Top Family Friendly Things to do in Soho & How to Spend 24 Hours in the Neighbourhood - London
In the West End of London lies the charasmatic streets of Soho featuring a fusion of dining, nightlife as well as shopping options for the locals and the visitors alike. The Old Compton, Beak and Dean streets are the epicentre of activity, both during the day and even after sunset. Soho also attracts theatre fans who make sure to head to the Shaftesbury Avenue to enjoy their favourite plays while the shoppers have endless options to go on a spending spree at the popular Carnaby, Oxford or at Regent Streets. The iconic Liberty's department store is also easily accessible to anyone in Soho. Either one is visiting the neighbourhood for a day or is staying at one of the hotels near Soho, there's lots to do and explore both for traveling solo, with friends or with family!
Soho Square Gardens
Adorned with beautiful flowers and especially colourful tulips that can be seen during the summer, The Soho Square Gardens are a great place for children to run around and chase the pigeons or for adults to sit on the benches and relax. In winter also, the gardens are lovely to grab a seat and enjoy some time with a hot drink or a snack. Being a busy area, parking might seem limited but there are some paid car parking spots near the Soho Square Gardens. The parking charge (Location number: 8462) is £4.9 per hour, and can be paid by phone. The chargeable days and hours are Monday to Saturday from 8:30 till 6:30 pm, however the convenience of paying via mobile is commendable. Besides this, there's also Q-Park Soho where lots of parking spaces are available and is open 24 hours every day.
Shopping at Carnaby & Oxford Streets
If you're interested in shopping, then you must definitely head to these streets as they've got some popular brands with lovely window displays - brilliant not just for shopping but even for window shopping or a great place to stroll around to see the lights that have been displayed to mark the Christmas festivities.
Luxury Shopping at Liberty London, Regent Street
The famous Liberty store can be easily spotted at the Regent Street, and even if you don't plan to buy anything, you must definitely go inside and explore what the store has on offer for the shoppers. The store sells high end brands, however they also have products which aren't too expensive and you might want to get something to keep as a souvenir or to gift to the loved ones. Liberty London also has an amazing Christmas display nowadays, and you might not want to miss seeing that.
Stop at Hamleys Toy Store
A little ahead is the Hamleys toy store, a heaven for children and since BabyN' was with me, I had to stop there for a while. The store currently has a sale going on and some products can be purchased at half-price - definitely a bargain! Also, the staff at the store entertains the visitors really well. Hamleys at the Regent Street also sells waffles and ice cream, and who would want to say 'no' ice cream even in winter?
Shaftesbury Avenue
If you love theatres and watching plays, then you're at the right spot as the Shaftesbury Avenue in Soho has lots of theatres including the extremely famous 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' theatre where lots of tourists and locals can bee seen at all times!
Explore the China Town
Just at a stone’s throw from Hankies Cafe in Soho is the China Town, where visitors can find Bubblewrap, a popular bubble waffle place which generally has quite a long queue outside but luckily I didn't have to wait for long when I was there. The waffles are generally priced at £6.99 and there's extra chargers for any extra toppings.
Try some Instagram Famous Places in Soho
You could get a drink from Jo & the Juice (generally £5 each) or grab a bubble tea from Bubbleology (£4.09 for large). Also, there's a dessert place called Chin Chin that serves delicious ice cream and hot drinks.
M&M's World
A little ahead of the China Town is the M&M's World - a place where kids would love to spend some time or do some shopping. Nowadays, they've got amazing Christmas gifts and some products are also on offer.
Eat in Soho
Soho has lots of different eating options for everyone and with a variety of different cuisines, you won't have to look for food elsewhere. One of my favourite places for Indian food and small plates in Soho is the Hankies Cafe. However, other restaurants such as Dum Biryani and Masala Zone also serve Indian food. For burgers, there's Stax diner and Shake Shack to name a few and just across the street of Soho near Covent Garden is another Indian restaurant called Talli Jo. If you're looking for cheap eats, then check out Chopstix Noodle Bar, The Katti Roll Company or Chattime. The neighbourhood also has lots of cafes and other places for snacks and drinks.
Also, the Rainforest Cafe located on the Shaftesbury Avenue is a perfect place if you're with children. There's not just a restaurant that serves hot food but there's also an interactive store for kids to explore and buy their favourite animal toy.
Go on a Candy Shopping Spree
As you walk across the streets of Soho, you will come across many candy and sweet stores such as Kingdom of Sweets or American Candy that sells lots of different varieties of sweets. I also spotted tins of shortbread and other goodies, and we had to stop there for some shopping.
It was a great experience exploring the Soho neighbourhood and I hope you enjoyed reading about my recent excursion. London definitely has some amazing places to explore as well as some hidden gems. Please let me know in comments, if I've missed anything interesting in Soho as I would definitely love to explore more of the neighbourhood.
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I really want to get a bubble waffle as it's been on my wishlist for ages! I love Hamleys and Liberty as there's so much to look at x
ReplyDeleteWow looks like you had an amazing time in London. Carnaby street is brilliant for some shopping xx
ReplyDeleteI love Soho, I think I have visted everywhere you showed, it is probably my go to place in London. Mich x
ReplyDeleteSo informative and sounds like such fun! I love looking in Hamleys. Thankyou for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing there are so many different things to do will save this for our next trip.
ReplyDeleteLondon is so big and if you look there are so many wonderful places to visit. Your list is great and very useful.
ReplyDeleteI do love Soho, there is so much to do and see there. Carnaby street is fun, I think I need to checkout the sweet shops.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh the shops look overwhelmingly amazing! Liberty looks so beautiful with a delightful array of goodies!
ReplyDeleteI very rarely go to London, but have been to Liberty's and absolutely love it! It's luxurious and beautiful in so many ways :)
ReplyDeleteSo jealous. I really want to go to Hamleys 😂
ReplyDeleteLondon is always on my bucket list. Hoping to visit it soon. Next year please!
ReplyDeleteI love going to London! I'm actually going this weekend to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!
ReplyDeleteWe love shopping in Carnaby Street, especially a sneaky pop into Liberty’s Christmas shop in December x
ReplyDeleteI just love London - I can't wait to go again in March. I really want to visit M&M World when I go!
ReplyDeleteI have visited some of these places but rarely spend time in Soho but your article has given me new ideas
ReplyDeleteI love SoHo! There’s so much to do there and it is so close to the amazing shopping areas. The tulips look beautiful.m, I didn’t know about the gardens !
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