London in 3 Days: The Lucalvry Itinerary
By Alex Marlowe · Updated 2026-05-17 · 14 min read
A walkable three-day London itinerary — the British Museum at opening, the Tate Modern across the Thames, the South Kensington museum mile, and the four restaurants worth booking weeks ahead.
Day 1
British Museum, Covent Garden, Soho evening
- Morning (10am)
First entry at the British Museum at 10am — the Great Court opens with the gates and th…
First entry at the British Museum at 10am — the Great Court opens with the gates and the Egyptian galleries (Room 4) are walkable inside 30 minutes before the school groups arrive. The Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Marbles in Room 18 and the Sutton Hoo treasures in Room 41 are the trip's set-piece moments. Allow 2.5 hours; entry is free, the cloakroom is the bottleneck.
- Lunch (1pm)
Barrafina in Soho (Dean Street branch) for the counter format — the most reliable lunch…
Barrafina in Soho (Dean Street branch) for the counter format — the most reliable lunch tapa in central London, with no reservations and a 20-minute queue at 1pm that's worth it for the gambas a la plancha and the tortilla. The Drury Lane branch handles overflow but the Dean Street kitchen is the original.
- Afternoon (3pm)
Walk through Soho and Covent Garden — the Seven Dials roundabout, the Royal Opera House…
Walk through Soho and Covent Garden — the Seven Dials roundabout, the Royal Opera House piazza, and the Sir John Soane's Museum on Lincoln's Inn Fields (free, last entry 4:30pm). The Soane house is the most idiosyncratic small collection in central London and is the right second museum of the day for visitors who like architecture.
- Sunset (6pm)
Pre-dinner aperitif at the American Bar at the Savoy — the longest continuously operati…
Pre-dinner aperitif at the American Bar at the Savoy — the longest continuously operating cocktail bar in the world, with a pianist from 6:30pm and the Hanky Panky as the house cocktail.
- Dinner (8:30pm)
Sketch in Mayfair — the pink Gallery room remains the most photographed dining room in…
Sketch in Mayfair — the pink Gallery room remains the most photographed dining room in London, with David Shrigley's wall art and the egg-shaped toilets. The food is steady rather than exceptional but the room is the experience; book a table at the Lecture Room for the serious tasting menu (€175) or the Glade for a more casual meal.
Day 2
Tate Modern, South Bank walk, Borough Market, Shard sunset
- Morning (10am)
Tate Modern first entry — the Turbine Hall installation is the Tate's set piece and cha…
Tate Modern first entry — the Turbine Hall installation is the Tate's set piece and changes annually; the permanent collection on levels 2 and 4 is the more sustained-attention visit. Allow two hours. The viewing terrace on the Blavatnik Building's tenth floor was open until 2022 and has now been converted to private member space; the Switch House restaurant on level 9 keeps the Thames panorama for non-members at lunch prices.
- Lunch (1pm)
Padella in Borough — the queue-based Borough pasta institution, no reservations, with a…
Padella in Borough — the queue-based Borough pasta institution, no reservations, with a 30-minute typical wait at 1pm. The pici cacio e pepe and the pappardelle with beef shin ragù are the table picks. The Maltby Street branch handles overflow with a slightly shorter queue.
- Afternoon (3pm)
Borough Market for the food crawl — Bread Ahead doughnuts, Neal's Yard Dairy for the ch…
Borough Market for the food crawl — Bread Ahead doughnuts, Neal's Yard Dairy for the cheese, Brindisa for the salt cod fritters, Monmouth Coffee for the espresso. Allow 90 minutes.
- Late afternoon (4:30pm)
Walk west along the South Bank to the Tate Modern–Millennium Bridge–St Paul's crossing,…
Walk west along the South Bank to the Tate Modern–Millennium Bridge–St Paul's crossing, then continue past the Globe Theatre to the Tate again for the Bankside walk. The 30-minute walk delivers the best free river view in central London.
- Sunset (6:30pm)
The Shard — the View from the Shard observation deck (level 72, £32 advance) for the cl…
The Shard — the View from the Shard observation deck (level 72, £32 advance) for the cleanest 360° vantage of the city. Time the booking for sunset minus 30 minutes for the day-to-night transition.
- Dinner (9pm)
Brutto in Clerkenwell — Russell Norman's posthumous Florentine kitchen, with the bistec…
Brutto in Clerkenwell — Russell Norman's posthumous Florentine kitchen, with the bistecca and the puntarelle as the two table picks. The booking system is online-only and opens 30 days ahead; the back room is the right table.
Day 3
South Kensington museums, Mayfair afternoon, Connaught farewell
- Morning (10am)
Victoria and Albert Museum first entry — the Cast Courts (Room 46a) with the full-scale…
Victoria and Albert Museum first entry — the Cast Courts (Room 46a) with the full-scale Trajan's Column and the Renaissance City exhibits are the most reliably memorable rooms. The British Galleries on the upper floors are the better second stop than the fashion collection. Allow two hours; entry free.
- Lunch (1pm)
Daquise in South Kensington for Polish café cooking — the city's longest-running Polish…
Daquise in South Kensington for Polish café cooking — the city's longest-running Polish restaurant (since 1947), with the pierogi and the borscht as the lunch picks. A quieter alternative to the V&A café and a more memorable plate.
- Afternoon (3pm)
A second short museum stop — either the Natural History Museum's central hall and the d…
A second short museum stop — either the Natural History Museum's central hall and the dinosaur gallery if travelling with children, or the Wallace Collection in Marylebone (Hertford House) for the Old Masters and the Boucher Mesdemoiselles. The Wallace is the most underrated free collection in central London.
- Late afternoon (4:30pm)
Walk through Mayfair — the Burlington Arcade, the Royal Academy summer exhibition if in…
Walk through Mayfair — the Burlington Arcade, the Royal Academy summer exhibition if in season, Cork Street's gallery row, and a 5pm tea at Claridge's foyer. Tea at Claridge's is £85 per person and books two months ahead; the foyer cocktail at £24 is the unbooked alternative for the same room.
- Dinner (8:30pm)
Ikoyi in St James's Market — the West African-inflected tasting menu (£250) that earned…
Ikoyi in St James's Market — the West African-inflected tasting menu (£250) that earned a third Michelin star in 2024 and is currently the most ambitious cooking happening in London. The booking takes a month and the bill is real, but it is the right closing dinner for a first London visit.
- Late nightcap (11pm)
The Connaught Bar in Mayfair — Ago Perrone's room remains the most precise cocktail kit…
The Connaught Bar in Mayfair — Ago Perrone's room remains the most precise cocktail kitchen in Europe, with the martini trolley as the set-piece order. No reservations; arrive before 11pm for a counter seat.
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Editor-in-Chief
Alex MarloweAlex Marlowe is Lucalvry's Editor-in-Chief. Twelve years covering hotels and travel for Condé Nast Traveller, Monocle, and Wallpaper. Based between London and Lisbon.
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