City Life

London has a vibrant culture and there are always hundreds of things to do and see. Find out about London's pubs, bars, restaurants and its wide variety of markets. Check out www.timeout.com for the best guide to London events everyday.

Pubs & Bars

You will soon find out that life in London (and the UK) revolves around the Pub - you cannot walk more than five blocks in London, without finding a pub. People go there to meet friends, to unwind, to watch rugby or football, or just for the sake of the pint.

The Bar is the modern answer to the Pub's traditional dominance. Bars are usually more trendy and the right spot for a cocktails. Pubs are generally open until 11pm; some stay open later. Bars, on the other hand, might be until 1-3am, and that's actually the whole point of going to one. Check out www.timeout.com.

Restaurants. Eating out in London can vary enormously. Our recommendation is to purchase "Cheap Eats", a small book that is one of the best investments you can make. You could also check out the "Zagat Survey to London Restaurants" or www.squaremeal.co.uk.

Markets. London has fantastic street markets, and you can find them all over the city. The best part about these markets are that they are 100% completely free, unless of course you actually want to buy something.

Portobello Road

Portobello Road is an 'all-in-one celebration'; five markets roughly stapled together including antiques, clothes, crafts, and household goods. It gets crowded, so get there early, and be prepared to walk; the market is over a mile long. (Tube: Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Park. Hours: Saturday morning)

Spitalfields

Spitalfields is a very old city market - it has a wide array of organic foods as well as stalls of art and the "food court" is excellent. (Tube: Liverpool Street. Hours: Mon-Fri, Sun 11:30am-3:30pm). It also operates an excellent boutique clothes market on Sundays.

Petticoat Lane

If you need some cheap clothes, this is the place to go. Vendors sell coats, collared shirts, trousers, and everything in-between. The market gets crowded, so go early. (Tube: Aldgate, Aldgate East, Liverpool Street. Hours: Sun 9am-2pm)

The Boroughs

This market is South of the river, within walking distance from the Tate Modern. It is quite large and offers a great selection of olive oils, cheeses and fresh baked goods. This market is also known by Sushi enthusiasts as a great place to get fish off the boat (you just have to be willing to get up early).

Leather Lane

Contrary to its name, there is not much if any leather. There is quite a bit of clothing, curtains, shoes and nibbles throughout. Closest tube: Chancery Lane.

Camden

Funky and fresh, Camden is an enormous market which specialises in second-hand clothes (think John Travolta). The market is actually four separate markets - The Stables (antiques), Camden Lock (mainly clothes), Camden Canal Market, and Camden Market. In the Camden Lock section, there are a huge number of food stalls selling everything from Middle Eastern to Chinese to fish & chips and organic foods. Camden Market, supposedly the biggest market in London, also gets extremely crowded, so get there early. Saturdays for some reason are usually less busy than Sundays. The shops surrounding the market are also interesting to go into for shoes and clothes. (Tube: Camden Town, Chalk Farm. Hours: Sat & Sun, 10am-6pm)

Additional markets, listed by the main type of offering, are as follows. Antiques: Bermondsey, Church Street, King's Road. Books: Riverside Walk. Bric-a-brac: Brick Lane, Greenwich. Cheese: Berwick Street. Flowers: Columbia Road, East Street. Afro-Caribbean food: Brixton, Ridley Road, Shepherd's Bush. Again, if you can believe it, this is only a short listing of all the markets that London has to offer. Explore your neighbourhood to find out what's there or get a book from the library which lists the different London markets.