Things to do in London when it rains: A local’s guide

You wake up and your bedroom is a muted grey, you can hear a soft sound, something like an endless shhh or maybe a rhythmic pitter-patter. You may think Rain. Again. But what if instead you woke up, heard the rain, and actually looked forward to it?

Unpopular opinion: London is a great place to be in the rain, it’s a city made for such weather, and by the end of this article, you’ll want it to be rainy on your next day off. From museums and galleries to the best pubs to a bowl of piping hot pho, these are all the ways to fall in love with London when it rains.

Morning

Hood up or umbrella open – if the rain is drizzly or otherwise not too heavy, stroll through your nearest green space to a local coffee shop or café for a pastry or breakfast and a hot beverage. There’s something about the sound of the rain in the trees and the fragrance of rain and ozone that’s worth a stroll through the rain.

Coffee & a pastry

I start the day at Pavilion Café in Victoria Park; pick your favourite in your neighbourhood. With one of the best cardamom buns in the city and batch brew coffee, I sit on the deck overlooking the lake and listen to the rain. The café also does a tasty Sri Lankan breakfast but that’s for another blog.

Other bakeries and cafés across London for a rainy day are Quince in Islington, Wood Street Bakery in Walthamstow, Bunhead Bakery in Herne Hill, and Layla in Notting Hill. For more on bakeries, check out the best independent bakeries in London.

Museum or gallery

For things to do in London on a rainy day, visiting a museum or gallery should be top of the list. Inside, the temperature-controlled rooms are dry and warm, the lighting is soft, and there’s art to fall in love with or history to learn.

There are many free museums and galleries in London, and if modern and contemporary art takes your fancy, the likes of White Cube and the Tate Modern are all for you. On a rainy day, I like visiting galleries where I’m likely to find a painting of a past London or another city, like the Tate Britain or the Courtauld Gallery, with the latter exhibiting Monet’s London landscapes until January 2025.

To fully make a morning of it, take a trip out of your corner of London and head to Forest Hill to visit the Horniman Museum, a cultural destination I feel is often overlooked by Londoners and visitors to the city alike. From natural history and nature to world cultures to music, the Horniman is a standout London museum.

For the bookish among you, pay a visit to the British Library. The extraordinary living collection of over 170 million items, the towering shelves, and the quiet spaces to work or study will not disappoint on a rainy day.

A viewing platform might seem wasted on a rainy day, but it will do you some good to adopt a different perspective occasionally. It’s free to visit Horizon 22 which has breathtaking views of the city, so if the rainy viewing leaves you feeling underwhelmed, at least you’re not down on cash. However, take the road less travelled as it were, and take in the sight of London in a world of rain.

Lunch

Assuming you haven’t decided to lunch at a museum or gallery café, lunch on a rainy day in London calls for a local, independent café with comfort food.

The perfect rainy day café should be intimate, with windows steamed up, and soft, warm lighting. There should be space to enjoy lunch whilst reading a book or people-watching. The menu should be comprised of fresh ingredients and comfort dishes. You should feel unrushed when you’re here.

I’m partial to Well Street Kitchen in Homerton, Lunar Coffee in Kentish Town, South London Louie in Peckham, and Prufrock Coffee in Farringdon.

Afternoon

All the ways to while away the hours on a rainy afternoon in London.

The Planetarium

Like the Horniman Museum, the Peter Harrison Planetarium in Greenwich is an often overlooked London destination. Not only do you get a stroll through Greenwich Park, but a planetarium show or an astronomy talk on a rainy day feels good in a way it wouldn’t at high summer when it’s 25 degrees outside and the sun is shining.

A matinée at the cinema

Once upon a time, people regularly went to the cinema. In the past decade, streaming has lured people with its convenience, like pausing for toilet breaks and the distraction of scrolling social media so that you miss part of the plot – I’m positively overwhelmed by such conveniences.

Like all things of convenience, there’s no magic, no excitement of heading out to the pictures, of getting popcorn and sitting in the dark, completely – truly – absorbed in the story. A trip to the cinema, especially an independent cinema, on a rainy day, is a cure-all for the sterile home cinema experience.

In Whitechapel, there’s the iconic Genesis. You can catch a picture at the Rio Grande, a stunning old Art Deco cinema in Dalston, or Arthouse in Crouch End. Catch an old flick at the Prince Charles Cinema in Central or Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, and for the skint among us, head to Peckham for £4.99 cinema tickets at Peckhamplex.

Bookshops

Where better to spend a rainy afternoon in London than in a bookshop? Ideally one with a café like the Charing Cross Foyles, Rye Books in East Dulwich, BookBar in Highbury or any of these best bookshops in London on a rainy day.

The muted sounds of a bookshop, rain rolling down windows, the fragrance of books and coffee – that’s a lot of ASMR triggers.

Cheeky afternoon pint

Just when you thought this rainy day in London was the epitome of wholesome. Listen, there’s an allure to a good old-fashioned boozer or bar on a rainy day – you know the ones I mean, where the ambience says pull up a seat, take a sip, and people-watch or watch the world go by.

The Southampton Arms in Kentish Town is an ideal pub on a rainy day. The independent alehouse has a small, partially covered beer garden in the back, with corrugated roofing that captures the pitter-patter sound of the rain and an overabundance of potted plants that catch the droplets. Bring a pack of cards, sip a pint, and hopefully, the jazzy tones of a saxophone will drift out from the backdoor of the pub.

You also can’t go wrong with an old-fashioned boozer on a rainy day, I like the Blind Beggar in Whitechapel, of Kray brothers fame. I don’t go for the infamous murderous history, I go for a pint where I won’t be bothered or a game of pool if I’m with somebody, and to be somewhere where I won’t be sold small plates in the surrounds of Scandi minimalism.

Evening

The sun has set, London’s streets are awash in neon-streaked rain and puddles, the city lights glisten, and the sounds of tyres passing through surface water blend with the muted sounds of the traffic as you take everything in from a partially steamed window.

Dinner

There’s one requisite meal on a rainy day and that’s pho. Savoury, herbaceous, rich, and spicy, there’s nothing quite like filling yourself up with a broth simmered for hours. Head to the intimate Com Phở in the borderland between Old Street and Barbican, or to the larger, good-for-people-watching Sông Quê Café in Hoxton, or check out this list of the best pho in London. Order summer rolls, a large pho, and a pot of jasmine tea.

The nightcap

Where to end this rainy day in London? Somewhere for a nightcap, ideally a whisky or a cocktail bar. Navigate Soho’s rain-soaked streets to Milroy’s where you can enjoy a dram, a pint or a glass of wine – pick your poison.

In Shoreditch, No. 26 Curtain Road is a narrow two-storey bar marked by candlelight, wine and vinyl records. In Hoxton, Equal Parts, and in Deptford, Jazu, also offer a low-lit ambience, vinyl records, and a well-made cocktail (or two) before you head home to bed and drift off to sleep to the sound of the train.

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