I'll be in London this Sunday for five days.

[tavernier]

Staying at Marriott Maida Vale.

Any suggestions for close by restaurants, pubs, places of interest?

[LVdem]

1. Get an Oyster Card for the Tube

I don't know if you are in London for business or pleasure and I have no knowledge of your area of London, but I can suggest a nice Oyster Card for travel on the Tube.

Check out tripadvisor.com. They'll have all sorts of suggestions you can sift and winnow through.

Have fun. I wish I were going. A great city to visit, but I'm not sure I could live there (even if I could afford it).

[Windy]

2. Westminster Abbey is fascinating....

Of course, the old standards, ie the tower of london, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court are great too. London is a great city. There were a lot of improvements along the Thames that were done in conjunction with the Olympics. The walkway along the riverfront is very nice. There are a lot of boats that have been turned into nightclubs and restaurants. I just got back a week ago from a five day trip.

Instead of getting an Oyster card from the Underground, get a seven day travel card from National Rail. (as an example, there is a ticketing agent at Victoria Station) You need to bring a passport size photo with you. You will get an ID card and a paper pass. The pass gets you unlimited travel on the underground and busses. The advantage to getting a seven day travel card from the National Rail ticket agent is that you can request a voucher for 2 or 1 admissions to all of the major sites in the city. You will save a great deal of money. While you don't need the pass for 7 days, you will more than make up for the cost with the reduction in the admissions. I paid approx 22 pounds for a 7 day pass for zones 1 and 2 which covers all the major areas in London. The admission for one person for The Tower of London is 16 pounds. Do the math. We ate at pubs for dinner, although I can't remember specific names off the top of my head. There are a lot of very nice eateries in Kensington. The food options have improved greatly. Go on Trip Advisor for restauarant recommendations in the areas you will be visiting or just wing it like we did.

Have a GREAT time. London is a fantastic city!

[enlightenment]

3. The British Museum has

several great exhibits on right now, including a new one on the Vikings - https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/news_and_press/press_releases/2013/vikings_life_and_legend.aspx

If the weather is nice, go to Regent's Park - the spring flowers should be blooming now and it is a lovely lovely place.

I've never stayed in Maida Vale, but I've heard the Warrington is pretty nice for a meal. What you might like pub-wise depends on what you like . . . I like pleasant afternoons and early evenings without too many people (unless it's watching cup ties and such - then raucous crowds are fun). The Star, in St John's Wood, is nice - and the Washington in Belsize Park (on an afternoon, especially).

[tavernier]

4. Wonderful suggestions, all!

Thanks!!

[Historic NY]

5. Look for some pubs...

with a carvery (buffet), you can grab a pint or two and have some good grub.

I'd pop over to Trafalagar square and see it both in daytime and evening.

[T_i_B]

9. In terms of pubs...

Last edited Fri Mar 21, 2014, 04:15 AM - Edit history (1)

...I would recommend the Southampton Arms in Kentish Town (proper fire, old vinyl records, pies and real ale. Brilliant atmosphere) Also the Euston Tap.

Down in Pimlico there's the Cask & Kitchen, which is brilliant but expensive.

A visit to Borough Market is also good for food & drink.

A number of friends have been singing the praises of this place, but I haven't visited it yet myself. http://dukesbrewandque.com/

[think4yourself]

6. Maida Vale is very nice.

Running through Maida Vale is Randolph Ave. Back in the day, wealthy politicians would put their mistresses up in nice flats there. If you ever wondered where the term "feeling randy" came from, now you know! lol The BBC used to do morale boosting radio shows underneath that Maida Vale Tube Station during the height of WWII.
Just a few blocks from the Maida Vale station is a great area called Little Venice. There is a canal with incredible house boats and it's just a perfect spot to walk and enjoy. Rumor has it, Annie Lennox wrote "Sweet Dreams" somewhere along there.
There's a historic pub called The Warrington, which might be fun. I lived right across from there back in 2011.
Abbey Road is a few blocks from there too.

You picked a perfect base of operations!!!

[tavernier]

7. The Warrington. Hmmm

Sounds fun!

We did the canal boat cruise last time and it was a real treat! Loved seeing the marks the horse drawn ropes dug into the bridges. That was a true mark of history.

Any other historical sites that aren't filled with graves or crypts?

[Hoppy]

8. Imperial War Museum and Churchill's War Room

If you are into WW II stuff.

Any of the London Walking Tours.... Jack The Ripper tour is good.

[Nihil]

11. Don't try the former though - it's closed until July ...

IWM London is undergoing a major building redevelopment as we transform our museum to mark the Centenary of the First World War. Work has begun to create our new museum and, to enable us to safely and securely deliver the most disruptive construction works, we are closed until 19 July 2014.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london

[LeftishBrit]

10. It's a nice place

If you've been before, you've probably seen Little Venice with all the canal boats. And not that far from many of the major 'sights' of London: Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, British Museum (must-see for anyone interested in any sort of history, including my favourite, a great collection of manuscripts); National Gallery, if you like art; if you go a little south, there is the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Haven't been in Maida Vale itself for quite a few years now, so can't say much that's up-to-date about the pubs/restaurants; but this link may be useful:

http://www.londontown.com/NearByRestaurants/Restaurant/Directory/Areas/Little_Venice/Restaurant/Restaurant-near-Little%20Venice/