You’re stuck on a London Layover and have booked your London Hotels and sorted out your list of activities. But if you are a vegetarian or vegan, where are you going to eat out? London more than caters for those who prefer not to eat meat, and Layover Guide lists London’s five best vegetarian restaurants:

Tibits

14-18 Heddon Street

City of London, Greater London W1B 4DA

As the young, spirited offspring of Europe’s oldest vegetarian restaurant – the 100-year-old Hiltl of Zurich – Tibits certainly has great pedigree. It offers a variety of dishes citing Asian, Indian and Mediterranean cuisines combining the traditional methods of its elder relative but with a modern twist. The emphasis here is on producing meals that are good for you. It is a buffet style restaurant that allows you to choose your dishes before buying according to its weight. But Tibits isn’t your bog standard all-you-can-eat affair. Its classy yet comfortable and chilled out environment means it caters for a variety of diners but who seek food that is fresh, innovative and above all – healthy.

Food For Thought

31 Neal Street

Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PR

While many vegetarian restaurants are seeking to move away from the ‘hippy’ image of days gone by with sleek modern settings, Food For Thought has chosen to stay like it seemingly always has been. This basement café is perhaps easy to miss hidden amongst the trendy coffee stores of Covent Garden but once inside its ramshackle yet homely appearance instantly transports you away from the buzzing metropolis to a farm kitchen from yesteryear. If you want privacy though this may not be your cup of tea, their isn’t much space so be prepared to share your table at busy times. The well-prepared food served by seemingly endlessly busy staff more than makes up for it.

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CLICK HERE for London’s Best Restaurants

The Gate

51 Queen Caroline Street,

Hammersmith, W6 9QL

The Gate has a school dinner hall vibe, with tall ceilings towering above endless rows of tables and chairs may mean first impressions aren’t always the greatest, but that belies an excellent eatery serving high class food. Generous portion sizes of food ranging from Thai salads to Mediterranean vegetables with Middle Eastern platters plucked straight from the finest Dubai Hotels in between, you can get the full range of vegetarian food here at reasonable prices.

Blah Blah Blah

78 Goldhawk Road

Shepherd’s Bush, London, W12 8HA

Even the name Blah Blah Blah suggests is going to be a different eating experience. A warm welcome by the cheery staff greets you here and seats you at your table amongst the rightly coloured walls, beaming spotlights and ornate ironwork. On to the eating and a wide variety of tasty home-cooked style food will please even meat-eaters and the BYO alcohol rule (with compulsory – if small – corkage charge) means you can save more cash to splash out on a dessert.

222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant

222 North End Road

West Kensington, London W14 9NU

While there has been an explosion of vegetarian restaurants in recent years, vegans often struggle to find places to eat out. Thankfully, 222 offers tasty vegan meals that are just as good as their meat or dairy equivalents. It may take some finding as it is hidden away on a Kensington back street but once found, this restaurant’s simple surroundings and basic but tasty menu more than does the job. Desserts are a particular highlight with non-dairy ice cream, wheat free apple crumble and tofu cheesecake.

Given it is one of the biggest cities in Europe and also one of the most cosmopolitan, it is safe to say that London has its fair share of excellent restaurants. But with so much variety it is almost impossible to pick five that are better than the rest – and a lot would depend on your mood, tastes and budget. Layover Guide has, however, chosen our top picks of London’s best restaurants according to the type of food and the price, including authentic Indian fare, meals that would not look out of place at the most luxurious Dubai hotels and healthy alternatives to a McDonalds or Burger King:

The Cinnamon Club

The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BU

The first thing you notice about this Indian restaurant is its stunning location in an authentically restored grade II listed Victorian Building. The food matches its grandiose surroundings with creative and varied dishes a cut above your average chicken korma or vindaloo – gamey rabbit tikka with bold dill, mustard & garlic chutney anyone? (A recommended choice.)

Arbutus

63-64 Frith Street, London W1D 3JW

Chef Anthony Demetre’s modern European affair is an admirable attempt to bring fine dining to the masses but still retaining that hallmark of quality. An extensive wine list complements a hearty but widely varied menu that should cost a lot more than it actually does.

L’Anima

1 Snowden Street, Broadgate West, London EC2A 2DQ

Italian restaurants are one of the most popular eateries found in the UK today but L’Anima – Italian for soul – is not your average pizza and pasta joint; it is authentic Italian food at its finest in a luxurious setting in the heart of the city, near the finest London hotels, parks and tourist attractions. Yes this comes at a price – with main dishes hovering around the £23-28 mark – but at those times where you feel like treating yourself and you want to ensure it is money well spent, you can’t go wrong here.

Beetroot

92 Berwick Street, London W1F 0QD

Opened in 1997, this vegetarian café exudes healthy eating – you even feel healthier simply by walking in and admiring the fresh, colorful vegetarian food on the counter. Salads, hot dishes and smoothies are all on the menu, making it a healthy middle-of-the-day pit stop.

Four Seasons

12 Gerrard Street, London W1D 5PR

No, this is not the chain of hotels but an equally popular Chinese restaurant offering authentic Cantonese style dishes at extremely reasonable prices. Such is it’s popularity though don’t expect to linger after you have eaten your food, as there will be a queue of eager and hungry customers waiting to take your table! Luckily there are sister restaurants in Bayswater and Wardour Street if this one is booked up.

Have a suggestion for Best London Restaurants? Leave a comment below!

Credit: Clarence House Press Office/Mario Testino

With the U.K. gripped in wedding fever, an extra public holiday and even the hope of a bit of British summer weather there has never been a more perfect time to pay England a visit.

There’s nothing like a royal wedding to unite the nation, preparations have already begun for street parties across the United Kingdom, with London itself set to be a fantastic place to visit around the 29th April 2011. Restaurants and bars have set up Royal Wedding themed menus, souvenirs of the event are being sold from stalls and shops throughout the city and one million people are expected to line the streets around Westminster Abbey to watch the Royal procession on the big day itself.

With London being such an exciting place to visit this spring, here are some of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s favourite haunts to ensure you experience the very best of a royal getaway.

Mahiki

Tiki-themed nightspot Mahiki has been a favourite with young royals for a long time. This Mayfair club offers delicious themed food and cocktails over 2 floors and is the perfect place to spot the most famous of ‘A’ listers. During their brief separation in 2007, Kate and William both partied here separately and often enjoy nights out here together and with Prince Harry and his on/off girlfriend Chelsey Davy. The nightspot is so linked with the royal couple that it even a stop on the increasingly popular ‘Royal Wedding Walking Tours’ that are being run in the capital.

Dans le Noir

Completely in darkness, Dans le Noir is one of the few restaurants in the world where Prince William and Kate can truly eat undisturbed. This unique experience involves diners entering a dimly lit bar and choosing from the menu what they would like to eat, the staff, all of whom are blind or partially sighted, led them into a pitch black dining room. The culinary experience of eating without sight is designed to heighten the senses and give diners an idea of how it feels everyday for the blind staff who are serving. Experience what William and Kate did when they dined here as well as enjoying your own unique evening that you are sure to be talking about for years to come.

Garrard and Co Jewellers

Back in 1981, crown jewellers Garrard, situated on Albemarle St, created the royal engagement ring for William’s mother Princess Diana. As a tribute to his late mother, William has given the beautiful sapphire ring to Kate, which Diana once joked she choose as it was the biggest in the shop! If money is no object then Garrard offers an engagement ring bespoke service where you can design the perfect rock for your special someone. If that isn’t quite in your price range for your trip away a visit to the store can prove fun in itself even if you can only gaze through the windows wistfully!

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey will be the setting for the ceremony itself, the venue steeped in history has been the venue of choice for royals since its completion in the 11^th century with 38 kings and queens being crowned here in an unbroken run since Edward the confessor. Westminster Abbey holds a very personal connection with Prince William — it was here in 1997 that he attended his mother’s funeral in 2002, the funeral of his great grandmother, The Queen Mother, and it may possibly be the venue for his own coronation if he were to become king. Of course the Abbey will be out of bounds on the big day itself but the flower arrangements will stay for the week afterwards for visitors to view as well as the seating plan. And those who have a London Sightseeing Pass can even recreate Kate’s soon to be world famous walk down the aisle.

The Goring

The luxury Goring Hotel in London is the rumoured residence where Kate will spend her last night before she officially becomes a member of the British Royal Family and where at least some of the closely guarded wedding reception will take place after the ceremony. The hotel is the very epitome of luxury and royal history, situated just 400 yards away from Buckingham Palace it has played host to past Kings and Queens for the last 100 years. With 71 rooms and suites available although you will not be able to book a room over the Royal Wedding weekend, of you want your own slice of royal history you can book a room from £410 to a suite at £1525 a night.

The Ritz

The Ritz Hotel, long associated with royalty and history in London is offering its own very special take on the Royal Wedding celebrations. The hotel is offering a long weekend of activities in its Monarch and Matrimony package, where guests can enjoy two nights luxury accommodation, a themed Royal Wedding brunch, live coverage of the event and commemorative gifts for a total of £1460 per person. If you would prefer to just enjoy the brunch at this quintessentially British institution on the big day, it will set you back around £150 per person or afternoon tea at £50 per person. With the Royal Family having celebrated the Queens 80^th birthday at The Ritz back in 2006, this luxury hotel is the ideal place to watch the coverage of the wedding and toast the happy couple.

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On Thursday Justin Bieber caused a fan frenzy in Liverpool, England as large number of fans gathered outside his hotel room at the Hard Days Night Hotel, which ironically is a hotel that caters towards diehard fans of the Beatles.

In fact, all 110 rooms of the hotel are decorated with a Beatles theme, and the Beatles Story Museum are steps from the hotel. In addition, the Hard Days Night Hotel Liverpool is located 8.3 miles from the Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The hotel also includes a bar and lounge, tour desk, a modern fitness center, airport shuttle service, concierge desk, laundry service, meeting rooms and much more.

Justin Tweeted about the large crowds of fans gathered around his hotel, “This is crazy. There are like thousands of people out there. love everybody but gonna try and get some sleep. please dont scream. Lol,” he Tweeted.

One thing is for certain. The Hard Days Night Hotel is giving Justin Bieber the full Beatles experience! Or… vice versa!

Credit: Clarence House Press Office/Mario Testino

With the Royal Wedding only months away, it appears as if it isn’t just invited guests booking their tickets to London.

According to Kayak.com, there’s been a massive amount of queries for airfare to London during the April 29^th timeframe.

The popular travel site has recorded an increase of 300% in flight searches for the weekend of April 29 and an increase of 800% for hotels that same weekend.

Media outlets are already hailing the upcoming nuptials as the event of the year, and it appears as if there will be quite a few people who won’t want to miss the festivities.

T-Mobile’s Life’s For Sharing brought us a welcome home to remember.

The video, which has already gotten over 3.5 million hits on YouTube, features a group of singers serenading passengers coming home at London’s Heathrow Terminal 5.

The musical video has also caught on in the celebrity realm.

Actress Olivia Wilde Tweeted the video out to her followers.  “My dream airport experience,” she wrote.

And English actor Stephen Frye Tweeted, “I’m sure you’ve seen it but still: if your heart has cockles this will surely warm them.”

If you haven’t seen the musical airport number, check out the video below.

For updates, exclusive content and more info on T-Mobile’s talented cast, visit their new Facebook group.

Stuck on a stopover at London Stansted Airport (STN) in England? The airport is the third-largest in London, and is located roughly 30 miles from downtown London, which makes the city an accessible destination for those on long stopovers. If you’re trying to determine whether you can leave the airport during your London stopover, click here for useful tips.

For the Layover Guide to London Heathrow’s International Airport, CLICK HERE!

If you’re stuck inside the Stansted Airport during a London stopover, there’s plenty to do to keep you occupied during your wait. The airport has a number of shops, and places to eat. In addition, you can book an airport lounge (for the full list of Stansted airport lounges, click here), take a shower in the departure lounge or in international arrivals, or enjoy the view at Pret a Manger where you can watch planes take off and land.

For London Layover Tours, CLICK HERE!

There are also business facilities, Internet access, post facilities, banking and currency exchange, and much more.

If you’d like to drop your bags off while you explore, the London Stansted airport offer Left Luggage facilities during your stopover for a charge of £8.75 per 24 hours or part thereafter. It’s open 24 hours, and for more information, call +44 (0)1279 663 213 or +44 (0)1279 663 489.

If you arrive at night or are looking for a place to rest during your London stopover, there are many hotels of varying price points nearby the hotel in London. For a comprehensive list of London hotels, click here.

If you plan on leaving the Stansted airport during your stopover, there are many transportation options including taxi, buses and coaches, trains and rental car.

LayoverGuide.com’s Suggestions Of Things To Do On A London Stopover:

Sightseeing Bus

The hop-on, hop-off bus gives a commentary of the sights as you pass them. Tickets can be purchased right on the bus or online. You can “hop on” at Paddington station, and “hop off” wherever you choose.

Tower of London

At The  Tower of London, you’ll find torture exhibits as well as the famous Crown Jewels which including 530 carat Star at the Jewel House. Beefeaters, who are the walking tour guides, lead the hour-long tours every hour until 3:30p.m.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, home to the British monarch, is another favorite sightseeing spot for those with only a short time in London. Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner are the closest Tube stations. Also, you can catch the changing of the guard, but should check ahead for the schedule as it does not happen every day.

Westminster Abbey and Big Ben

Exit the tube at the Westminster stop. You will first see Big Ben and further down the street Westminster Abbey, where Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Tennyson, Browning, and Dickens are all buried here.

Cabinet War Rooms

Close to the Abby, you can see the actual underground bunker Winston Churchill used during World War II. Everything there from the wall maps, to Churchill’s cot are authentic.

Windsor Castle

The 900-year-old Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world.

Thorpe Palace

Thorpe Park is London’s most popular attractions and theme parks. It opened as a water park in 1970 however more thrill rides were added later.

None of these activities interest you? Here’s a list of more suggestions of places you can visit during London stopover at the London Stansted airport.

Have a suggestion for a London Stansted stopover? Leave a comment below!

Do some research before you book Egypt holidays. There is so much to see and do, that you need to make some difficult choices. Nile cruises, diving at Sharm and the Pyramids, just to get started.

Stuck on a stopover at London Luton Airport (LTN) in England? The airport is located roughly 35 miles from downtown London which makes the city an accessible destination for those on long stopovers. If you’re trying to determine whether you can leave the airport during your London Luton stopover, click here for useful tips.

For the Layover Guide to London Heathrow’s International Airport, CLICK HERE!

If you’re stuck in the London Luton airport during your stopover, there’s plenty to do. The Luton airport has plenty of shopping and eating facilities, as well as an Executive Lounge, Baby Care in the Departure Lounge, and postal facilities.

BT Openzone, a public-access wireless broadband (Wi-Fi) service, is now available at the London Luton airport accessible through hotspots around the airport including all gates and the Executive Lounge.

For London Layover Tours, CLICK HERE!

If you’d like to drop off your bags while you explore during your London Lutin stopover, there are Left Luggage facilities open 24 hours/day in the Check-In Concourse. Charges are £6.00/ €7.50 per item per 24 hours and payments can be made in Sterling, Euro (€5 and €10 notes only) and by credit card.

If you arrive at night or are looking for a place to rest during your London stopover, there are many hotels of varying price points nearby the hotel in London. For a comprehensive list of London hotels, click here.

If you’re planning on traveling into London during your Lutin stopover, there are a number of transportation options including taxi, rail, bus and coach, and car rental.

LayoverGuide.com’s Suggestions Of Things To Do On A London Stopover:

Sightseeing Bus

The hop-on, hop-off bus gives a commentary of the sights as you pass them. Tickets can be purchased right on the bus or online. You can “hop on” at Paddington station, and “hop off” wherever you choose.

Tower of London

At The  Tower of London, you’ll find torture exhibits as well as the famous Crown Jewels which including 530 carat Star at the Jewel House. Beefeaters, who are the walking tour guides, lead the hour-long tours every hour until 3:30p.m.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, home to the British monarch, is another favorite sightseeing spot for those with only a short time in London. Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner are the closest Tube stations. Also, you can catch the changing of the guard, but should check ahead for the schedule as it does not happen every day.

Westminster Abbey and Big Ben

Exit the tube at the Westminster stop. You will first see Big Ben and further down the street Westminster Abbey, where Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Tennyson, Browning, and Dickens are all buried here.

Cabinet War Rooms

Close to the Abby, you can see the actual underground bunker Winston Churchill used during World War II. Everything there from the wall maps, to Churchill’s cot are authentic.

Windsor Castle

The  900-year-old Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world.

Thorpe Palace

Thorpe Park is London’s most popular attractions and theme parks. It opened as a water park in 1970 however more thrill rides were added later.

None of these activities interest you? Here’s a list of more suggestions of places you can visit during London stopover at the London Luton airport.

Have a suggestion for a London Luton stopover? Leave a comment below!

Find bargain holidays by connecting to the expert travel agents with a reputation for finding great deals. Holidays are wonderful for relieving stress.

Stuck on a stopover at London City Airport (LCY) in England? The airport is located roughly 7 miles from downtown London which makes the city an accessible destination for those on long stopovers. If you’re trying to determine whether you can leave the airport during your London stopover, click here for useful tips.

For the Layover Guide to London Heathrow’s International Airport, CLICK HERE!

If you’re stuck inside during your London stopover, the London City airport has free Wi-Fi for all passengers. There is also a Business Center located in City Aviation House. In addition, you can check out the airport’s shopping and eating and dining options, buy currency, or stop by a post office, baby changing facility, or shoe shine.

London City Airport offers a left luggage service if you’d like to drop off your bags while you explore. Left luggage service is available at a charge of £5 per item per 24-hour period. Call +44 (0) 20 7646 0000/88 or +44 (0) 20 3203 2000/88 for more information.

For London Layover Tours, CLICK HERE!

If you arrive at night or are looking for a place to rest during your London stopover, there are many hotels of varying price points nearby the hotel in London. For a comprehensive list of London hotels, click here.

There are many transportation options if you plan on leaving the airport and traveling into London during your stopover. Rental cars are available for hire from the London City Airport. You can also travel by taxi (click here for rates), train, bus, shuttle express service, or rail.

LayoverGuide.com’s Suggestions Of Things To Do On A London Stopover:

Sightseeing Bus

The hop-on, hop-off bus gives a commentary of the sights as you pass them. Tickets can be purchased right on the bus or online. You can “hop on” at Paddington station, and “hop off” wherever you choose.

Tower of London

At The  Tower of London, you’ll find torture exhibits as well as the famous Crown Jewels which including 530 carat Star at the Jewel House. Beefeaters, who are the walking tour guides, lead the hour-long tours every hour until 3:30p.m.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, home to the British monarch, is another favorite sightseeing spot for those with only a short time in London. Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner are the closest Tube stations. Also, you can catch the changing of the guard, but should check ahead for the schedule as it does not happen every day.

Westminster Abbey and Big Ben

Exit the tube at the Westminster stop. You will first see Big Ben and further down the street Westminster Abbey, where Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Tennyson, Browning, and Dickens are all buried here.

Cabinet War Rooms

Close to the Abby, you can see the actual underground bunker Winston Churchill used during World War II. Everything there from the wall maps, to Churchill’s cot are authentic.

Windsor Castle

The 900-year-old Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world.

Thorpe Palace
Thorpe Park is London’s most popular attractions and theme parks. It opened as a water park in 1970 however more thrill rides were added later.

None of these activities interest you? Here’s a list of more suggestions of places you can visit during London stopover at the London City airport.

Have a suggestion for a London City stopover? Leave a comment below!

Check out a Majorca holidays guide for information on when the best time is to book a low cost holiday. You will see why it is such a popular destination.

Stuck on a layover at Manchester Airport (MAN) in England? The airport is the hub for BMI and is located approximately 17km (10 miles) from Manchester’s city center which makes it an accessible destination for those stuck on a long layover. If you’re trying to figure out if you can leave the airport during your layover, click here for useful tips.

If you’re stuck in the Manchester Airport during your layover, there’s a number of services available. You can take advantage of tax free shopping at the airport (shops are listed here) and over a dozen food and beverage options (listed here).

The Manchester Airport offers a brand new spa, Be Relax, in terminal one that offers a number of services including massages, facials, and an oxygen bar. No appointments are required, and most treatments take less than half an hour. Click here for a full list of treatments available.

There’s also Escape Lounges in both terminals that offer a number of luxury amenities for travelers waiting to catch their next flight. Currently according to the website, prices are £25.00 per adult and £12.50 per child aged (6 -11 years). For more information, call: +44 (0) 871 200 4450

In addition, the airport has a number of additional services including a private jet hire, luggage tracking, banking and currency exchange, and hotel booking.

If you arrive at night or are looking for a place to rest, the airport hosts the Radisson Airport Hotel, and there are also many hotels nearby in Manchester. For a comprehensive list of Manchester hotels of varying price points, click here.

If you’re looking to drop off your bags and explore the city on your layover, there are Left Luggage facilities available at the Manchester Airport. A charge of £5 will be made for each item of left luggage for each 24 hour period the item is left. For more information call: 08712 710 711.

Layover Guide’s Suggestions Of Things To Do On A Manchester Layover:

The Town Hall
One of Manchester’s top attractions and distinctive architectural buildings, the Town Hall offers tours at 2pm on Saturdays and most Wednesdays.

The Cathedral
Open everyday, the Cathedral in Manchester offers tours of its architecture and history, as well as services and choir sessions.

Market Street
A main street in downtown Manchester, Market Street is a great place to get a bite to eat at a nice restaurant, do some window shopping, and just get a general feel for the city.

Affleck’s Place
Half flea market, half arcade, Affleck’s Place is a fun, eclectic area to find a bar or club, or just hang out and do some indie shopping.

None of these activities interest you? Click here for more options!

Have suggestions or advice for a Manchester layover? Leave a comment below!