Spending a weekend in London town? Here’s how to eat, drink, shop, and party in the always charming British capital.
For the Fall 2026 issue of GQ, we shot Sense and Sensibility star George MacKay across various London locales. We also asked Murray Clark, British GQ’s head of editorial content, to give us all his best tips for places to hit up for a weekend in the capital. Clark sees London as a city filled with messy contradictions, at once “creaking and weird and chaotic and cosmopolitan and idyllic.” And he hits all of the above notes, plus even more, with his personal recs for how to do it right.
The Hotel: The Beaumont Mayfair
Once a 1920s car park (Brit-speak for parking lot), now a hotel that still has all its Art Deco charm. A stay here, Clark says, is “like being in a bit of a film.” Loosen up at the spa—enjoy all the temperatures, courtesy of a steam room, sauna, and cold plunge—before dining at Rosi, helmed by acclaimed chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen.
Courtesy of the Beaumont Mayfair
The Restaurant: Romano’s
A menu with beef and ale pie and ox cheek mushroom pudding lets you know you’re eating classic British—but steeped in easy opulence.
Helen Cathcart
The Museum: Dulwich Picture Gallery
With all due respect to the National Portrait Gallery, this is the more interesting (and less-crowded) location to see Old Master paintings, with underrated B-sides from Rembrandt to Rubens. Dulwich has “got all that historic side to it as well—but in a much calmer, quieter, more peaceful space,” Clark notes.
Oli Scarff/Getty Images
The Bar: Skehan’s
This non-touristy pub is tucked into a residential neighborhood—not that it’s sleepy: The scene is “a raucous Irish version of Cheers,” Clark says.
Courtesy of Skehan’s
The Club: Palais
The renowned spot reopened after a long renovation, and, thanks to a more mature crowd, it’s always bumping without being “scuzzy.”
Courtesy of Shaun Peckham
One Perfect Shopping Day
Four can’t-miss stores in London.
Jerks
A vintage-clothing shop absolutely stacked with esoterica, from ’90s movie apparel (like a Kids promo tee) to archival Comme des Garçons. You might just snag something that would’ve otherwise ended up in Paul Mescal’s next red-carpet fit.
Courtesy of Jerks
Margaret Howell Flagship Store
As much an art gallery as it is a boutique, Clark says, this spot is both “where serious people buy their clothes” and one of the “most peaceful shops” in London.
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John Hooper
Phonica Records
Even if your home isn’t stacked with rare LPs, Clark says this independent record store’s nonjudgmental staff won’t make you feel like a “dickhead for taking an interest.”
Sam Mellish/Getty Images
Peckham Car Boot
Held every other Sunday, this bazaar is basically a flash mob tag sale with 100-plus sellers offering up everything you can imagine—much of it sold from the trunk of their cars. That’s only half the reason for stopping by. The “people watching is better than Fashion Week,” says Clark.
Betty Oxlade Smith
A version of this story originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of GQ with the title “The GQ Guide to London.”
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Tyler Chin is GQ's associate wellness & grooming editor. He'll occasionally dabble in the menswear space, but otherwise you'll usually catch him trying out new headphones, lifting in fresh workout gear, or testing out the latest and greatest in skin care. Before he ended up at GQ, he worked at ... Read More