Hello there, lovelies!
Today, I’m really excited to be taking you through my beloved London to showcase some of its most Instagrammable spots because, let’s be real, there are some of us out there that love to find those spots that will make for a great photo to remember your trip by! Having spent so much time in the city has afforded me the inside scoop on where to go to find these spots! Lucky for you, these aren’t just spots for a good photo. They’re spots that will afford you a great view or a great experience, as well, so here we go!
Peggy Porschen
Peggy Porschen probably gives Big Ben and the London Eye a very strong run for their money on Instagram. Situated in one of the most picturesque and expensive neighborhoods in the city, this little bakeshop is popular for more than just the beautiful storefront facades they showcase each season. Their signature cupcakes, offered in a variety of flavor combinations and adornments, are worth the stop in alone but they also have absolutely delicious macarons, lattes and freshly squeezed orange juice that are worth a try! Beware that when I mentioned it’s a ‘little’ bakeshop, I very much mean that. It’s very small inside but they have plenty of additional seating outside. Expect lines around midday and also expect a bit of a hefty price tag.
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Kynance Mews
When I was living in London, my favorite way to get around during the day was on my own two feet. I learned the city so quickly this way. I embraced getting lost. I didn’t care if I didn’t know where a road would lead. I would take the tube a lot if I was in a hurry but, I loved to walk back to my flat just so I could meander around until I ended up somewhere I wanted to get to know even better. Then, I would take the tube home or I would just keep walking. One day, on my way home from getting Fish some dog food, I stumbled upon this beautiful archway, an entrance to a mews, which is a street made of homes that used to be stables, covered in hanging leaves changing into this stunning red color. The photo above, from Instagram, was the photo I took that day on my walk. Last October, while I was in London for a couple of days, I wanted to be sure to get some better snaps of it so Victoria met me there and we shot this outfit.
Kynance Mews is located in West London, just off of the Gloucester Road stop on the Piccadilly Line.
Aubaine Café in Selfridges
Last month, to celebrate another fun trip in the books, Victoria and I met up at Aubaine Café located in Selfridges, a massive multi-floor department store in central London. There are Aubaine Café ‘s all over London but none compare to this one and it’s easy to see why!
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I would highly encourage you to get there right when it opens, at 9:30am, to get the best photos. It’s definitely a well-known spot amongst bloggers and city-grammers so set your alarms! The best part is that not only is the ambiance amazing, but their food and service is, as well! I can’t tell you how many days I spent working at the Covent Garden location because their latte’s and lunch options are healthy and delicious! So, all that to say, even if you’re not into taking IG-worthy photos, it’s a great place to take a pitstop in the middle of your shopping day.
Want more of my thoughts on where to eat in London?
Lucky you! I reviewed over fifty eateries in the city in THIS post!
Bywater Street in Chelsea
This was another street that I didn’t seek to find. I just happened to stumble upon it as I was exploring the Chelsea area, which you can easily get to by getting off at the Sloane Square on the District and Circle Lines and walking southwest down King’s Road. You’ll find Bywater Street on the right hand side of the street. Considering it’s off of one of the busiest shopping high streets in the city, it’s actually very quaint and quiet. However, residents are quite used to people meandering down to snag a picture because, well … look at how cute it is:
I snagged a few myself the last time I was in the city and, I must say, it’s charm never seems to fade. I might be a little biased, though! 😉 After doing some shopping, be sure to stop at The Ivy Restaurant in Chelsea. It’s one of many locations throughout the city but this one’s facades are always the absolute best! Get a little peak at the current display here!
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The London Eye
The photo above might be one of my favorite photos of me in London. The Golden Jubilee Bridge, where I’m standing in the photo, gives you such a stunning view of both the London Eye and Big Ben, which are two of my favorite landmarks in the city, and it always just sums up iconic London in ONE view. Unfortunately, Big Ben is under major renovations so it’s not as stunning as it was when I was there in 2016 so here’s a photo to encourage you to go back when he’s all stitched up!
Pop over to the Golden Jubilee Bridge by getting off on the Embankment stop on the Circle, District line, Bakerloo and Northern lines. Take it slow walking over and you’ll find standing there to be so peaceful, even with lots of people around. And that’s coming from an introvert!
Wondering what to wear if you’re heading to London in the Fall / Winter?
I’ve got you covered in THIS post.
I also love this vantage point with the Eye behind me. This is from a phone booth just outside of the Westminster tube station, accessible via District, Circle and Jubilee lines. Also, just in case you want to recreate it, I’m looking at Big Ben. I’m sure you’ll see the booths I’m standing at. They’re hard to miss.
Fait Maison Café
London’s cafe storefronts could really be compiled to make up this entire post but, to save you a post that is a mile long with not a lot of diversity, I thought I would highlight the ONE newbie that caught my eye out of the really popular ones that I saw pop up on IG this year. It’s called Fait Maison and is located just off of the Gloucester Road tube station I mentioned earlier. It’s literally a 3-minute walk from Kynance Mews. I just loved all of the colors in their floral archway and I quite liked their latte. I am always asked where I’d recommend you stay in London and this area is full of affordable hotels that are in the midst of so much without all of the hustle and bustle so be sure to research this area.
St. Pancras Railway Station
This is – hands down – one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in all of London, in my humble opinion. I couldn’t resist getting a photo outside of the hotel that is located just off of the station before Victoria and I’s trip to Paris last October, especially with the black cabs perfectly placed there!
Tower Bridge
Aw, Tower Bridge. How could I not include it? It’s so beautiful and larger than life when you see it in person, making it a striking backdrop for a travel photo.
Tower Bridge is in East London. Simply take the District or Circle line all the way down to Tower Hill. You have to walk a bit as you will come out from behind the Tower of London but you’ll just walk toward the water and you won’t be able to miss it!
I don’t have any of myself on the bridge but I think those would be some amazing photos, as well, so don’t think the bridge up close and personal wouldn’t be pretty. Personally, I think sunrise at the bridge is a beautiful time to go because the sun comes up behind it when you’re on the Tower of London side but, you know, sunset always has that nice beautiful even light.
If you’re in the area and find yourself to be hungry, I’d highly suggest popping over to Coppa Club to fill up! It’s SUCH a cute spot, most especially during the holidays!
Anywhere in Notting Hill
Notting Hill deserves all the fame that it’s attracted after the 90’s classic with the same name brought attention to it. Both cosmopolitan and quirky, it’s a neighborhood you won’t forget if you make time for a visit during your time in London. I’d suggest going early, as it’s streets, especially on the weekend, are bustling thanks to the Portobello Market. Literally, everywhere you go would make a perfect backdrop for an Instagram photo, like this one I had taken on one of my favorite streets, Denbigh Terrance.
To get there, you’ll go to Notting Hill Gate tube station then you’ll put Portobello Road in CityMapper and it’ll tell you where to go. It’s a little confusing right when you come out and where you’ll go depends on what exit you came out of so rely heavily on CityMapper on this one vs. me! In this area, you can also find Instagram hotspots like the flower shop, Wild at Heart, restaurant Farm Girl and biscuit [cookie] shop, Biscuiteers but, my favorite spot in this area might just go to St. Luke’s Mews, which is also quite Insta-famous thanks to the movie Love, Actually.
However, if I were you, and you wanted to find some cute spots that aren’t featured on Instagram AS much but are just as cute, I’d say go to Uxbridge St. and Farm St. and just walk around that area. Top off your meandering sesh by finding Churchill Arms, one of the most festive pubs in the city! They say Churchill used to frequent the pub back in his day. They have a standard pub up front and a delicious Thai restaurant in the back! I’d also recommend ending your day with a cocktail or two at Kensington Wine Rooms.
But, honestly, no matter where you roam in this little neighborhood, you will inevitably find cute doorways and colorful facades that will leave you with a lust for calling it home someday! Ahh, if we could all be so lucky …
Sketch
Okay, so you can’t look up London without hearing about sketch, a restaurant in Mayfair, which has become all the rage because of the unique interior decor and artwork adorning the walls of the Gallery. It’s really beautiful and any pink-lovers dream. I’m obsessed with what artist David Shrigley created when he was commissioned to use the Gallery as a piece of long-term art. Sadly, I’m not as crazy about their food as I am the decor but hey, it’s worth a stop even just to pop in for a cocktail before heading to somewhere like Berner’s Tavern or Sticks N Sushi. It won’t look like this forever so definitely check it out if you’re intrigued. You will be seated in this room for afternoon tea and dinner but not breakfast. There are other rooms in sketch that are decorated by local artists, as well, all of which are really cool.
sketch is a short walk down Regent St. on to Conduit St. from Piccadilly Circus. There are other ways to get there, too. Simply put the destination in to CityMapper to assist you.
Big Ben
Big Ben was the first thing I fell in love with in London when I went in 2004. I was eighteen and it was my first trip abroad. We started in Dublin, ventured across the anything-but-smooth Irish Channel, to check out a bit of Wales before heading down to London, our last stop. I remember coming up out of the Westminster tube station and being in complete awe of how large the clocktower is in addition to the detail. It is breathtaking & I don’t say that often. So, OF COURSE, I had to include him in this list DESPITE his current condition. The clocktower is undergoing major restoration. Considering Ben has been bellowing every hour since the Victorian era, I’d say he’s due. It’s a 4-year long project so, sadly, he will be silent for it’s entirety and I assume the scaffolding that is currently surrounding him will be in place for that long, as well.
But, when it’s complete, I definitely recommend making sure you get some good photos with him in front of or behind you depending on where you’re at along the Thames. In the photo above, I’m on the opposite side of the Westminster Bridge from Ben, looking at him from in front of a tunnel. Walk across the Bridge on the right hand side of the street, then go down the stairs when you see a bunch of pop-up London trinket shops and go to the right when you get to the bottom. You’ll see what I’m talking about. Then, the photo next to the red telephone box was taken by a telephone box that sits on the same side of the river as Ben, just down the street, heading toward the Embankment tube station or the Golden Jubilee Bridge, whichever one rings a bell. 😉
Elan Cafe
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Elan Café is a spot that Victoria told me about back in October, raving about how cute it was and perfect for both of us. We were going to try and stop in there in January when I was in town but it just didn’t happen due to conflicting schedules so we finally made it in back in April for breakfast one morning before a day full of shooting. We got the best seats in the house next to the most epic flower wall! You can also count on healthy options and good coffee here so there are multiple reasons to pop in to one of their two locations. The one with the big flower wall is on Brompton Road, a short walk from the South Kensington tube stop, a stop on the District, Circle and Piccadilly line.
Regent Street
No matter what time of year you go, Regent Street is ALWAYS decked out with some kind of flag representing something big that’s going on in the city. During the holidays, instead of flags, it’s festive light angels or something similar. It always just makes you so excited about where you are and what’s going on. When I was living there in the Fall of 2016, it was NFL flags because the American football teams were coming over throughout the month of October to play in London. These photos were taken with all of the British Union Jacks up to represent the royal wedding. I personally think they should have had Union Jacks and American flags, but that’s just me 😉 It was still so fun. We shot this the day before I left and it made me a little emotional because I just wish I could be immersed in this culture and this place every day. *sigh* Ah well, I’m thankful for all the time I do get. I realize I get more than most. So, this is my last suggestion for a fun Instagram post!
Just hop off the Oxford Circus stop on the Central, Bakerloo and Victoria lines.
Trevor Square Pink & White House
Okay, so this is one of my favorite house facades in London and I still haven’t done a shoot in front of it! BUT! If you wanna beat me to it, it’s just off of the Knightsbridge stop on the Piccadilly line across the street from Harrods. Simply put Fourteen Trevor Street into CityMapper and it’ll lead you right to it! There was some construction going on to the exterior of the building next to this one for a long while, which is why I held off, but it could be done now. That was last year when I did a quick walk-by! Isn’t it a beaut! Can’t wait to move in one day 😉
HA! In my dreams….
As much as I would like to say this is a comprehensive and all-inclusive list of Instagrammable spots in London, the truth is, it’s impossible. This city has quite the charm about it, which is one of my favorite aspects of it Whether you like clean and sophisticated or artsy and fun, London has a neighborhood for you to enjoy! There are literally endless spots that would appeal to people scrolling on Instagram, making them stop mid-scroll to see where it is. So, use this list as a starting off point. I didn’t even delve into all of the parks like Regents Park, Greenwich Park [their cherry blossoms are out of control; like, there’s a cherry blossom archway if you hit it at the right time!] or Hyde Park, all of which are beautiful in the Fall with the leaves changing. There’s St. Paul’s, which is best viewed at the top of One New Change at the Madison Rooftop. You can see photos of that location in this post.
Although I loved putting this post together, and I love showcasing the city in a way that gives me photos to cherish forever, because I’m not sure God has London in my future long term no matter how badly I want it, I can’t stress enough how important it is to remember that exploring a city JUST to get photos to share on Instagram is NOT the way you should be traveling. Remember: London is a big city so just walk around, check a few off your list and make plans to come back! It’s impossible to do it all in one trip. It’s also important to keep in mind that I’ve only been able to put this together because I lived there for almost six months and have been back four times since. The best thing you can do is just do what you can and enjoy it. Don’t rush around like a crazy person just to get photos … that is a recipe for disaster!
There are so many people who have reached out and said that they never had London on their radar as a place they wanted to go until I went on my big trip and subsequent trips and covering it with the passion that I do. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. So, if everyone who has fallen in love with London thanks to Instagram, I hope this guide helps you find all the spots that may have sparked that initial attraction or interest! I know how fun it is to be able to check things like that off your list. That was how I felt about the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Anywhere else you want to make sure you see while you’re in the city? Describe it below and I can potentially help point you in the right direction so you can get your pic!
Thanks for stopping by today, lovelies! Here are the winners of last weeks’ travel giveaway:
Valerie Liang | Monica Carbone | Aileen D’Alessandro | Katie Williamson | Rebecca Taylor
Congrats, ladies! You’ll be getting an email from the team about next steps! xo.
