London Area Guide: Southwark

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Southwark is another of my absolute fave areas of London to spend a day. My office is actually located in the area so I know it like the back of my hand, and have all the best tips, tricks and restaurant recommendations for the area.

Often combined with the neighbouring South Bank area, Southwark is well worth some of your time if you’re visiting London. You can easily spend a whole day exploring just this area, and a weekend when combined with the South Bank. Let’s go!

View out over Southwark early morning from my office


  1. Contents
  2. Where is Southwark?
  3. Things to do in Southwark, London
    1. Borough Market
    2. The Queen’s Walk
    3. Southwark Cathedral
    4. Bankside
    5. Shakespeare’s Globe
    6. Tate Modern
    7. HMS Belfast
    8. The Clink Prison Museum
    9. The Shard
    10. The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
  4. Where to stay in Southwark, London
  5. More Information

Southwark refers to the area that runs along the south bank of the River Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and Tower Bridge. It’s home to one of the city’s major rail stations in London Bridge, and you can also access it via other Tube/Overground stops such as Southwark and Borough.

The area has so much to offer, and includes well known London landmarks such as The Shard, Tate Modern and Borough Market.


My absolute favourite thing to do in Southwark is to eat. There’s no better spot than Borough Market, which offers everything I love – food stands, twinkly lights and lots of great restaurants and pubs. I eat here weekly, and some of my top recommendations are:

  • BAO Borough (Taiwanese, restaurant)
  • Padella (Italian, restaurant)
  • Rambutan (Sri Lankan, restaurant)
  • Arabica (Middle Eastern, restaurant)
  • The Black Pig (sandwiches, stall)
  • Gourmet Goat (gourmet wraps, stall)
  • Hobb’s Meat Roast (roasts in a sandwich, stall)

If you want some stunning views of Tower Bridge, then look no further than the Queen’s Walk right along the river front in Southwark. You can also follow this trail all the way along the river in to The South Bank area, making a wonderful 1.5hr walk if you fancy it. If not, then the Southwark section is beautiful in and of itself.

View of Tower Bridge from Southwark’s Queen’s Walk

One of my favourite off the beaten track spots, Southwark Cathedral is fab for a visit. They often have exhibits or events on – e.g. it’s the biggest Shakespeare festival in the world in April every year to celebrate his birthday, huge carol concerts at Christmas, organ demonstrations at lunch time or exhibitions like ‘mudlarking’ discoveries from the River Thames.

I often have meetings in the Southwark Cathedral meeting rooms and always try to spare 30 mins from my diary to see whatever exhibitions are on before or after!

Another special location in Southwark is the Bankside area, which is perfect for drinks and food along the river. I absolutely LOVE The Anchor pub for sitting on a barrel with some drinks on a sunny day watching the world go by. There’s also some interesting graffiti and architecture in this area, plus the special view across Millennium Bridge up to St Paul’s Cathedral.

At the Anchor with The Shard in the background

Another London icon is Shakespeare’s Globe. If you want to see one of the Maestro’s famous plays, then the Globe is the best place to do it. You can also take tours of the theatre and learn about Shakespeare’s life and works via the exhibitions.

The famous Globe Theatre

I don’t really like art, but The Tate Modern is undeniably impressive (plus it’s also free and opens late). The whole gallery showcases modern art, and key pieces not to miss include Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych, Mountain Lake by Salvador Dali and the Matisse’s, Pollock’s and Picasso’s of course.

Much more my jam is HMS Belfast, a museum on a warship. Spanning 9 decks, you can learn about the ship’s history, and the people that lived and worked on it. It’s quite immersive, as you can climb up and down the ship’s ladders, and there is always something interactive on – such as cooking in the kitchen, or meet the crew events.

However the highlight for me is the HMS Belfast cocktail bar looking out over the Thames, wonderful.

HMS Belfast floating on The Thames

Another of my favourite museums in Southwark is The Clink, built on the site of a genuine old prison built in 1144 – making it one of England’s oldest prisons. There are opportunities to view archaeological artefacts, experience the sights, sounds and smells of the prison, handle torture devices, and to view and hear all about the tales and misfortunes of the inmates of the infamous Clink Prison.

Moving to modern London, The Shard is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Standing at over 300m tall, The Shard is London’s tallest buildings and offers amazing views out over London. It’s also home to numerous restaurants and bars – though they are pricy as you pay the premium for location. I’ve been a few times for after work drinks and the views never fail to take my breath away.

Full post: HERE

Another of my London hidden gems that I wax lyrical about is this wonderful find. Housed in the attic of the early eighteenth-century church of the old St Thomas’ Hospital, this atmospheric museum offers a unique insight into the history of medicine and surgery. The original timber framed Herb Garret was once used to dry and store herbs for patients’ medicines and in 1822 an operating theatre was added. Predating anaesthetics and antiseptics, it is the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe. I blinking love London.

Inside the Herb Garret Apothecary


Southwark is home to the Shangri-La, one of the best hotels in the city, located inside The Shard. It’s pricy, starting at around £500p/n, but it’s a special experience if you’re willing to fork out.

Other well ranked and nice hotels in the neighbourhood include Native Bankside, plus a host of Marriotts, Hiltons and Premier Inns for more standard, chain options.

Shangri-La at The Shard



So what do you think of the Southwark? I absolutely love the fact that each area of London is almost a city to explore in and of itself, with so much to see and do. I’ll never get round everything (and even if I did, I’d have to go back to the beginning again!), but I’m really enjoying putting these guides together.

Hopefully this post gives you some inspiration to spend a bit of time in Southwark on any trip to the capital though! Stay safe and happy travelling.

19 responses to “London Area Guide: Southwark”

  1. I’ve walked along Southwark (i.e. along the Thames), and I didn’t realize it! Tower Bridge is iconic, and Borough Market is lovely, if very crowded. I really enjoyed the steak ale pie from the market, and there are so many delicious eats to go around and try out! Thanks for sharing, Han 😊

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  2. I thought I was quite familiar with the South Bank but you’ve given me some ideas of places to go. I haven’t been inside the cathedral or even heard of the prison so thanks for that Hannah.

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  3. You have an incredible view out of your office window! This is such a great guide to this area and your time and love of it really shows. I love that it has such a great mix of the well known places like the Globe and the Tate, but that it has so many lesser known places full of interest. A eating tour of the Borough sounds like a great way to spend a day 🙂

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  4. So many great ideas Hannah. I haven’t been to London in a while, since the London Paralympics actually. Next time we’re through I’d love to do some of these. The surgical centre sounds fascinating, but also the prison and the HMS Belfast. Maggie

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  5. We actually stayed in this neighborhood years ago, when Terry was there on business. Our hotel was close to London Bridge. I can see why you love this area, it has so much to offer. Thanks for sharing, Hannah, looks great!

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  6. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Southwark, in part because that’s where we usually stay. It’s a great, central location with so much nearby. The medical museum is new to me, though. I’ll have to check it out next time.

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  7. Great photos and information again! thank you!

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  8. It sounds like there’s a lot going on in Southwark! Plus it’s by the water, which is always lovely. It’s pretty cool that you work in this area and sometimes even have meetings in the Southwark Cathedral.

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  9. Such a great guide of the area! I second The Black Pig, we loved our sandwiches when we visited. The picture of Bankside looks like a movie set.

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  10. Anonymous

    I hadn’t realized that my mother and I had been to Southwark on a trip together in 2016 until I saw you mentioned Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe. It’s a lovely area. If you’d only written this eight years ago ;-0 We walked from several underground stations away and got lost.

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  11. I love Southwark, and have spent a lot of time exploring the area over many years. My English ancestors came from Suffolk, and “emigrated” to Southwark before moving to Dulwich and then emigrating to New Zealand. I have written about my search for these ancestors in travelwithgma.wordpress.com/2020/02/09

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  12. I don’t think I have been to that area of London. Looks like there are plenty of things to see.

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  13. Wow, the view from your office is awesome! I don’t think I’d ever get any work done, I’d be too distracted. Ha!

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  14. Southwark is absolutely delightful. You are so right about each area of London having its own distinct identity of a city within a city. Borough Market is a great place to explore and eat. We’ll be sure to refer back to your list of recommended places when we visit again. Wonderful shot of Bankside, the Anchor Pub sounds like a great place for a drink on a sunny day. The oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe – imagine the things that went on in there.

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  15. A great guide to Southwark! I briefly worked in Borough on secondment years ago and it was a fab place to work. There was always something new to see at lunchtime or after work, and lunchtimes in Borough Market were dangerously tempting.

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  16. This is so great. Saving it for our trip to the UK. Thank you and cheers!

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  17. This is perfect, Hannah! Great captures too 🙂

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  18. I don’t think one can complain too much when you have such a view from your office as you have Hannah. It’s amazing how many different eateries there are in Southwark – it doesn’t sound like you have to take lunch from home when you go to work. Love the photos of The Anchor pub … I’m surprised that you actually find time for work when you’re in Southwark.

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  19. Love the Queen’s walk. Walked along the Thames many times, this area really has a lot on offer. Still didn’t go up the Shard though

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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