London is a tapestry of stories, parks and cafés that have inspired generations of authors. If you’re a solo traveller with a passion for literature, this is your guide to literary London: concise history, exact addresses, official links—and now the finest library bars where you can sip a cocktail among the shelves.
1. The George Inn
77 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH
The last surviving “coaching inn” in London, frequented by Shakespeare and name-checked by Dickens in Little Dorrit. Its atmospheric courtyard and panelled rooms feel plucked from the 17th century.
2. Charles Dickens Museum
48 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX • dickensmuseum.com
Dickens’s only surviving London house, where he penned Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. Original furnishings, his writing desk and personal library offer a vivid slice of Victorian life. Open Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00. Ticket £12.50.
I also recommend their cafeteria on the ground floor. So lovely!
3. Sherlock Holmes Museum
221B Baker St, London NW1 6XE • sherlock-holmes.co.uk
A faithful recreation of Holmes & Watson’s flat, complete with period newspapers, pipes and deerstalker hats. Open daily 09:30–18:00. Admission £15.
I will write about this in detail, as I had an amazing themed walking tour during my last stay in London and loved it!
4. The Sherlock Holmes Pub
10 Northumberland St, London WC2N 5DB
A traditional English pub filled with Conan Doyle memorabilia. Try the “Sherlock’s Mash” and settle into the cosy alcove modelled on the stories.
5. Shakespeare’s Globe
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside SE1 9DT • shakespearesglobe.com
A painstaking reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse. Guided tours run daily, and in season, you can enjoy open-air performances. Tours from £17.
6. Persephone Books
59 Lamb’s Conduit St, London WC1N 3NB • persephonebooks.co.uk
An independent publisher reviving overlooked fiction by women from the 1920s–60s. Their uniform grey-jacketed editions include illuminating historical notes and author biographies.
7. 31 Kensington Park Gardens (Peter Pan’s Darling Home)
Kensington Park Gardens, London W2 4BH
The likely inspiration for the Darling family residence in Peter Pan. Though privately owned, it’s a lovely Georgian façade to admire from the street.
8. “Libreria” – Silent Reading Room
14 Endell St, Covent Garden WC2H 9PB
No Wi-Fi, no café—just comfy chairs, natural light and bookshelves stocked with classic and contemporary titles. Pure reading bliss.
9. The British Library
96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB • bl.uk
Home to treasures such as Beowulf and the Magna Carta. Don’t miss the free “Treasures of the British Library” exhibition in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery.
10. Bloomsbury & Virginia Woolf
Tavistock Square, WC1H & 46 Gordon Sq, WC1H
Stroll between the squares where Woolf, E.M. Forster and Lytton Strachey met. Look out for the blue plaque at 46 Gordon Square—Woolf’s former address.
11. Keats House
10 Keats Grove, Hampstead NW3 2RR
The Georgian villa where John Keats wrote his famous odes. Explore the house and garden—ideal for reciting poetry at sunset. Open Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00. Ticket £7.
12. Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey
20 Deans Yd, London SW1P 3PA • westminster-abbey.org
Pay homage to Chaucer, Dickens (cenotaph) and countless literary giants interred or commemorated here. Open Mon–Sat 09:30–15:30. Ticket £25.
13. Hatchards & Daunt Books
- Hatchards (187 Piccadilly W1J 9LE • hatchards.co.uk): London’s oldest bookshop (est. 1797), famed for its luxury editions and expert staff.
- Daunt Books (83 Marylebone High St W1U 4QW • dauntbooks.co.uk): Edwardian-style travel bookstore, perfect for browsing thematic shelves.
14. Word on Water
Granary Square, King’s Cross N1C 4BH • wordonwater.co.uk
At Granary Square, one of my favourite bookshops in London, Word on the Water, is usually moored. It is certainly not the best stocked, but it is definitely the one that makes me dream and fantasise as soon as I approach it. It is cosy, romantic, and masterfully run: an excellent selection of books, jazz concerts, artistic improvisations, and cheerful chats with customers and guests.
15. Library Bars for Bookish Cocktails
Combine your love of literature with an evening tipple at these stylish spots:
- Scarfes Bar (The Rosewood, 252 High Holborn WC1V 7EN • scarfes.com)
Walls lined with Gerald Scarfe’s caricatures, 1,000 antiquarian volumes and cocktails inspired by classic novels. - Library Bar at The Lanesborough (Hyde Park Corner SW1X 7TA • thelondonlanesborough.com)
Plush armchairs, “liquid museum” of gin and whisky, plus the hotel’s own London Dry gin. - Library Bar at The Ned (27 Poultry EC2R 8AJ • thened.com)
Hidden behind heavy drapes, specialises in champagne and bespoke martinis. - Swans Bar at Maison Assouline (7–8 Pall Mall SW1Y 5LA • maisonassouline.com)
Elegant decor, art-book library and cocktails named after literary luminaries. - BookBar (282 Blackstock Rd, Finsbury Park N4 2DW • bookbar.co.uk)
“Wine & Words” evenings, read-and-sip events, live music and wine-tastings among the shelves.
Practical Tips
- Book ahead for the Dickens Museum, Globe tours and popular library bars.
- Walking Tours: Enjoy free literary walking tours (with voluntary donations) that reveal the city’s hidden bookish corners.
Ready to lose yourself in London’s literary world? Pack a notebook, grab your favourite book and let the city’s stories unfold around you.
