With so many famous movie stars, singers and socialites living in and around London, bumping shoulders with a celebrity may actually be a lot easier than you think. And who knows – you may be shopping next to Kate Moss, or dining in the same restaurant as Jude Law without even realizing it.
Photo credit: Fervent Adepte de la Mode
But if you’re so desperate to find a celebrity in London that you’re willing to go out of your way to do so, here are some places to keep in mind:
Tourist attractions
Don’t have the cash to spend to hang out in some of the top celebrity-riddled restaurants and bars? No problem! By just strolling around some of London’s major tourist attractions you may get lucky and bump into a star or two.
Generally speaking Mayfair and Soho are the best areas to go celebrity stalking, as well as major tourist attractions like the London Eye and Piccadilly Circus. Sienna Miller, Jude Law and Kate Moss are known to visit Primrose Hill quite often, so if you’re going to go there make sure you check out the view from the top of the building (it’s free, after all).
Leicester Square is another popular celebrity hangout, as stars like Keira Knightly, George Lucas and Johnny Depp have been spotted there from time to time, and Kate Moss and Sienna Miller are known to shop around Portobello Road for vintage clothing as well. And let’s not forget that a fair number of celebrities have made Notting Hill their home, so if you have some extra time on your hands try and scope out the rich houses in the area.
Photo credit: Karlinski73
Restaurants
Celebrities are humans like the rest of us and have to eat too, you know. So if you want to dine in style with celebrities, or even eat at the same restaurants that the famous and rich people prefer, luckily there are a ton of popular food venues in London to choose from.
The Ivy 1-5 West Street, Covent Garden) is perhaps one of the most popular restaurants among celebrities, with stars like Elton John, Danni Minogue, Kate Moss, the Beckhams and Tom Cruise being spotted there, and Sienna Miller, Chris Martin, Tom Hardy, Katy Perry, Kate Moss, and Sarah Ferguson have been spotted at The Wolseley (160 Piccadilly) as well.
Other popular restaurants include Zuma (5 Raphael Street, Knightsbridge), Scott’s (20 Mount Street, Mayfair) and Nobu Berkeley (15 Berkeley St, Mayfair) where celebrities like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Calvin Harris, Selina Gomez and Mel B. have been spotted dining in style.
Bars/Pubs
The Hawley Arms (2 Castlehaven Road, Camden) is a given, as it is a favourite among stars like Kelly Osbourne, Kirsten Dunst and Pixie Geldof, and The Groucho Club (45 Dean Street, Soho) is another favourite among stars like Lily Allen. The Windsor Castle (114 Campden Hill Road, Holland Park,) was listed as a favourite for Madonna and Guy Ritchie when they were married, and given that Piers Morgan is one of the owners of The Hansom Cab (84 Earls Court Road, Kensington), your chances of seeing a celeb while you’re there is pretty high (and you might even spot Morgan’s brother Rupert behind the bar as well).
If you don’t like spending any extra funds inside the bars/clubs, then try hanging outside The Crown and Two Chairmen pub (31-32 Dean Street, Soho) for an hour or two and you’ll probably end up seeing a star. Some of the many famous celebs who have visited the pub include Signourney Weaver, Gene Wilder and Damien Hirst.
Other tipsAnd perhaps it may go without saying, but if you do happen to luck out and spot a celebrity, try to be polite and don’t yell out their name or point at them as this may draw some unwanted attention towards them. If you’re close enough and desperate to get a shot of them, politely ask if you can take their picture, or try to snap a shot quickly and discreetly.
