What to Do in London After Your Slow Horses Tour
So, you’ve found Slough House, inspected the dustbins and stood on the very spot where your favourite agents got themselves into trouble. What next?
Luckily for Slow Horses fans, London has plenty more to offer, from recognisable filming locations to places connected with Britain’s real-life intelligence history. You can follow the trail around the capital, stop for breakfast at one of Jackson Lamb’s favourite haunts or venture further afield to discover the real story of Britain’s wartime spies.
Here are a few ideas for extending your Slow Horses adventure.
Eat like a local around Slough House
One of the pleasures of Slow Horses is its use of real streets and businesses. The fictional world of MI5 may be full of conspiracies, but the neighbourhood around Slough House is very much part of the working City of London. And there’s no need to limit yourself to taking photographs from the pavement.
The Gate Grill Café, at 126 Aldersgate Street, is a proper local café at the Slough House address; in the show, they dress it up as the New Empire where Lamb eats his noodles. Stop for breakfast, a sandwich or a coffee while you’re exploring the area. Open Monday to Friday 6am-3pm, Saturday 6am-1pm.
On the corner, Vecchio Parioli is the Italian restaurant where Lamb takes Moira for lunch in Season 4. Follow in his footsteps and wash down your pasta with plenty of red wine. Open Monday to Friday 12-3pm and 5pm-11pm, Saturday 5.30-11pm.
Over in West Smithfield, Beppe’s Café is another familiar stop for viewers: it’s the real café Jackson Lamb visits for breakfast. Established in 1932, this buzzy local favourite is open Monday to Friday, 6.30am-2pm.
Opening times were correct when I wrote this but do check before setting off.
Take a walk along Regent’s Canal
So many of my guests ask about the park bench where Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner have a secret spy rendezvous. The bench overlooking Regent’s Canal is a real location, opposite the Feng Shang Princess floating restaurant, near London Zoo. From King’s Cross, you can follow the towpath north-west towards Regent’s Park, passing houseboats and waterside cafés along the way.
It’s a lovely walk, and a chance to see a greener side of London than the show’s gloomy portrayal of the City might suggest. For a longer outing, you could combine the walk with a visit to Regent’s Park, London Zoo or even Camden Market, where you can visit the Shake Shack from Season 6.
Explore King’s Cross
Coal Drops Yard
King’s Cross has had a real makeover, and it plays a starring role in Season 4. It’s a short tube journey from the end point of the walking tour and an easy choice if you have just an afternoon to spare, with plenty to see, eat and drink without having to travel far between locations.
Start at Granary Square, where River Cartwright and Frank Harkness face off in the dramatic showdown outside The Lighterman. From there, explore Coal Drops Yard, the handsome former railway buildings now home to independent shops, restaurants and cafés.
A short walk away is St Pancras International, another recognisable Season 4 location. This is where River presses the button for champagne at the St Pancras Bar and Brasserie. If you fancy recreating the scene, you can stop for a glass of something sparkling while taking in the station’s spectacular Victorian architecture.
Discover Britain’s codebreakers at Bletchley Park
For a full day out, head to Bletchley Park, the historic home of the codebreakers who helped decipher German communications during the Second World War.
This is where intelligence work moves beyond the fictional world of MI5 and into the extraordinary reality of wartime codebreaking. Explore the historic huts and mansion, discover the work carried out by Alan Turing and his colleagues, and learn how intercepted messages helped the Allied war effort.
Allow several hours to make the most of the site. Bletchley Park is outside London, but it’s an excellent choice if you’re fascinated by the story of the people whose work remained hidden for decades.
Find visitor information and plan your visit at Bletchley Park.
Visit Trent Park House of Secrets
For another side of Britain’s intelligence history, make time for Trent Park House of Secrets in north London.
During the Second World War, captured German generals and senior officers were housed at Trent Park in apparently comfortable surroundings. What they didn’t know was that their conversations were being secretly monitored by intelligence officers and a team of German-speaking listeners. The information they gathered helped reveal military secrets, including details of German weapons research.
Today, visitors can explore the restored state rooms upstairs and the basement where the Secret Listeners worked. It’s a fascinating reminder that some of the most important intelligence work happens when people have no idea they’re being listened to. Trent Park only opened to visitors this year, making it a particularly interesting destination for anyone keen to discover a less familiar chapter of Britain’s wartime history.
Check opening times and book ahead via Trent Park House of Secrets. The museum is currently scheduled to close for January 2027 and reopen in February.
See The Park in Greenwich
Old Royal Naval College
In Slow Horses, MI5’s headquarters, known as The Park, is supposedly located near Regent’s Park. The television series uses a combination of real locations and visual effects to create its fictional intelligence headquarters, with parts of the building filmed at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
The baroque architecture and Painted Hall are well worth seeing in their own right, and you’ll also spot plenty of other film locations including The Crown, Bridgerton and Napoleon.
It makes a good half-day excursion, especially if you combine it with some of the other attractions Greenwich has to offer, including the Queen’s House, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark.
Find out more about visiting the Old Royal Naval College.
Take a stroll through London’s clubland
The world of Slow Horses is full of powerful people, discreet conversations and institutions where decisions are made behind closed doors. For a taste of the real-life London that provides the backdrop to that world, head to Pall Mall and St James’s.
This is historic clubland, with grand façades and imposing entrances hinting at the private world beyond them. Many of the clubs are members-only, so you won’t be wandering in for a nose around, but the streets themselves are worth exploring. The Athenaeum and the Reform Club are both used as the fictional St Joshua Club in the show.
Make your own Slow Horses itinerary
If you’ve got just an afternoon, King’s Cross is an easy place to start: explore Coal Drops Yard, look out for familiar Season 4 locations and stop for a drink at St Pancras. Alternatively, spend a little longer around Slough House, taking in the real neighbourhood and stopping at one of the local cafés or restaurants.
For a longer walk, follow Regent’s Canal towards the famous bench before exploring more of the area around Regent’s Park. Greenwich offers architecture and history, while Bletchley Park and Trent Park House of Secrets are excellent choices for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the real story of intelligence work.
And if you haven’t yet visited Slough House itself, that’s where I come in. My Slow Horses walking tour explores the real City of London locations behind the series, with the stories and details that are easy to miss if you’re exploring alone.
Ready to see Slough House for yourself? Find out more about my Slow Horses walking tour, and discover the real neighbourhood behind your favourite spy thriller.
