While we may dream of warm and sunny days in the middle of a London winter, the recent heat waves (yes, heat waves plural!) have proven too much for most of us. While some of us have been able to escape to the seaside, most of us have been stuck in our sweltering homes or sweating our way to work on public transport. And with even more hot days on the horizon for London, we decided it was time to fix the problem and find the best air conditioning in the city.
But we knew we couldn’t find the solution ourselves. After all, we couldn’t possibly do a whistle-stop tour of every single building in London to find the best air-con. Instead, we put the question directly to our readers by asking them on Facebook:
You all had plenty of suggestions – but we did see a handful of spots cropping up time and time again… Nonetheless, according to you, here are the best places to escape the heat in London during the heat wave(s):
1. Sainsburys
2. Tesco
3. Waitrose
4. Marks & Spencer
5. Iceland
There were plenty of suggestions to head straight to the nearest supermarket and hang out in the chilled foods aisles. One commenter even suggested heading to the freezers and hugging a bag of frozen peas. But we can only recommend this if you’re then planning on buying said peas…
6. The Elizabeth Line
Oh yeah… There’s nothing quite like stepping into a Lizzy Line carriage and realising you’re about to have a positively chilly travelling experience while getting around London on a hot day.
7. District line
Then again, any of the London Underground or Overground lines with air conditioning are a good shout…
8. A waxworks museum
Of the Madame Tussauds variety? I guess they do need to stop the wax from melting, like us in the London sun.
9. A London taxi
Although we reckon that could be a pretty pricey way to cool down. Imagine asking to get somewhere and only just starting to enjoy the air con as you arrive. It’d feel like punishment to step out of the taxi!
10. Head to the pub
If you’re lucky enough to have a local boozer with decent air con, then you know just where to go. Cool down from the inside and out with an ice-cold pint and some air conditioning.
11. “V&A for the culture, Fortnum’s for the chill, and a discreet martini at Dukes to forget it’s 30 deg outside”
Oh, wow, a whole day’s worth of air-conditioned activities. That’s our kind of daily agenda. Extra points for finishing the day with an ice-cold martini!
12. Greenwich foot tunnel
It may be cool in the Greenwich foot tunnel – but as your Louis puts it: “Not sure you wanna just hang out there though”.
13. Paxton & Whitfield cheese shop
Our Tom visited this cheese shop over the weekend and was loath to leave at the end of his visit. The shop was practically ‘baltic’ compared to the 30-degree weather outside
14. The C2C
Another vote for a wonderfully air-conditioned train journey.
15. “The river is always slightly cooler”
I mean it’s not air-conditioned, but I see what you mean. And if you’re in Canary Wharf, you can indeed swim in the Thames.
16. Moco Museum
A bit of art and a bit of air conditioning – who could possibly complain about that?
17. The cinema
Catch a hot new blockbuster – without the scorching temperatures.
18. “Airplanes… especially when [you’re] leaving London”
Well, it’s not the most economical option – but I do often take a sweater with me when travelling by plane due to the temperatures on the plane.
19. My office
Is that an invite?
20. Harvey Nichols
I’m too worried I’d end up spending too much money if I hid from the heat in here…
21. Lobby of a posh hotel
Oh, yes, of course! All you have to do is take a seat in one of the chairs in the lobby and look like you’re waiting for someone.
22. Origin Coffee
Cool down with an iced coffee in a delightfully air-conditioned cafe.
23. Young V&A Museum
Even better if you’ve got young ‘uns in tow who are also overheating!
24. Mare Street Market
Plus, with a restaurant, cafe, bars, shops, and more, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
25. Westfield Stratford City
You know, in case you need even more shopping to tempt you than Harvey Nichols.
So there you have it. Some of the best spots in London with air conditioning to check out when the mercury starts rising. Keep hydrated and be safe out there, folks! But also, fret not, we’re sure the hot weather won’t be around for too much longer. And then we’ll be begging for its return.