Former Arsenal footballer Viktoria Schnaderbeck gives leisure and restaurant tips for London.
Viktoria Schnaderbeck, the former professional footballer, played for Arsenal in London and was captain of the Austrian national team. For Falstaff, she reveals her unique guide to England’s capital city.
One of my favourites in London is a bike tour, starting at King's Cross, where there are selected small shops and the area is not overcrowded. Regent's Canal also runs by and you can borrow a bike for £2 or so a day. A first stop is recommended at Camden Market, and then continue on to Regent's Park and up to Primrose Hill. It's very romantic up there, suitable for a picnic, and not as crowded as Hyde Park. My bike ride continues to Marylebone High Street, a very chic area, and nearby is one of my favourite shops in London: Conran, a department store with carefully selected, but not entirely cheap goods for the home, plus furniture, gifts and more; there is much attention to detail, which I like very much. The excellent Monocycle Store is also worth a visit.
If you’re in the West End, check out the small, winding alley, Neal's Yard, near Covent Garden. There are excellent restaurants and lovely shops, and you can sit outside in good weather. This is also an alternative to the better-known Covent Garden, which I find pleasant, but not an absolute highlight in London. Neal's Yard offers variety here.
Shoreditch is no longer an absolute insider tip, but it's a very hip area with cool street art and great restaurants and cafés. It's not completely clean, but very colourful, with lots of interesting people and an extraordinary flair; Brick Lane is a must-see. Another excellent place is Boxpark Shoreditch, a pop-up location where you can eat and drink to great music. Hackney, with its small streets, is also worth a detour from Shoreditch – it is not so crowded and offers much charm with the Flower Market.
An insider tip is London Fields in Hackney – once far from hip but now trendy, especially with young people. Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park are two of my favourite parks in London, with similar characters. Hampstead is very special, mainly because of the ponds, with even ponds where you can swim: one for women, one for men and one for both sexes. The whole area is like a cute little old town, and I've always felt comfortable there. Richmond is on the Thames and has a lot of style, but it's not cheap – but what is affordable in London?
I have great memories – privately and with the team – of Sexy Fish, a slightly more expensive but excellent restaurant in Mayfair. The quality is fantastic, and you have a great choice. The chef at Sexy Fish is Bjorn Weissgerber, a German who creates excellent food. Mayfair, the district of the rich, is not my cup of tea, but right next to Sexy Fish is the famous club Annabel's, so the area exudes a certain flair. You should see it!
Viktoria Schnaderbeck is a former professional football player born in January 1991. She played for FC Bayern Munich (Germany), in Austria's women league and for Arsenal. She was captain of the Austrian national team. In August 2022, she announced her retirement from professional football and is now devoting herself to her career as a keynote speaker and consultant; Viktoria has a degree in sports management and business psychology.
