We spent 24 hours exploring the vibrant art scene in London’s West End. Here's what we did.
Travel
We took the Avanti West Coast from Glasgow Central to London Euston. Trains depart hourly from 4.30am to 6.30pm, with the shortest journey time being 4 hours 32 mins. Booking a seat is recommended.
From Euston, it was 30-minute walk to Covent Garden and Leicester Square in the West End, or 15 minutes on the Underground, from Euston to Leicester Square stations.
Return Advance Off Peak tickets start around £81.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Assembly on Charing Cross Road. The rooms are small and basic (those with windows are more expensive) but adhere to the hotel’s “get in and get out” slogan. Although compact, they’re air-conditioned, functional and clean, with comfy beds. The location is the star of the show - right in the heart of the West End - and no more than a ten minute walk from the trio of Galleries that form part of Art of London’s cultural offerings. Breakfast is available at the rooftop bar ( £15 p/p) with sweeping views towards the Thames, Big Ben and the dome of St Paul's.
We skipped breakfast and ventured up to the rooftop for evening cocktails - not cheap at £18 per drink plus service charge - but the views were worth it.
Prices vary, but start at around £200 for a superior double room (windowless) and £230 for a deluxe double in Sept/Oct.
Assembly Leicester Square, 27-31 Charing Cross Road, London assemblyhotels.com
The National Gallery
First up we visited the world class National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, home to over 2300 works of art, including Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci, Turner and Rembrandt.
After browsing the masterpieces, we explored two of the current free exhibits. Hockney and Piero: A Closer Look, is a fascinating exhibition displaying two of Hockney’s paintings, one showing his mother and father and the other depicting his friend, curator Henry Geldzahler. These are displayed alongside his inspiration for these: Piero Della Francesca’s, The Baptism of Christ. The exhibit examines the inspiration of the 15th century Italian painter on Hockney’s work.
A beautiful exhibition, Discover Degas and Miss La La, explores the influences and process the artist engaged with to produce his 1879 work, Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando. The exhibit includes sketches and colourful vintage circus posters, with Degas’ iconic painting as the centrepiece.
Free Entry Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN · (020) 7747 2885 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Next on our ‘Art of London’ tour was the Royal Academy in Piccadilly, to see In The Eye of The Storm, Modernism In Ukraine, 1900-1930s, which brings together 65 artworks. Many of the artworks are on loan from galleries in Ukraine; the art dispersed around Europe for safekeeping, a consequence of the conflict within the country. This engrossing exhibition shares the story of modernist artists in Ukraine and their attempts to produce a recognisable national style in a bid for Ukrainian statehood and cultural autonomy. Volodymyr Burliuk’s sad and thoughtful portrait, Ukrainian Peasant Woman, from 1910-11, is a poignant piece that reflects the important influence of folk art on the work of Ukranian artists.
Also worth visiting is Frederic Leighton’s fabulous 1895 painting, Flaming June. A vibrant depiction of Summer symbolised by a sleeping girl against the backdrop of a shining sea.
Free general entry; £17 Adult entry to In The Eye Of The Storm Burlington House, Piccadily, W1J OBD Royalacademy.org.uk
National Portrait Gallery
Our final visit was to the portrait gallery, which reopened last year after an extensive three year refurbishment. The gallery houses the largest collection of portraits in the world with 220,000 works dating from the 8th century to today.
The fascinating Six Lives exhibition features portraits of the many wives of Henry VIII. Including historic paintings, contemporary photography, costume and film, this interesting exhibition draws upon a wealth of factual and fictional materials to present the life, legacy and portrayal of these six women.
2 St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE · (020) 7312 2490 npg.org.uk Free general entry; Six Lives £21/£5 concession
Just around the corner, on Shaftesbury Avenue, is Albert’s Schloss - a fun, lively Alpine themed restaurant and beer hall. The venue claims to serve Europe’s best tankards of bier, has an extensive cocktail list and hosts a seven day programme of live music. When we visited, in early evening, customers were dancing to a live band playing hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s. We enjoyed a Limoncello Gin Fizz (£11.50), and a tankard of German Bitburger Unfiltered (£7).
20-25 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D7EU albertschloss.com
Dinner
A few minutes walk from Albert’s Schloss, Farzi London is a modern Indian bistro serving cutting edge, avant-garde Indian cuisine. With contemporary décor and a background soundtrack of 1940s swing music, the restaurant defies our perception of typical Indian restaurants. And, the menu continues this theme, serving traditional Northern Indian dishes with a modern twist.
We started with a glass of cool, crisp Sauvignon Blanc and an Old Fashioned which came theatrically encased in a smoked filled glass bowl. Opting for the tasting menu- both the meat and the vegetarian option – we each received four small plate starters which included beautifully presented Achari Chicken Tikka, Karachi Lamb Shammi Spinach & Kale Chaat and a Goat’s Cheese Kebab with Cranberry Chutney. The bitesize portions were helpfully presented with an explanation of the ingredients and cooking methods. The star of the show was the Dal-Chawal Arancini – a light and tasty lentil daal and rice croquette accompanied by Achar Papad Chutney.
For the mains, we had a vibrant green spinach and garlic paneer from the vegetarian menu and a succulent Lamb Kadhai, followed by a triple sorbet desert and a smooth rich Chocolate Indulgence. The relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and flavoursome dishes made this an ideal finale to our day in the West End.
Tasting menu, Meat/vegetarian- £39 for 2 courses 8 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4BP restaurant@farzilondon.com
Art of London is a consumer arts initiative that showcases art and culture across London’s West End district. It’s popular online guides can be found at https://artoflondon.co.uk
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