Introduction to London

London glances over its shoulder at two thousand years of history, then turns to the future. The former power station, Tate Modern is London's cavernous temple to the new, the latest music pours out of Victorian pubs and celebrity chefs are reinventing the dishes British mums have made for generations. But don't panic -- the bowler hat may be long gone but under its hip veneer, traditional London still exists, from high tea at the Ritz to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Things to Do

Take a ride on the London Eye observation wheel to get to grips with the mammoth metropolis' eclectic patchwork of villages. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament bristle across the Thames below. Back on the ground, London relaxes in its parks and gardens. Fringed with grand Regency terraces, Regent's Park is the place to head for rowing and roses. At Hyde Park's Speakers' Corner you'll hear heartfelt political missives alongside oddball rants as roller skaters flash past.

Shopping

As if the 60s never went away, London is a fashion powerhouse once again -- Central St Martins College churns out talent, from Stella McCartney to John Galliano and bright star Alexander McQueen, whose brand will live on. Even Kate Moss mixes designerwear with high-street bargains; try fashion funhouse Top Shop on Oxford Street, or rummage for vintage and affordable designer finds from London's hip markets like cool Spitalfields, studenty Camden and chi-chi Notting Hill's Portobello Road.

Nightlife and Entertainment

The West End's bright lights draw the crowds with long-running mega musicals, top-quality drama with big names, and mainstream clubs. Dress up for ballet or great voices at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Cutting-edge clubs and bars cluster in the east around Hoxton and Shoreditch and south in Brixton. For something completely different, sip cocktails at one of London's in-vogue burlesque nights.

Restaurants and Dining

London is a city of immigrants, so go globetrotting with your taste buds to authentic Lebanese restaurants on Edgware Road, where diners smoke rose-scented hookah pipes on pavement tables, or to good-value Vietnamese cafes around Old Street. For the classic British experience splash out on seafood and oysters at London institution J Sheekey in Covent Garden or enjoy a traditional pint of beer and reinvented British classics in gastro pubs around Clerkenwell.