We challenge our contributors to reply to ten devilishly probing questions about their London and we don’t take “Sorry Gov” for an answer. Everyone sitting in the hot seat they will face the same questions ranging from their favourite way to spend a day out in the capital to their most hated building on London’s skyline to find out what Londoners think about their city. The questions are the same but the answers vary wildly.

Don Brown is a London Blue Badge tourist guide and has been taking people around the capital for the past seven years both in real life and online at uktoursonline.com. He also writes the Stuff About London blog, looking at various things about London that have caught his eye. He recently stepped down as the Director of The London Society, a civic society concerned with trying to make London a better place in which to live and to work.

What’s your secret London tip?

Go off the main streets – dive up the little alleys and side roads that lead off the direct route anywhere. Half the time there’ll be nothing out of the ordinary, but the other half you’ll discover some building, square, green space or something that you would never have known existed. (And if I’m ever guiding visitors from the US I also advise them to spend an evening in a pub, because that’s where you see and hear the real London, because the real London are the people.)

What’s your secret London place?

The Onion Garden in Seaforth Place behind Victoria Street. It’s a tiny little bit of rus in urbe squished between an access road and the tube line that is the work of a garden designer called Jens Jakobson. There’s a coffee stall where you can grab a drink and have ten minutes just recharging in the greenery.

What’s your biggest gripe about London?

Too much traffic! There are too many cars and they’re too big. The best bits of the city are the ones that have made themselves more pedestrian-friendly – the new public square in front of Somerset House on Strand for example, which has turned a six-lane highway jammed with buses into a beautiful, peaceful, calming space.

What’s your favourite building?

It always starts and finishes with St Paul’s Cathedral; it never fails to lift the spirits whether you’re right underneath it or just glimpse it from the train as you rattle into Waterloo.

What’s your most hated building?

I still can’t come to terms with the Walkie Talkie. There are lots of very good tall buildings across the city, but this is overbearing and ugly.

What’s the best view in London?

If you’re on the top deck of a bus on a summer’s evening as you cross Waterloo Bridge you look downriver to St Paul’s and the City, and see the sun gleaming off the glass of the towers and casting a soft light on the dome; upriver, the sky is red behind Big Ben and Parliament. Paradise.

What’s your personal London landmark?

Thirty years ago they were resurfacing Albert Bridge, but it was open to pedestrians. I walked over it just as it was getting dark and as I got to the middle all the lights came on and it seemed like they were illuminating the bridge just for me.

What’s London’s best film, book or documentary?

There’s an old Ealing comedy called Hue and Cry which has a bunch of kids running around the bombsites of the post-Blitz city and provides a glimpse of what London suffered in the war. My favourite book would be Jerry White’s History of London in the 19th century, telling the story of how this place grew to be the world’s first ‘megalopolis’, a city that was so big it became impossible for anyone to know it all.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

I don’t do that much eating out, but places I can’t pass without going in include the Bar Italia (double espresso and a cannolo), Brick Lane Beigel Bake (tuna and sweetcorn), and anywhere that does proper Portuguese Pastel de Nata custard tarts.

How would you spend your ideal day off in London?

A walk, I think. You can stroll down the river from Battersea Park to London Bridge without having to cross a road and all the big sites of London appear as you make your way east. Grab a bit of lunch at the Royal Festival Hall food market at weekends, pop into Tate Modern (or detour across the Millennium Bridge), fill yourself up on samples from the cheese stalls at Borough Market then finish off with a pint in front of the fire in the Parliament Bar at The George.

We challenge our contributors to reply to ten devilishly probing questions about their London and we don’t take “Sorry Gov” for an answer. Everyone sitting in the hot seat they will face the same questions ranging from their favourite way to spend a day out in the capital to their most hated building on London’s skyline to find out what Londoners think about their city. The questions are the same but the answers vary wildly.

Niall Kishtainy is a London-based writer and the author of The Infinite City: Utopian Dreams on the Street of London (2023), a history of London’s utopian visionaries from the 16th century to the present, and A Little History of Economics (2018). He helps budding writers get their projects off the ground at A Desk By The Window. Niall is a former academic, journalist, civil servant and aid worker. He was born in south London and has lived in the city for most of his life. You can find out more about him at niallkishtainy.com.

What’s your secret London tip?

The tour of the archive at the Postal Museum in Islington is brilliant – a quirky exploration of London’s history through the letters and objects that people have sent over the centuries. Afterwards, you can go for a ride on the old mail rail.

What’s your secret London place?

When I was a kid growing up in Wimbledon I once stumbled on an ornate golden building surrounded by woods and water near the common. It’s the Buddhapadipa Temple and you’d never think you’d find such a thing hidden away behind a leafy residential street in south London.

What’s your biggest gripe about London?

The poor quality, expensive housing. The housing crisis will strangle the city if we don’t get a grip on it.

What’s your favourite building?

The 1940s Spa Green Estate in Islington was designed by the Russian architect Berthold Lubetkin. It’s modernism with a human face – sleek and futuristic but warm and welcoming too. It’s a living monument to the dream of social housing and a little fragment of utopia in the heart of the city.

What’s your most hated building?

Grandiose and overly extravagant apartment blocks like One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, status residences are often used as financial assets rather than as the real homes that the city so badly needs.

What’s the best view in London?

From the garden of the Horniman Museum in south London, you have central London spread out before you, interestingly juxtaposed in the foreground with Dawson’s Heights, a striking council block designed by Kate Macintosh in the 1960s, which looks like a 20th-century version of some ancient citadel.

What’s your personal London landmark?

The Crystal Palace transmitting station, the tall tapered tower with the red light on top. As a boy, I used to gaze out at it at night from my bedroom window on the other side of south London. Now I live close to it so it tells me when I’m getting home.

What’s London’s best film, book or documentary?

I like Mike Leigh’s High Hopes, a bittersweet depiction of a disappearing working-class community around King’s Cross and the emergence of a new moneyed London. There’s a great scene in which one of the main characters, a frustrated working-class socialist, visits Karl Marx’s grave in Highgate Cemetery and tries to explain Marxist theory to his forbearing girlfriend while Japanese tourists jostle around them. The final scene has the couple and the man’s old mum high on a rooftop looking out awestruck over the railway lines and gasworks down below.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

My local Italian, the magnificent, family-run Trattoria Raffaele on Sydenham Road, which has incredible mozzarella-filled dough balls.

How would you spend your ideal day off in London?

A long walk exploring a neighbourhood, maybe one like Silvertown where you see different layers of London history, before ending with a pint at the Prospect of Whitby in Wapping. Alternatively, my kids’ favourite: doing a circuit involving every form of public transport – train, then tube, DLR, cable car, riverboat, bus. Haven’t yet managed to find a way of incorporating the tram!

We challenge our contributors to reply to ten devilishly probing questions about their London and we don’t take “Sorry Gov” for an answer. Everyone sitting in the hot seat they will face the same questions ranging from their favourite way to spend a day out in the capital to their most hated building on London’s skyline to find out what Londoners think about their city. The questions are the same but the answers vary wildly.

Lev Parikian is a writer, birdwatcher and conductor. He is the author of Into the Tangled Bank, longlisted for the Wainwright Prize, Light Rains Sometimes Fall, Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? and most recently Taking Flight – The Evolutionary Story of Life on the Wing. He lives in South London with his family, who are getting used to his increasing enthusiasm for nature. As a birdwatcher, his most prized sightings are a golden oriole in the Alpujarras and a black redstart at Dungeness Power Station

What’s your secret London tip?

Look up! So many buildings are more interesting above the ground floor. And as an avid birdwatcher, I’m always on the lookout for interesting things, whether it’s a peregrine perched on my local church tower in West Norwood or a flock of starlings swirling around above Trafalgar Square (albeit in far smaller numbers than was common in the 1970s when flocks ran to tens of thousands of birds).

One of the joys of London is its abundance of green spaces in a thriving metropolis. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent’s Park, St. James’s Park and much much more. And birds even find a toehold where the man-made environment predominates. I once heard a black redstart – a rare bird which established a breeding foothold in the ruins of post-war London – singing as I came out of Waterstones on Piccadilly. The song was clearly audible over the rumble of traffic, so I looked up just in time to see it fly away from its perch on the roof of the Hotel Le Meridien.

What’s your secret London place?

Are there any secrets any more? We visited Venice last year, and before we went I googled ‘secret Venice’ – the bookshop ‘Acqua Alta’ turned up on every single one of the first ten sites that came up, so I think it’s safe to say the secret’s out. I feel sure the same thing applies to London. And whenever people share their own special secret places in London I feel horribly out of touch – I definitely don’t make the most of living in this great city.

That said, I do enjoy walking around my local cemetery in West Norwood. It’s one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’, and a place of peace and repose, as well as a trove of interesting graves. Mrs Beeton is buried there, as well as Hiram Maxim (inventor of the automatic machine gun), and C. W. Alcock, who created the F.A. Cup and organised the first Test match (at The Oval, London’s finest cricket ground).

What’s your biggest gripe about London?

Oh, I don’t know. People disregarding the needs of others, I suppose – so easy to do in a big city.

What’s your favourite building?

I’m extremely fond of my local art gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery – although I usually forget there’s a special exhibition on until it’s too late. On a larger scale, I can always while away a happy hour or two at the Natural History Museum, whether exploring the wonders inside or examining the many imaginative features of the exterior.

What’s your most hated building?

The skyline of the City has been transformed in the last few decades, hasn’t it? And I must say I’m far from a fan of some of the more extravagant and visible skyscrapers.

What’s the best view in London?

I’m biased because it’s a five-minute walk from my house, but the view across London from Norwood Park is hard to beat. There it all is, laid out in front of you, and on a clear day you can see to Ally Pally and beyond.

What’s your personal London landmark?

Maybe not a landmark, but whenever I’m at Lord’s or The Oval I look out for the pied wagtails – the chirpiest, jauntiest little birds – that hang around on the outfield of both establishments.

What’s London’s best film, book or documentary?

Not ‘about’ London so much, but The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams, written when St Pancras station was still awaiting redevelopment, reimagines that extraordinary building quite wonderfully.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

For about 20 years now our go-to restaurant for celebrations and family occasions has been Chez Bruce in Wandsworth. We’ve never had a meal there that wasn’t at the very least excellent. The service is great, too – attentive without being obtrusive – and then there’s the legendary cheese board. It’s quite an achievement to keep such consistently high standards for so long.

How would you spend your ideal day off in London?

Breakfast at Brown and Green at Gipsy Hill station on my way to a morning’s birding at the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. Lunch at Brindisa in South Kensington, then an hour at the Natural History Museum and pop into John Sandoe Books for a browse. Dinner at Chez Bruce. And let’s say that my son (a jazz pianist) happens to be gigging nearby – that would top the whole thing off admirably.

We challenge our contributors to reply to ten devilishly probing questions about their London and we don’t take “Sorry Gov” for an answer. Everyone sitting in the hot seat they will face the same questions ranging from their favourite way to spend a day out in the capital to their most hated building on London’s skyline to find out what Londoners think about their city. The questions are the same but the answers vary wildly.

My name is Paul Williams and I have been a London Taxi Driver since 2010. While working as a postman at Twickenham I became aware of the knowledge test taxi drivers have to pass. I couldn’t think of anything better than learning the whole of London and then getting to work there every day, so I embarked on 3 and a half years of blood, sweat and tears. In 2016 I became a qualified Taxi guide through the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers educational branch and started my own company, Cabital City Tours London. Now I don’t just drive people around, I also get to tell them everything about the best city in the world.

What’s your secret London tip?

Don’t follow the crowds. Everyone heads for the same attractions. The London Eye, Madam Tussauds, The London Dungeons. So many things are free in London. Speak to the Londoners. Where do they visit, eat, drink?

What’s your secret London place?

Pickering Place, just off St. James’s Street. It’s a completely unspoilt Georgian Square. Every group I take there on a tour always gasp in wonder. It’s like being transported back 300 years.

What’s your biggest gripe about London?

Prices. Just because you are in the centre of a city, why should a pint of beer be £4 more than anywhere else? I feel sorry for the businesses as their rates must be extortionate.

What’s your favourite building?

St. Paul’s Cathedral. You get teased by the dome from so many different angles, but once up close it completely overwhelms me. How it survived the Luftwaffe is a miracle.

What’s your most hated building?

The GuomanTower Hotel. Brutalism at its finest. How that was allowed to be built next to Tower Bridge baffles me.

What’s the best view in London?

It has to be Waterloo Bridge. The bend in the river gives you an unrivalled panoramic of the city. The London Eye, Big Ben one way. The futuristic city and St. Paul’s the other.

What’s your personal London landmark?

Waterloo Station. The number of times I’ve pulled into that station from the suburbs of west London, the gateway to paradise. As a kid, my mate Liam and I would have no plan and just explore. You feel like you are alive once you step out of the station.

What’s London’s best film, book or documentary?

I love the Sherlock Holmes movies, series and books. Especially the more recent Benedict Cumberbatch interpretation. I’m constantly pausing them and trying to work out which location they are using.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

The Regency Café. If you want a proper London eating experience with great food, this is the place to go. The way it works is mind-boggling. There is always a queue but also a place to sit. I treat myself at least once a month.

How would you spend your ideal day off in London?

I wouldn’t have a plan. I would just turn up and let the city lead me. I’m so used to following an itinerary when delivering tours. I would probably start at the Regency Café and then get lost.

We challenge our contributors to reply to ten devilishly probing questions about their London and we don’t take “Sorry Gov” for an answer. Everyone sitting in the hot seat they will face the same questions ranging from their favourite way to spend a day out in the capital to their most hated building on London’s skyline to find out what Londoners think about their city. The questions are the same but the answers vary wildly.

Maxine Morse is a born and bred Londoner. Her childhood was spent, clutching a 50p Red Rover pass and exploring every nook and cranny of this great city from the top of a double decker bus. After a fast-paced career in television and e-learning, she is back to doing what she enjoys best, observing, strolling and flaneuring her way round London. She sniffs out new restaurants and watches mixologists juggle and pour from height. Most evenings she is at a West End show or reviewing an opera. She blogs about London life at www.londonology.co.uk.

What’s your secret London tip?

London is the capital of FREE. Before you go anywhere, or do anything, Google how to do it for cheap or (better still) for free. There’s free food, free museums, free walks, free movies, free art…but know when to tip (generously) and when to splurge. You won’t want to miss an amazing afternoon tea at a luxury hotel or an evening in your finest gear at the Royal Opera House.

What’s your secret London place?

My vote goes to the Phoenix Arts Club in the bowels of the Phoenix Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. Famed for being the dressing rooms for John Gielgud, it is now home to an eclectic mix of entertainment. Here, I met the dazzling jazz piano player Dom Pipkin who makes the Junco Partner Blues sound like five instruments, while playing with one hand and holding a beer in the other.

What’s your biggest gripe about London?

This sounds a bit bad tempered but its tourists pointing in the street and nearly removing someone’s eye, rummaging for their Oyster card after they’ve arrived at the ticket barrier, stopping suddenly when they are walking along the pavement causing a pile-up or giving me heart failure by stepping over the yellow line on the tube platform train.

What’s your favourite building?

Definitely, it is Chiswick House, the 18th Century party house of Lord Burlington. This is a diminutive, perfectly proportioned Neo Palladian Mansion designed by the eccentric, turbaned William Kent and contains the purchases from Lord Burlington’s Grand Tour. You can just imagine costumed guests with powdered wigs arriving by river for his evening soirees. The lead sphinx in the Lower Tribuna epitomise its mystery and decadence.

What’s your most hated building?

This is a bit of a toss-up between the Barbican and the Post Office Tower. The Barbican with its ugly Brutalist architecture seems to have been plonked at a ridiculously long distance from the nearest tube which means too much walking for those of a certain age or in challenging footwear! While the Barbican has nil points for architecture, its performances, gardens and bars are superlative. The Post Office Tower used to have a buzz about it in the Swinging Sixties with its revolving restaurant and avant-garde architecture. Now, whenever I see it, I’m surprised that a savvy urban planner hasn’t earmarked it for redevelopment.

What’s the best view in London?

The 6th floor café of the Tate Modern, where for a price of a cup of coffee, you can sit on a bar stool and watch the boats on the Thames and the majesty of St Paul’s. And in a similar vein, the view from the Millennium Bridge towards the Shard, the Globe and the Tate Modern is not bad either.

What’s your personal London landmark?

My dad had a Victorian pharmacy at 39 Grosvenor Gardens in Victoria. We spent our childhood there “helping him serve the customers”, rummaging in those small wooden medicine drawers and trying out all the lipstick and perfume testers. He was just round the corner from Buckingham Palace and we often had VIP customers. He was always saying to some suited gent, “Lord X, your prescription will be ready on Wednesday”. We’d look after the shop while he dropped off toiletries, or medicines, for the Queen, Prince Charles or Princess Diana. Sadly, his pharmacy is now a café but the mahogany interior is still intact. As one of only two listed shop interiors in Westminster, it was blessed with a special preservation order.

What’s London’s best film, book or documentary?

White Teeth by Zadie Smith (TV series based on the novel) made me howl with laughter…it took me back to my childhood growing up in a North West London suburb sandwiched in between Wembley and Harrow with its multi-cultural diversity, 70s fashions, great music and London accents.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

I’m a big fan of Corbin and King restaurants…I love the Delaunay in Aldwych with its Modern European vibe, the grand, monochromatic Wolseley on Piccadilly and the Brasserie Zedel with its good value French bistro set menus. In fact, I love the Brasserie Zedel so much that I cried on my first visit back there after the Covid lockdown.

How would you spend your ideal day off in London?

Let’s imagine this ideal day (no matter how unrealistic) is in the heat of summer and the sky is blue and cloudless. I would take a Thames Clipper boat from Westminster Bridge and sit at the back, enjoying a gin and tonic with the breeze in my hair. I’d get off at the Tower of London. Even after many visits, I still get a thrill from seeing the armour of Henry VIII and I am overwhelmed with patriotic fervour when I see the Crown Jewels. My love is seriously large gem stones! And if it’s raining, I can be found with my nose pressed to the glass cabinets of the V&A jewellery room.