London

Over the past few years London’s outdoor public spaces have been undergoing a renaissance. In 2002, Ken Livingstone launched the Mayor’s 100 Public Spaces Programme, an initiative to create or improve public areas across the city. Currently 34 projects are underway or completed; the remainder will be started by the time visitors arrive in London for the 2012 Olympics. Feature continues

All this rejuvenation, along with new developments that incorporate public seating, has undoubtedly changed the face of and how we use space in the capital. The area surrounding the Royal Festival Hall is the latest mega-project to be completed, an exciting space for Londoners and visitors. The Southbank Centre Square and Festival Riverside promise to be lively spaces for public use, and the fountains on Festival Terrace will no doubt provide welcome respite from the summer heat. This year also saw the reopening of the Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury while, in recent years, the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square, the creation of Duke of York Square on King’s Road and the regeneration of space outside the Tower of London have created alternatives to the traditionally popular locations of Soho Square and Hyde Park, providing a wealth of places at which to watch the world go by from the comfort of your picnic blanket.

But it’s free entertainment that really gives central London the edge over out-of-town picnic spots. This summer, look out for events to mark the opening of the refurbished Royal Festival Hall on Southbank Centre Square and Jubilee Gardens, the Trafalgar Square Festival in August, the Serpentine Gallery’s summer pavilion (July-October), the Watch This Space festival outside the National Theatre (July-September) and the Coin Street Festival (June-August). Plus, of course, there’s old-fashioned people-watching.

South Bank
This offers the epitome of urban picnicking: it’s in Zone 1, boasts a spectacular riverside vista, and has a choice of benches or grass. There’s also plenty to entertain, be it mini-festivals, buskers or human statues. Avoid the tourist trap around the London Eye, unless you are particularly fond of crowds.
Perfect spot Perch outside the Royal Festival Hall. The National Theatre’s free Watch This Space Festival (July 7-September 2) offers street theatre, circus, cinema, dance and cabaret.
When it rains Watch a film at BFI Southbank or shop at the OXO Tower.
Best for Groups of up to six and families.
Transport Waterloo tube/rail or Waterloo Pier.

The Great Court at the British Museum

British Museum
Combine your picnic with a helping of culture. For added enjoyment, join one of the free daily EyeOpener tours. If there are more than ten of you, with a little forward planning you could arrange a private tour (from £100 per group).
Perfect spot If it’s sunny, between the pillars on the stone steps of the main entrance.
When it rains The BM boasts Europe’s largest enclosed courtyard, the Great Court, where you’ll find tables at which to consume your feast.
Best for Families wanting a cultural fix.
Transport Holborn tube.

Paternoster Square

Paternoster Square
You’d be hard pushed to find a more dramatic backdrop than the dome of St Paul’s. Despite the fact it’s surrounded by office blocks, this paved piazza is spacious and open. One added bonus: there are clean, free public loos.
Perfect spot On a weekday, bag a seat on one of the stone benches and consume your goodies while City folk and sightseers hurry past.
When it rains Pop into the cathedral or sprint across the Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern.
Best for Two- or threesomes.
Transport St Paul’s tube.

Scoop, More London Riverside

More London Riverside
More London is the redeveloped stretch on the south side of the Thames between London and Tower Bridges, and is perfect for admiring the juxtaposition of old and new: the sight of the Gherkin and Tower 42 looming above the Tower of London makes for an impressive skyline view. Pop a blanket down and count how many times Tower Bridge opens to let tall ships pass.
Perfect spot Lounge on the steps at The Scoop, a sunken amphitheatre that hosts occasional theatre and music performances.
If it rains Hay’s Galleria, a covered mall with benches, is a five-minute dash away.
Best for Groups of up to six and families.
Transport London Bridge tube/rail, Tower Hill tube or Tower Gateway DLR.

Canary Wharf

Docklands near Canary Wharf
This concrete metropolis might seem an unusual picnic choice when compared with leafy locations such as Hyde Park but the area is peppered with benches and grassy patches. To set the scene, arrive via the DLR, snaking your way through the skyscrapers on the driverless trains, or emerge from the Jubilee Line into Foster & Partners’ futuristic underground station at Canary Wharf. Work off your picnic on a walk south to Island Gardens for views to Greenwich.
Perfect spot Select a quayside perch and settle in for the afternoon in the shadow of the 243-metre-high Canary Wharf Tower and picture the docks as they bustled with ships a century ago.
When it rains The Museum in Docklands will entertain you for hours. You can eat your picnic in the museum; at weekends and in school hols, use the lunch room; otherwise, there are foyers.
Best for Families and small groups.
Transport Canary Wharf tube/DLR or West India Quay DLR.

Richmond Park
Getting here’s an uphill trek from the station, and the last thing you want to do is lug a large hamper around. Instead, pack some strawberries, pick up a bottle of champers from Philglas & Swiggot on Richmond Hill, head parkwards and find a comfy tree to settle beneath before whiling away the afternoon reading poetry to your loved one. The park is also home to bright green parakeets and herds of deer. At Sidmouth Wood, peek through the trees for a view of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Perfect spot The secluded Queen Mother’s Copse, between Robin Hood and Ham Gates.
When it rains Dash for cover in Pembroke Lodge, a beautiful Georgian mansion with stunning views, for a hot drink and slice of cake.
Best for Romantic twosomes.
Transport Richmond tube/rail.

Horniman Museum Park
The views from these 16.5-acre gardens are worth the visit alone, though it would be a shame to miss out on a visit to the superb anthropological museum which was left to the public in 1901 by tea merchant Frederick Horniman, who had assembled a collection of curiosities. The carefully manicured grounds boast spectacular flowerbeds, lawns and a stunning conservatory.
Perfect spot The bandstand – possibly the best place in south London for a picnic.
When it rains Touch the rays in the museum’s fun-sized new aquarium.
Best for Curious families.
Getting there Forest Hill rail.

Greenwich
Arrive from central London by boat, then generate an appetite with an energetic bound up towards the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park. Impress your friends by telling them that the time ball at the top of the Observatory – which rises to the top of its pole at the same time every day, sinking to the bottom at 1pm precisely – was once used by ships to check the time.
Perfect spot From behind the Observatory on the hill there are spectacular views of Greenwich, the Old Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum, and across the river to central London.
When it rains Visit the Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House or, if liquid refreshment is required, riverside hostelry the Trafalgar Tavern.
Best for Energetic types, sailors.
Transport Cutty Sark DLR or Greenwich DLR/rail or Greenwich Pier.

Chiswick
Villagey Chiswick, on the river, has two great picnic options. English Heritage-owned Chiswick House is a stunning Palladian villa, its historic eighteenth-century gardens – containing sculptures, shady trees, a lake and a waterfall – provide a grand setting. Nearby is Hogarth’s House, which is free to enter.
Perfect spot Down on the lakeside.
When it rains Take a tour inside Chiswick House or view William Hogarth’s engravings in his former home.
Best for Culture vultures and antiques buffs.
Transport Turnham Green tube.

Postman’s Park
The Square Mile’s parks – some of which were created as a result of the Blitz – are a haven for wildlife as well as people. (You can download a map of all the Corporation of London-managed City Gardens from www.cityoflondon.gov.uk). Postman’s Park is a small City space that oozes serenity. It is most famous for its intriguing wall of 34 ceramic Victorian plaques commemorating everyday heroes. Not far away, Finsbury Circus, which dates back to 1606, is similarly serene. There’s more on offer here: a wine bar and a bandstand where, in summer, you’ll often hear live music. It’s also home to the City of London Bowls Club.
Perfect spot Settle down on the manicured grass under the tree and, unless your picnic happens to be invaded by a horde of schoolchildren eating packed lunches, revel in the knowledge that you’ve stumbled upon a well-kept secret.
When it rains In Postman’s Park, sit on the wooden bench underneath the awning and read the Watts Memorial; in Finsbury Circus, best retreat to the wine bar.
Best for Groups of up to four.
Transport St Paul’s tube and Moorgate tube/rail.

Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill
Excellent views, lots of benches, plenty of cafés and shops from which to purchase or replenish your picnic and, of course, celeb-spotting make this a classic choice. Pack your Cath Kidston picnic-ware, a bottle of champers and Konditor & Cook cakes to complete the picture.
Perfect spot Turn your late-afternoon picnic into an evening out with a short stroll down to Regent’s Park open-air theatre: rep performances include Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (June 6-August 18).
When it rains Try a pint in the nearby Pembroke Castle, The Lansdowne or The Queens.
Best for Groups of all sizes and fashionistas.
Transport Great Portland Street, Baker Street, Chalk Farm or Swiss Cottage tubes.

Victoria Tower Gardens
From this lush riverside retreat next to the Houses of Parliament you can see the London Eye, Lambeth Palace and bridges – to the right is eyecatching red-and-black Lambeth Bridge, to the left is Westminster Bridge. Created in the late nineteenth century by Joseph Bazalgette, the park contains a cast of Rodin’s ‘Burghers of Calais’ and a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst.
Perfect spot This shady park boasts a row of dense trees and plenty of benches – ideal for watching the river traffic.
When it rains Across Lambeth Bridge is the charming Museum of Garden History.
Best for Small groups escaping the crowds.
Transport Westminster tube.

Little Venice
This calm, leafy, Zone 1 oasis is very genteel. You can take the tube directly to Warwick Avenue, or walk from Paddington along the canal. Then, Jason’s Trip (www.jasons.co.uk) will take you to Camden Lock through Regent’s Park for £6.50 per adult (a return is £7.50).
Perfect spot Lay your rug in the tiny Rembrandt Gardens.
When it rains Try the Floating Boater Café.
Best for A calm foursome.
Transport Paddington tube/rail or Warwick Avenue tube.

The Diana Memorial Fountain
It might have had a shaky start but this watery attraction is essentially a circular paddling channel, too often forgotten about by Londoners.
Perfect spot The grassy slope adjacent to the fountain. You can take a break from feasting to cool your legs in the running water.
When it rains Decamp to the nearby Science Museum’s handy indoor picnic area.
Best for Families.
Transport South Kensington tube.

Afloat in Hyde Park/Battersea Park
How about dining afloat on a small rowing boat? Between Easter and September you can hire rowing boats and pedalos on the Serpentine in Hyde Park, daily (£7 per hour/£5 per half-hour, child £3/£2, family £12/£17). The smaller Battersea Park boating lake has boats available at weekends and in school hols until September (£5 per hour/£3.50 per half-hour, child £2.50/£1.50).
Perfect spot Ideally out of the way of splashing teenagers.
When it rains Seek refuge in the Serpentine Gallery or, in Battersea Park, the Pump House.
Best for Couples.
Transport Hyde Park Corner tube; Battersea Park or Queenstown Road rail.

Polo
Ham Polo Club’s riverside location near Richmond and Twickenham makes it easy to reach. You’ll want to take a smart hamper but it’s a level walk if you arrive by train. The polo season runs from May to the end of September and there are matches every Sunday at 2pm. Entry is £2.
Perfect spot Under the trees behind the goals.
When it rains Since when has a little precipitation prevented play? If you must shelter, try Ham House, a seventeenth-century stately home.
Best for Groups of up to six.
Transport Richmond or Twickenham rail.

Trafalgar Square
Okay, so you may have to fight for space with pigeons, but since the north side of the square was pedestrianised in summer 2003 this landmark has been transformed from a smoggy traffic island in to a magnificent piazza. The Square hosts a diverse programme of events, including the Trafalgar Square Festival (Aug 2-19), a series of free outdoor performances.
Perfect spot If you’ve got kids in tow they can let off steam running around the fountains and clambering on Landseer’s lions.
If it rains Seek shelter and take in art at the same time in the National and National Portrait galleries.
Best for A day out with overseas visitors.
Transport Charing Cross tube/rail.

Hampstead Heath
Whatever the season, the 791-acre Heath, which boasts grassland, woodland and sports facilities (including a pétanque pitch) has a magic of its own. Part of its appeal is the feeling that you’ve escaped the city even though the centre of town is a short tube ride away. It’s so vast, even on a sunny summer Sunday you’ll find a private patch away from the madding crowds. The Heath is also home to a flock of flamingoes and architect Robert Adam’s masterpiece, Kenwood House, will provide a grand backdrop to your alfresco meal.
Perfect spot Parliament Hill is the place to head for stunning views over London or if you have a kite to fly a kite or a Frisbee. There are also bathing ponds and a 1930s lido.
Best for Dog walkers, sporty groups, cosy twosomes, wildlife-spotting.
If it rains Duck for shelter under the nearest oak/beech tree or visit English Heritage-owned Kenwood House or Ernö Goldfinger’s modernist house, the National Trust-owned 2 Willow Road.
Transport Hampstead or West Hampstead tube, or Hampstead Heath rail.

Victoria Park
Victoria Park’s claim to fame is that it was London’s first public park – it opened in 1845. Seek shade under a tree or claim a grassy area on which to play football, or plan ahead and book a tennis court, bowling or fishing in the lake. There’s also a children’s playground. Arriving from Mile End tube you can walk along the Regent’s Canal to Victoria Park, perhaps scheduling a pit stop at the Palm Tree pub for a pint.
Perfect spot Pass through Mile End Park on the way, it’s a 75-acre green space that was a pleasure gardens in the early eighteenth century; now it abounds with wildlife and has a Green Bridge (flowers, plants and small trees grow on in) that crosses the busy Mile End Road.
If it rains Decamp to The Crown on Grove Road, which serves organic food and beer.
Best for Large sporty groups.
Transport Mile End tube.