A Guide To All The London Hot Spots Your Fave Pop Girlies Love

Los Angeles may be the home of many of your favorite celebs, and New York may be where they go to be seen... but London is where it girls really thrive. The U.K. capital has a melancholy, bookish vibe that’s perfect for a laid-back hang. (In other words, it’s very demure and very mindful.) From cozy wine bars to the world’s best vintage markets, there are endless things for cool girls to see and do — and 2024’s biggest stars have been enjoying the city in all its glory.

A few major pop culture artifacts from this year have centered on London — including the Tortured Poets tracks “So Long, London” and “The Black Dog” (named after a real pub you can visit in Vauxhall). Wicked, which is finally out in theaters, was filmed in and around the city. Artists on the road like Olivia Rodrigo have spent time here being tourists. Certain buzzy celeb couples have hard-launched on cheeky London date nights, proving the city’s endlessly romantic charm.

If you’re planning your own trip to the British metropolis — and TBH, you should — here’s a handy three-day itinerary including hotspots beloved by all your faves. You may be out of time to see the Eras Tour, but you can recreate Taylor Swift’s London lifestyle while you wait patiently for her next re-release.

Friday

11 a.m.: Arrive, check in, and freshen up

If you’re coming from the United States, you’ll likely catch a red-eye flight, so Day One will be about getting some rest to beat the jet lag. After you’ve checked in, taken a cat nap, and refreshed your look, head out for a chill afternoon of exploring.

3 p.m.: Wander around Hampstead Heath

Take an Uber (or the tube, if you have the mental strength to navigate it) to the northwest neighborhood of Hampstead and stroll through one of London’s most famous parks. “The Heath,” as it’s called for short, inspired C.S. Lewis’ works The Chronicles of Narnia. It’s 800 acres of woods and meadows, with a city skyline view atop Parliament Hill near the south end.

Plenty of celebrities have been spotted here — including Harry Styles — and most recently, pop princess Olivia Rodrigo filmed a TikTok in the park to announce her Asia and Australia Guts World Tour dates. (You can hear the voice of her British boyfriend Louis Partridge in the video.)

6 p.m.: Dinner at The Spaniards Inn

You’ll want to hit up a classic British pub while you’re in town, and one unique option is the Spaniards Inn on the border of Hampstead and Highgate, next to the Hampstead Heath park. Swift and Joe Alywn were photographed together here in early 2019, and Styles reportedly has a house next door and has been spotted at the pub over the years. Instead of hitting up The Black Dog during your next trip in honor of Tortured Poets, take a “So Long, London”-coded trip down Swiftie memory lane. Go for Sunday Roast, a traditional meat and potatoes dish consumed on Sunday nights. A meal and drink runs around 25 pounds ($31).

If you’re into spooky things, you’ll love the history of this place. It was built in 1585 and is referenced in Charles Dickens’ novel The Pickwick Papers and Bram Stroker’s original horror story Dracula. It’s said to be haunted by Dick Turpin, a notorious criminal from the 1700s.

9 p.m.: Head home for an early bedtime

You can always stay for more drinks if your vibes are still high. But if jet lag is getting to you, it’s nothing a good night’s rest can’t fix.

Saturday

9 a.m.: Walk to Gail’s Bakery for coffee and breakfast

This bakery chain is famous for its cinnamon buns, and according to plenty of rave TikTok reviews, you can’t go wrong with most things on the menu. Each pastry costs around 4 pounds ($5). Zendaya was spotted leaving Gail’s with a drink and takeout box in April 2023, and though she hasn’t made a 2024 trip (that fans know of), the bakery chain has been expanding with locations across central London, so it’s easier than ever to find a spot to grab a pastry while you’re wandering about town.

10:30 a.m.: Head over to trendy East London for the day

Now that you’re rested, you should be better equipped to navigate the tube — though if you really want to live the celeb lifestyle, take a taxi to kick back and see the city sights on your commute. Head to London Fields, a sprawling green space surrounded by a haven of vintage shops, great coffee, and tattoo parlors.

Noon: Browse Artwords Bookshop

BookTok girls will be in heaven in London. There are boutique bookstores in every neighborhood — like Pages of Hackney and Gay’s the Word in Bloomsbury — but if you’re looking for a celeb-approved spot, check out Artwords Bookshop at the nearby Broadway Market. In a video interview with Billboard, Charli XCX said she likes to stop in on the weekends to pick up nonfiction reads (but you can get fiction here, too). While you’re there, snag the U.K. covers of a few of your favorite titles.

1 p.m.: See a showing at Castle Cinema

In her Billboard interview, Charli also revealed her local movie spot: Castle Cinema, an independent theater that shows big-budget films and indie picks. There’s a cafe with seating to get some work or logistics planning done before you catch a showing and a bar to grab a cocktail and debrief the movie afterward. Tickets are around 14 pounds ($17) or a few dollars cheaper for members, who pay 34 pounds ($43) annually.

4 p.m.: Head to Shoreditch and browse the Brick Lane shops

Hop back in the car for a quick jaunt to Brick Lane. This street has the best vintage shopping in town, and you’ll want to get there before 5 p.m., when many of the boutiques close. Pop in for a bit before walking over to catch your dinner reservation.

6 p.m.: Have dinner at Brat

This Michelin-star Basque restaurant in Shoreditch (near the Brick Lane vintage shopping, FWIW) is a favorite of celebs. Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams were spotted on their first public date here in late June, and Charli XCX named it as one of her favorite London restaurants in a street interview. (It’s only right that the Brat queen herself would dine here.) On Nov. 24, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke was spotted leaving the restaurant with friends and a DJ she’s rumored to be dating.

Brat can be a tough dinner reservation to snag, so make sure you book it well in advance — reservations open about a month early. (Lunch is easier to plan for last-minute if needed.) Expect to splurge a bit here: Mains cost 30 pounds ($38) and upward, and that’s not counting appetizers, drinks, and dessert.

8 p.m.: Head over to Camden Market to catch a show at Dingwall’s

If you’re up for a night out — you’re on vacay, after all — catch a car over to Camden Market to see some live music at Dingwall’s, a 500-seat venue that’s been a local staple since 1973, known mostly for hosting punk rock shows. Legendary artists like the The Ramones, Coldplay, and Mumford & Sons have all performed here. Tickets are usually around 10 to 20 pounds ($13 to $25), depending on the performer.

Don’t expect anything fancy — if you’re not into crowds and dive bar drinks, this isn’t your spot — but it can be a fun night on the town, as evidenced by Doja Cat’s date night there with Joseph Quinn in August. According to a DeuxMoi tip, they caught a show by rock band The Osees.

11 p.m.: Head home to sleep

Lucky for you, you have a cozy Sunday ahead.

Sunday

11 a.m.: Have brunch at Chiltern Firehouse

The legendary Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone was built in the 1880s as a red brick fire station, and it’s become a celebrity-favorite hotel and restaurant since opening in 2014.

Everyone who is anyone has been spotted here, either as a hotel guest or a VIP diner. Swift and Travis Kelce visited in June, as did Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan. Abrams was reportedly staying at Chiltern during her early days of dating Mescal this summer.

This is a spot you’ll want to strategically plan for in advance. Bookings open roughly two months in advance, so snag your table as early as possible. You can also call the restaurant to see if any last-minute openings are available. Be prepared to spend a bit — the pizzas and pastas run around 30 pounds (~$38), and meat dishes cost even more. And if you’re looking to capture some content, TikTok loves the brunch pancakes and drinks by the fireplace during winter.

1 p.m.: Stop by a stationery shop in Covent Garden

Head over to Covent Garden by tube or car to stock up on some souvenirs. In an August interview with The Times, Abrams cited Choosing Keeping as a place she loves to visit while in London. TikTokers can’t get enough of the cute aesthetic, either — there are pen pouches, markers, journals, thank you cards, wrapping paper, craft scissors, stickers, and more. This is the perfect place to stock up on gifts for your friends, since there’s lots you can get for 20 pounds ($25) or less.

2 p.m.: See a matinee on West End

Book tickets in advance for a matinee at West End, London’s equivalent of NYC’s Broadway theater district. If you happen to be visiting from Feb. 8 to 22, 2025, you can catch the limited run of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Mescal. (Maybe you’ll spot Abrams in the audience.)

Or, for a Swiftie throwback experience, see Tom Hiddleston in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing from Feb. 19 to April 5. Just be sure to take a take a “Getaway Car” home.

As an alternate option, skip the stationery shop and head to a theater off West End to see two other celebs starring in upcoming shows. Daisy Edgar Jones appears in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof from Dec. 10 to Feb. 1 at the Almeida Theater in Islington, and Wicked heartthrob Jonathan Bailey plays Shakespeare’s Richard II from Feb. 10 to May 10 at the Bridge Theater in Southwark.

7 p.m.: Have dinner at J. Sheekey

After the show, copy Zendaya’s pre-theater date night with Tom Holland in July — before they headed over to the Duke of York’s Theatre for Holland’s production of Romeo & Juliet. Book a reservation at J. Sheekey seafood restaurant in Covent Garden. It’s been open for more than 100 years and has hosted plenty of celebs like the Beckhams, Kiera Knightley, and Jude Law.

If you can, reserve this in advance since it gets busy with theatergoers. Expect to pay around 30 pounds ($38) for a main course and 15 pounds ($19) for a cocktail. TikTokers recommend the twice-baked souffle.

9 p.m.: Choose your final adventure

It’s a Sunday night, so many Londoners will be turning in early, but the world is your oyster. Head on home if you’ve got an early flight to catch, or take your pick of SoHo’s cocktail bars: The Little Scarlet Door and Nightjar Carnaby are two popular spots nearby, or you could always take a taxi back to Chiltern for a sophisticated nightcap (and maybe a celeb spotting). Cheers, love!