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Pedestrianised square in London, United Kingdom
Photo: Romazur, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The area around Leicester Square (LESS-tuh), often called the West End, is the entertainment heart of London. The area also includes Chinatown, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.
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The 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.
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.
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.
The High Commission of Canada immediately opposite to Trafalgar Square maintains a regular art exhibition featuring Canadian artists.
At 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 Coca-Cola.
Relax 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. At the centre of the square is a fountain with a statue honouring William Shakespeare, and the benches that surround the fountain are dotted with other fun statues—you can take your picture sitting next to Mr. Bean, or standing with Charlie Chaplin.
The 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.
Paifang
The three ornamental Chinese arches are worth a look.
Chinatown does incorporate some entertaining combinations of British and Chinese culture, such as the phone booths with pagoda-style sloping roofs.
Includes the Odeon Mezzanine and Odeon West End. This particular Odeon is famous for its red-carpet film premieres.
Voted "London's Number 1 Cinema" by Time Out readers, great bar and a fantastic art-house program.
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.
half-price ticket booth
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.
called Her Majesty's Theatre during a female monarch's reign
A former theatre, now home to a large casino with live cabaret shows and a steakhouse restaurant. Also sells souvenirs, poker chips and plaque keyrings that can be purchased from the cashier. If you stay here long have a look at the Hippodrome Rewards card.
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.
Japanese
Offers spectacular food accompanied by spectacular art on the 5th floor of the National Portrait Gallery. A must-do dining experience.
Offers excellent and well-priced Japanese food.
Friendly, quiet vegan restaurant near the edge of Chinatown. Try the mock meats.
Serves Taiwanese fare. Chilli crab and omelette dishes are specialities.
Worth checking out for cheap Malaysian-Singaporean eats.
Small Chinatown shop for Cantonese buns. Its Crispy Tofu with Five Spiced Sticky Sauce is the pick for fried tofu in the area; walk-in only.
Place Chinese cakes on a tray and take them to the cashier.
More of a wine bar than a restaurant, the extensive wine list features selections from Australia and California. They offer reasonable cuisine to wash down this full bodied wines.
Dutch-themed pub with an excellent selection of beers. It is often crowded, but has a good atmosphere and a comedy club.
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.
Irish-themed pub with a fibreglass tree inside it and a pulpit. It is almost invariably unbearably crowded.
is generally quieter and more relaxed. Check out the upstairs bar that allows ordering via the silent waiter.
Smart themed rooms and a balcony overlooking Leicester Square
Small luxury hotel furnished in a sleek, contemporary design.
Affordable and centrally located but a tired property.
Hilton's first boutique hotel in London. The boardroom was apparently used for the first James Bond film Dr. No.
Premier Inn are a popular mid-range budget hotel chain, but in this location you're unlikely to find a night for under £100.
Lovely stylish place at the top of Pall Mall, great comfort and cuisine.
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 an M&M printer which enables you to print text, a logo or even your own face on M&Ms!
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!
5 floors of books of all kinds, plus a cafe in the basement and a restaurant on the top floor. The store has long hours and comfortable seating, so you can potentially spend hours in there.
By train
Charing Cross mainline station in Covent Garden serves the south-eastern region of England.
On foot
This is a small district which lends itself perfectly to exploration on foot.
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