Beyond the Campus: My Favourite Places Around UCL

Hello everyone! I hope you've all been enjoying the lovely weather right now - London is absolutely boiling at the moment, and I've been spending a lot of time enjoying my favourite parks with my friends, something I shall make a separate post about very soon. Today, however, I have decided to share a few of my favourite places around Bloomsbury, where UCL campus is!

When I arrived at university, I tended to stick to on-campus cafes, not knowing where to start outside of UCL grounds. However, throughout my years here, I have found a few places within a stone's throw of campus that I can't help but return to time and time again.

Coffee:

For somewhere to study or meet up with friends, Bloomsbury Coffee House is a failsafe choice. Near Tavistock Square, this underground café is cosy and offers a great selection of food alongside their delicious coffees. You’ll find this place inhabited by students catching up with their mates or getting to work on their next assignment; it’s the type of place you can comfortably stay for a few hours to get your work done, with plenty of plugs around. Watch out for their laptop free hours, however, which run during the lunchtime rush from 12pm-2pm.

Near Goodge Street station is Black Sheep Coffee; slightly more pricey, and with a few branches around London, this place offers a great range of plant milks and really knows how to make good coffee. This is a better option for a takeout coffee, as seating is limited, but in my opinion they make the best coffee in the area!

Food:

If you’re on campus til’ late, you’re in luck. Itsu and Crussh are two places a stone’s throw from campus that offer 50% off fresh food in the last 30 minutes before they close, meaning you can treat yourself for less – this is definitely a life-saver when you need a pick-me-up before you head back to the library. Another way to do this is by downloading the Too Good To Go app, another way to save a lot of money on fresh food at the end of the day. Chains like Yo Sushi and Planet Organic have opted into this, as well as tons of local businesses, so you’re bound to find something you like.

The Brunswick centre, near Russell Square, has tons of food options – my favourites are Leon and Tossed, both of which offer a wide variety of fresh meals on the go and a student discount! A lot of local businesses here also offer student discounts when you show your UCL ID, so make sure you check before you pay.

If you want something fancier – for example, if your parents are coming to visit and want to take you out for a meal – Olivelli on Store Street offers the most delicious Italian food I have ever tasted in this country, with gluten-free and vegan options on the menu.

Shops:

If you love a good book shop, you’re in luck in Bloomsbury. As well as having a massive Waterstones, the area also boasts some amazing second-hand book stores. Skoob Books in the Brunswick Centre is an underground book store, especially good for art and history nerds. Judd Books further up the road has absolutely tons of books, some new, for incredibly low prices.

To finish off, as a history student, I have to include something historical! On Marchmont Street, there is a small bookstore called Gay’s The Word, opened in 1979 as a community centre for gay men and lesbians. Today it is still the only specifically gay and lesbian bookstore in England, and still holds a lot of interesting events such as poetry readings and talks from lesbian and gay academics and activists. It is definitely worth a visit, and has some great postcards and badges alongside a massive book selection. Check it out!

If you have any other places in Bloomsbury you'd recommend, let us know! I'm always looking to try new places - especially coffee places!

Until next time,

Saskia x