London in Spring: Cherry Blossoms, Wild Garlic, and the Perfect Pub Garden

By Sophie Brennan

The first time I saw London in spring, I was nursing a pint of bitter at the Dove in Hammersmith, watching a magnolia tree across the Thames drop its petals onto the water like someone emptying a pocket of pink confetti. It was early April, cold enough that my breath fogged the window, but the tree didn't care. Spring in London doesn't arrive with trumpets. It seeps in through the cracks—daffodils pushing through railings in Bloomsbury, the first asparagus appearing at Borough Market, that particular quality of evening light that makes even the brutalist architecture of the South Bank look briefly romantic.

This isn't a checklist. You won't find "Day 3: Morning: 9 AM—Buckingham Palace" here because, frankly, that's a miserable way to experience a city. London rewards wandering. It rewards getting lost down a mews in Kensington and discovering a café where the owner remembers your order on the second visit. It rewards sitting in a pub garden at 6 PM with a lukewarm beer, watching the office crowds thin out and the light turn gold against the brick.

What follows is a guide for the flâneur—the purposeful wanderer. I've organized it thematically because London isn't linear. Pick your mood, follow your feet, and let the city reveal itself.

The Royal Parks in Bloom: Where to Walk and When

London's parks are its lungs, and in spring they take a deep breath. But not all parks are equal, and not all bloom at the same time.

St. James's Park is the show-off. The cherry trees along the lake—particularly the ones near the Blue Bridge—hit peak bloom in early April, and by 10 AM the place is swarming with photographers. Go at 7 AM. The light is better anyway, that soft London grey-gold that makes everything look like a painting. The pelicans get fed at 2:30 PM. The park opens at 5 AM and closes at midnight, entry is free. Closest tube: St. James's Park (Circle and District lines).

Greenwich Park is where you go for cherry blossoms without the crowds. The avenue from the General Wolfe statue toward the rose garden has some of the oldest cherry trees in London, planted in the 1960s. Late March to mid-April is the window. The park is also home to a small herd of deer, and in April you might spot fawns tucked in the bracken. The Royal Observatory (admission £16, open 10 AM–5 PM) sits at the top of the hill, and the view from the courtyard is worth the price even if you don't go inside.

Kew Gardens is the botanical heavy-hitter, and in spring it's overwhelming in the best way. The magnolias near the Palm House start in late February and peak in March. By April, the azaleas in the Woodland Garden are going mad with color. The bluebells in the Conservation Area carpet the ground in that particular violet-blue that almost hurts to look at. Entry is £21.50 for adults, book online at kew.org. Arrive at 10 AM when the gates open and head straight for the Treetop Walkway before the school groups arrive. It's 18 meters up, and in spring, with the leaves just unfurling, you get this extraordinary sense of the garden breathing. My favorite spot is the Japanese Garden. In late March the cherry blossoms fall into the water like snow.

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are technically separate but functionally one enormous green space. The Italian Gardens at the north end—near Lancaster Gate tube—are formal and Victorian and slightly absurd, with their ornate stonework. But in early morning, with the mist still on the Round Pond and the Albert Memorial gleaming in the distance, they're beautiful. The walk along the Serpentine's northern edge takes you through drifts of daffodils in March and tulips in April.

Regent's Park deserves a mention that most guides skip. The Queen Mary's Gardens contain the largest collection of roses in London—over 12,000 plants—but in spring it's the early tulip displays that draw the eye. The Broad Walk Café does a decent breakfast (£8-12) and opens at 9 AM. Nearest tube: Regent's Park (Bakerloo line).

The Thames: Reading the River

The Thames is London's original highway, and walking its banks is the best way to understand how the city grew. Start at Tower Bridge—not London Bridge, which is the boring one—and walk west along the South Bank. The bridge itself is a Victorian Gothic confection, opened in 1894 and still operational. You can walk across the high-level walkways (admission £12.30), but the view from the bascules when they open for a tall ship is better, and that's free if you time it right. Check the schedule at towerbridge.org.uk.

From Tower Bridge, walk west to the Globe Theatre. Shakespeare's original burned down in 1613; this is a reconstruction from 1997, built using 16th-century techniques and green oak. You can tour it (£17) or see a play (£5 for a groundling ticket—standing in the yard, just like the Elizabethans). The season starts in April, usually with a comedy. Check shakespearesglobe.com. The Swan at the Globe has a terrace with river views and a decent wine list. Mains around £26, but the fish is fresh and the setting is hard to beat.

Continue west to Tate Modern. The Turbine Hall is free and enormous, and the building itself—Bankside Power Station, converted by Herzog & de Meuron in 2000—is worth the visit. Take the lift to the Switch House viewing level (free, but you need to queue). The 360-degree view includes St. Paul's directly across the river, the City to the east, and on a clear day, the hills of Surrey to the south. Check tate.org.uk for spring exhibitions.

Cross back to the north bank via the Millennium Bridge—the wobbly one, though they fixed that in 2002. It's pedestrians only, and the view of St. Paul's Cathedral as you walk toward it is one of London's great architectural experiences. The cathedral (admission £21) is Wren's masterpiece, completed in 1710. If you're fit, climb the 528 steps to the Golden Gallery. The view from the top includes the Shard, the Gherkin, and on spring evenings, a sunset that turns the river bronze.

For a different river experience, take the Thames Clipper from Greenwich to Westminster. It's a commuter service, not a tourist boat, which means it's cheaper (£9.50 with Oyster card) and faster (35 minutes). The RB1 route runs every 20 minutes during peak times. Sit outside at the back if the weather's decent—you get spray and wind and a view of the city unfolding like a fold-out map.

Little Venice to Camden Lock along the Regent's Canal is another water-level walk that most tourists miss. It's 2.5 miles, takes about an hour, and takes you past houseboats, Victorian warehouses, and the occasional heron. Start at the Clifton Nurseries café (5A Clifton Villas, W9 2PH) for coffee, then follow the towpath north. The canal is calmer than the Thames, and the spring light on the water—when the willows are just greening—feels like a different city entirely. Camden Lock Market at the end is touristy but has good street food stalls.

Markets and Food: Where to Eat and What to Order

London's food scene has transformed in the last twenty years. The old jokes about British cooking are obsolete. What we have now is a city where you can eat better street food at a Thursday market than in many restaurant capitals.

Borough Market is the obvious starting point, and it's obvious for a reason. Under the railway arches near London Bridge, this market has been operating in some form since the 12th century. The spring season brings English asparagus (late April through June), wild garlic from Hampshire woodlands, and Yorkshire forced rhubarb—that shocking pink, tender stuff that tastes like a sour sweet. Turnips, the stall run by Fred Foster, has been here since 1991 and sells the best seasonal vegetables in London. The Ginger Pig butchers have spring lamb from North Yorkshire. Bread Ahead does a wild garlic and cheese focaccia that's only available in April and May.

The market is open Wednesday–Saturday (10 AM–5 PM), with the full trader lineup on Thursday–Saturday. Arrive before 11 AM to avoid the crowds, or after 2 PM when the lunch rush thins out.

For lunch, I always end up at Padella (6 Southwark Street, SE1 1TQ). It's a no-reservations pasta bar that opened in 2016 and caused queues that wrapped around the block. The hype has died down slightly, but you still need to arrive before noon or after 2 PM to avoid a wait. The pici cacio e pepe (£9.50) is the thing to order—thick, hand-rolled strands of pasta coated in pecorino and black pepper, simple and perfect. They also do seasonal specials; in spring look for the ravioli with Westcombe ricotta and spring vegetables (£12). Cash only. Open Tuesday–Saturday, 12 PM–3 PM and 5 PM–10 PM.

Columbia Road Flower Market is a Sunday-only institution. The street—Columbia Road, E2 7RG—closes to traffic from 8 AM to 2 PM, and the entire road becomes a river of plants. Spring is bulb season: daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and cherry blossom branches sold by the bunch. The traders are characters, many from the same families that have worked here for generations. The best time to arrive is 8 AM for first pick, or 1 PM for discounts as they pack up. Brawn (49 Columbia Road), the restaurant at the end of the street, does a changing menu based on what looks good that morning. In spring they do wonderful things with asparagus and peas and fresh goat's cheese. Small plates £8-15, mains £25-30. Open Wednesday–Sunday, 12 PM–11 PM. Reservations recommended for dinner.

For a more working-class market experience, try Brixton Village (Unit 77-79, Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PS). It's covered, open daily from 8 AM, and has a mix of Caribbean, African, and European traders. The spring vegetable selection is different here—callaloo, scotch bonnets, plantains—reflecting the neighborhood's demographic. The food stalls at the back do excellent cheap lunches: Gremio de Brixton does Spanish tapas, Elephant does northern Thai, and Franco Manca does sourdough pizza from £5. The whole area has gentrified significantly, but it still feels like a real market where real people buy groceries.

Broadway Market in Hackney is my Saturday morning ritual when I'm in London. It runs along the road of the same name (E8 4PH) from 9 AM to 5 PM. The produce is excellent—organic, local, expensive—but what I come for is the atmosphere. The pubs along the market (the Cat and Mutton, the Dove) open early and fill with people eating breakfast and drinking pints at 11 AM. There's a stall called Deeney's that does a haggis toastie (£7) that sounds wrong but tastes very right. The market ends at London Fields, where you can sit on the grass with your purchases and watch the world go by.

Pubs: Where to Drink and What to Know

The pub is London's living room, its meeting hall, its confessional. A good pub is more than just a place to get a drink—it's a place where the furniture hasn't changed since 1952, where the landlord knows your name by the third visit, and where the beer is kept at a temperature that would horrify an American but is exactly right for the climate.

The Dove (19 Upper Mall, W6 9TA) is my favorite pub in London. It's tucked down a narrow alley off the Thames Path in Hammersmith, and from the beer garden you can watch the river flow past while ducks argue on the bank. The pub claims to be the smallest in Britain—there's a room that measures 4 feet by 7 feet. It was built in the 17th century and has hosted everyone from Ernest Hemingway to Graham Greene. The beer is Fuller's, brewed just up the road in Chiswick. A pint of London Pride costs £5.20. In spring—April evenings when it's still light until 8 PM but most people haven't remembered that pubs have gardens yet—it's perfect. Open Monday–Saturday 11 AM–11 PM, Sunday 12 PM–10:30 PM. Food served until 9 PM.

The Museum Tavern (49 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3BA) sits opposite the British Museum and has done since 1723. Karl Marx drank here while writing Das Kapital in the reading room next door. It's a Nicholson's pub now, but the interior is largely unchanged—mirrors, brass, dark wood. The beer selection is solid: London Pride, Old Speckled Hen, the usual suspects. There's something pleasing about having a pint in the same spot where Marx planned the revolution. Open Monday–Saturday 11 AM–11 PM, Sunday 12 PM–10:30 PM.

The Anchor & Hope (36 The Cut, SE1 8LP) is a gastropub that does serious cooking without being precious. The menu changes daily based on what the chef finds at the market. In spring that means English asparagus with hollandaise (£12), spring lamb shoulder with seasonal vegetables (£28), and wild garlic soup. The dining room is casual—shared tables, no tablecloths—and it gets loud. Book ahead for dinner; they don't take reservations for lunch, so arrive at 6 PM when they open or be prepared to wait at the bar. Open Monday–Friday 6 PM–11 PM, Saturday 12 PM–11 PM, Sunday 12 PM–10 PM.

The Gipsy Moth (60 Greenwich Church Street, SE10 9BL) is a Fuller's pub near the Cutty Sark with a large beer garden and views across the river to the Isle of Dogs. In spring, when the evenings are getting longer but it's not yet warm enough for the summer crowds, you can get a table outside and watch the sun set behind the towers of Canary Wharf. A pint of Meantime Pale Ale costs £5.50. The food is standard pub fare—fish and chips (£17), pies, burgers—but it's well executed. Open daily 11 AM–11 PM.

The Lamb (94 Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1N 3LZ) is a Bloomsbury institution. It's a Victorian pub with original snob screens—the etched glass partitions that allowed middle-class drinkers to see the bar but not be seen from the street. Dickens drank here, as did Tennyson. The interior is all dark wood and mirrors and brass. It's a Young's pub. A pint of Special costs £4.80. The street outside is one of London's most beautiful Georgian terraces, and in spring the plane trees create a green canopy that's almost tunnel-like. Open Monday–Saturday 11 AM–11 PM, Sunday 12 PM–10:30 PM.

Museums and Galleries: The Free and the Worth-Paying-For

London's national museums are free. This is one of the city's great democratic gifts, and it means you can pop into the British Museum for an hour to look at one thing, or spend a rainy afternoon in the Tate Modern without spending a penny. But some things are worth paying for.

The British Museum (Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG) is overwhelming. It contains 8 million objects spanning 2 million years of human history, and you cannot see it all. My advice: don't try. Pick one culture, or one period, and stick to it. The Egyptian sculpture galleries (Rooms 4, 6, 10) are extraordinary—the Rosetta Stone, the colossal bust of Ramesses II, the mummies in Rooms 62-63. The Parthenon Marbles (Room 18) are controversial—they were removed from Greece by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century and the Greeks want them back—but undeniably beautiful. The museum is open daily 10 AM–5 PM, Fridays until 8:30 PM. The Great Court, designed by Norman Foster, is stunning in spring light. Entry is free; special exhibitions £15-20.

The National Gallery (Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN) is also free and contains one of the world's great collections of Western European art. Van Gogh's "Sunflowers," Turner's "The Fighting Temeraire," Velázquez's "Rokeby Venus," Holbein's "The Ambassadors." It's open daily 10 AM–6 PM, Fridays until 9 PM. The Sainsbury Wing has the early Renaissance collection, including Piero della Francesca's "Baptism of Christ" and van Eyck's "The Arnolfini Portrait." Spring is a good time to visit because the tourist crowds haven't yet reached summer density. Free entry; special exhibitions £15-20.

The Victoria & Albert Museum (Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL) is my favorite London museum. It's the world's largest collection of decorative arts—furniture, ceramics, glass, textiles, sculpture, photography—and it's arranged thematically rather than chronologically. The Cast Courts are extraordinary: full-size plaster casts of European monuments, including Michelangelo's "David" and Trajan's Column. The fashion galleries have clothes from the 17th century to the present. The café—the first museum restaurant in the world, opened in the 1860s—is worth a visit even if you don't eat. The three rooms are decorated in different styles: Gothic, Renaissance, and contemporary. The V&A is open daily 10 AM–5:45 PM, Fridays until 10 PM. Free; special exhibitions £15-20.

The Tate Britain (Millbank, SW1P 4RG) is the other Tate, the one tourists often skip in favor of the Modern. This is a mistake. Tate Britain has the best collection of British art in the world, from Hogarth to Hockney. The Turner collection is the highlight—J.M.W. Turner bequeathed his entire studio contents to the nation, and they rotate through the Clore Gallery. Open daily 10 AM–6 PM. Free.

The Sir John Soane's Museum (13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP) is actually free, but you need to book a timed entry slot online, and they go fast. Soane was an architect who collected obsessively—antiquities, paintings, architectural fragments—and his house is a cabinet of curiosities. The Picture Room has walls that fold out to reveal multiple layers of Hogarth paintings. The Crypt contains the sarcophagus of Seti I, carved from a single piece of alabaster. It's dark, crowded, and completely magical. Open Wednesday–Sunday 10 AM–5 PM. Free, but booking essential at soane.org.

The Neighborhoods: Where to Wander

London is a city of villages that grew together. Each neighborhood has its own character, its own history, its own reason to visit.

Bloomsbury is the intellectual heart of London. The British Museum is here, and University College London, and the headquarters of the Fabian Society. The streets are lined with Georgian townhouses, many with blue plaques marking where writers lived: Dickens, Yeats, Woolf. The garden squares are private, but you can see them through the railings. In spring they're carpeted with crocuses and daffodils. The Lamb pub is here, and the Museum Tavern, and the excellent Persephone Books (59 Lamb's Conduit Street), which reprints neglected works by mid-20th-century women writers. It's quiet on weekends, when the students are sleeping off Friday night. The Brunswick Centre, a 1960s brutalist shopping complex with a fantastic independent cinema (the Curzon Bloomsbury), is worth a visit for the architecture alone.

Chelsea is where the posh people live. The King's Road was the center of 1960s Swinging London; now it's expensive boutiques and estate agents. But it's still worth walking, particularly in late May when the Chelsea Flower Show transforms the neighborhood. The shops compete to create the most elaborate floral displays, and the entire area smells of roses and jasmine. The Chelsea Physic Garden (66 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HS) is London's oldest botanic garden, founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. It's small, peaceful, and full of medicinal plants. Open April–October, admission £12. Nearest tube: Sloane Square.

Shoreditch and Spitalfields are where the art students live now, and where the tech workers are moving in, pushing prices up and forcing the artists further east. It's still interesting, though. Brick Lane is famous for curry houses, though most are mediocre—the good ones are the ones that don't have touts outside trying to drag you in. The Beigel Bake at the north end (159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB) is open 24 hours and does salt beef beigels for £1.90. They're chewy, salty, fatty, and perfect at 3 AM. The surrounding streets are full of vintage shops, street art, and coffee shops trying very hard. The Old Truman Brewery building hosts markets on weekends. For a different kind of history, visit the Ten Bells pub (84 Commercial Street, E1 6LY), where Jack the Ripper's victims were last seen drinking. It's a proper East End pub, not a tourist trap, and the walls are covered in Victorian tiles.

Greenwich feels like a separate town, which it was until absorbed into London in 1889. The river is wider here, and the hill is steeper, and the whole place has a maritime feel. The Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Naval College—it's a day's worth of history in a compact area. The foot tunnel under the Thames (free, open 24 hours) is a strange experience: you walk down a spiral staircase, then through a tiled tube under the river, emerging on the Isle of Dogs among the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. It takes ten minutes and feels like time travel. The Greenwich Market (open daily 10 AM–5:30 PM) has good food stalls and independent craft sellers. The Gypsy Moth pub is nearby for a post-walk pint.

Hampstead is a village on a hill that happens to be in Zone 2. The High Street has independent bookshops, bakeries, and pubs that haven't changed in decades. The real draw is Hampstead Heath—320 hectares of wild parkland that feels nothing like the manicured Royal Parks. In spring, the woodland areas are carpeted with bluebells, and the swimming ponds (open year-round, though in spring only the hardy swim) are surrounded by emerging leaves. The Parliament Hill viewpoint gives you the best free view of the London skyline. Kenwood House, at the north end of the Heath, is a neoclassical mansion with a free art collection including Rembrandt and Vermeer. Open daily 10 AM–5 PM. Nearest tube: Hampstead (Northern line), though Archway is closer to the Heath itself.

What to Skip: The Tourist Traps and Overrated Experiences

London is full of things that look good on Instagram but waste your time in reality. Here are the ones to avoid.

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel with a queue. You pay £30+ for a 30-minute rotation in a crowded capsule. The view from the Tate Modern's Switch House level is free, and the one from the Sky Garden (free, but book weeks in advance) is better. Skip it.

Madame Tussauds is a wax museum that costs £35 and requires you to queue for an hour to take photos with creepy replicas of celebrities. There is no good reason to visit this. If you want to see something made of wax, go to the V&A's ceramics collection instead.

The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace happens at 11 AM on certain days and draws enormous crowds. You need to arrive at 9:30 AM to get a decent spot, and what you see is red coats and bearskin hats marching around to brass band music. If you have a particular interest in military ceremony, it's worth it. Otherwise, it's an hour of standing in a crowd watching something that looks better on TV.

Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus are the spiritual center of London tourism and the actual center of London's most overpriced, underwhelming experiences. The restaurants are chains, the shops are souvenir stalls, and the crowds are relentless. Walk through them once to say you've done it, then head north to Soho or east to Covent Garden for something actually interesting.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum (221B Baker Street) is a small, expensive (£15) museum in a building that looks nothing like the fictional description. It's a tourist trap that trades on the name of a character who never existed. The queue is always long, and the experience is underwhelming. If you're a Holmes fan, visit the Baker Street tube station instead—it has a Sherlock Holmes tile mural that's free and more atmospheric.

Oxford Street is a mile of chain stores, traffic, and crowds. There is nothing on Oxford Street that you can't buy in any other major city. If you want to shop, try the independent boutiques on Lamb's Conduit Street, the vintage shops in Shoreditch, or the department stores on Regent Street (Liberty and Fenwick's are worth visiting). Oxford Street is a commute, not a destination.

Practicalities: Getting Around, Where to Stay, When to Go

Getting around: London's transport system is extensive and expensive. An Oyster card or contactless payment card is essential. The daily cap for Zones 1-2 is £8.50. The Tube is fast but can be crowded; the buses are slower but you see more. Spring is the perfect season for walking—mild temperatures, long evenings, and the city revealing itself at street level. Download Citymapper for navigation. Santander Cycles are available from £1.65 for 30 minutes—excellent for short trips along the river or through the parks.

When to go: Late March to mid-May is the sweet spot. Early March can still be cold and grey; late May is getting into summer crowds and prices. April is ideal—the blossom is out, the asparagus is in, and the weather is usually decent. Average temperatures in April range from 8°C to 15°C (46°F to 59°F). Rain is common but rarely lasts all day. Avoid Easter weekend if you can; the city fills with domestic tourists. The Chelsea Flower Show (late May) is beautiful but the neighborhood is mobbed.

Where to stay: London is expensive, and location matters more than luxury. In spring, prioritize somewhere with access to a park. The areas around Hyde Park (Bayswater, Lancaster Gate) have reasonable hotels and easy access to the West End. For a more neighborhood feel, try Islington or Camden. Avoid staying right next to a Tube station on a busy line; you'll pay more for the convenience and the noise is constant. Good budget options include the Z Hotel chain and the Premier Inn hubs. If you're splurging, the Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden (14-15 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QG) is small, beautiful, and has a fantastic restaurant. Rooms from £250.

What to pack: Layers. Spring in London can give you four seasons in a day. A waterproof jacket is essential—April showers are real and sudden. Comfortable walking shoes; you'll cover more ground than you expect. A light scarf for evenings. The sun can be surprisingly strong when it appears; pack sunglasses. An umbrella is useful but not essential—most Londoners just duck into a pub when it rains. A portable phone charger is a good idea; you'll be using maps and cameras constantly.

Money: Contactless payment is accepted almost everywhere. You don't need cash for most things, though some market stalls and small pubs still prefer it. Tipping is not mandatory; 10-12.5% in restaurants is appreciated but not expected. Pub service is at the bar—there's no table service in most traditional pubs.

Language: English, obviously, but London is a city of accents. The further east you go, the more the Cockney accent predominates. Don't worry about understanding everyone perfectly; Londoners are used to visitors and will repeat themselves if asked politely.

Final Thoughts

London in spring isn't the London of postcards. It's not the Changing of the Guard or the view from the London Eye. It's the magnolia petals on the wet pavement outside the Dove. It's the first asparagus at Borough Market, still muddy from the field. It's the evening light on the Thames as you walk home from the pub, slightly drunk on bitter and the particular melancholy of a city that's waking up after winter.

Don't try to see everything. Pick a neighborhood, find a park, let yourself get lost. The best London experiences aren't in the guidebooks. They're in the conversations you have with strangers in pubs, the unexpected views down alleyways, the moments when the city reveals itself to you not as a tourist destination but as a place where people live, work, and occasionally fall in love.

Sophie Brennan is a food writer and historian based in Dublin. She spent three months living in Bloomsbury while researching a book on London's Irish pubs, and she's been finding excuses to return ever since. She believes the best London guide is the one that sends you somewhere you didn't plan to go.

Last Updated: July 2026
Quality Score: 98