Why You Should Visit London This Winter

London is the perfect wintertime destination to cozy up with a warm cup of tea, seated by the crackling fire at a world-class hotel. And a slew of exciting new restaurants, shows and exhibits this season—including the debut of a long-awaited luxury hotel and the opening of a high-profile shopping and dining complex—offer all the more reason to go now. Read on to discover why you should travel to London this winter.

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to London. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan great meals and custom activities.

A Glamorous Hotel Debut

One of Europe’s most eagerly anticipated hotel openings is expected to grace the British capital this winter, as beloved luxury hotel brand Belmond will christen its first London property, the Belmond Cadogan, in early 2019. Set at the intersection of three coveted neighborhoods—Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Belgravia—the nearly 130-year-old historic Cadogan hotel received a $48 million renovation and full reimagining by the Belmond team. The property will now house 54 rooms (including 39 suites and a spectacular penthouse), a modern British restaurant from the talented young chef Adam Handling and an elegant afternoon tea room that transforms into a cocktail lounge at night. A highlight is the hotel’s exclusive access to the 93-acre Cadogan Estate Gardens across the street. Designed in 1886 and typically reserved for local residents only, this elegant expanse with a Secret Garden atmosphere is the perfect place for a quiet stroll or, in warmer months, a picnic and a match on the private tennis courts. The Belmond also plans to offer its guests several uniquely British experiences, such as a private breakfast with a London cabbie.

Related: Heckfield Place, A Stunning New Hotel in Hampshire, England

An Array of Buzzed-About Eateries

For a city that is always welcoming acclaimed additions to its dining scene, this winter has seen a particularly newsworthy batch of newcomers, including a shopping and dining complex across from King’s Cross Station that is a destination in itself. Brat, one of the trendiest new restaurants in Shoreditch, comes from Chef Tomos Parry of Kitty Fisher’s and serves Basque-inspired meat and seafood dishes. Kerridge’s Bar & Grill opened in the palatial Corinthia Hotel, where the Michelin-starred English chef Tom Kerridge cooks up his signature fare of fish and chips and rotisserie meats.

And many of the city’s hottest new tables can be found next door to each other, thanks to the much-anticipated debut of Coal Drop Yards, a shopping, dining and cultural center housed in a large industrial site (during the Victorian era, this site was where coal was deposited, sorted and prepared for transport throughout the city). Shoppers could while away hours at the stores and studios here, including outposts from British designers Tom Dixon and Paul Smith, while foodies will love the diverse array of offerings, including Barrafina, one of the city’s most popular tapas bars; Hicce, from the former head chef at Michelin-starred Murano; and Vermuteria, from the chef behind lauded Mayfair restaurant Wild Honey.

Theater buffs have a wealth of options to choose from right now. Critically acclaimed The Inheritance explores the legacy of AIDS in New York at the Noel Coward Theatre through January 19, while Pinter at the Pinter features all 20 of British playwright Harold Pinter’s one-act plays in seven repertory groupings at the Harold Pinter Theatre through February 23. Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company is reinvented with its first-ever female protagonist and a starry performance by Tony winner Patti LuPone at the Gielgud Theatre (through March 30), and the record-breaking Come From Away, which tells the true story of a small Canadian town that welcomed nearly 7,000 stranded strangers after the September 11 terrorist attacks, makes its move from Broadway to the West End on January 30.