London events in January

Discount Suit Company may look like just another wood-heavy, dimly atmospheric London ‘speakeasy’, but in quality it’s made-to-measure rather than prêt-à-porter. The changing cocktail list can sound wacky, but in our experience here wacky always equals wonderful. Ordering off-list is always a safe bet.

Read our guide to all of London’s best secret bars and speakeasies.

Practically in the shadow of the Walkie Talkie and next to a Premier Inn, you’ll find a peaceful, ancient place that just doesn’t seem to fit in… Since it was bombed-out during the war, the picturesque ruins of medieval church St Dunstan-in-the-East have been overrun by nature, creating an idyllic spot in the City’s most business area. Leaves and vines now cling to the Grade I-listed stone arches. Spend a morning reading a book here – we recommend something set in London in WWII, like ‘The Night Watch’ or ‘The End of the Affair’ – before popping across Tower Bridge for a takeaway mulled wine from The Vault 1894.

More of London’s very un-London locations.

Severndroog Castle. Its name sounds like something out of Redwall and it kind of looks that way too: a triangular gothic folly, surrounded by woodland, at the top of Shooter’s Hill above Woolwich. It was built in the eighteenth century by a grieving widow as a tribute to her later husband’s greatest escapade: destroying a band of pirates in their Indian fortress of Suvarnadurg (rendered in English as ‘Severndroog’). Nowadays, it’s a great excuse to do a hill walk.

As the name suggests, teeny Euston backstreet basement Roti King serves up astounding Malaysian rotis, either stuffed or with equally first-rate curries for dipping. They’re crisp, chewy and feather-light but also dense – perfect with an ambrosial glass of teh tarik (chilled sweet tea). Also, look out for great-value ‘local’ dishes such as nasi lemak, nasi goreng and beef rendang. RK is really is small, so dining solo or in pairs is probably sensible. Go early evening to beat the queues. 

It’s super-quick, it’s satisfying and the Roman-style base has all the shattering crunch of a Ryvita Thin. Pizza Union’s margherita won’t be the best slice you’ve ever had, but it’s only £3.95 for a very respectable fire-baked 12". That’s 12 inches, for the cost of an overpriced coffee. Plus you get handed one of those buzzy things to tell you when yours is ready. Literally minutes of fun.

There’s usually a queue at this Med-inspired Turkish grill, but no-nonsense service means you’ll bag a table pretty quickly. While you wait, get the juices flowing by watching Fez’s meat maestros as they rotate the hefty barbecue skewers and shave slices off the own-made doners. They also score highly with cut-above accompaniments, including crunchy red cabbage, spice-rubbed flatbreads and tangy Turkish yoghurt. It’s BYO and they don’t charge corkage – hooray!

Done out like a Tamil truck stop with lurid lighting, furniture the colour of Sunny Delight and movies on the flatscreen TV,  Sri Lankan-South Indian caff Dosa n Chutny is famed for its minuscule prices and superlative dosas. Veggie options are the standouts: the Mysore masala dosa, served with spiced onion, potatoes and three house chutneys is a winner, as are the onion utthapam and veg biryani.

Shopping second-hand is a fantastic way to start living more sustainably. Not only are the clothes reasonably priced, they’re also (by dint of not being new) far more eco-friendly. The only catch is that it takes dedication and a keen eye to rummage through all of those rails. But don’t lose heart, we’ve saved you some time by rounding up the best thrift stores in London. 

Not convinced by thrift? Here’s our 100 favourite normal shops.

RECOMMENDED: The best markets in London

Looking at great art needn't cost the same as buying great art. With a shed-load of free art exhibitions in London, wandering through sculptures, being blinded by neon or admiring some of the best photography in London needn't cost a penny. Here's our pick of the best free art exhibitions open right now.

Sometimes we all need to get out of the capital. Away from the noise and the smog, to where the country air is crisp. Here are our fave day trips from London to enjoy this winter, all under two hours from Zone 1.

Are you tired? We certainly are. The past couple of years haven’t quite been the most relaxing in all of history. In fact, what we could really do with right now is to lock ourselves in a steam room without our phones, Zoom, our laptops or our worries and spend a few hours getting roasted like a turkey. Here’s where you can get a bit of healthy inner-peace (and glowing skin) in the capital.

The bar Square Root describes its beverages as ‘made with as much effort as quality alcoholic drinks’ – and as well as colas and fruit-packed sodas, it has mastered an alcohol-free Negroni Spritz, a boozeless shandy and a sober G&T. That’s just the bottled range. At the bar within Kerb’s Seven Dials Market, cocktails completely void of alcohol incorporate hacks to produce the flavours you might expect from something stronger. 

Read our full list of London’s best bars here.

It's surprisingly easy to get out of the capital on two wheels, and find yourself in pretty forests or close to the coast. London is surrounded by rural areas – from the chalk cliffs of Sussex to the rolling hills of Buckinghamshire and the woodland of Essex to the coastline of Kent – and many of them make brilliant places for a bike ride. Here are our favourite routes. 

Yes it's cold out. Many trees are bare. But we're lucky to have some genuinely amazing, world-beating parks in London, and walking around in them is one of life's great joys. So get out there and enjoy some bracing green space.