London


<p>It’s getting hot in here…but rather than take off all your clothes and stand in front of the fan (think of the neighbours) go in search of air con, ice-cream and lidos.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-ice-baby">Ice, ice baby</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/kelli-mcclintock-WEfBjlrhwcs-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" alt="Unsplash " class="wp-image-12402" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/kelli-mcclintock-WEfBjlrhwcs-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/kelli-mcclintock-WEfBjlrhwcs-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/kelli-mcclintock-WEfBjlrhwcs-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/kelli-mcclintock-WEfBjlrhwcs-unsplash.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>If there&#8217;s one place we can guarantee temperatures will be more chilled, it&#8217;s an <strong>ice rink</strong>, and thankfully London has several that are open year-round. Phew. Cool down at  London&#8217;s oldest surviving rink, <a href="https://queens.london/skating/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queens</a> in Bayswater, where walk-in 60-minute sessions are just £8. <a href="https://www.alexandrapalace.com/the-ice-rink/learn-to-skate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ally Pally&#8217;s</a> ice rink&#8217;s also open throughout the year, making it a popular place to chill in a heat wave with public sessions from £11 for two hours, or book a private lesson (£15 per 15 minutes).  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture-amp-chill">Culture &amp; chill </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="771" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/thumbnail_PXL_20220416_125712964-1024x771.jpg" alt="V&amp;a Musuem garden " class="wp-image-12407" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/thumbnail_PXL_20220416_125712964-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/thumbnail_PXL_20220416_125712964-300x226.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/thumbnail_PXL_20220416_125712964-768x578.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/thumbnail_PXL_20220416_125712964.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>We&#8217;re not saying you should visit London&#8217;s magnificent museums and galleries for the air con, but there&#8217;s no denying they&#8217;re brilliant places to cool down in the city when things get a little too hot to handle. Our go-to places to chill include the <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson?srsltid=AfmBOorfzBO85gUPdiGx0hRRzK09k0dOSb000jF0T_EuK9jxyMaqSUmw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">V&amp;A</a> in South Ken, where there&#8217;s an outside Garden Café you can visit after viewing the current <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/cartier" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cartier</a> exhibition (on until November). Tucked away in the John Madejski Garden, you can buy a cool drink, sit on the lawn, remove your shoes and even dip your feet in the pond, which is <em>mighty</em> refreshing on a hot summer&#8217;s day Muddy can tell you. <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/cafes-afternoon-tea/best-museum-cafes/">Discover more museum with cool cafes here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linger-at-a-lido">Linger at a Lido </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="617" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-14-at-08.24.06-1024x617.png" alt="Tooting Bec Lido " class="wp-image-3705" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-14-at-08.24.06-1024x617.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-14-at-08.24.06-300x181.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-14-at-08.24.06-768x463.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/08/Screenshot-2024-08-14-at-08.24.06.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>When the heat is on, nothing beats jumping into a cool pool and the capital&#8217;s al fresco Lidos are legendary. Our favourite? Got to be <a href="https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/tooting-bec-lido/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tooting Bec Lido</a> (open 6am-8pm in summer; £9.60) in Wandsworth, where&nbsp;Londoners have been perfecting their butterfly and breaststroke in the unheated (character building) water year-round since 1906. This is closely followed by another South London aquatic adventure: <a href="https://www.fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/brockwell-lido/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brockwell Lido</a> near Herne Hill. It&#8217;s an open air watery playground with a gym, spa and yoga classes on site too and the ‘café’ is in fact a lovely restaurant, so you can refuel there post-dip. <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/best-outdoor-pools-and-lidos/">Discover more London lidos here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-go-to-the-beach">Go to the beach </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="629" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Unknown-5-1-1024x629.jpeg" alt="Ruislip Lido " class="wp-image-12404" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Unknown-5-1-1024x629.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Unknown-5-1-300x184.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Unknown-5-1-768x472.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Unknown-5-1.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>You don&#8217;t need to leave London to strip off and lie on some sand because the capital&#8217;s got its own secret beach and we&#8217;ll tell you where to find it. <a href="https://www.ruisliplido.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ruislip Lake</a> in North West London has an unexpectedly brilliant beach, with golden sand edging a 60-acre lake, plus there&#8217;s also a miniature railway, pub, picnic areas and children&#8217;s playground, so when things are hotting up in Zone 1, pack a picnic and bikini and head to Zone 6 instead. Also worth checking out: <a href="https://bigpennysocial.co.uk/walthamstow-on-sea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walthamstow-on-Sea</a> at Big Penny Social, where sand, beach huts and frozen cocktails are hitting the spot this summer. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grab-a-gelato">Grab a gelato </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="997" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-01-at-21.00.29-1024x997.png" alt="La Gelateria " class="wp-image-12290" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-01-at-21.00.29-1024x997.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-01-at-21.00.29-300x292.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-01-at-21.00.29-768x748.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-01-at-21.00.29.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>When you&#8217;re in the centre of town and temperatures are reaching furnace levels, your best bet is to make a beeline for an ice cream parlour to take the edge off things. Covent Garden in particular has some gorgeous gelato joints, including <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lagelatiera/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">La Gelatiera</a>, an artisanal Italian ice cream parlour serving mouth-watering cones of unusual flavours like its best-seller honey rosemary and orange zest gelato. And nearby you&#8217;ll find <a href="https://www.instagram.com/morellisgelato" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Morelli’s Gelato</a>, a glam place to cool down while licking gelatos, sorbets and signature sundaes. <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/best-ice-cream-parlours/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Discover more places for ice cream here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fabulous-fountains">Fabulous  fountains </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Unknown-1-4-1024x576.jpeg" alt="Appearing Rooms, Southbank Centre " class="wp-image-12077" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Unknown-1-4-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Unknown-1-4-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Unknown-1-4-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2025/06/Unknown-1-4.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>And when it gets so hot that you just want to dunk your head in the nearest fountain, visit <a href="https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/activity/jeppe-hein-appearing-rooms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appearing Rooms</a> outside Southbank Centre. This interactive exhibit on the Riverside Terrace is by Danish artist Jeppe Hein and shoots jets into the air to create walls of water which disappear as quickly as they emerge. A combination of art, architecture and technology, it’s really good fun for all ages and, most importantly, cooling. Tip: pack a change of clothes.</p>


Beat the heat! Ways to cool down in the city

You may also like