London advice? Trying to make a happy birthday for 13 year old daughter

I haven’t been to London in 20 years. Daughter will turn 13 on the plane over.

Anybody got advice: suppose the ferris wheel is an obvious option.
Places to eat? Kids will have the late night energy of Americans just landing in PST+9 zone if that’s a factor.

Marylebone is homebase btw.

How about theater/musicals?
My kids loved Broadway shows - even when they were teenagers.
Lots of opportunities in London.

Afternoon Tea at Claridges would be a must I think
Shows are a great idea and London is less expensive than NYC.
Is she a fan of royalty? There’s an exhibit of gowns and outfits of princesses and queens at Kensington Gardens.
Saint James’ Park is a beautiful walk.

Crown Jewels at the Tower of London
Cruise up to Greenwich and visit the Royal Observatory and stand on the Prime Meridian (great Sunday activity)
For more fashion and jewelry, the Victoria and Albert Museum (close to Harrods, too)
Portobello Road Market on Saturday

Day trip to Paris on the Eurostar is a great option if you have the time

I guess it depends on what excites her. All of the above are good suggestions, but there is something for everyone in London, so picking up on her personal tastes should help narrow it down

Nearby Regent’s park and hyde park are both good, often good for a weekend morning.

Pierre Marcolini chocolates are not cheap, but as the one-time enfant terrible of the Brussels chocolate scene, the flavours are wonderful (37 Marylebone High St, Marylebone, London W1U 4QF)

Scandi Kitchen is a good place to explore Scandinavian food, including a decent sweet (candy) pick and mix, but do warn here about the salty licorice. (61 Great Titchfield St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 7PP)

Loads of restaurants of all cuisines / countries in the area, so make it a ‘where in the world would you like to eat today’ experience.

I recall enjoying the Photographers Gallery (16-18 Ramillies St, Soho, London W1F 7LW) many years ago. It’s part shop part gallery if still the same as it was.

Covent Garden has a lively evening vibe on a summer’s evening. The tube station can get very busy, but worth it for the atmosphere IMO.

Lunchtime at Borough market has some good interesting ‘street food’ (the Ethiopean stall impressed on my last visit), but there are plenty of good lunchtime options.

Abbey Road (recording) studios within walking distance.

Sometimes though it’s the simple pleasures of famous sights, travelling on a red London bus, travelling on the tube (though I don’t know why - I find the tube a depressing place), seeing places on the Monopoly board, etc.

One big hint. Do buy a pocket a2z map, as it often shows how easy it is to walk rather than taking the tube. Many times people walk further to take a tube, than if they’d just stayed above ground and enjoyed the fresh(ish) air.

Hope this helps, but do come back if there are specific interests she has - they undoubtedly can be pandered to in London.

M&Ms World London

Not high fallutin’ but she’s 13.

The British Museum!

I lived in London as a thirteen year old. See a play for sure, it’s a must. From Marylebone station it’s a short walk to where Sherlock Holmes didn’t live (221B Baker st - it’s not there but for the rest of her life…) and for that same reason go to Kings Cross station where platform 9 3/4 isn’t - Harry Potter.

The British Museum, The Tower, Crown Jewels, London Eye are all good.

But see a play. And if you catch one of Bill’s old things at The Globe that could be very, very good.

You can’t lose, have fun.

And fish and chips, from the street wrapped in newspaper. Oh, and savory pies!

Terrific ideas.

Is there any wisdom around fish and chips one might share? Like, a hotdog in NYC, if you aren’t at a papaya place, you’re rolling the dice. How do you wisely get a check in the “fish and chips” box?

Maybe The Golden Hind in Marylebone? 11 Best London Fish and Chip Shops - Eat In and Takeaway

Yup. The’ve refloored and repainted recently, so it’s not quite the dump that it was. Food is still the same, thankfully.

Walking is good. Marylebone is pretty central. Mayfair, Soho, St. James, Piccadilly, Carnaby Street are nearby at least if you’re a walker. Friday Happy hour in Soho is fun on a nice day, but probably not for a 13 year old. Look for walking streets and download google maps on wifi.

Walking around soho is fun. Restaurants, shops, and lots of energy.

What a coincidence, our daughter turned 13 while we were in London as well! Wish I had some great suggestions for you. I think ours enjoyed the Tower of London, and the tour of Windsor Castle. Those are the kinds of things they can’t experience here. The “London Eye” is cool, but it moves very slowly, and they might be a little bored with it. Can’t beat an afternoon tooling around Harrod’s, or just wandering around Covent Garden area. Don’t know if your family is into music (particularly classical), but an evening concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields is spellbinding.

The ice cream parlour at fortnum and mason.

Kew gardens.

+1000 on Kew Gardens. Just there today and it was amazing.

Lee Ho Fook is long gone, as are most of the werewolves, porn shops, strip club touts, and ‘model studios’ that made Soho so seedy. On weekend nights, many people now avoid being sick on the pavement.

Brian.

As far as I’m concerned, vacation starts when we leave the house, not when we arrive at the destination. That said, fly over in first or business class. That’s something she won’t soon forget.

I like the white hart in covent garden.