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The City

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Getting Oriented | Top Attractions | Worth Noting

Updated by James O’Neill

The City is the capital’s fast-beating financial heart, with a powerful architectural triumvirate at its epicenter: the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange, and Mansion House, where the lord mayor of The City of London (not to be confused with the mayor of London) lives and entertains. The “Square Mile” also has currency as the place where London began, its historic heart. St. Paul’s Cathedral has looked after Londoners’ souls since the 7th century, and the Tower of London—that moat-surrounded royal fortress, prison, and jewel house—has occasionally taken care of their heads.

The City is a dizzying juxtaposition of the old and the new. You’ll find yourself immersed in historic London if you begin your explorations on Fleet Street, the site of England’s first printing press and the undisputed seat of British journalism until the 1980s. Nestled behind Fleet Street is Dr. Johnson’s House, former home of the man who claimed that to be bored of London was to be bored of life and author of Dictionary of the English Language. The nearby church of St. Bride’s, recognizable by its tiered wedding-cake steeple, is a Sir Christopher Wren gem and still the church for journalists, while eastward rises the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral, also designed by Wren and the architect’s masterpiece. You’ll encounter more of traditional London at the Central Criminal Court (nicknamed Old Bailey, and home to London’s most sensational criminal trials) and the 800-year-old Smithfield Market, whose Victorian halls are the site of a daily early-morning meat market. Nearby are the ancient church of St. Bartholomew the Great and St. Bartholomew Hospital, both begun in 1123, as well as the Guildhall, the site of the only Roman amphitheater in London, the church of St. Mary-le-Bow, and the charmingly old-fashioned narrow maze of streets around Bow Lane.

You can put all this history into context at the Museum of London, where archaeological displays include a portion of the original Roman Wall that ringed The City.

Just beyond rises the modern Barbican Centre, a concrete complex of arts venues and apartments that incites many observers to worry about the architectural direction of modern London. The sight of some other new structures rising above The City—especially the Lloyd’s of London Building and the Swiss Re Tower, popularly known as “the Gherkin”—may or may not be more reassuring.

The Monument, near the banks of the Thames, was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London of 1666. From here, the river leads to one of London’s most absorbing and bloody attractions, the Tower of London. Tower Bridge is a suitably giddying finale to an exploration of this fascinating part of London.

The City

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Getting Oriented

Top Reasons to Go

St. Paul’s Cathedral, the “Symbolic Heart of London”: Now nudged by skyscrapers, St. Paul’s still dominates the skyline—and once inside, you’ll see the genius of Sir Christopher Wren’s 17th-century masterpiece.

Linger on the Millennium Bridge: Hurtle the centuries with this promenade between the Tate Modern and St. Paul’s—and get a great river view, too.

Treachery and Treasures at the Tower: This minicity of melodramatic towers is stuffed to bursting with heraldry, pageantry, and the stunning Crown Jewels (bring sunglasses).

Channel history at the Museum of London: From Oliver Cromwell’s death mask to Queen Victoria’s crinoline gowns; from Selfridges’ art deco elevators to a diorama of the Great Fire (sound effects! flickering flames!), this gem of a museum’s got it all.

Getting There

The City area is well served by a concentrated selection of Underground stops in London. St. Paul’s and Bank are on the Central line, and Mansion House, Cannon Street, and Monument are on the District and Circle lines. Liverpool Street and Aldgate border The City’s eastern edge, whereas Chancery Lane and Farringdon lie to the west. Barbican and Moorgate provide easy access to the theaters and galleries of the Barbican, and Blackfriars, to the south, leads to Ludgate Circus and Fleet Street.

Feeling Peckish?

Riverside Café Bar.
The friendly Riverside Café Bar is one of the few places you’re sure to find a good cup of hot chocolate and hot and cold meals, with waterside views of the luxurious yachts and gin palaces moored at the docks. Closed in the evenings. | St. Katherine’s Dock, St. Katherine’s Way | E1W 9AT | 020/7481–1464.

Sweetings.
Sweetings has been here since 1889. It’s not cheap, takes no reservations, and closes at 3 pm, but it serves one of the best fish lunches in London. Refuel here on Dover sole and Black Velvet, the local brew, and observe the pinstripes at play in their natural habitat. | 39 Queen Victoria St. | EC4N 4SF | 020/7248–3062.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.
When you’re finished exploring Fleet Street, head to the famed Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese for a pint of ale and a snack. Parts of the building date from 1667 and the pub is rightly admired for its roaring fires and dingy interior, barely changed since Dr. Johnson came here. Closed Sundays. | 145 Fleet St. | EC4A 2BU | 020/7353–6170.

Making the Most of Your Time

The “Square Mile” is as compact as the nickname suggests, with little distance between points of interest, making an afternoon stroll a rewarding experience. For full immersion in the Tower of London, however, set aside half a day, especially if seeing the Crown Jewels is a priority. Allow an hour minimum each for the Museum of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower Bridge. On weekends, without the scurrying suits, The City is nearly deserted, making it hard to find lunch—and yet this is when the major attractions are at their busiest.

A Good Walk

Crossing the Millennium Bridge from the Tate Modern to St. Paul’s is one of the finest walks in London—with the river to either side and Christopher Wren’s iconic dome towering at one end. Dubbed the “blade of light,” the shiny aluminum-and-steel span was the result of a collaboration between architect Norman Foster and sculptor Anthony Caro.

Top Attractions

Monument.
Commemorating the “dreadful visitation” of the Great Fire of 1666, this is the world’s tallest isolated stone column. It is the work of Sir Christopher Wren and Dr. Robert Hooke, who were asked to erect it “on or as neere unto the place where the said Fire soe unhappily began as conveniently may be.” And so here it is—at 202 feet, exactly as tall as the distance it stands from Farriner’s baking house in Pudding Lane, where the fire started (note the gilded urn of fire at the column’s pinnacle). If climbing the 311 steps is enough to put you off your lunch, cheat a little and watch the live views that are relayed from the top. | Monument St., The City | EC3R 8AH | 020/7626–2717 | www.themonument.info | £3; combined ticket with Tower Bridge exhibition £9 | Daily 9:30–5:30; last admission 5 | Station: Monument.

Museum of London.
If there’s one place to absorb the history of London, from 450,000 BC to the present day, it’s here: Oliver Cromwell’s death mask, Queen Victoria’s crinoline gowns, Selfridges’ art deco elevators, the London’s Burning exhibition, fans, guns and jewelry, an original Newgate Prison Door, and the incredible late-18th-century Blackett Dolls House—7,000 objects to wonder at in all. The museum appropriately shelters a section of the 2nd- to 4th-century London wall, which you can view through a window, and permanent displays include “London Before London,” “Roman London,” “Medieval London,” and “Tudor London.” The Galleries of Modern London are enthralling: Experience the “Expanding City,” “People’s City,” and “World City,” each gallery dealing with a section of London’s history from 1666 until the 21st century. Innovative interactive displays abound, and you can even wander around a 19th-century London street with impressively detailed shop fronts and interiors, including a pawnbrokers, a pub, a barber, even a bank manager’s office, in case you’re running short on holiday money. | London Wall, The City | EC2Y 5HN | 020/7001–9844 | www.museumoflondon.org.uk | Free | Mon.–Sun. 10–6; last admission 5:30 | Station: Barbican, St. Paul’s.

Fodor’s Choice | St. Paul’s Cathedral.
St. Paul’s is simply breathtaking. The structure is Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, completed in 1710 after 35 years of building, and, much later, miraculously spared (mostly) by World War II bombs. Wren’s first plan, known as the New Model, did not make it past the drawing board. The second, known as the Great Model, got as far as the 20-foot oak rendering before it also was rejected. You can see it displayed in the Trophy Room.

The third plan was accepted, with the fortunate proviso that the architect be allowed to make changes as he saw fit. Without that, there would be no dome, because the approved design had a steeple—and St. Paul’s simply would not be St. Paul’s as we know it without the dome, the third largest in the world and easily recognizable on the skyline from many an angle around London. Even so, from inside the vast cathedral the dome may seem smaller than you’d expect—the inner dome is 60 feet lower than the lead-covered outer dome. Beneath the lantern is Wren’s famous epitaph, which his son composed and had set into the pavement, and reads succinctly: “Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice”—”Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you.” The epitaph also appears on Wren’s memorial in the Crypt.

Up 163 spiral steps is the Whispering Gallery, an acoustic phenomenon; you whisper something to the wall on one side, and a second later it transmits clearly to the other side, 107 feet away. Ascend to the Stone Gallery, which encircles the base of the dome. Farther up (280 feet from ground level) is the small Golden Gallery, the dome’s highest point. From both these galleries (if you have a head for heights) you can walk outside for a spectacular panorama of London.

A Brief History

First came the Romans, establishing the settlement of Londinium in AD 47 at the north bank of the Thames, an outpost of the Empire that soon became a sizable trading center. A thousand years later came the Normans and William the Conqueror, who began building the palace that was to become the Tower of London. The Tower would go from being Henry III’s defensive shelter in the 13th century to, by Tudor times, the world’s most forbidding and grisly prison, where two of Henry VIII’s six wives were executed. During the Middle Ages, powerful guilds that nurtured commerce took root in the capital, followed by the foundation of great trading companies, such as the Honourable East India Company, which started up in 1600.

The City’s history has been punctuated by periods of chaos that have threatened to destroy it. The Great Fire of 1666 spared only a few of the cramped, labyrinthine streets, where the Great Plague of the previous year had already wiped out a huge portion of the population. Yet the gutted wastelands enabled a new start, driving out the plague-carrying rodents that had menaced London since the Middle Ages and forcing an architectural renaissance, led by Sir Christopher Wren. Further punishment would come during the Blitz of World War II, when German bombers destroyed many buildings—but London’s story has always been one of rebirth and regeneration; its eclectic skyline reflects that to this very day.

The remains of the poet John Donne, who was Dean of St. Paul’s for his final 10 years (he died in 1631), are in the south choir aisle. The vivacious choir-stall carvings nearby are the work of Grinling Gibbons, as are those on the great organ, which Wren designed. Behind the high altar is the American Memorial Chapel, dedicated to the 28,000 GIs stationed in the United Kingdom who lost their lives in World War II. Among the famous figures whose remains lie in the Crypt are the Duke of Wellington and Admiral Lord Nelson. The Crypt also has a gift shop and a café.

Fodor’s Choice | Tower Bridge.
Despite its medieval, fairy-tale appearance, this is a Victorian youngster. Constructed of steel, then clothed in Portland stone, the Horace Jones masterpiece was deliberately styled in the Gothic persuasion to complement the Tower next door, and it’s famous for its enormous bascules—the 1,200-ton “arms” that open to allow large ships to glide beneath. This still happens occasionally, but when river traffic was dense, the bascules were raised about five times a day.

The Tower Bridge Exhibition is a child-friendly tour where you can discover how one of the world’s most famous bridges actually works before heading out onto the walkways for the wonderful city views. First, take in the romance of the panoramas from the east and west walkways between those grand turrets. On the east are the modern superstructures of the Docklands, and on the west is the Tower of London, St. Paul’s, the Monument, and the steel-and-glass “futuristic mushroom” that is Greater London Assembly’s City Hall. Then it’s back down to explore the Victorian engine rooms and discover the inner workings, which you learn about through hands-on displays and films. | Tower Bridge Rd., The City | SE1 2UP | 020/7403–3761 | www.towerbridge.org.uk | £8 | Apr.–Sept., daily 10–6:30; Oct.–Mar., daily 9:30–6; last admission 30 mins before closing | Station: Tower Hill.

Fodor’s Choice | Tower of London.
Nowhere else does London’s history come to life so vividly as it does in this minicity of 20 towers filled with heraldry and treasure, the intimate details of lords and dukes and princes and sovereigns etched in the walls (literally, in some places), and quite a few pints of royal blood spilled on the stones. This is one of Britain’s most popular sights—the Crown Jewels are here—and you can avoid lines by buying a ticket in advance on the Web site, by phone, at any tube station, or from the automatic kiosks on arrival. The visitor center provides an introduction to the Tower. Allow at least three hours for exploring, and take time to stroll along the battlements for a wonderful overview. The Crown Jewels are worth the wait, the White Tower is essential, and the Medieval Palace and Bloody Tower should at least be breezed through.

Today’s Tower has seen everything, as a palace, barracks, a mint for producing coins, an archive, an armory, and the Royal Menagerie (which formed the basis of the London Zoo). Most of all, though, the Tower is known for death: it’s been a place of imprisonment, torture, and execution for the realm’s most notorious traitors, and a few innocents as well.

A person was mighty privileged to be beheaded in the peace and seclusion of Tower Green instead of before the mob at Tower Hill. In fact, only seven people were ever so honored—among them Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, wives two and five of Henry VIII’s six; Elizabeth I’s friend Robert Devereux, earl of Essex; and the nine-day queen, Lady Jane Grey, age 16.

Free tours depart every half hour or so from the Middle Tower. They are conducted by the Yeoman Warders, better known as Beefeaters, dressed in resplendent navy-and-red (scarlet-and-gold on special occasions) Tudor outfits. Beefeaters have been guarding the Tower since Henry VII appointed them in 1485. One of them, the Yeoman Warder Raven Master, is responsible for making life comfortable for the ravens (six birds plus reserves) that live in Lanthorn Tower. It’s an important duty, because if the ravens were to desert the Tower, goes the legend, the kingdom would fall. Today, the Tower takes no chances: The ravens’ wings are clipped.

In prime position stands the oldest part of the Tower and the most conspicuous of its buildings, the White Tower. William the Conqueror began the central keep in 1078 and Henry III (1207–72) had it whitewashed (hence the name). Inside you’ll find the Armouries, a splendid collection of arms and armor. Across the moat, Traitors’ Gate lies to the right. Opposite Traitors’ Gate is the former Garden Tower, better known since about 1570 as the Bloody Tower. Its name comes from one of the most famous unsolved murders in history, the saga of the “little princes in the Tower.” In 1483 the uncrowned boy king, Edward V, and his brother Richard were left here by their uncle, Richard of Gloucester, after the death of their father, Edward IV. They were never seen again. Gloucester went on to be crowned Richard III, and in 1674 two little skeletons were found under the stairs to the White Tower and thought to be those of the two boys.

The most famous exhibits are, of course, the Crown Jewels, in the Jewel House, Waterloo Barracks. This is the Tower’s biggest draw, perfect for playing pick-your-favorite-crown from the wrong side of bulletproof glass. Not only are these crowns, staffs, and orbs encrusted with heavy-duty gems, they are invested with the authority of monarchical power in England, dating back to the 1300s. Included is the famous Koh-i-noor, or “Mountain of Light.” The legendary diamond, which was supposed to bring luck to women, came from India, and was given to Queen Elizabeth. You can see it, in cut-down shape, in the late Queen Mother’s Crown. The Crown Jewels used to be housed in Martin Tower, which now hosts an exhibit that explains the art of fashioning royal headwear and includes 12,314 cut and uncut diamonds.

The little Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula is the second church on the site, and it’s the final resting place of six beheaded Tudor bodies. Visitors are welcome for services and can also enter after 4:30 daily.

Evocative Beauchamp Tower served as a jail for upper-class miscreants. Latin graffiti about Lady Jane Grey, who was also a prisoner here, can be glimpsed on the walls.

For free tickets to the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys (locking of main gates, nightly between 9:30 and 10), write several months in advance; check the tower Web site for details. Also, look out for winter twilight tours of the Tower on selected evenings. | H. M. Tower of London, Tower Hill, The City | EC3N | 0844/482–7777, 0844/482-7799 | www.hrp.org.uk | £19 | Mar.–Oct., Tues.–Sat. 9–5:30, Sun. and Mon. 10–5:30; last admission at 5. Nov.–Feb., Tues.–Sat. 9–4:30, Sun. and Mon. 10–4:30; last admission at 4 | Station: Tower Hill.

Worth Noting

Bank of England.
The country’s top vault has been central to the British economy since 1694. Known for the past couple of centuries as “the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street,” after the name appeared in a caption to a political cartoon (which can be seen in the museum), the bank manages the national debt and the foreign exchange reserves, issues banknotes, sets interest rates, looks after England’s gold, and regulates the country’s banking system. Sir John Soane designed the neoclassical hulk in 1788, wrapping it in windowless walls, which are all that survives of his original building. The bank’s history is traced in the Bank of England Museum (entrance is around the corner on Bartholomew Lane), where interactive exhibits chart the bank’s more recent history and offer the chance to try your hand at controlling inflation. But most visitors still make a beeline for the solid-gold bar that can be stroked and held in the central trading hall (but before you get any ideas, there’s security everywhere). | Threadneedle St., The City | EC2R 8AH | 020/7601–5545 | www.bankofengland.co.uk | Free | Weekdays and Lord Mayor’s Show day (2nd Sat. in Nov.) 10–5 | Station: Bank, Monument.

Barbican Centre.
The Barbican is an enormous 1980s concrete maze that Londoners either love or hate—but the importance of the complex to the cultural life of the capital is beyond dispute. It houses two theaters; the London Symphony Orchestra and its auditorium; the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; a major art gallery for changing exhibitions; two cinemas; a convention center; an upscale restaurant, cafés, terraces with fountains, and bookshops; and living space in some of the most desirable tower blocks in town. Navigation around the complex is via the yellow lines running, Wizard-of-Oz-like, along the floors, with signs on the walls, although it’s still easy to get lost. Actors and audiences alike rate the theater for its excellent acoustics and sight lines. The dance, music, and theater programs have been transformed into a yearlong fest named BITE, which stands for Barbican International Theatre Events, and encompasses dance, puppetry, and music. Emphasis is on presenting tomorrow’s names today, although there are performances by established companies and artists as well. | Silk St., The City | EC2Y 8DS | 020/7638–8891 box office | www.barbican.org.uk | Barbican Centre free, art gallery £6–£8, films £7.50–£11.50, concerts £6.50–£45, theater £7–£50 | Barbican Centre Mon.–Sat. 9 am–11 pm, Sun. and holidays noon–11; gallery Thurs. 11–10, Mon. and Fri.–Sun. 11–8, Tues. and Wed. 11–6 | Station: Moorgate, Barbican.

Dr. Johnson’s House.
This is where Samuel Johnson lived between 1748 and 1759. Built in 1700, the elegant Georgian residence, with its paneled rooms and period furniture, is where the Great Bear (as he was known) compiled his Dictionary of the English Language in the attic as his health deteriorated. Two early editions are on view, among other mementos of Johnson and his friend, diarist, and later, his biographer, James Boswell. After soaking up the atmosphere, repair around the corner in Wine Office Court to the famed Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub, once Johnson and Boswell’s favorite watering hole. | 17 Gough Sq., The City | EC4A 3DE | 020/7353–3745 | www.drjohnsonshouse.org | £4.50 | May–Sept., Mon.–Sat. 11–5:30; Oct.–Apr., Mon.–Sat. 11–5; closed bank holidays | Station: Holborn, Chancery Lane, Temple.

Guildhall.
The Corporation of London, which oversees The City, has ceremonially elected and installed its Lord Mayor here for the last 800 years. The Guildhall was built in 1411, and though it failed to avoid either the 1666 or 1940 flames, its core survived. The Great Hall is a psychedelic patchwork of coats of arms and banners of the City Livery Companies, which inherited the mantle of the medieval trade guilds. Tradesmen couldn’t even run a shop without kowtowing to these prototypical unions, and their grand banqueting halls, the plushest private dining venues in The City, are testimony to the wealth they amassed. Inside the hall, Gog and Magog, the pair of mythical giants who founded ancient Albion and the city of New Troy, upon which London was said to be built, glower down from their west-gallery grandstand in 9-foot-high painted lime wood. The hall was also the site of famous trials, including that of Lady Jane Grey in 1553, before her execution at the Tower of London. To the right of Guildhall Yard is the Guildhall Art Gallery, which includes portraits of the great and the good, cityscapes, famous battles, and a slightly cloying pre-Raphaelite section. The construction of the gallery in the 1980s led to the exciting discovery of London’s only Roman amphitheater, which had lain underneath Guildhall Yard undisturbed for more than 1,800 years. It was excavated, and now visitors can walk among the remains, although most of the relics can be seen at the Museum of London. | Aldermanbury, The City | EC2V 5AE | 020/7606–3030, 020/7332–3700 gallery | www.cityoflondon.gov.uk | Free (fee for some gallery exhibitions) | Mon.–Sat. 9:30–5; gallery Mon.–Sat. 10–5, Sun. noon–4; last admission 4:30 or 3:30 | Station: St. Paul’s, Moorgate, Bank, Mansion House.

Old Bailey.
This is the place to watch the real-life drama of justice in action in one of the 16 courtrooms that are open to the public. Previous trials have included those of Crippen and Christie, two of England’s most notorious wife murderers, as well as the controversial trials of Oscar Wilde and the notorious East End gangsters, the Kray twins. The day’s hearings are posted on the sign outside, but your best bet is to consult the previous day’s tabloid newspapers for an idea of the trials that are making waves. There are security restrictions, and children under 14 are not allowed in; call the information line first. The present-day Central Criminal Court is where Newgate Prison stood from the 12th century until the beginning of the 20th century. Called by the novelist Henry Fielding the “prototype of hell,” few survived for long in the version pulled down in 1770. The Central Criminal Court replaced Newgate in 1907, and the most famous feature of the solid Edwardian building is the 12-foot gilded statue of Justice perched on top; she was intended to mirror the dome of St. Paul’s. | Newgate St., The City | EC4M 7EH | 020/7248–3277 information | www.cityoflondon.gov.uk | Public Gallery weekdays 9:45–12:45 and 1:45–4 (approx.); line forms at Newgate St. entrance or in Warwick St. Passage; closed bank holidays and day after | Station: St. Paul’s.

St. Bartholomew the Great.
Reached via a perfect half-timber gatehouse atop a 13th-century stone archway, this is one of London’s oldest churches. Construction on the church and the hospital nearby was begun in 1123 by Henry I’s favorite courtier, Rahere, who caught malaria and, surviving, vowed to dedicate his life to serving the saint who had visited him in his fevered dreams. With the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII had most of the place torn down; the Romanesque choir loft is all that survives from the 12th century. The ancient church has appeared in The Other Boleyn Girl, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Shakespeare in Love. | Cloth Fair, West Smithfield, The City | EC1A 7JQ | 020/7606–5171 | www.greatstbarts.com | Church £4, museum free | Church weekdays 9–5, Sat. 10:30–4, Sun 8:30–8. Museum Tues.–Fri. 10–4 | Station: Barbican, Farringdon.

St. Bride’s.
According to legend, the distinctively tiered steeple of this Christopher Wren–designed church gave rise to the shape of the traditional wedding cake. One early couple inspired to marry here were the parents of Virginia Dare, the first European child born in colonial America in 1587. As St. Paul’s (in Covent Garden) is the actors’ church, so St. Bride’s belongs to journalists, many of whom have been buried or memorialized here. By 1664 the crypts were so crowded that diarist Samuel Pepys, who was baptized here, had to bribe the gravedigger to “justle together” some bodies to make room for his deceased brother. Now the crypts house a museum of the church’s rich history, and a bit of Roman sidewalk. | Fleet St., The City | EC4Y 8AU | 020/7427–0133 | www.stbrides.com | Free | Weekdays 8–6, Sat. call to confirm, Sun. for services only 10–6:30 | Station: St. Paul’s, Blackfriars.

St. Mary-le-Bow.
Various versions of this church have stood on the site since the 11th century. In 1284 a local goldsmith took refuge here after committing a murder, only to be killed inside the church by enraged relatives of his victim. The church was abandoned for a time afterward, but started up again, and was rebuilt in its current form after the Great Fire. Wren’s 1673 incarnation has a tall steeple (in The City, only St. Bride’s is taller) and one of the most famous sets of bells around—a Londoner must be born within the sound of the “Bow Bells” to be a true Cockney. The origin of that idea may have been the curfew rung on the bells during the 14th century, even though “Cockney” only came to mean “Londoner” centuries later, and then it was an insult. The Bow takes its name from the bow-shaped arches in the Norman crypt. The garden contains a statue of local boy Captain John Smith, who founded Virginia in 1606 and was later captured by Native Americans. | Cheapside, The City | EC2V 6AU | 020/7248–5139 | www.stmarylebow.co.uk | Mon.–Wed. 7–6, Thurs. 7–6:30, Fri. 7–4; closed weekends | Station: Mansion House, St. Paul’s.

Quick Bites: Café Below. The Café Below, in St. Mary-le-Bow’s Norman crypt, is packed with City workers weekdays from 7:30 am until 9 pm for a menu covering breakfasts, scrumptious light lunches, and delicious dinners. | EC2V 6AU | 020/7329–0789 | www.cafebelow.co.uk.

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