It’s that time of year when all your friends are starting to nest for the winter, and you still want to make the most of it.
Here are our top picks, as chosen by 62% of you on our Instagram poll, for the best Christmas outings. We recommend combining two or more of the below for a belter of a day out!
1. Skate
There are so many options this winter, you could visit some of the long-standing favourites like Somerset House, Winter Wonderland, or our personal favourite, the Natural History Museum. Additionally this year Canary Wharf has a rink, with a light up floor and lessons; Greenwich Wintertime festival has space to skate; Winterville; the Tower of London and most excitingly Skylight on a rooftop at Tobacco Docks. There are loads of others around, but these are our picks of the favourites that make it easy to mix and match with other things for your day.
2. Museums
There are so many museums in London it would be silly to pick them all. Catch our post next week on the best exhibitions to see over Christmas. However the most wintery and least grinch-esque, and the ones that will impress your date/wife/parents/best mate/visiting pals are the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, with their new collection of curses and hexed objects (not free), Horniman Museum and Gardens with their eclectic collection of animals including an over stuffed walrus, or even Kensington Palace for an exhibition on princess Diana and her fashion. There’s also the classics like the British Museum and the V&A (check out our guide to the V&A here).
3. Markets
From Portobello to Brick Lane, London isn’t short of markets! Camden Market is one for novelty, and Portobello one for expensive antiques. Try Brick Lane for vintage, and Borough for exotic food and drink. Maltby Street market is also great for foodies, and Broadway market is superb for wholesome local farm shopping. For something totally different try Greenwich market for an alladins cave of everything you could want, Alfie’s antique market for collectibles, antiquities and vintage bits and bobs, or Columbia Road Flower market for well, the best plants and flowers!
4. Mulled Wine
Of course not all pubs serve mulled wine, but it certainly is one way to get your Christmas on. That or mulled cider. Or if you’re a real grinch then just a beer. The Queen of Hoxton are making their rooftop into a Moroccan Medina, cacti, firepits and all. Woody Bear rooftop has transformed for Christmas for a snug, boozy eggnog filled evening with fairground ride themed booths! Apres London, brought to you by Flat Iron’s ski chalet in Borough, an apres ski bar with Christmas food! This one is for those of you that hate mulled wine but want the Christmas warm booze, Hotboozapalooza is the Time Out winter celebration at Apres London. Finally, for those of you looking for something to drink and great food with the Christmas theme, head to Roof East for the Social Fun & Games Club where you can eat and drink in an igloo!
5. Crazy Golf
Crazy golf has always been amazing in London, and this Christmas is no exception. From Junkyard Golf and their 4 different courses, of loosely themed movies, UV and other random things, to Edgware’s Dino-tastic Lost Jungle, Swingers, who are opening up a new Beach themed course in Soho as well as their original. Winterland in Fulham are putting on a totally enchanted Neverland for Christmas too. Lightly competitive and in some places with brilliant accompanying bars, these crazy golf locations are great a outing this Holiday season.
6. Something different
Looking for something different, a little je ne sais quoi with tinsel? Head to Syon Park where they will be transforming their historic gardens into an Enchanted Woodland; go to the new magical ice kingdom’s deep-sea adventure at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park for an array of ice sculptures of things you’d expect to see in sea world or Greek mythology. For movies, Backyard Cinema are doing a Snow Kingdom complete wth blankets and comfy bean bags, and The Winter Forest in Liverpool Street are putting on feel-good films in Nordic tipis. Finally, if you loved the Brixton Beach you’re in luck-they’ve re-done for winter as the South Pole Saloon, a dive bar with elves, interactive theatre and debauchery!
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