Tips

Paul Walsh took on the role of Head Concierge at Amba Hotel Marble Arch when it opened in December 2015, and we know we’re in good hands – he was named London Concierge of 2014, beating 78 other nominees. As he’s worked in and around Marble Arch for eight and a half years already, we wanted to pick his brain on some of the best local sights and sounds in light of the new hotel launch.

This weekend, we put on a fun-filled afternoon for bloggers with a trip to an Audrey Hepburn exhibition and Afternoon Tea.

If this isn’t your first visit to the UK capital and you’ve already done a few laps around the big art hitters such as the Tate, the V&A, the National Portrait Gallery… or if you’re just hankering for something a little more intimate, a smaller space, maybe even the chance to chat casually with the owner and/or artists, London has hundreds of independent galleries to please the newcomer and habitué alike. Here are our five favourites within strolling distance of Amba Hotel Charing Cross.

Having launched his independent Reckless Records shop in Soho over 30 years ago, Charles Taylor is a man who knows his corner of London as well as he does his industry. We asked him about his favourite nooks and crannies of the city and about the influence music and the capital have on his life.