London/Leicester Square

Chinatown

Chinatown is centrally located in the West End, along and around Gerrard Street off Leicester Square. It spreads into Wardour Street at one end and Newport Place at the other. London's Chinatown may not be quite as large as those in San Francisco or Vancouver but it is still a great place to dine out in the evening, authentically Chinese and definitely different from anywhere else in London.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a large public square commemorating Lord Horatio Nelson's victory against Napoleon's navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The central monument within the square is a single tall column on which the figure of Nelson stands gazing over London and is one of the great iconic images of London. His monument is surrounded by four colossal lions and a series of large fountains. Much more than just an open plaza, Trafalgar Square is famous as the location of a large number of important buildings and institutions that surround the square and fill the streets surrounding it. Trafalgar Square also marks the northern end of Whitehall, the centre of British government.
In 2003 Trafalgar Square was renovated and expanded to link up directly with the National Gallery on the north side of the square - a great improvement to the traffic which once completely encircled this, the largest public square in the West End. The early 18th century church of St Martins in the Fields stands at the north-east corner of the square. Just by the church, Charing Cross Road gives access to the fabulous National Portrait Gallery, and leads on further to Leicester Square, Soho and the famous collection of bookstores on the road itself. To the south, Whitehall leads to Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and 10 Downing Street.
Christmas time sees the erection of a large Christmas Tree within the square, the annual gift of the people of Oslo, capital of Norway, as a token of gratitude for Britain's help in World War II. Trafalgar Square is also traditionally the scene of lively celebrations for Londoners on New Year's Eve, though an increasingly heavy police presence has meant that some antics (drunks leaping into the fountains) have all but disappeared. Trafalgar Square has also served as an outdoor venue for concerts and VIP appearances, courtesy of the Mayor of London's Office, which is keen to see Londoners use their public spaces better. Visitors to the square on an ordinary day may also discover small (and not so small) scale demonstrations and public speakers - the Square is a convenient gathering place near to, but not threatening, the seat of British Government down the road at Westminster.

Leicester Square

This smallish London square is the site of most British film premieres and the square itself is surrounded by terrifyingly-expensive cinemas — tickets for an evening screening will cost upwards of £17, 3D screenings will cost upwards of £15. At night, Leicester Square becomes exceptionally busy with tourists and locals, visiting the surrounding clubs and bars. In the north-west corner of the square is a musical clock, incorporating a Swiss glockenspiel, that is popular with tourists. It was popular enough that its remodelling and restoration was a requirement when permission was given for the demolition of Swiss Centre in 2008, of which it had been a part. The TKTS half price ticket booth is on the south side of Leicester Square for cheap tickets for theatre performances.

By Tube

The district is served by the following tube stations, all in Zone 1:

• Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines) – is served by a Tube station of the same name just off the north east corner of the Square on Charing Cross Road. The station is on both the Northern and Piccadilly Lines and acts as a convenient place to start any exploration of London's West End.
• Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines) – Chinatown is a short walk from both Picadilly Circus and its Tube station of the same name. Walk east along Shaftesbury Avenue, before turning right at Wardour Street, watch for the ornamental gates — and Leicester Square stations.
• Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines) – is the nearest Tube station to Trafalgar Square and on the Northern and Bakerloo Lines.

By train

Charing Cross mainline station in Covent Garden serves the south-eastern region of England.

Walk. This is a small district which lends itself perfectly to exploration on foot.

• Trafalgar SquareThe main, central square of London, Trafalgar Square is associated with celebration and demonstration - it is the site of London's lacklustre New Year celebrations, and in 2003 was the site of the triumphant homecoming of the British Rugby team from the World Cup, and a centre for demonstration against Britain's involvement in the Iraq War. The square has been associated with the many hundreds of pigeons that used to be found here, but in 2003 a bylaw was passed to make it illegal to feed them. Nelson's Column, surrounded by the four bronze lions can be found here, on the south side of the square. The north-west plinth in the square was intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV, but remained bare since 1841 due to insufficient funds. Since 1999, it has been used to display controversial contemporary sculpture.

• National Gallery

  address: Trafalgar Sq, WC2 5DN
  Houses the British national collection of western European art dating from the 13th to 19th centuries. A truly awe-inspiring collection, notable works include Hans Holbein's The Ambassadors, Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Constable's The Haywain. The vast majority of art is free of charge to visit. Temporary exhibitions are generally fairly costly, but invariably well researched and presented. The audioguides are very comprehensive, have comments on most of the paintings in the museum, and are free though this fact is not advertised. A donation is suggested. In addition to courses, workshops, lectures and other events, the National Gallery has free talks and tours every day.

• National Portrait Gallery

  phone: +44 20 7306-0055
  address: St Martin’s Pl, WC2H 0HE
  The National Portrait Gallery is just around the corner from the National Gallery and is an entertaining way to learn about British history since the Tudors. Visitors walk around the gallery chronologically, viewing portraits of notable figures from British history - from Henry VII, painted by Hans Holbein, to Blur, painted by Julian Opie.

• St Martins in the Fields

  address: 8 St Martin's Pl, WC2
  A classical church that stands opposite the National Gallery. Since World War I, the homeless have sought shelter at this church, a tradition that continues to this day.

• Edith Cavell Memorial

  address: St Martin's Pl WC2
  Statue in honour of the World War I nursing heroine.

Piccadilly CircusAt the junction of five major roads, Piccadilly Circus is the home of the famous aluminum statue of Eros, which sits atop a fountain. The monument is officially known as Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain and initially wasn't supposed to depict Eros, but different god Anteros. The north side of Piccadilly Circus holds an enormous display board of electric advertisements, including Britain's biggest illuminated display (the widest in the world), advertising a popular soft drink.

Leicester Square GardenRelax and unwind in the garden, and gaze at the activity going on all around, while listening to the buskers, street entertainers and preachers performing in the area.

ChinatownThe main sights to see in London's Chinatown are the expressions of Chinese culture and Eastern ambience in Chinatown, and for a good Chinese meal. There are few souvenir shops for tourists and no museums or temples.

• Chinese arches

  address: at each end of Gerrard St and at the entrance to Macclesfield St
  The three ornamental Chinese arches are worth a look.

• Chinatown phone boothsChinatown does incorporate some entertaining combinations of British and Chinese culture, such as the phone booths with pagoda-style sloping roofs.

Leicester Square is one of London's true entertainment hotspots.

Cinemas

Leicester Square square hosts most high-profile London cinema premieres, on which occasions it is fenced and crowded beyond comfort by people desperately trying to take a look at their celebrity of choice.

Mainstream

• Empire

  phone: +44 20 7437-1234
  address: 5-6 Leicester Sq, WC2

• Odeon Leicester Square

  phone: +44 870 5050 007
  address: Leicester Sq, WC2
  Includes the Odeon Mezzanine and Odeon West End. This particular Odeon is famous for its red-carpet film premieres.

• Vue Cinemas

  phone: +44 871 224 0240
  address: Leicester Sq, WC2

Arthouse

• Curzon Soho Cinema

  address: 99 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 5DY
  Voted "London's Number 1 Cinema" by Time Out readers, great bar and a fantastic art-house program.

• Prince Charles Cinema

  address: 7 Leicester Pl
  The cheapest and in some ways most interesting cinema in the area. They screen the latest films, and also have an interesting selection of foreign and art house films. They often have theme nights. Get hold of the program at the door or on the internet and consider buying the discount-granting yearly membership if you plan to come back a few times.

Theatre

Along with neighbouring Covent Garden this is the capital of London's theatreland and the most famous London theatres are in this district. Check individual theatre websites or the official London theatreland website for current programmes and never neglect the official half price ticket booth in Leicester Square:

• TKTS

  address: Leicester Square
  Tickets can only be bought in person so do not try to contact by telephone. At times, there may well be long queues, so be prepared.

There are many other ticket offices in the area claiming to be "the official" or "the original" half-price ticket office. Be wary of them as they often have high service charges, and have been known to sell counterfeit tickets.
Most of the booking office numbers given below will only work from within the UK. If you want to make a booking from overseas, use the relevant website.
The Leicester Square Box Office, otherwise known as LSBO, also offers a great selection of great deals on tickets to top London shows and musicals. Tickets can be booked online over the phone on +44 20 7087-2999, or in person!

• Adelphi Theatre

  phone: +44 844 412 4651
  address: 409-412 Strand, WC2E 7NA

• Ambassadors Theatre

  address: West St, WC2H 9ND

• Apollo Theatre

  phone: +44 20 7492-9930
  address: 39-45 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7EZ

• The Criterion Theatre

  phone: +44 844 847 1778
  address: 2 Jermyn St, SW1Y 4XA

• Garrick Theatre

  phone: +44 844 579 1974
  address: 2 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0HH

• Gielgud Theatre

  phone: +44 844 482 5130
  address: 39-45 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 6AR

• Harold Pinter Theatre

  phone: +44 870 060 6637
  address: 6 Panton St, SW1Y 4DN

• Her Majesty's Theatre

  phone: +44 844 412 4653
  address: 57 Haymarket, SW1Y 4QL

• Leicester Square Theatre

  phone: +44 844 847 2475
  address: 6 Leicester Pl, WC2H 7BX

• The Lyric Theatre

  phone: +44 330 333 4812
  address: 29 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 7ES

• The Palace Theatre

  phone: +44 844 412 4656
  address: 109-113 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 5AY

• The Phoenix Theatre

  address: Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0JP

• Piccadilly Theatre

  phone: +44 844 871 7618
  address: Denman St, W1D 7DY

• Playhouse Theatre

  phone: +44 870 060 6631
  address: Northumberland Ave, WC2N 5DE

• Prince of Wales Theatre

  phone: +44 870 850 0393
  address: Coventry St, W1D 6AS

• Queen's Theatre

  phone: +44 870 950 0930
  address: 51 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 6BA

• Savoy Theatre

  address: Savoy Ct, Strand, WC2R 0ET

• Theatre Royal Haymarket

  phone: +44 845 481 1870
  address: 18 Suffolk St, SW1Y 4HT

• Wyndham's Theatre

  phone: +44 844 482 5120
  address: 32-36 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0DA

Casinos

Visitors over the age of 18 (with valid ID) can consider patronising the area's casinos.

• The Hippodrome Casino

  phone: +44 20 7769 8888
  address: Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, WC2H 7JH
  A former theatre, now home to a large casino with live cabaret shows and a steakhouse restaurant. Also sells souvenirs, poker chip and plaque keyrings can be purchased from the cashier. If you stay here long have a look at the Hippodrome Rewards card.

Other

• Chinese New Year FestivalWorth seeing, though Gerrard St can get unbelievably crowded, as the dragon dancers pass along the street to collect goodies hung from windows above the shops. The festival has expanded south into Leicester Sq and Trafalgar Sq to try to alleviate the congestion.

• M&M's World

  phone: +44 20 7025-7171
  address: 1 Swiss Ct, WC2H 7DG
  The largest sweet shop in the world. Unlike the New York City store, you can only buy the "regular" M&M flavours here, albeit in a wider variety of colours than you would usually find. There is also a wide array of other merchandise available such as homeware and clothing. In the back of the store is a M&M printer which enables you to print text, a logo or even your own face on M&Ms!

• The Lego Store

  phone: +44 20 7839-3480
  address: 3 Swiss Ct, W1D 6AP
  The world's largest Lego Store, with a massive Big Ben (yes, they mean the clock tower and not the actual bell - feel free to tut loudly) sculpture made of building blocks, a Tube entrance arc, and a full scale Tube carriage model including Lego figures you can take a picture with!

Books

Waterstone's flagship branch is near Piccadilly Circus and is apparently Europe's largest bookshop.

• Waterstone's Piccadilly

  phone: +44 20 7851 2400
  address: 203–206 Piccadilly, W1J 9HD
  5 floors of books of all kinds, plus a cafe. The store has long hours and comfortable seating, so you can potentially spend hours there.

Charing Cross Road and the tiny Cecil Court which leads off it have long been the centre of the specialist and antiquarian book trade in London. There are fewer outlets than previously as spiralling rents pushed out a lot of the traditional booksmiths but many still remain. Any book lover will be in heaven here.

• Any Amount of Books

  phone: +44 20 7836-3697
  address: 56 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0QA
  Rare and second-hand books. Specialist in scholarly academic works and art-related titles.

• David Drummond at Pleasures of Past Times

  phone: +44 20 7836-1142
  address: 11 Cecil Ct WC2N 4EZ
  Specialises in books and other memorabilia related to the performing arts and old children's books.

• Goldsboro Books

  phone: +44 20 7497-9230
  address: 7 Cecil Ct, WC2N 4EZ
  First editions and signed fiction.

• Paul J Hilton

  phone: +44 20 7379-9825
  address: 12 Cecil Ct, WC2N 4HE
  Antiquarian and general books, especially first edition English literature.

• Henry Pordes Books Ltd

  phone: +44 20 7836-9031
  address: 58-60 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0BB
  Secondhand, antiquarian and all out-of print books.

• Quinto Bookshop & Francis Edwards

  phone: +44 20 7379-7669
  address: 72 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0BB
  Huge collection. Francis Edwards have been in business here since 1856.

All sorts of food are available. While London's Chinatown boasts some of the city's best Chinese food, quality and value vary enormously between individual restaurants. While some consistently win awards, others seem to be regularly being refurbished following visits from the local Environmental Health department. Unless you're on an extreme budget, it is worth paying a little more for quality food and service. Be careful especially with the common all you can eat deals.

• Café in the Crypt

  address: Trafalgar Sq
  In the basement of St Martin-in-the-Fields church is the Café in the Crypt which offers reasonably-priced cafe food that you can eat amongst the brick-vaulted ceilings, pillars and gravestones.

• Gaby's Deli

  phone: +44 207 7836 4233
  address: 30 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DE
  Jewish family-owned restaurant that has been serving gigantic falafel-stuffed pitta since 1965. A true London institution.

• The Portrait Restaurant

  phone: +44 20 7312-2490
  address: at the National Portrait Gallery
  Offers spectacular food accompanied by spectacular art on the 5th floor of the National Portrait Gallery. A must-do dining experience.

• Tokyo Diner

  address: 2 Newport Pl
  Offers excellent and well-priced Japanese food.

Chinatown

• China China

  phone: +44 20 7439-7502
  address: 3 Gerrard St
  At the budget end of the scale, China China at the eastern end of the north side of Gerrard Street offers Hong Kong diner -style meals of cold meat on hot rice.

• Friendly Inn

  phone: +44 20 7437-4170
  address: 47 Gerrard St
  Offers cheap fare on the southern side of Gerrard Street. The restaurant lives up to its name with very enthusiastic serving staff, but unless you stick to the set menus, the cost of the meal can soon increase.
• Leong's Legend and Leong's Legend Continued... serves Taiwanese fare. Chilli crab and omelette dishes are specialities. So popular they opened a second restaurant which can be busier. Those with a craving for Taiwanese pearl tea, should head over to Bubbleology at 49 Rupert St, Soho.
• CNR Cafe tucked down an alley off Whitcomb St, is worth checking out for cheap Malasyian-Singoporean eats.

• Luxuriance Peking Cuisine

  phone: +44 20 7734-0262
  address: 40 Gerrard St
  This family-owned business that started up in 1980 is famous for its freshly cooked crispy aromatic duck, seafood banquet and pork spare ribs. The interior is comfortable, relaxed and modern.

• Mr Kong

  phone: +44 20 7437-7341
  address: 21 Lisle St
  Reputed to have the best vegetarian food in Chinatown.

• New World

  phone: +44 20 7734-0396
  address: 1 Gerrard Pl
  A well-decorated and plush-looking restaurant which serves excellent dim sum on trolleys from midday until around 6PM. Good quality evening food is available thereafter, and the service is very good overall.

• Wong Kei

  phone: +44 20 7437-3071
  address: 41-43 Wardour St, W1
  A Chinatown institution. Popular with Londoners and visitors alike and possibly the best value Chinese restaurant in the whole of London. Spread across four floors, this restaurant is infamous for its surly, abrupt service and this has become part of the experience of dining there. Depending on how drunk you look, the higher up the building you will be sent. Tea is complimentary, though somewhat bland. Set meals present excellent value for money, some being under £5. The sweet and sour pork is remarkably good.
• There are several buffets in Chinatown, of which the cheapest is Mr Wu at £4.95, its and cheerful, and you get exactly what you pay for. Some of them have a larger selection of dishes, but quality varies and can be a lot to be desired. If you do mind, Hong Kong Buffet is the most expensive at £12, but is tastier and you can be sure you're not eating rat-meat.

There are relatively few decent places to drink in this district and visitors would do better to head north into Soho or east in Covent Garden, for a better selection of bars and pubs. However, if your legs are weary, there are a number of convenient drinking places:

• 1997

  address: 19 Wardour St
  Cosy place to visit if you are not feeling in an alcoholic mood. They provide a good selection of iced and pearl tapioca teas which are often hard to come by outside of Hong Kong.

• Cork and Bottle Wine Bar

  phone: +44 20 7734-7807
  address: 44-46 Cranbourn St
  More of a wine bar than a restaurant, the extensive wine list featuring selections from Australia and California. They offer reasonable cuisine to wash down this full bodied wines.

• De Hems

  address: 11 Macclesfield St, W1D 5BW
  Dutch-themed pub with an excellent selection of beers. It is often crowded, but has a good atmosphere and a comedy club.
• O'Neil's, Irish chain bar lost in the heart of Chinatown. Three levels with a houseband on busier nights, who always seem to play the same U2 and Kings of Leon songs.

• Trash Palace

  phone: +44 20 7734-0522
  address: 11 Wardour St, W1D 6PG
  Fantastic small gay bar, mixed music and a laid back mixed crowd.

• Waxy's O'Connor's

  address: 14-16 Rupert St, W1D 6DD
  Irish-themed pub with a fibreglass tree inside it. It is almost invariably unbearably crowded. The smaller Waxy's Little Sister opposite it, however, is generally quieter and more relaxed.

• Bubbleology

  phone: +44 20 7494-4231
  address: 49 Rupert Street
  Quirky shop selling bubble teas in a very interesting way.

Very few visitors stay in this district and the options which are available are not particularly good value. This is a district to visit, not to stay in.

• Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire Hotel

  phone: +44 20 7839-9399
  address: 31-36 Leicester Square, WC2H 7LH
  Small luxury hotel furnished in a sleek, contemporary design.

• Thistle Piccadilly

  phone: +44 845 3058330
  address: Coventry St, W1D 6BZ
  Affordable and centrally located but a tired property.

• The Trafalgar

  phone: +44 20 7870-2900
  address: 2 Spring Gdns, Trafalgar Square, SW1A 2TS
  Hilton's first boutique hotel in London. The boardroom was apparently used for the first James Bond film Dr. No.

• Premier Inn London Leicester Square

  phone: +44 871 527 9334
  address: 1 Leicester Place, Leicester Square, WC2H 7BP
  Premier Inn are a popular mid-range budget hotel chain, but in this location you're unlikely to find a night for under £100.

Leicester Square is a small and very central district; a very short walk can take you to many other areas of London. Soho is just north, past Chinatown, with fashionable night life and eclectic shops. Covent Garden is just to the east, with more entertainment and shopping opportunities. Westminster is just to the south, past Trafalgar Square, with its mix of government offices, parks and historic buildings. Mayfair-Marylebone is to the west, past Piccadilly Circus, with more up-market places to shop.