The museums, cinemas and cultural rooms worth building your days around.
The greatest decorative arts museum in the world — fashion, furniture, textiles, ceramics, photography, architecture from every culture and every century. Free entry. Could take a week. Plan for half a day minimum and accept you will come back.
The new V&A collection storage and study facility in Stratford — 250,000 objects visible behind glass, the research archive open by appointment. One of the most remarkable new museum spaces in Europe.
The Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, the Lewis Chessmen, two million years of human history. Free entry. Go early or late to avoid the worst crowds.
The oldest working cinema in the UK. Armchairs, footstools, a waiter service for food and drinks. Watch something, anything. The experience is entirely the point.
The home and personal collection of the architect Sir John Soane, left exactly as he arranged it at his death in 1837. The Picture Room alone is one of the great museum experiences in the world. Free entry. Book.
The 18th-century government building turned arts and culture venue — exhibitions, film screenings, the ice rink in winter, and the courtyard that is one of the best outdoor spaces in central London.