Around My Block: Greenwich Borough Edition

It’s Friday, the sun has been shining for most of the week here in the UK, and the warmer temperatures have got our team dreaming of hot summer days by the seaside or riverside, cool drink in hand. (Can you feel the breeze? :palm_tree:)

Speaking of summer, we’re launching an exciting new series here in the Community! The current working title is something along the lines of: “A Tour Around My City” or “Around My Block.” The idea? Since we’re all locals somewhere, each of us could write a guide to our cities or towns, sharing must-visit spots, the best places for authentic food, and even tourist traps to avoid.

I’m kicking things off with Greenwich Borough, a lovely part of London where I used to live. I spent almost a decade there, so I know it pretty well. Quick note: I’m writing this for people who have already visited London’s major attractions (Big Ben, the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, etc.), so let’s dive straight into the good stuff!

Things to Do

Greenwich is the crown jewel of South East London. Touristy, yes, but not as crowded as Central London. I recommend spending at least a morning or afternoon there. Ideally, a whole day! If you’re staying in Zone 1, take the Uber Boat (the best and cheapest boat option!) from Central London to Greenwich. On a sunny day, nothing beats watching the city pass by from the river.

Once you arrive, there’s plenty to do:

  • Visit the Cutty Sark, National Maritime Museum, and Queen’s House. The last two are brilliant and completely free! If you have kids, they’ll love the interactive exhibits and play areas.
  • Walk around, and you might find the place strangely familiar: films like Now You See Me, Thor, Les Misérables, and series like Bridgerton and The Sandman have all been filmed here.

Local tip: Visit during the week if you can, weekends get super busy with both tourists and locals.

After exploring the museums, head to Greenwich Park, a beautiful, leafy escape from the city. Local tip: Climb to the top of the hill for the best free view of London (Sorry, Primrose Hill, this one’s better!). Instead of heading straight back down, keep walking: you’ll find two lovely coffee spots, one inside the Royal Observatory and another just to your left called The Pavillion Café.

If you keep walking and turn right at some point, you’ll stumble upon the Ranger’s House—aka the Bridgerton family’s home in the series. It also has one of the most beautiful gardens in London.

Where to Eat

Hungry? Head to Greenwich Market, where you’ll find amazing street food from all over the world, especially on weekends. My top pick? The Latin Bros stall!

Love sushi? Sticks’n’Sushi has great food and a lovely atmosphere, just around the corner from the market.

Need a budget-friendly option? Try Franco Manca (proper Neapolitan pizza) or GBK (great burgers).

Where to Drink

Thirsty? Grab a pint at the Trafalgar Tavern, my favourite pub in London, with stunning riverside views.

Prefer coffee? Grind is the go-to spot in the area. There’s also a Gails, if you are into pastries, you are going to love it.

That’s it for my Greenwich Borough guide, let me know if you find it useful.

Who’s next? :eyes:

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I love Greenwich, I was just there last month. I’ve done two sits there for the same family and have already agreed to a third. Thanks for the great tips and info on this lovely area!

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Love Greenwich.

I want to return and see this, because the last time I was there, they hadn’t finished the restorations. We got the in-progress hard hat tour.

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Greenwich is my favourite area of London; my fiancé & I actually got engaged in Greenwich Park, so it will always be a special place for us :smiling_face:

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No problem! Let me know if you visit any of the places I mentioned when you come back. :smiley: Are you planning on visiting any time soon? After I posted I thought “Oh, I needed to include more independent coffee shops/places to eat, besides the market” But maybe I can add them to the thread later.

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Hope you get to see it soon, it’s stunning! Maggie, would you consider posting something similar about your town?

@Nagy26 we have something in common then, favourite area for me, hands down! Where did he propose? Top of the hill with the view or in the gazebo? (My baby’s first outing after hospital was under the cherry trees in the park, so I totally get how special Greenwich Park can be for a family!)

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Kind of mid way up the hill. We also met up in front of the Cutty Sark for our first date, so hence why he chose Greenwich to propose, as it already meant something :smiling_face:

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Unfortunately not. I need to get thoroughly reacquainted with the area’s amenities myself.

I moved away for a few years and recently moved back and have been away a lot while having our new-to-us house remodeled.

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@Lily_V Greenwich will be my Christmas/New Year’s sit this year. Really looking forward to spending the holidays there!

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Christmas sounds like a great time to be there! Enjoy!

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Well, now I’m dipping my toes into wedding planning: you can get married at the Trafalgar Tavern! How perfect would that be? It would be a full circle moment right there.

A couple of my friends had their wedding reception and it was simply lovely: the rooms oversee the Thames, the good was great and there’s plenty of space. (I promise I don’t work for them :rofl:).

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Good luck with your renovations, I know they can be a pain in the neck!! Well, if in the future you feel like you have got to know your area well enough, I’m sure people would love to hear (or read) your voice. :smiley:

Haha If we still lived in London, that would be perfect! :smiley: We met there & lived in London for a while, but neither of us are from the U.K. I’m Aussie and he’s Romanian. We are actually moving to Australia very soon, and hopefully will be get married in my home town next year.. it’s been a long time coming, as we’ve spent the past 5 years since getting engaged travelling Europe with pet sits & other exchange programs. But our travels will shortly be coming to and end; we’ve got a one way ticket to Australia booked (and a lengthy & expensive partnership visa process that awaits us) but it’ll be worth it in the end! :smiling_face::australia::kangaroo:

Would definitely be a perfect spot if we had a London wedding though… Tempting… :laughing:

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A wedding in Australia sounds lovely, so let’s save the Trafalgar Tavern for an anniversary dinner then! :wink: All the best with the visa, the moving and the wedding planning. :heart_eyes:

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Aww thanks very much! :blush:

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London is so beautiful during Christmas, do you know what you want to do while in town?

This is a great idea for a series @Lily_V . I’ve enjoyed reading all your tips and recommendations. Greenwich is a part of London I have wanted to visit for a while. We mainly do more rural sits but do like a short sit in London from time to time. Greenwich won’t fit into our plans when we are sitting in Tooting Bec over the early May Bank Holiday weekend. Maybe I need to plan another London sit!

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I like Greenwich. The walk up to the observatory is rather nice on a sunny day and the views across London are great!
I’m surprised you didn’t mention Goddard’s pie and mash shop @Lily_V! 2 pie..2 mash and liquor…perfect! :grin:

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So happy to hear you liked it Debbie, you can always send me a message if you want any other recommendations or have any question about the places I posted. I think this thread is definitely your sign to schedule another visit to London! :wink:

And a good workout too! There are so many stuff I couldn’t include in the post and I am now regretting it :sweat_smile:. Like Goddard, Dark Sugars, that Thai place on the way to Woolwich… the list goes on and on!

Now I am hungry, I wonder where I can find some pie and mash near here :grin: