The South Bank gets underestimated. People treat it as the bit between Waterloo Bridge and Tower Bridge where you walk when the weather is good. The river walk is excellent with stunning views, but it undersells what’s actually here.
This is one of the densest concentrations of cultural venues in Europe, including institutions like the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre, and the BFI. It’s also an interesting place for interesting people to visit. Here’s what’s worth knowing.
What the South Bank actually is
The South Bank runs along the Thames from Waterloo Bridge east towards London Bridge, with Bankside continuing past Tate Modern. Southwark is the borough; SE1 is the postcode. The area has been a centre of London life since before the city was what it is today.
What makes it work now is the combination of interesting things happening at any given moment. Theatre, film, music, food markets, galleries, riverside walks. It’s not a tourist trap in the way some of central London is. People who live and work here spend time immersing themselves in the rich culture. That’s the difference.
The culture
The Southbank Centre, which includes the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall is one of the best cultural venues in the country, with a programme that runs year-round including some free events. The National Theatre is next door. The BFI is steps away, with its programme of screenings, festivals, and other events.
Tate Modern is a ten-minute walk away. It’s worth going. The gallery has free and paid exhibitions. On display are paintings, sculptures and large-scale installations curated from artists around the world that have previously included Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama and Henri Matisse.
Shakespeare’s Globe is on Bankside. Both the theatre plays and the exhibition inside are worth a visit. Borough Market is a five-minute walk, open Thursday to Saturday and renowned as one of the better food markets in the city rather than just a tourist attraction.
Getting around
Southwark, London Bridge, Waterloo, and Blackfriars stations are all within walking distance of the South Bank depending on exactly where you are, at least two of those are close. The Thames Clipper runs from Bankside Pier if you’d rather see London by water. Southwark and Blackfriars Bridges connect you to the north side on foot.
Where to eat and drink
Borough Market is the obvious starting point, but the area around it has enough popular independent restaurants and bars that you could eat differently every night for a week. Bermondsey Street, running south from London Bridge, has a concentration of good spots and a more local feel than the riverside. Flat Iron Square nearby hosts food vendors and events.
The market edges are often more interesting than the centre: Gujarati Rasoi does authentic Indian food, and Tartufaia is worth stopping at for truffle products.
Native’s Neighbourhood Heroes network covers this ground in more useful detail than a generic list.
Where to stay: Verso
Native’s Verso apartments are on Ewer Street in Southwark; one and two-bedroom apartments that sit in the middle of all of this without making a fuss about it. The building’s bold punctuated facade opens into light, voluminous interiors: mid-century modern pieces, calm neutral palette, materials chosen to make the most of natural light.
Native’s Verso apartments are designed for living, not just passing through. Whether you’re relocating to the city or embedding yourself here for an extended project, it’s the space you need to settle in, to cook, work, and host, giving your stay a natural rhythm that a hotel room simply can’t replicate. Most of what SE1 has to offer is walkable from here, and that’s the point: being based in the neighbourhood rather than commuting in.
The location works well for longer stays if you want to actually spend time in one of London’s more interesting corners rather than racing between attractions.
