With the Cape Town leg of the Bridgerton Season 4 press run now complete, and Episode 1 set to drop today, 29 January 2026, I find myself happily bracing for a season of corsets, courtship, and cultural obsession – and I suspect many of you are too.
Shonda Rhimes Bridgerton may belong to the high society of another century, but 21st-century London holds its own secrets that even seasoned travellers like myself don’t always stumble upon alone. So, instead of relying on guidebooks, I did something far more satisfying:
I asked a local.
Not just any local, of course.
Adjoa Andoh – acclaimed actress, cultural insider, fashion reveller, and the formidable heart behind Lady Danbury – graciously shared the London addresses that shape her real city life.
What followed our conversation was not a predictable list, but a beautifully personal map that I am so glad she doesn’t gatekeep! This is not a tourist’s oversimplified London checklist, but her London – one of taste, habit, and lived experience.
Consider this your quiet invitation into the ton.
1. CHIC SHOPS | “I like Neal’s Yard Remedies in Covent Garden because you can get all sorts of herbal remedies there, and they have been going since the 80s, I’m sure. I’m all about natural ways to deal with ailments, and they have fantastic books and directories about herbs and minerals and their efficacy, which I like. You can also get really nice presents for people there.”
2. FOR CLOTHES | “I like to go to OSKA. There is a branch in Ludlow, which is near where my mum lives in Shropshire, that I really love. It’s a little higgledy piggledy building, very small and very tall, so you have to go up lots of wobbly steps! The service is fantastic, they’re really helpful, and it’s just a nice, stress-free ‘market town’ way to shop for clothes.
If I’m feeling lazy, my place to shop online is Toast. I am a middle-aged woman who was a punk rocker in the 70s, and Toast ticks a lot of boxes in that regard. The clothes are really well made, great fabrics, hard-wearing, and stylish in a sort of comfortable, tailored way.
I also like to go to Knatchbull (formerly The Deck) on Savile Row. It’s a shop that makes suits exclusively for women – I like a tailored suit! I think they have a made-to-measure pick off the peg one, but they also have tailoring, which is why I get suits that are made for me. Daisy Knatchbull is the owner, and it was her idea, and I’m really thrilled to support women’s businesses.”
“The other place I like to go for clothes is a place called Red Cotton in Accra, Ghana. They make wonderful clothes, with really stylish tailoring. The owner is a woman called Na, who I believed learned her tailoring in Paris. Her clothes are made of African fabrics with fantastic, exciting designs.”
Adjoa Andoh (2025)
3. PLACES TO EAT | “Parsonage Grill in Oxford. I am an emeritus fellow at Saint Catherine’s college Oxford, and so when I’m up there, the Parsonage has great service and lovely, delicious food (and I don’t really care about food)!
Another one is Akara, which is a West African Restaurant in Borough Market that’s also delicious.”
4. CULTURE | “Autograph in East London is a photographic gallery that premieres the work of photographers from the diaspora predominantly, also queer and exciting new photographers, so Autograph Gallery is fantastic!
Also, Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Sir John Soane’s Museum, there are so many wonderful galleries in London, so those places are great.
Other cultural immersion I love: I love the National Theatre, The Bush Theatre, the Young Vic Theatre, the Old Vic Theatre, Orange Tree Theatre, and Brixton House Theatre (which is pretty new). London is stuffed to the gills with theatres.”
“I love cinemas too, especially the Everyman (cinema’s) and independent cinemas. We’re very lucky in London. We’ve also got loads of great markets, including Brixton Market and Borough Market.”
Adjoa Andoh (2025)
And the story of the Brixton Wholefoods pictured on the article’s cover? Wholesome – but you’ll just have to wait for the coming video interview (keep an eye on my Instagram) to hear Adjoa’s story on why it has a special place in her heart.
So before (or after) Benedict and Sophie take over your screens this season, why not let Lady Danbury guide your next city break?
One of the best things about this great thespian’s recommendations is that this list stands as a portrait of a life lived thoughtfully in one of the world’s most complex cities – fitting for the actress who embodies Lady Danbury on Bridgerton.
AND FOR MY UK TRAVEL GUIDE?
If you’re plotting a UK journey of your own, you’ll find my full, handpicked recommendation list – hotels, neighbourhoods, and design-led stays – waiting for you in my Glamour Travel Guide.
