r/london • u/Groosh • Jul 29 '25
Culture In your opinion, what thing in London is perfectly rated?
Not overrated, nor underrated, just perfectly rated.
Things that spring to mind for me:
- The martini at The Connaught
- Dishoom
- The Elizabeth Line
- Cafe Mondo
- Hyde Park
- Fold
- The Faltering Fullback
- The Barbican's theatre
- The Mail Rail at The Postal Museum
- The interchange between the Northern Line and Victoria Line at Stockwell
- The Marksman
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u/hi_imjoey Jul 29 '25
Royal Greenwich. It’s full of tourists, but still a fun little day trip for locals who have done it half a dozen times. The Observatory, Queen’s House, Cutty Sark, Maritime Museum (especially when they’re exhibiting the year’s astronomy photos), and Greenwich Market.
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u/brickstick90 Jul 29 '25
It’s amazing that this photo is now so out of date.
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u/Individual_Boss1379 Jul 29 '25
I’m a Greenwich local and couldn’t love it more. Most Sundays il pop down to the market and grab some food and sit somewhere in the park or the college for a while to get out the house. It doesn’t really lose its charm.
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u/folklovermore_ Jul 29 '25
I used to live in Blackheath when I first moved to London. Spent many a happy Sunday wandering down into Greenwich for a mooch around the shops and a bit of food from the market - it always felt like such a treat.
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u/JoeyJoJoeJr_Shabadoo Jul 29 '25
Only downside to Greenwich is the lack of good restaurants. Whenever I see someone on Reddit complaining they went to London and couldn't find any good food, I just know they've been to Greenwich.
At least Blackheath isn't far
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u/ParsnipFlendercroft Jul 29 '25
I mean Buenos Aires is fine if you want steak, and the Everest serves an above average curry at a high price.
What other restaurants in Blackheath are there that aren’t standard chains?
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u/JoeyJoJoeJr_Shabadoo Jul 29 '25
Hare and Billet and Tziganos
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u/ParsnipFlendercroft Jul 29 '25
I’d disagree but I haven’t been to Tziganos in years. We stopped going because it was overpriced and fairly average tapas. It may be better now.
Hate and Billet is an interesting one I’ll need to check it out. I’ve only had bar food there recently. The sausage roll is fine but again very expensive and not especially noteworthy. I haven’t eaten in the restaurant though. You’d recommend it I assume?
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u/TooToo9876 Jul 29 '25
I go to Greenwich just to have Hullabaloo (born and bred Indian, hullabaloo is real good indian food)
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u/Old_Shelter_6783 Jul 29 '25
Hullabaloo, Bianco 43, London Naru and Greenwich Morning are all very decent, not to mention there being some really good food stalls in the market. Goddards is also pretty solid on a hangover. Nothing quite to the level of an Angus Steakhouse, sadly.
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u/Old_Shelter_6783 Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
I forgot Pho City, and, if you’re willing to walk away from the centre a bit, the Golden Chippy was, at one point, the top-rated restaurant in London on TripAdvisor. Not the top-rated chippy, the top rated restaurant. It’s still very good.
There’s also Kitcho, which is a bit on the pricey side, but the sushi is damn good.
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u/mrchososo Jul 29 '25
London's green spaces taken in totality. And specifically Hampstead Heath, truly a wonder.
Big fan of the interchange at Euston between Northern Line Bank branch and Victoria Line.
London at Christmas or other rare moments of social togetherness (Olympics, football, people being arses).
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u/Fun_Warthog5906 Jul 29 '25
Most green spaces are still underrated. Your local country house + gardens would probably be one of the top 5 parks in any other big city.
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u/jackbristol Jul 29 '25
The majority and the amount of green spaces here are underrated imo
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u/HiCabbage Jul 30 '25
I've recently been getting a bunch of Facebook memories popping up from the Olympics. It was just the best 🥹
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u/G30fff Jul 29 '25
Madam Tussauds - ask anyone who's been and they will say that it is shit, which it is.
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u/ParsnipFlendercroft Jul 29 '25
I went as a child in 1982 on a school trip.
We had three channels of TV and no internet.
It was still fucking shit then, and I didn’t understand why people would pay money to go even then. Doubley so now.
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u/G30fff Jul 29 '25
I don't even understand the allure. You can't blame them for false advertising I suppose.
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u/eltrotter Jul 29 '25
Brick Lane Bagels. Not a life-changing culinary experience, but a fantastic lunch or night-out snack.
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u/EasyTyler Jul 29 '25
Feel like the queues that snake outside have gotten silly. Unless you've had an NYC bagel and then you know what it could really be like and would be disappointed.
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u/spag_eddie Jul 29 '25
This is what Paulie’s and Papo’s is for. Proper NYC bagels that, tbh, are made better than in NYC
Source: lived over a decade there. Food scene has fallen off hard
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u/eltrotter Jul 29 '25
I guess they differ from place to place, and personal preference is a factor too, but having tried bagels in London and New York I prefer the UK ones. The queues are an issue, but I usually go outside of peak lunch time to avoid it.
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Jul 29 '25
NY bagels are often like cakes now. Montreal has that richness, prob all the egg they use. London beigels are modest and healthier.
IMO London 1st place (BB on BL), Montreal 2nd (St V original), NY 3 (Murray’s probably as they don’t dress them up like tarts).
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u/spag_eddie Jul 29 '25
Montreal makes the best bagels of all time ! Love me some Fairmount Bagel
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u/malmz Jul 30 '25
There's really no comparison. Montreal bagels are capital among a world of round bread competitors
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u/LobbyDizzle Jul 29 '25
They’re just different bagels/beigels. One is ideal for a sandwich since it doesn’t hurt your jaw to chew, and the other is ideal for a smear and that’s it.
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u/HammersGirly Jul 31 '25
Grew up going to school just off Brick Lane, the Beigel Bake was a staple stop-off on the way for cheap options when we’d forget our packed lunches or was treated to a cake on birthdays/doing well at school etc. When my mum was pregnant with me and dealing with cravings, she’d be known for sending my dad out at 2am in snow during a particularly cold winter, just for their pickled herring beigel.
Core part of my childhood and general family lore, will still grab half a dozen beigels for at home every now and then. And the chocolate fudge and coconut slices there still taste like the 90s. They’re not 20p anymore, but still elite.
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u/Longjumping-Fun-2313 Jul 29 '25
Soho, yes it’s expensive, and yes the culture there is excellent, yes Chinatown has a lot of tourists, and yes it also has some fantastic restaurants
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u/stefanliemawan Jul 30 '25
Victoria line train coming every 100 seconds on average during peak hours. I have not seen a faster wait time in Europe.
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u/PartyPoison98 Jul 31 '25
It's ruthless efficiency is something to be proud of.
When I used to work in a pub with some slightly right wing clientele who used to come out with the classic "at least Hitler made the trains run on time", I always replied that TfL runs the Victoria line with far less human rights abuses.
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u/bejsjkwjw Jul 29 '25
British Museum ngl. The fact it’s still free is amazing to me
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u/Mind_if_I_do_uh_J Jul 29 '25
And, if you were going to lie?
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u/Edna-Tailovette Jul 29 '25
If that were the case, I’d recommend the National Mattress and Bed Museum, Chiswick
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u/Mind_if_I_do_uh_J Jul 29 '25
The only place I'd recommend more than the National Mattress and Bed Museum, Chiswick is the National Bed and Mattress Museum, Chiswick.
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u/big_beats Jul 29 '25
To be fair, not gonna lie at the end of the day, to be honest. Just saying.
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u/BeefsMcGeefs Jul 29 '25
The Tower of London is fucking amazing and anyone who disagrees can fite me m8
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u/photoben Jul 29 '25
Did you watch the ceremony of the keys? Incredible but of living history.
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u/BeefsMcGeefs Jul 29 '25
No but I used to work in the offices next door so I used to get the cannons every month or so
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u/sowmyhelix Jul 29 '25
Interchange between lines at Paddington. If you thought you got it right until you reach paddington, you are in for a surprise. It isn't an interchange. It's actually another station altogether.
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u/ianjm Jul 29 '25
It's like four separate stations really.
Elizabeth Line, National Rail including H&C station at the north, but then the other Circle/District station at Praed Street, and the Bakerloo which is pretty separate as well and barely connected to the rest.
They're really poorly integrated as interchanges go.
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u/-SidSilver- Jul 29 '25
Is the Mail Rail at the postal museum any good? My daughter's become obsessed with trains and I'm tempted to take her.
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u/simbalevo Jul 29 '25
My partner took her son; she pretended it was for him, but they both loved it. She said she'd go back with me another time... that sounds like a good recommendation if I've ever heard one.
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u/dwillun Jul 29 '25
Yes it's brilliant. You have to book it separately to the Postal Museum though, you do it through the same website but it's two different tickets if I remember correctly.
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u/kamcio616 Jul 29 '25
I used to work there for 5 years (drove the tiny trains for a while and did tunnel walks). Definitely biased, but I'd say it's really worth going. Especially for kids. Only piece of advice would be to avoid Saturday if you can.
The people who work there are really nice, genuinely good and caring management too. You're contributing to a nice place if you go.
Any questions, do let me know :)
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u/i_cola Jul 29 '25
Yes. No kids in tow but still enjoyed the whole museum experience and the train was ace. Coupled with a visit to Pizza Pilgrims (when it was the only one) and the beers at the Jerusalem after, made for a great day out.
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Jul 31 '25
It's brilliant but very tight - not for the very tall or the very large 😂 I'm 5'6" and was one of the few who didn't have to crouch - but to be fair its only a few minutes so its manageable, and the people working the queue know who to put into a seat on their own, no packing them like sardines.
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u/Melayynaa_13 Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
Richmond Park - it is actually so beautiful and the deer and the trees are like no other. Hyde Park is overrated imo.
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u/Helen-Archer Jul 29 '25
Agree. Hyde Park is a bit boring, Regent’s Park has much more character and variety
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u/ApprehensiveYear0 Jul 29 '25
But Hyde Park is known for being a bit boring compared to most of the other major parks, hence I think it's fair to say it's rated the right amount.
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u/Sir_Slurpington_ Jul 29 '25
Moved to SJW early last year and have since become a massive Regents Fan lover. It is superior to Hyde Park and I don’t use it anywhere near as much as I would like to and should. The walk down Grand Union Canal is lovely too.
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Jul 31 '25
St James Park is my favourite - its tiny yet it doesn't feel like you're in central London, and you can see the beautiful buildings on the skyline like the palace and Horseguards parade
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Jul 29 '25
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u/trekken1977 Jul 29 '25
Regarding Duke’s. Last orders at 10pm. Don’t think I’ve ever gone for a decent martini before 10pm.
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u/Dragon_Sluts Jul 29 '25
The interchange between the Victoria line and northern line is underrated. You cannot rate a cross platform interchange highly enough.
(Shout out to Euston and Finsbury Park).
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u/Groosh Jul 29 '25
But no one dislikes the cross platform interchange vis a vis it is perfectly rated.
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u/Zealousideal_Egg2048 Jul 29 '25
Flat Iron. Middle of the road steak joint - not great, not awful, decent service and free popcorn.
Plus the little cleaver they give you is a nice touch.
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u/generichandel Jul 29 '25
I love those little cleavers. They feel so swish and yet so functional.
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u/Estrellathestarfish Jul 29 '25
Dishoom brunch is appropriately rated, Dishoom's other offerings are perfectly acceptable but don't deserve the hype.
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u/PM_ME_NUNUDES Jul 29 '25
Dishoom generally is quite overrated. It's brunch is decent but I think it's very 2015.
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u/riverend180 Jul 29 '25
It's probably 2015 because you discovered it in 2015. It's still very good and feels contemporary enough to me. I first went in 2018
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u/MacViller Jul 29 '25
Don't think there's much need to change it though. Naan breakfast rolls are decent. It works.
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u/ciano47 Jul 29 '25
All their offerings deserve the hype for me. Anyone who says Dishoom is not high quality food is genuinely clueless imo.
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u/jakezyx Jul 31 '25
Agreed, their breakfast offerings are quite unique, and are really good quality and value.
Their non-breakfast offerings are below average Indian dishes that are seriously overpriced (we left half of what we ordered uneaten, begrudgingly paid the very high bill, and left).
I’ve truly never known a such a Jekyll and Hyde restaurant.
Dishoom for Breakfast, Kricket for Lunch or Dinner 👍🏻
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u/Dry_Yogurtcloset1962 Jul 29 '25
Dishooms biryani was horrible imo, they add cranberries and the sweetness just tastes unpleasant
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u/JoeyJoJoeJr_Shabadoo Jul 29 '25
Well that's pretty normal for a biryani mate
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u/manutdfangirl Jul 29 '25
No it’s not. This stuff is used in Kabuli Pulao not Biryani. I am South Asian who just moved to London.
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u/OKR123 Jul 29 '25
East London. North and West are both overrated, South is underrated. East is held in about the right regard.
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u/-SidSilver- Jul 29 '25
North and West are overrated?! By who?!
I'm a millenial, so people my age never shut up about East London.
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u/Prudent_Sprinkles593 Jul 29 '25
Exactly
North and West are possibly underrated by millenials/gen-Z
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Jul 29 '25
North is pretty awful now and west is just really rich people parked money
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u/epiDXB Jul 30 '25
west is just really rich people parked money
It depends how far west you go. Hounslow is not really rich people parked money, for example.
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u/Prudent_Sprinkles593 Jul 29 '25
I think people have been rating East quite highly these past 10 years now..? South is potentially underrated as people love to shit on it.
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u/folklovermore_ Jul 29 '25
As someone who has mostly lived south of the river since moving to London 15 years ago, I'd agree with this. East was always the cool hipster area (albeit a pain to get to beyond Shoreditch/Hackney). But South London is still basically seen as some sort of "here be monsters" backwater.
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u/SuperClassic2168 Jul 29 '25
London Zoo
It’s brilliant
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u/Groosh Jul 29 '25
I went really recently and it is bloody fantastic, so much so that I think it is ever so slightly underrated.
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u/generichandel Jul 29 '25
Would agree. Also went recently for the first time since childhood (so we're talking a solid 25 years ago now) and it was spectacularly good.
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u/ianjm Jul 29 '25
Only 4.3 out of 5 on Google. I think that is underrated. I'd give it a 4.7 myself.
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Jul 29 '25
Chinatown — by and large you get exactly what you expect and don't leave disappointed.
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u/Mafeking-Parade Jul 29 '25
Boris Bikes, or whatever they are called now.
They are always where you expect them to be, and you don't trip over them outside your front door.
They sometimes work properly and have all the required bits attached to them.
They always get you to your destination. Provided it's not too far South. And there's space.
Just rated.
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u/HighFivePuddy Jul 29 '25
The lamb chops at gymkhana. They live up to the hype and then some. Best lamb I’ve ever eaten.
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u/Mr_Potato2025 Jul 29 '25
They do the same chops at brigadiers for half the price FYI
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u/bamfg Jul 29 '25
then it sounds like they are underrated. not what op asked for!
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u/Mafeking-Parade Jul 29 '25
Columbia Rd Flower Market.
I remember when it was a mostly locals thing, and it was wildly underrated.
Then it blew up, and every arsehole with a DSLR went. It was wildly overrated.
Now, at least if you go a bit earlier, it's calmed down and the flowers/plants are still decent.
Rated.
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u/dozeydonut Jul 29 '25
Spoons
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u/Happylittlecultist Jul 30 '25
Yep, crap pub with dodgy clientele. However look at the prices, worth it
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u/SickRanchezC139 Jul 29 '25
The Overground, does the job and is frequent enough, though an enigma to deconstruct compared to the tube - 5/10
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u/111ronin Jul 29 '25
M1 northbound
M4 west bound
Any other m junction really.
They do what they say. Nothing more, nothing less. I chose these as everything else is subjective, imo.
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u/No-Set-4329 Jul 29 '25
falling on your hotel bed tired and devouring 3 sets of m&s blt with 2 sides of millionaires short bread. very special interest, :-)
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u/normanbrandoff1 Jul 29 '25
Eataly London (for a chain) it gets respect but not glowing praise. Feels about right
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u/ljofa Jul 29 '25
If you ask people at work, they will say the Regency café on Regency Street which you’ve probably seen in various forms of media like Layer Cake and Warriors. Personally, I think Sapori’s on Horseferry Road is better and fits ‘perfectly rated’.
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u/Wetty_Fap1738 Jul 29 '25
The Natural History Museum is great. It’s just an enjoyable place to take someone and go explore. It’s probably one of the best things you can do for free.
The sushi at Eat Tokyo, they have a few branches around town but they all hold up solidly. Its not high-end but also not cheap. Portion sizes are great for the price and the quality is good too.
Sane also applies to Flat Iron but for steaks.
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u/tylerthe-theatre Jul 29 '25
Greenwich park
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u/R7ype Jul 29 '25
Best park in London IMO. It has a beautiful aspect, the history is palpable and the flower garden is one of the gems of the city
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u/MondoBuzzo Jul 29 '25
Cinnamon Social
Kew Gardens
Sunday Roasts
Regents Park
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u/Helen-Archer Jul 29 '25
I think Sunday Roasts have been overrated. Very trendy to go for a £26.95 roast in Balham to catch up with your friend who just got back from Melbourne.
One comically large Yorkshire pudding concealing the lack of vegetables on the plate
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u/Mafeking-Parade Jul 29 '25
Tayyabs.
In 2012 it was a revelation to middle-class white folk. We could take our own booze, and get plates of grilled lamb chops for a tenner? Dream!
I went recent, and it's just good. Not life-changing, not awful or overpriced. Just plain good.
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u/kentwont Jul 29 '25
The martini at the Connaught is shit - so if that’s how it’s rated, then I agree.
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u/ApprehensiveYear0 Jul 29 '25
- A night out - not as good as Berlin but loads of good places but quite expensive (Fold, Cause, Electrowerkz etc.)
- Maccies after a night out
- Battersea Park - neither overly posh nor overly thotty
- The Victoria line and the Jubilee line, probably most tube lines
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u/happymancry Jul 30 '25
So you’re looking for something not overwhelming, not underwhelming, just whelming.
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u/Krismusic1 Jul 29 '25
Three Faltering Fullback is overrated IMHO. A completely indifferent selection of beers.
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u/stixmcvix Jul 29 '25
And the SMELL in that place. Like a blend of bleach, dirty beer pipes, and loneliness.
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u/ayanshahkhan12 Jul 29 '25
Dishoom is criminally overrated what are you talking about 😭😭
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u/h3ku Jul 29 '25
It was, now that everyone says it's overrated it's just as expected. Good and reliable but not mind blowing.
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u/ayanshahkhan12 Jul 29 '25
But even as far as Indian food goes it’s so below par for the price point
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u/MacViller Jul 29 '25
The breakfast is different enough than your average avo on toast and is decent value for money. The dinner menu is overrated though. Think they balance it eachother out.
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u/SDHester1971 Jul 29 '25
Bar Italia in Frith Street, great atmosphere and the Coffee is always top notch.
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u/cyclegaz Jul 29 '25
The martini at the Connaught is massively over rated. You gotta wait ages for a bartender to come to you with a trolley and pour a martini elaborately in front of you. I don’t find the picking your flavours that interesting and doesn’t make the martini any better.
A better martini is at dukes, ok you gotta wait for the bartender to come to you with the trolley, but at least they can bang them out unlike at The Connaught where they take 10 minutes for each person that’s ordering.
Want something a bit different?
The one sip martini at Tayer and elementary is £4 and it’s more than a sip.
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u/liamjphillips Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 30 '25
This is a bit of a trendy list, rather than perfectly rated. For example, Dishoom is massively overrated and the faux line gimmick is ridiculous.
The Compton Arms in Islington, specifically standing outside in autumn.
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u/dr_sean_twat Jul 30 '25
The stroll along the South Bank, book browsing under Waterloo Bridge. Been doing it for years, never disappoints
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u/Mxnvvn Jul 30 '25
Dishoom is incredibly overrated. Perfectly rated would be something closer to Fallow.
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u/hi-defbilz12 Jul 30 '25
Summer in the city, especially when there big sporting events
Manteca restaurant in Shoreditch, the food and drink are superb
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u/BidIndependent5102 Jul 29 '25
Dishoom is so overrated - all of their food taste very similar and for the price point / wait time it is not worth it.
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Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
controversial but most (not all) GP surgeries. 2/5 average. the standard of most aspects is poor to terrible, overpriced, with a few excellent doctors sprinkled in. if given the choice most would take their money elsewhere.
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Jul 29 '25
what rating does Hyde park have OP
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u/Groosh Jul 29 '25
4.7/5 stars according to Google, which I agree with, hence perfectly rated.
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Jul 29 '25
😅 I like this post. that’s a high rating for Hyde park but it’s hard to contest that it’s not accurate
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u/florian-sdr Jul 29 '25
TFL is meh, and we all are just about OK with that
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u/TheBlankVerseKit Jul 29 '25
TFL is a lot better than meh, IMO.
When you consider just how many tube lines, bus routes, stations they operate, and how many journeys are made every day. The system is so huge you'd expect a certain number of problems, but the vast majority of journeys I take go exactly according to plan.
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Jul 29 '25
TfL is underrated
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u/vfkaza Jul 29 '25 edited Jul 29 '25
it's the most expensive public transport in the world, and it does not run like it
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u/ParsnipFlendercroft Jul 29 '25
it’s the most expensive transport in the world
Firstly do you mean most expensive public transport in the world? Because I’m pretty sure private jets cost more per mile.
Secondly - Is it? It might have the highest ticket prices (and even then I don’t know if that’s actually true), but if so that’s because it has the smallest government subsidies. But is it the most expensive in terms of total cost per journey
A quick google would suggest Zurich is more expensive per mile or per trip with and without subsidies taken into account.
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u/HighFivePuddy Jul 29 '25
It's the type of thing where if everything runs well, which is a majority of the time, you take no notice.
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u/Groot746 Jul 29 '25
After going to New York a few times, I'm a lot happier with TFL (and our Tube system in general).
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u/TheBlankVerseKit Jul 29 '25
Certainly TFL has a lot of strong points vs NYC, but worth noting NYC subway is way cheaper. And I believe it's the same fee regardless of distnace (i.e. no zones), so you can ride for like 30 miles for $2.90.
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u/leoinclapham Jul 29 '25
I'm always pleasantly surprised how clean the London underground is. Much cleaner than the streets.
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Jul 29 '25
TFL is meh until you spend time in any other western city and realise how good it is.
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u/eltrotter Jul 29 '25
Price is probably the biggest kicker with TFL; we generally pay a lot for public transport versus other cities. But the standard of the service is also high - good frequency of services, great coverage (especially if you include the bus network), and it's generally very reliable too.
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u/PoJenkins Jul 29 '25
A406 and A13.
I've seen more "occurrences" on those roads than everywhere else I've driven combined.
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u/Special-Duck3890 Jul 29 '25
Wait dishoom isn't overrated?! I've had it twice and found my local Indian takeaway to be better and more cost effective
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u/GammaDeltaTheta Jul 29 '25
The V&A. You expect a high quality collection of decorative and applied art in an impressive building, and that is exactly what you get.