Bloomsbury London - Things to do in London

Things to do in Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is small area of London which is located to the south of St Pancras and to the north of Covent Garden. It’s still best known for being home to the ‘The Bloomsbury Set’ a group of authors including Virginia Woolf who lived and wrote here in the early 20th century. Other residents of note include Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens and more recently Ricky Gervais. The intellectual kudos of the area lives on in the educational institutions, museums and teaching hospitals which are found here. 

Thanks to the large leafy areas and lack of stereotypical tourist attractions, Bloomsbury is a fairly relaxed area compared to the normal mayhem of central London. Home to a couple of London’s universities and the several museums, it has a slightly more cerebral feel than most places, and a wander round the various shaded squares and coffee shops is probably one of the most middle-class experiences London has to offer.  At night, the best attractions in the area are undoubtedly the two bowling alleys, Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes and All Star Lanes.

Places to go in Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury Theatre
A comfortable 535 seat theatre with a nice ‘local’ vibe, despite it’s central location, the Bloomsbury Theatre has a bit of an anarchic feel, thanks mostly to its close association with University College and it’s love of fringe theatre. It’s large, circular auditorium makes it arguably the best comedy venue in the city.

Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes
With karaoke rooms, air hockey, bowling lanes and the biggest pizzas we’ve ever seen, The Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes is the place to be for anyone looking for a spot of vaguely retro fun. In our opinion, it’s at it’s best when the old school hip hop night is on.

Political Cartoon Gallery
How’s about this for London’s most specific art gallery? The Political Cartoon Gallery does exactly what it says on the tin, and whether you believe that sharp political satire can bring down governments or not, this is always worth the occasional visit.

Bloomsbury Tavern
Even though it’s within spitting distance of both Totenham Court Road and the West End, the Bloomsbury Tavern is still probably your best bet for a quiet pint in Central London. Serving up excellent draft beers, and never really feeling full despite being the size of a shoebox, we love it!

The British Museum
A treasure trove of artefacts that the British have dutifully been looting, buying, and digging up for the last 200-odd years, the British Museum is way too big to describe fully in just a couple of sentences. In fact it’s way too big to look at in just one visit. From the slightly creepy Egyptian mummies, to the endless rooms of pottery and the magnificent reading room, this is definitely ione of London’s top attractions.

Bloomsbury Facts
Tubes: Russell Square, Goodge StreetBorough: Camden

Popular events in Bloomsbury

Event Categories

•   Exhibitions
  • Antiquity
  • Collection

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