History Food & Drink
Coffee
Art & Design
Bankside is one of the oldest settlements in Britain, dating back over 6000 years when the Romans founded Londinium.
In medieval times the main entertainment was the brothels, animal-baiting pits and theatres. Local prostitutes were known as the ‘Winchester Geese’ as they were taxed by the Bishop of Winchester (see the remains of Winchester Palace on Clink Street). Many were buried on the site of the Crossbones Garden on Redcross Way, which has become a memorial to the outcast dead.
The Thames used to freeze over in exceptionally cold winters and Londoners would take to the ice for all manner of activities in what were known as Frost Fairs.
Bankside is emerging as a foodie destination with Borough Market at the epicentre. Eating and drinking in the area is a pleasure. Discover unique new concepts and independent restaurants alongside your every day favourites.
For Levantine cuisine try Arabica Bar & Kitchen, which started as a spice stall in Borough Market and graduated to an inventive restaurant under a railway arch. Independent restaurant The Table Café serves up breakfasts and brunches with a cult following. Deliciously British food is on the menu at Roast, with many of the seasonal ingredients sourced from Borough Market. Mark Hix’s chicken and steak concept Hixter Bankside is the perfect all-day-dining
Get your coffee fix at some of the capital’s best coffee houses. From independent coffee shops, to Pret, Starbucks and Costa - they’re all in Bankside.
You can’t miss Monmouth Coffee in Borough Market for the queue that snakes along the street in the mornings, but it’s worth the wait. London Grind is a buzzing cocktail and coffee bar – expect espressos by day and espresso martinis by night. The Gentleman Baristas have
Bankside hosts an array of galleries and exhibitions - which of course includes the world’s most popular modern art gallery, Tate Modern.
Start your day here and embark on an art crawl of Bankside’s galleries, taking in Purdy Hicks, Bankside Gallery, Jerwood Visual Arts, Menier Gallery, Contemporary Applied Arts and Embassy Tea Gallery. Exhibitions change regularly, check visitbankside.com for up to date listings.
During the late 18th century Bankside developed into an industrial environment with docks, warehouses and wharves. Following decline after the Second World War it remained largely undiscovered, until its renaissance around the turn of the Millennium as one of the capital’s most vibrant destinations.
Learn more about Bankside and London at some of the local historical sights and attractions such as the Kirkaldy Testing Museum, Southwark Cathedral, The Golden Hinde and The Clink Prison Museum.
option. Union Street Café is an urban warehouse styled restaurant serving Italian cuisine by Gordon Ramsay. Albion is open for breakfast, lunch and supper, championing the best of British produce. For quick bites head to Borough Market, and don’t miss the caramel custard and honeycomb doughnuts from Bread Ahead.
Many Bankside restaurants offer spectacular views; Swan at the Globe, The Real Greek, Zizzi and the Tate Modern restaurant, all look out to the river - and across to St Paul’s and the City of London.
a cracking little coffee house serving excellent coffee and retro treats. Rabot 1745 does great coffee but their speciality is the salted caramel hot chocolate.
Theatre
Pubs & Bars
Bankside has theatre at its heart. Since medieval times, when Shakespeare was a local, theatre and culture have drawn crowds to the area.
Shakespeare’s Globe is known internationally. The open air theatre shows productions from April, with 700 tickets available for every show for just £5. During the colder months the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is a fabulous experience. The first theatre in Bankside was actually The Rose Playhouse. A genuine hidden
You’re spoilt for choice with pubs and bars in Bankside. For traditional English pubs, use Borough Market as your starting point; The Market Porter, The Southwark Tavern and The George Inn are much-loved favourites. The Rake is a tiny pub with a big personality specialising in craft beer and real ales - well worth a visit.
If it’s a glass of wine you fancy, Bedales is the perfect neighbourhood wine bar - cosy and intimate with hundreds of bottles lining the walls. Or try The Boot & Flogger on Redcross Way for their great wine list and hidden courtyard.
gem, it disappeared from the map completely until 1989. Now it is part archaeological site and part theatre, showing mainly Shakespeare and Marlowe productions. An absolute must and very affordable with tickets from £9.
Catch great shows often featuring big names at Menier Chocolate Factory and Southwark Playhouse. Plus don’t miss smaller, independent shows at Union Theatre and Nursery Theatre.
Enjoy a film and a cocktail at the indie bar/cinema, Roxy Bar and Screen. Go upscale at Mark’s Bar, the super-cool cocktail bar at Hixter. Union Street Bar is also a top tip if you’re out to impress. If you like a challenge, Call Me Mr Lucky is a secret tequila speakeasy in the basement of The Breakfast Club - you’ll need the special password to get in…
Explorers’Map
For the latest news and events, and a full list of shops, bars, hotels, restaurants and attractions in Bankside, go to visitbankside.com
Getting Here Bankside is easily accessible by train, tube, boat or bus. London Bridge, Southwark, Borough and Blackfriars stations are all close by. For the scenic route take a Thames Clipper to Bankside Pier. To plan your journey visit tfl.gov.uk
@visitbankside visitbankside.com
1 Albion Café, British food
2 Applebees Fish Café Fresh fish
3 Arabica Bar & Kitchen Eastern Mediterranean, meze
4 Bedales Wine bar
5 Belushi’s Bar & club
6 Bill’s Modern British cuisine
7 Black & Blue Steakhouse
8 Blackfriars Wine Bar Wine bar
9 Boro Bistro French bistro
10 Brindisa Tapas restaurant
11 Café 171 Modern café
12 Café Relaxo Brunch café
13 Call Me Mr Lucky Tequila speakeasy
14 Camino Tapas & cava
15 canteenM @citizenM Lounge & bar
16 Clinks Bar Modern bar
17 Crussh Food & juice bar
18 Dandelyan Bar Cocktail bar
19 Eat Sandwich shop, café
78 The Loft Modern restaurant & bar
79 The Market Porter Traditional pub
80 The Mudlark Traditional pub
81 The Old King’s Head Traditional pub
82 The Old Thameside Inn Riverside pub
83 Theo’s Café at Shakespeare’s Globe Casual cafe
84 The Rake Craft beers
85 The Real Greek Greek cuisine
86 The Refectory Café Courtyard café
87 The Refinery Restaurant & bar
88 The Sheaf Basement bar
89 The Southwark Tavern Traditional pub
90 The Swan at Shakespeare’s Globe Riverside bar & restaurant
91 The Table Café Independent British café
92 The Trinity Traditional pub
93 The Union Jack Live music pub
94 The Wheatsheaf British pub
95 The White Hart Traditional pub
96 Tortilla Burritos
97 Tossed Salad bar
98 Tonkotsu Japanese ramen
99 Union Street Café & Bar Gordon Ramsay’s Italian concept
100 Vapiano Pizza & pasta
101 Wagamama Japanese cuisine
102 Wright Brothers Oyster & Porter House
103 Zizzi Pizza & pasta
20 El Vergel Latin American cuisine
21 Elements Modern cuisine
22 Elliot’s Café Market café
23 Est. India Contemporary Indian
24 Feng Sushi Sushi restaurant
25 fish! Fresh fish restaurant
26 Flamingo Café
27 Founders Arms Riverside pub
28 Gail’s Artisan Bakery
29 Gourmet Burger Kitchen Handcrafted burgers
30 Heeltap Contemporary bar & restaurant
31 Hixter Bankside Chicken & steak
32 Hot Italian Italian cuisine
33 Itsu Sushi & salad
34 Katzenjammers Bavarian Bierkeller
35 Kitchen @ The Bridge Café
Konditor & Cook Cake shop
37 Leon Healthy fast food
38 Le Pain Quotidien Bakery & café
39 Little Dorrit Café
40 London Grind Coffee & cocktails
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41 Mar I Terra Authentic tapas
42 Mango Indian cuisine
43 Mark’s Bar Basement cocktail bar
44 Menier Chocolate Factory Modern British cuisine
45 Monmouth Coffee Company Artisan coffee
46 Nando’s Piri piri chicken
47 Patisserie Lila Café & patisserie
48 PAUL French bakery & patisserie
49 Pizza Express Italian restaurant
50 Porky’s BBQ American BBQ
51 Pret a Manger Café
52 Pulia Italian deli & restaurant
53 Rabot 1745 Cocoa-centric cuisine
54 Roast British cuisine
55 Rose & Crown Great beer garden
56 Rosie Tate Café Sandwich shop
57 Roxy Bar & Screen Bar & cinema
58 Rumpus Room Rooftop bar & lounge
59 Sea Containers Modern cuisine
60 Silka Indian cuisine
61 Slug & Lettuce Bar
62 Southwark Playhouse Bar Theatre bar & café
63 Southwark Rooms Cocktail bar
64 Starbucks Coffee shop
65 Tas Pide Turkish cuisine
66 Tate Modern Café Gallery café
67 Tate Modern Espresso Bar Espresso bar
68 Tate Modern Restaurant British cuisine
69 The Anchor Bankside Riverside pub
70 The Barrowboy & Banker British pub
71 The Boot & Flogger Wine bar
72 The Breakfast Club Cult breakfasts
73 The Coffee House Independent coffee shop
74 The George Inn Historic pub
75 The Globe Pub Traditional pub
76 The Goldsmith Pub & Dining Room British pub
77 The Island Café Casual cafe
Eat & Drink
104 Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre & bar
105 T Tudor theatre
106 Shakespeare’s Globe Shakespearean theatre
107 Union Theatre Fringe theatre
Bankside Gallery Art gallery
109 Contemporary Applied Arts British craft
110 Embassy Tea Gallery Historic warehouse space
111 Jerwood Visual Arts Contemporary gallery
112 Menier Gallery Art & design gallery
113 Purdy Hicks Contemporary art
114 RKB Gallery Exhibition space
115 Tate Modern Modern art
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Theatre Art & Design
Attractions Stay
141 Aesop Boutique skincare
142 Albion British produce
143 Borough Kitchen Kitchenware
144 Borough Market Renowned food market
145 Borough Wines Handpicked wine range
146 Chez Michele Florist
147 Contemporary Applied Arts British craft
148 Cubitts Sunglasses & spectacles
149 Great Suffolk Street Parade Local high street
150 Joy Fashion
151 Kit and Ace Fashion
152 Konditor & Cook Cakes
153 Laithwaites Wine Specialist wine
154 Monmouth Coffee Artisan coffee
155 Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic skincare
156 Neal’s Yard Dairy British cheeses
157 Oliver Bonas Fashion & homeware
158 Paul Smith Designer fashion & accessories
159 Rabot Estate Chocolate
160 Southwark Cathedral Shop Gifts & cards
161 The Frame Club Contemporary frames
162 Wine Pantry English wines
Shop
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Blackfriars
BlackfriarsBridge
MilleniumBridge
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116 Borough Market Renowned food market
117 Bread Ahead Bakery school
118 Crossbones Garden Historic site & graveyard
119 Golden Hinde Reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake ship
120 Kirkaldy Testing Museum Unique Victorian workshop
121 Millennium Bridge
122 Roxy Bar & Screen Independent cinema & bar
123 Southwark Cathedral London’s oldest Gothic church
124 Tate Modern Modern art
125 Thames Clippers Riverboat service
126 The Clink Prison Museum Notorious medieval prison
127 The London Bridge Experience & London Tombs Scary interactive tours
128 Winchester Rose Remains of Winchester Palace
129 Bankside House
130 CitizenM
131 Holiday Inn Express London Southwark
132 Hilton London Bankside
133 Ibis Styles Southwark Rose Hotel
134 Mercure London Bridge Hotel
135 Mondrian London
136 Novotel London Blackfriars
137 Novotel London City South
138 Premier Inn London Southwark Borough Market
139 Premier Inn London Southwark Tate Modern
140 St Christopher’s Village Hostel
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For themed days out, from arts and culture to literary tours or family adventures just go to
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The Rose Playhouse