some of them have been, you know,
crawling about on the floor when they first came in
and now they've got jobs and girlfriends and boyfriends
and stuff and they come in.
It's really nice.
The market is sort of bustling
with every kind of world street food you can get.
I just love bustle and I love people.
That's why London's so wonderful.
Everybody can just be who they are in London.
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I think people think that British food
is boring and bland.
Maybe they just associate London with like
fish and chips, which I love.
But it's certainly not something that we eat every day.
So let's see where the internet thinks
we should be eating today.
So I'm seeing a lot of pubs, a lot of Chippy's,
some actually really good recommendations.
But my top choice for eating in London
has to be St. John.
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Today, I'm so excited
because I'm gonna be there with a restaurant icon,
Trevor Gulliver himself.
Wow. This is a strong start to the day [laughing].
Yes, yes.
So, what do we have here, Trevor?
[Trevor] This is a Fergroni.
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Cheers. Cheers.
They're very strong, but they are so good.
It's just so refreshing
and it just pairs perfectly
with the meal that we're about to have.
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So we have got roast bone marrow with a parsley salad
and it just looks incredible.
I mean, there's no dish in London like this,
but I have to admit,
I don't think I know the proper way to eat it.
So Trevor [laughing], could you show us
how you are supposed to...
[Trevor] Yeah, I would take that with your fingers.
[Sarah] You go for it as well.
I'm just a bit of a...
[indistinct] Little hole there,
I'm just gonna get it all out there.
[Sarah] Oh wow. Okay.
You take the wet salt.
Parsley salad. Very simple.
[Sarah laughing]
As good as it ever is.
Yeah. Cheers to that.
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what we have now is another one of my favorites,
Welsh Rarebit, which is absolutely delicious.
What's the history behind this one?
Trevor, tell us a little bit about this.
I'm gonna dig in 'cause I'm starving.
I'm gonna tell you what to do, so...
[Sarah] Oh yeah, please do. Okay.
Good idea is you score the canals,
so you can do it diagonally, be positive.
And then you take your Lea & Perrins.
I should say Worcestershire sauce.
And just tip it so it runs down the canals.
And then I would suggest that you could
cut that into slices or fingers like [indistinct].
So what we would invariably do is just slice it.
Once, whoever did the honors...
[Sarah] Rarebit fingers, I like it.
We would slice it into Rarebit fingers and munch it.
If you're having a a glass of good cider
at the bar or whatever.
It's just so comforting.
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The first time I came here, I smelled the Madeleines
and it almost made me cry.
It just really reminded me of like being at home.
It's just so buttery and comforting.
And this is another of the dishes that
so many people associate with coming to St. John.
Can you tell us a bit about
where the Madeleines came from?
Why Madeleine's?
Madeleines are a finish. They're a thank you.
You don't finish them. Put 'em in a bag, take home.
Do you have Madeleine's every day?
[Trevor] No, but I'll never pass up the opportunity
to have Madeleine.
Absolutely.
So those are some of my favorite spots in London.
I really hope you enjoyed them.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
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