Tired of the usual tourist trail? London hides some wonderfully weird spots that most guidebooks ignore. From underground cocktail trains to graveyards for outcasts, here are eight brilliantly quirky places you’ll love exploring.
1. Cahoots
A 1940s Underground Cocktail BarStep into a real 1940s air-raid shelter transformed into a swinging Blitz-era bar. Old tube carriages, sandbags, vintage posters, and bunk beds create the atmosphere. Mixologists serve creative cocktails in teacups and ration tins while swing music plays. Located in Kingly Court (just off Carnaby Street), Cahoots keeps the “Keep Calm and Carry On” spirit very much alive.
2. Dennis Severs’ House
An 18th-Century Time CapsuleWalk into 18 Folgate Street and travel back in time. Artist Dennis Severs recreated the home of an imaginary Huguenot silk-weaver family from 1724 to 1914. Candles flicker, fires crackle, half-eaten meals sit on tables, and the scent of spices fills the air. Visitors move silently through the rooms as “guests” of the family who have only just stepped out. This immersive experience feels more like theatre than a museum.
3. House of Dreams – Stephen Wright’s Outsider Art Masterpieces
Textile designer Stephen Wright turned his Dulwich home into a dazzling, chaotic artwork. Every wall, floor, and ceiling bursts with found objects, dolls’ heads, false teeth, memory boards, and glittering mosaics. Stephen opens his psychedelic creation on select dates only, so email steveparis50@yahoo.co.uk to book your slot. Prepare for sensory overload — in the best possible way.
4. Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station
Harry Potter fans flock here daily. A luggage trolley vanishes halfway into the brick wall, complete with a sign for Platform 9¾. Staff provide House scarves for photos, and the official Harry Potter shop sits right next door. Even if you’re not a die-hard fan, the queue of excited witches and wizards makes for brilliant people-watching.
5. The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret
Climb a narrow 1822 spiral staircase in Southwark and enter Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre. Surgeons once amputated legs in under two minutes while students watched from the stands — without anaesthetic. Rusty saws, jars of herbs, and gruesome tools fill the shelves. The smell of the original herb garret still lingers in the rafters. Not for the faint-hearted!
6. Gir Lion Lodge
Sleep with the Lions at London ZooSpend the night just metres from Asiatic lions. Nine cosy lodges inside London Zoo offer private evening and morning tours after the crowds leave. Listen to the lions roar at sunset, watch keepers feed them by torchlight, then fall asleep to the sounds of the zoo. Breakfast with ring-tailed lemurs is included — definitely one of London’s wildest overnight experiences.
7. Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities
Tucked away in Hackney, this tiny museum delivers maximum oddity. Jars of two-headed kittens, celebrity poo (yes, really), dodo bones, taxidermy mermaids, and shrunken heads line the shelves. Descend the spiral staircase into the cocktail bar for absinthe served in a lion’s-head goblet. Viktor Wynd’s collection is wonderfully macabre and utterly unique.
8. Cross Bones Graveyard – London’s Outcast Cemetary
Hidden behind iron gates in Southwark lies a memorial garden for society’s forgotten. For centuries, this unconsecrated ground received the bodies of prostitutes, paupers, and single mothers denied Christian burial — around 15,000 souls in total. Locals now tie ribbons to the gates and leave flowers. Monthly vigils keep the memory of the “Winchester Geese” (medieval sex workers licensed by the Bishop) alive.
Ready for a Quirky London Adventure?
London offers far more than red buses and royal palaces. These eight unusual spots reveal the city’s eccentric soul. Next time you visit, skip the crowds for a while and dive into the weird and wonderful — you won’t regret it!
Want more off-the-beaten-path ideas? Join one of our expert-led walking tours and discover even more hidden gems with Brit Icon Tours.
