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United Kingdom : London - May 2008

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As the flocks of locals made giddy by the merest glimpse of sunshine will attest to, the British capital comes alive in May. And, with it’s lush green gardens, grandly curving river and heady sense of hopefulness, what’s not to love about London in late spring? Tabitha Lasley counts the ways

Getting around

London is served by Gatwick Airport, which is 46km south of the city centre.

Bus: National Express coaches to London Victoria take one hour 35 minutes. Single tickets cost €9,80/£6.60 and the service runs 24 hours a day.
Train: The quickest way to get into the city is by taking the Gatwick Express to London Victoria. It takes 30 minutes and runs every 15 minutes from 5am to 11.45pm. A single ticket costs €22,60/£15.90.
Taxi: Outside rush hour, a taxi to the city centre will take about an hour and cost €114/£77.
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at 1 Lower Regent Street (tel. , visitlondon.com).

MAYFAIR

Arguably the city’s most exclusive neighbourhood, Mayfair is at the very heart of London, situated between Park Lane, Piccadilly and Oxford Street.

Sleep soundly – All Sicilian marble, rich wool carpets and soft leather beds, rooms at The Mayfair are the last word in no-holds-barred luxury. Better still is its spa: a subterranean, slate-tiled oasis that seems a million miles from the dash and bustle of Piccadilly.

Must eat – Start your day with one of The Wolseley’s (160 Piccadilly, tel. ) famous full English breakfasts. Presided over by Richard Corrigan, Bentleys (11-15 Swallow Street, tel. ) focuses firmly on the freshest of local ingredients. Try the steamed fillets of Dover sole with crab and apple.

Shop til you drop – Bond Street is synonymous in most people’s minds with designer clothing. Head here for classic British brands like Burberry (21-23 New Bond Street), Mulberry (41-42 New Bond Street) and Pringle (112 New Bond Street). Soothe any post-splurge tension at Elemis’ blissfully quiet Day Spa (2-3 Lancashire Court) – go for their signature treatment, the Exotic Frangipani Float.

CHELSEA

Once the epicentre of Swinging London, Chelsea’s grown up into a refined residential district that’s home to several fantastic restaurants and some of the best shopping in the city.

Sleep soundly – The all-suite Wyndham Grand sits right on Chelsea Harbour. Rooms are large, light-filled and contemporary. For something less bracingly modern, The Draycott is full of quaint English charm – think hot chocolate served before bedtime and real fires in the rooms.

Culture vultures – Over 5,000 species of plant crowd Chelsea Physic Gardens (66 Royal Hospital Road). Founded in 1673, this verdant little enclave is steeped in history. Its rock garden – the oldest in the country – was built with stones taken from the Tower of London.

Must eat – Intimate little bistro Papillon (96 Draycott Avenue, tel. ) pulls off French favourites like escargot au beurre (snails in butter) and roast veal and aligot potato with considerable élan. Otherwise, Tom’s Place (1a Cale Street, tel. ) serves sustainable fish sourced from small, family-run day boats. Go for the gorgeously crunchy cod or the battered squid and chips.

SOUTH BANK

Thanks to its clutch of cultural buildings and the eponymous television show, the Thames’ southern shore will always be irrevocably linked with the arts.

Culture vultures – This May, the gloweringly brutalist National Theatre (South Bank) is staging Joan Didion’s memoir The Year of Magical Thinking. The Tate Modern (Bankside) art gallery’s new exhibition Sign and Texture will open on 5 May, while Street & Studio, a history of urban photography, runs from the 22 May.

Must eat – Perched at the top of the Royal Festival Hall, Skylon (Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, tel. ) enjoys superb views right across the Thames and over the city. Consistently voted the best gastropub in the UK, the Anchor and Hope (36 The Cut, tel. ) serves no-nonsense British food like crab on toast and slow-roast shoulder of lamb. Get here early, though – they don’t take bookings.

Must drink – May sees the launch of Canteen’s (Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road) new cocktail list. Drinks here showcase the best of British ingredients (try The Smuggler: Somerset cider brandy and freshly pressed apple juice). Bar snacks like Scotch eggs and cheese ploughman’s are along the same patriotic lines. Take your drinks out on to the terrace, the perfect setting for a summer evening’s drinking.

Compiled by Tabitha Lasley