Several cycling tours depart from the area, making it a prime spot for a presightseeing coffee or a postsightseeing pint. The independent stores offer a great alternative to the retail giants that dominate the city center. Take advantage of the close proximity to attractions such as the Southbank Centre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and London Eye to begin or end your London experience with a meal in one of the riverside restaurants.
Gabriel’s Wharf is ideal for anyone wanting to experience London like a local.
South Bank is one of the city’s most wheelchair-friendly areas; most of the area’s bars and restaurants are fully accessible.
Remember your umbrella and waterproof shoes, as South Bank’s riverside walkways can be windy and wet during winter.
Gabriel’s Wharf joins South Bank’s Riverside Walkway with Upper Ground street. Waterloo and Blackfriars mainline stations are both within a 10-minute walk, as are Embankment, Temple, Southwark, and Waterloo. The nearby Festival Pier is served regularly by the Thames river bus.
Visit Gabriel’s Wharf around lunchtime or after work to mingle with a local crowd, or arrive in the morning or midafternoon to avoid the rush. The area’s outdoor terraces are ideal for a relaxed summer afternoon beside the river, while the pubs and restaurants provide a cozy escape from the winter cold. Shops are closed on Mondays.
Just east of Gabriel’s Wharf, the Oxo Tower is a landmark of the London landscape. Initially built as a power station, the building was bought by the Liebig Extract of Meat Company, maker of the Oxo stock cube, in the 1920s. The architect, Albert Moore, overcame London’s ban on skyline advertising by incorporating the name of the company’s flagship product into the design of the building’s windows. Today, the tower’s restaurants, retailers, and exhibition spaces are open to the public.
