After landing back in Philadelphia and returning to normal life, I can’t help but miss London: all of its strange, quaint pubs; its green, luscious parks; its secret, underground neighborhoods. London is a huge city, and has more than enough history and culture to stimulate both the mind and senses. Even after five weeks, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of the city’s ins and outs, and there’s definitely much more to see than just the tourist attractions (Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, etc.). Don’t be afraid to stray off the beaten path; since London is so massive, you’ll never know the city entirely. Go prepared and hit up these cool spots.

1. Cereal Killer Cafe

This place is cereal-sly cool. With a vintage '90s theme, the cafe serves every sort of cereal combination imaginable, and then some. Choose from either a cereal cocktail (my personal favorite is Unicorn Poo— a mix of Rice Krispies, marshmallow fluff, sprinkles, carousel cookies, and vanilla flavored milk) or create your own and customize your cereal, toppings, and choice of flavored milk. They also serve some pretty mean malts and hot chocolates, so if your sweet tooth is anything like mine, Cereal Killer is a must.

Cereal from the Cereal Killer Cafe

2. The Tate Modern

London has an incredible set of museums (most of which are free), but the Tate is by far my personal favorite. Not only does the Tate Modern have a jaw-dropping collection (with everything ranging from Braque, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Diebenkorn, Hockney, Warhol, and about a hundred others), but the building itself is also a work of art: Standing 10 stories tall, the building dominates the Southwark landscape.

Wharol's Marilyn Monroes, The Tate

3. The Shard

The Shard is the tallest building in London, and penetrates the London skyline. Standing tall, rigid, and pointed (much like a shard of glass), the Shard is undeniably an architectural masterpiece. It’s also home to the five-star Shangri-La hotel. Though paying to stay at the hotel for a night is out of most people’s budgets, eating a meal at one of its restaurants is not; book brunch, dinner, or afternoon tea at the AquaShard and have the meal of a lifetime with an incredible view of all of London.

View from the Shard

The Shard at night

4. The British Library

You don’t have to be a bookworm to enjoy the British Library. Besides being a cool study or work spot, you can also join free of charge to get your reader’s card, which gives you access to everything in the library. And by everything, I mean everything from preserved British newspapers dating back to the 1700’s, to original first drafts of Beatles lyrics. It has also got a pretty cool treasure room, with a lot of historical artifacts like Jane Austen’s writing desk.

The Round Reading Room in the British Library

5. Sketch Tea

While you’re in London you absolutely have to do high tea. There’s quite a lot of posh, bougie places in London that offer afternoon tea, but Sketch is very unique. Though definitely upscale, Sketch is a quirky experience that you won’t find anywhere else in London. Sketch also boasts a huge collection of David Shrigley art, and you’d be hard-pressed to find so many of his works all in one place; in this sense, it’s a two for one. Plus, Sketch also has a wicked-cool, futuristic bathroom with individual white pods, and some really cool colored glass. Great place for a trippy photo op.

Main tea room, Sketch

Bathrooms at Sketch

6. Camden Town Market/Regent's Canal

A sort of anachronistic bizarre, Camden Town Market feels like a massive, sprawling, underground circus. Loaded with mouth-watering street food from every corner of the world, retro thrift stores, and strange and unusual oddities of every sort, Camden Town Market is really one of a kind. Situated in Camden, a sort of hipster-punk neighborhood of Northwest London, Camden Town Market sits right on Regent's Canal, which is an added bonus. Regent's Canal, which runs through most of Camden, Kings Cross, and Regent's Park, feels like a canal straight out of Venice; you can even rent a gondola boat and cruise down the canal. The canal is perfect for an evening stroll, a morning run, or simply a place to sit and eat your food from Camden Town Market.

Camden Town Market

Regent's Canal

7. Shoreditch

Shoreditch is a small, funky neighborhood in London. Besides being loaded with some dope street art, Shoreditch also has a number of outdoor food markets. There are three markets all within a block or two of each other, each tucked away in tight, little alleys that open up into large outdoor garden spaces. Although similar to the open-air food truck feel of Camden Town Market, Shoreditch is a little more high-end.

Wood-fired pizza I got from Shoreditch

Shoreditch street art

8. Rose Gardens in Regent's Park

Regent's Park is one of many parks in London. Though not thought of as being on par with Hyde Park, Regent's Park is a little quieter. Regent's Park is pretty large— in fact, it actually contains its own open air theater. In the summer months it also has an incredible rose garden. Definitely worth stopping by to smell the flowers.

Regent's Park rose garden

9. Bath

Though not actually in London, Bath is a short train ride away, and worth the trip. Bath, a small town about two hours east of London, is famous for its ancient Roman baths; when the Romans conquered England some two thousand years ago, they converted Bath’s natural free-flowing hot spring into a giant bathing complex. In fact, you can still bathe in the waters, but you have to go to the Bath Spa, not the actual baths themselves. Bath is a cute, quaint town, and is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of London.

Roman Baths plus Bath Abbey

Rooftop Spa, Bath

Colorful umbrellas on Bath's Main Street

10. The National Theater

Though London is famous for Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theater is debatably a close second. Undeniably more modern than the Globe, the National Theater sits right on the Thames, with a kicking view of the London Bridge, the London Eye, and Big Ben. The National Theater is also open to the public, and you can take advantage of its beautiful gardens as a picnic spot. They also breed their own bees, which is strange, fun fact. This means that any honey you buy from the cafe or book store was made onsite. Definitely see a show there, too, if you can; they offer everything from Shakespeare (just like the Globe), to foreign adaptions, to even operas and musicals.

The National Theater at night