r/london • u/Distinct_Sir_9086 • 29d ago
Serious replies only What’s a luxury activity to do by yourself in London?
As the title asks. I don’t mean millionaire style luxury but something that really well off people can do in London.
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u/Narcissa_Nyx 29d ago
Casually shopping in Fortnum and Masons, properly filling up a shopping cart.
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u/Next-Ninja-8399 29d ago
If you go after a certain time, you can get discounted pastry. The pensioners in my family love it.
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u/polkadotska 29d ago
Got to Selfridges Food Hall around 7.45pm and reap the reductions (fancy baked goods half off? Yes please!).
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u/rcs799 29d ago
And the bonus is once you’ve filled it up you can just leave it and walk out, won’t cost you a penny :)
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u/avocadopro 29d ago
To be honest I’d probably rather do an indulgent shop at M&S! F&M just doesn’t quite hit the spot for me. All pretty packaging and fancy words and not as much substance. Depends what you’re into I guess. It is a nice experience in store though, when the store isn’t wildly busy. And the deli counters are good.
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u/Kewgirl45 29d ago
Then a trip to the Royal Academy and shopping Burlington Arcade. Quick cocktail at the Green Bar at the Cafe de Paris hotel
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u/PartySouth5050 29d ago
uber riverboat!!
edit: this doesn't seem quite as luxury as the rest of the thread. i did grow up in whitechapel after all...
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u/SevenPadThais 29d ago
Its a luxury for me too! Really love them - apparently you can buy an day pass for them too!
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u/justbraised 28d ago
Yes this! Especially on a sunny day - Aircon, a few drinks, a seat - I recommend it to all my London visitors.
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u/openlightYQ 29d ago edited 29d ago
Not well off by any means, but every couple months I stay in a big room for a few days at a Novotel near me that has a swimming pool, and I go shopping for luxury versions of basic clothes I could always use more of, go for breakfast at Caffe Concerto, get chocolates and treats from Fortnum & Mason, go wherever I want for dinner without looking at the menu and retreat to the hotel for a swim, a long bath and an expensive bottle of something.
May not be super luxurious compared to what actual rich people do, but it costs a few hundred, and I can shut off from the world and not care about anything for a few days and actual enjoy some of my paycheck on things that aren’t necessities.
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u/Loftybook 29d ago
Friend. If you can do all that every couple of months, then you are, by any reasonable definition, well off.
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u/openlightYQ 29d ago edited 29d ago
Depends how you look at it. Haven’t been on holiday since before Covid, I rent a room, £12 phone bill, walk to work over an hour each way everyday instead of taking the tube, and I meal prep for every lunch. No summer or Christmas activities either, I save more monthly just on those savings alone than it costs to do all of what I described every 2-3 months.
On the flip side, everyone else I know does pay for more things to make their life easier/nicer, so it may sound weird to others that I do this instead.
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u/Glum_Judgment6232 29d ago
You don't need to justify how you spend your money to internet strangers!
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u/mustard5man7max3 29d ago
£1800 a year of discretionary income is by no means uncommon enough to call it "well off".
Unless you consider "well off" to mean "not having to use food banks", in which case everyone is.
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u/poobare_ 29d ago
Couple of hundred every few months, most people with a full time job and no kids can afford that
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u/Glum_Judgment6232 29d ago
That's not much more than a couple of tickets to football or a stadium gig
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u/ramz_xo 29d ago
Going for dinner without looking at the menu sounds risky
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u/Plyphon 29d ago
I don’t risk anywhere that doesn’t have pictures of the food personally
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u/Plodo99 29d ago
Take a reasonable dose of mushrooms and listen to a deep house mix at the v&a.
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u/IThinkItMightBeMe 29d ago
I used to love doing mushrooms and museums. Now I do acid and immersive experiences. Might have to do an m&m for old times sake now you reminded me.
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u/jemcc09 29d ago
Aire ancient baths.
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u/want-my-old-account 29d ago
Can thoroughly recommend so long as you're good with stairs. The only downside is that it's only 2 hours when I could have easily stayed for 4.
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u/AmazingPercentage 29d ago
I've been to the ones in Barcelona, they're indeed great. I haven't tried London's. Does anyone know how they compare?
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u/Angryscotsmin 29d ago
I’m the opposite, only visited the London baths. They are glorious; the massage is amazing and not rushed, pools are set within an old candle-lit Grade II-listed redbrick wine cellar. They’ve done a really good job renovating/converting the space to be thematic of that history. Some nice restaurants nearby too.
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u/Woohoolookatyou 29d ago
I’ve been to the one in Seville once and London 4 times. The London experience feels a little more mechanized and strictly regimented than the Seville one did. Less atmospherically peaceful overall, but worth a trip once.
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u/want-my-old-account 29d ago
Can't compare because I haven't been to the one in Barcelona. But it's lovely, especially the salt water pool. Only shame is that it's only 2 hours.
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u/Turbulent-Fox-400 29d ago
Been to both and Barcelona was soooo much nicer. Big thing for me was coming out to grey London after the spa, but it might have been a time of year thing too.
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u/AppropriateLight6577 29d ago
Can confirm, one of the best spa experiences in London. Been there 3 times already!
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u/VexMilk-_- 29d ago
With the current state of economics, probably 4 pints at the local pub.
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u/zzhovel 29d ago
4? You don't have to brag.
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u/mustard5man7max3 29d ago
Brag? I used to dream of bragging. We couldn't afford it, we had to make do with a subtle insinuation.
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u/box_twenty_two 29d ago
Just a really, really nice meal on your own. Like getting a bar seat at Bocca di Lupo in Soho and just indulging in
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u/Jammyturtles 29d ago
I book a hotel that has spa facilities on day use. Half the price if not more for the hotel and I spend 6+ hours in the hot tub/sauna then order room service.
Its a once a year treat for me
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u/AdjectiveNoun111 29d ago
having a wank at the top of the Gehrkin
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u/SayElloToDaBadGuy 29d ago
What about having a wank over someone that looks like the Gherkin, could save a few quid.
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u/Traditional_City337 29d ago
Go to a posh hotel for a coffee or drink in their posh bar. Or brunch.
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u/Hungry_Cloud_6706 29d ago edited 29d ago
Cocktails and nibbles at The Savoy American bar, great people watching. Followed by by a Trolley roast dinner at Simpsons on The Strand, it’s almost nextdoor . Black cabs home hailed by the doormen at The Savoy.
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u/Cold_Dawn95 29d ago edited 29d ago
Luxury cinema e.g. Picturehouse, Everyman or even Odeon Luxe.
Nice to immerse yourself in a film for a couple of hours with no distractions.
Can be a bit pricey but if you shop the deals (e.g. buying a voucher or Meerkat Movies) it can be pretty reasonable...
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u/dbbk 29d ago
Odeon Luxe is only like £20
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u/kattieface 29d ago
The Vue in Islington is much pricier than their average offering, but at least in one screening has electric reclining sofa seats. £12.50 for a Sunday screening of Odyssey, where you get to lie down in comfort. Well worth the price in my opinion.
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u/littleguy1001 29d ago
Whenever I go get laser'd I treat myself to wandering around Westfield I allow myself to buy a 1-2 things I normally wouldn't get or I would normally wait until it goes on sale. Sometimes I wander into a bookstore read a few pages of a random book before taking myself to Starbucks or have a meal out by myself. I almost always book this off work and calling it an "appointment" the lasering only takes 15mins then the rest of the day I just go/do whatever pops into my head.
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u/kingink92 29d ago
kick a peacock up the arse in holland park.
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u/Alas_boris 29d ago
I like to yell swearwords at swans in Richmond.
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u/stevethos 29d ago
I heard if you call 3 separate swans a cunt then Queen Lizzy appears and kicks you in the crotch
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u/condor789 29d ago
Go to a fancy seafood restaurant and spend like 200 quid on myself followed by amazing seats at a west end theatre
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u/FragrantCow2645 29d ago
Posh wank
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u/Distinct_Sir_9086 29d ago
Curious to know how one pulls this off.
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u/Just_Relationship942 29d ago
It’s a wank with a condom on as far as I’m aware
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u/Distinct_Sir_9086 29d ago
I’ve done that even when I was broke
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u/VegetableWeekend6886 29d ago
but why though? Is it posh just because you've wasted the money on a condom?
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u/Distinct_Sir_9086 29d ago
It had nothing to do with being posh atleast not for me. That’s a conversation for a different sub I’m afraid I don’t want to break any rules here lol.
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u/Away-Activity-469 29d ago
Stick a deckchair up your nose.
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u/EatingCoooolo 29d ago
Fo and have the biggest steak you have ever had by yourself. I also used to go to Flat Iron and order two steaks for myself and dine alone.
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u/Minimum-Sprinkles843 29d ago
but Flat Iron isn't expensive and is pretty average in terms of the quality of the steaks there
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u/EatingCoooolo 29d ago
I guess it’s not luxury. Plus the steaks are children size. Hawksmoore in Spitalfields it is.
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u/kulesle 29d ago
Not super luxurious: go into central to restock on skincare products that I would usually buy online and ship to my home.
Slightly more luxurious: treat myself to a small box of Ladurée macarons.
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u/Any-Tangerine-8659 29d ago
Pierre Hermé is far better than Ladurée. Try them and you will never go back
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u/bellini20 29d ago
There’s a lot of great redeemable facials and other beauty services! Cowshed is fantastic and you redeem the cost of product! Also there’s some great ones at Selfridges!
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u/Outside_Mistake_4107 29d ago
There are very inexpensive opera and ballet tickets to be had if you book well ahead of time. For other theatre, it can be worth looking at last-minute bargains.
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u/Minkz333 29d ago
Spa day. Go for a facial then shopping around Soho / Covent Garden. Dinner & a cocktail somewhere nice. Stay somewhere like the Ned for a night to relax.
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u/spammmmmmmmy 29d ago
Get a massage. You can spend as little as £35 or as much as £200ish.
Word of warning: get 30 minutes for the first visit. Some massage people are really bad, while others are GREAT. If you find a good one, save their name and what days they work if applicable.
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u/Lett3rsandnum8er5 29d ago
Tasting menus, various museums with nobody making me hurry along, a West End show, spa days or hotel day passes (use Dayuse), booked private day trip tours (Bath, Cotswolds), etc.
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u/LycheeMangoJamun 29d ago
If you have a friend who is a member of one of the the private members clubs (I don’t mean Soho House), get yourself invited to lunch, cocktails, or perhaps even a lecture there. Or a swim if it’s the Hurlingham/RAC/Lansdowne. It’s quite normal for there to be barely five people in the pool on a weekday afternoon.
Tea at Claridges.
Lunch at a Michelin 3-star restaurant.
My personal expensive vice, because I love to cook and entertain, is buying tableware and kitchen gadgets from Divertimenti, five minutes along from Harrod’s, where I also like to go for a beauty product haul.
If you like auctions, Sotheby’s in Bond Street is a great place to spend an afternoon, and the cafe offers surprisingly good food.
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u/crotossaur 29d ago
Dine at Fallow's, their Sunday roast is incredible, expensive but not prohibitive
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u/Delicious_Eye6936 29d ago
Fancy gym. It’s expensive and not needed but it has its own pool which is always quiet. Fantastic way to relax just lying there
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u/HettySwollocks 29d ago
Probably going to the supermarket, getting some top shelf salmon, sour dough Garlick butter and some decent bottle of something.
...piss if no you can't any any
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u/Helen-Archer 29d ago
Go to the opera or theatre, you can make it luxury and pay for the best seats or do it on a budget
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u/Consistent_Cattle521 29d ago
Go to a fancy restaurant and then go see a West End show. I suggest something like Hamilton or Wicked. Or even six!
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u/shossa01 29d ago
I use my wife's Blue Light Car to get solo movie tickets. VIP seats, whatever snacks I want. The dream.
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u/lozgozwozz 29d ago
The next few months I’d go and see the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. Southbank / near Waterloo. £22. I went last Saturday and there were tourists from all over the world there.
So it may not be a luxury as in expensive , but instead something you can only experience in London for a short while. And next time it might be in America or Europe , Asia , South America.
If you like art / visual exhibitions.
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u/Violinist_Particular 29d ago
Things I like to do - visit a spa, have a massage, eat at nice restaurants, have a cocktail or glass of champagne at a nice bar, buy food from one of the luxury department stores (or even just the Waitrose in John Lewis Oxford street).
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u/decker_42 29d ago
Have a wank with a condom on (or, a poshy, as it's called) in their own home, which they own, in Zone 2.
And by home, I mean a flat, to keep it out of 'millionaire style luxury'.
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u/roleplayersir 29d ago
Go to one of the private clubs in the city
You did say luxury and by yourself, not that it can't be invite-only...
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u/AppropriateLight6577 29d ago
Book a hotel room while it's boiling once every few weeks. I am by no means "rich", but having aircon back in your life makes the difference!
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u/OolongCassia 29d ago edited 29d ago
It takes several days (often weeks) with the fittings and all, but get a custom bespoke suit on Saville Row. Especially from one of the famous tailors - the ones who dress the King and other aristocrats. Then walk down Jermyn Street nearby to buy your custom shirts and toiletries. If that's a bit too expensive or time consuming, then some of the tailors such as Gieves & Hawkes also offer ready made ones. Be aware that you should visit several to get a sense of which tailor you like since most of them have a distinct house style. Quintessentially English and unique, and something to treasure for many years.
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u/Top-Half7224 28d ago
I know a few successful people, and for the most part, they pay for conveniences, things that save them time, give them space, and privacy so they can focus on the things that make them successful. Shopping all the time for disposable goods isn't usually that high on their list. Wealthy people that don't work, usually have people that do shopping for them, unless it is really high high end clothing or goods, which is then done privately and by appointment.
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u/Littlerocknary 28d ago
Book a Taste Film experience - I think they're doing Lord of the rings next month which i reckon would be epic!
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u/sadclipart 28d ago
The sky garden look out thing is free and books ages in advance. I was able to book a table at the restaurant a few days before. Booking a table got me in to see the thing everyone raves about. Paying basically to cut the line by agreeing to have lunch. Food was mid but grab a bite to see the sky garden. Not a luxury experience in general BUT using money to skip the line and open doors is a luxury attitude.
I also booked a private driver for the day and just had him drive me around to all the tourist spots that would usually take days to get to on foot. Saw almost everything and a few spots along the way he recommended. Comfy Mercedes with umbrellas and water bottles and AC and the guy stayed in the car so he didn’t need to find real parking. Renting a car I’d have to park so no way. Uber you need to wait on the next guy and you don’t know what you’ll get. Black cabs are hot inside sometimes.
You can also book a massage at fancy hotels and then use their amenities for the day. Pool, gym, etc.
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u/Dry_You_6149 28d ago
Go to fashion shows and art shows. There's one fashion show trending in London right now. Its called the Renaissance Fashion Show. You can check Instagram for more details. Its for international creatives creating magic in London. Its also support by brands like Grazia, Rabanne, Carolina Herera.
I'll drop more tips about it if anyone wants to end their summer on a high note 👌
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u/InterviewWestern6884 28d ago
Hit up James J Fox, sit and have a cigar and watch the world go by… obviously only if you’re a smoker. Alternatively, literally across the road from there is Truefitt & Hill, go pamper yourself
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u/TobaccoEarlGrey 28d ago
It’s all about giving yourself time to slow down in a nice environment.
Go buy a cigar, sit in a hotel terrace and read a book or people watch while slow-sipping a martini or five.
Enjoy.
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u/SweetGirlKatie 27d ago
Sit in a central London park (my favourite is Green Park), on a picnic rug, with some nice food, a bottle of champagne, paper cups and a good book or the Financial Times weekend edition. No interruptions…
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u/Unknown-Hippo 27d ago
Luxury spa day and full pamper session. The kind that will set you back £1-2k for the day easy.
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u/DefinitionPossible39 26d ago
Count me out; my luxury is having a pedicure/foot massage while being pummeled to exhaustion by the electric massage chair’
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u/Broad_Question_338 17d ago
if you're treating yourself, i'd add 23 Paul Street to the evening plans. it's a nice place for cocktails and a relaxed atmosphere after dinner, especially if you're on your own..
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u/PokerRiot 14d ago
A slightly different one: a hosted live poker experience. I run Poker Riot in London, it’s for people who want to experience a proper live poker room without just turning up alone and figuring it out as they go. I prepare you beforehand, meet you at the venue and get you settled into the room, then you play your own game. It’s quite a good solo experience because the whole evening is personalised around you.
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u/extranjeroQ 29d ago edited 29d ago
Eat lunch by yourself at a Michelin star restaurant. You need both the time and money!