How to spend a day in Bloomsbury

How to spend a day in Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury has a long and rich history as the bohemian heart of literary London and it's still an exciting part of the city today. You'll find lots of great places to eat and things to do in Bloomsbury if you're spending the day in the area, and there's enough going on to keep you entertained from morning til night. If you're not sure how to pass the time around here we've got a few ideas – this is our guide to how to spend a day in Bloomsbury.

Tamsin Spargo, Thatsup
Tamsin Spargo
  1. Breakfast in Bloomsbury
    1. 1
      Victoria House Have an English breakfast
    2. 2
      Café Le Cordon Bleu Gourmet French café
    3. 3
      Burr & Co. Buzzy coffee and cocktails
  2. Do some shopping
    1. 1
      The Brunswick Centre Grade II listed mall
    2. 2
      Collinge & Clark Bernard Black isn't here
    3. 3
      Gay's the Word LGBTQ+ community hotspot
  3. Grab some lunch
    1. 1
      Riding House Stylish modern restaurant
    2. 2
      Master Wei Xi'an Distinctive Chinese street food
    3. 3
      Franco Manca Budget-friendly pizza
  4. Activities in the area
    1. 1
      British Museum World-renowned museum
    2. 2
      Bloomsbury Lanes Competitive fun
    3. 3
      Russell Square Historic public garden
  5. A drink before dinner
    1. 1
      Fitz's One-of-a-kind style
    2. 2
      Flight Club Drinks and games
    3. 3
      The Coral Room Sophisticated cocktail spot
  6. Where to eat dinner
    1. 1
      Café Deco Great for wine lovers
    2. 2
      Bloomsbury Street Kitchen Unique cuisine combo
    3. 3
      Ciao Bella Traditional Italian meals
  7. Stay out longer
    1. 1
      The Bloomsbury Club Boho cocktail bar
    2. 2
      Museum of Comedy Church crypt comedy club
    3. 3
      Bloomsbury Theatre Wide array of performances

Jump to

Breakfast in Bloomsbury

Victoria House

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Have an English breakfast

Independent venue Victoria House Coffee & Food is a top pick for breakfast or brunch. It's a compact but comfortable spot with large windows. Classic English cooking and top quality coffee is the focus here. Begin your day with a fry-up, omelettes with assorted fillings, or eggs or avocado on toast. You can pair your food with fresh juice or coffee.

Café Le Cordon Bleu

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Gourmet French café

Enter a Parisian café at Café Le Cordon Bleu. Run by the famous culinary institute, it's a chic spot with deep blue walls and a cool retro style. For breakfast you can indulge in a fresh breakfast baguette or go for something lighter like porridge. Food is prepared using classic French techniques and fresh seasonal ingredients. You can also buy artisanal bread here to eat at home.

Burr & Co.

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Buzzy coffee and cocktails

By day you head to Burr. & Co for coffee and vibrant cooking whilst in the evening this contemporary venue turns into a smart cocktail bar. On Saturdays there's a lively brunch with DJs. Food and drinks are available here, including classic breakfast dishes like pancakes, porridge, and a full English breakfast. There's also speedy wifi and plenty of plug sockets.

Do some shopping

The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre
The Brunswick Centre – A day in Bloomsbury
The Brunswick Centre

The Brunswick Centre

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Grade II listed mall

You can get loads of shopping done at The Brunswick Centre, a modern shopping mall moments from Russell Square station. Housed in an eye-catching Grade II listed building, there are heaps of stores housed around attractive courtyards. There's also a cinema dedicated to documentaries, an art gallery, and plenty of dining options.

Collinge & Clark

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Bernard Black isn't here

Fans of the sitcom Black Books will recognise Collinge & Clark as the bookshop the show was filmed in. The real store is a bit friendlier than the fictional one and specialises in rare and secondhand books. You'll also find books about books, artists' books, and a focus on design and typography. Special events sometimes take place in-store as well.

Gay's the Word

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LGBTQ+ community hotspot

Founded in 1979, Gay's the Word is a bookshop and hub for London's LGBTQ+ community. It's the oldest LGBTQ+ bookshop in the country, stocking a wide range of books ranging from graphic novels to educational literature. The store is also host to a variety of discussion groups and meetings.

Grab some lunch

Riding House

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Stylish modern restaurant

Food is served all day at Riding House Bloomsbury. This bright and modern eatery is full of greenery and has outdoor tables too. The restaurant serves large plates like seafood curry but also does lunch-friendly skewers that you can pair with a bowl meal or sides like hash browns or mac and cheese.

Master Wei Xi'an

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Distinctive Chinese street food

Try out regional Chinese food at Master Wei Xi'an. At this relaxed and simple restaurant you can sample street food from the Xi'an province – noodles are a big feature and there are hot and cold dishes here. Signature cocktails and mocktails are served to complete a meal here.

Franco Manca

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Budget-friendly pizza

Get an affordable Neapolitan-style pizza at Franco Manca's Russell Square location. The restaurant has weathered brick walls, tiled floors, and a laid-back vibe. Sourdough pizzas are available with a choice of seasonal toppings. Meals for kids are served here as well. The pizza dough is made on-site and fermented for 24 hours.

Activities in the area

British Museum

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World-renowned museum

The world-famous British Museum is based in an imposing building and was the first national museum open to the public in the world. Artefacts here span the whole course of human history with about eight million items in the collection. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone and mummies from Egypt.

Bloomsbury Lanes

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Competitive fun

There are lots of activities to enjoy at Bloomsbury Lanes. This lively venue has a vibrant look. Go bowling or hire one of five lavish karaoke rooms with 30,000 songs to choose from. There's also an on-site diner serving things like burgers, pizza, and cocktails. The venue is open til late and has regular DJ sets.

Russell Square

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Historic public garden

Russell Square was designed and built in 1806 but it has undergone some renovations since then. Today it has a café, central plaza, and a water feature, plus plenty of places to sit and soak up the peaceful atmosphere. This spacious garden square has lots of room for walking around and admiring the flowers and greenery.

A drink before dinner

Fitz's

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One-of-a-kind style

Fitz's is a unique place for a drink, blending the old and new. A glitter ball sits alongside stained glass windows in this one-of-a-kind venue. Live music is often on too. The bar offers a wide choice of wine, champagne, and spirits, as well as unique and carefully-crafted cocktails designed to be a multi-sensory experience.

Flight Club

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Drinks and games

Work up an appetite with drinks and darts at Flight Club. Semi-private playing areas are equipped with high-tech darts boards and are the perfect backdrop for getting competitive. The interior is smart but cosy with a unique carousel bar. You'll find a huge choice of original cocktails as well as beers and wines. Food is available too. 

The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room
The Coral Room – A day in Bloomsbury
The Coral Room

The Coral Room

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Sophisticated cocktail spot

Elegant bar The Coral Room is smart and opulent, decorated with rich colours and vibrant artwork. Themed cocktails, for example focusing on Irish flavours, are served and the bar has one of the largest ranges of English sparkling wines that you'll find anywhere, as well as vintages from around the world.

Where to eat dinner

Café Deco

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Great for wine lovers

Café Deco is run by esteemed chef Anna Tobias, who has stints at Rochelle Canteen and P.Franco to her name. It's a restaurant, bar, and wine store with a homey look and distinctive tiled floor. The menu focuses on simple British cooking with plenty of wine choices to go with it, including wines by the glass.

Bloomsbury Street Kitchen

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Unique cuisine combo

Bloomsbury Street Kitchen brings two distinctive cuisines to one unique menu. Japanese and Mediterranean dishes are on offer here, served in a sleek space with rustic touches, lots of plants, and light furnishings. Choose from à la carte or set menus with choices like pasta and robata-grilled dishes. Private dining is available here.

Ciao Bella

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Traditional Italian meals

Open since 1983, Ciao Bella brings classic Italian dining to Bloomsbury. The space is simple with lots of framed pictures on the walls. Try antipasti followed by a pizza or work your way through the traditional Italian courses here. There's also an extensive wine list, with plenty of Italian bottles as well as wines from other regions.

Stay out longer

The Bloomsbury Club

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Boho cocktail bar

Head to The Bloomsbury Club to experience the area's bohemian vibes for yourself. This moody and intimate venue is decorated with trailing vines and string lights. Cocktails are inspired by tarot cards – choose one based on your mood or let the Cocktail Diviner decide. Live music is on regularly here.

Museum of Comedy

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Church crypt comedy club

Have a laugh at the Museum of Comedy. Not actually a museum, it's a comedy club located in a church crypt. There are regular performances from upcoming talent as well as more established names testing out new material. An extensive collection of comedy memorabilia is also held here that'll interest any comedy fan.

Bloomsbury Theatre

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Wide array of performances

First opened in 1968, Bloomsbury Theatre & Studio is part of University College London. A wide variety of performances are on here including talks, theatre, music, dance, and comedy. Acts that have performed here include Ricky Gervais, Adele, Stomp, and Gregory Porter. There are two bars on-site and some relaxed performances are laid on as well.

A day in Bloomsbury – About the guide

How to spend a day in Bloomsbury - Our guide to how to spend a day in Bloomsbury is updated regularly. If you know of somewhere great in Bloomsbury that we haven't featured in our guide, feel free to get in touch. Please let us know if you see any mistakes in our guide to things to do in Bloomsbury. Have you visited any of the places mentioned in the guide? Don't forget to write a review on Thatsup.

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