Speedy’s Cafe
The facade of Speedy’s Cafe is familiar to those who have seen the TV series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch. The building in which the cafe is located in the TV series had an address of 221 B Baker Street. The film crew chose North Gower Street for its sparseness and typical late nineteenth-century London flavor.
The owners of Speedy’s Cafe allow you to take photos of the place from outside and inside. The walls of the cafe are decorated with photos of actors. During working hours you can buy a sandwich to take away or sit down at a table and order dishes from the menu.
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 06:30 — 15:30; Saturday: 07:30 — 13:30; Sunday: closed.
- Inspection time: 5 — 10 minutes not including time for breakfast or lunch.
- Website.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum (The Sherlock Holmes Museum)
The museum of the famous detective invented by Arthur Conan Doyle is located at 221b Baker Street. This street is right next to Regent’s Park.
Before visiting the museum, you can take a free Russian-language guidebook in the souvenir store, and near the museum you can have your photo taken with a young man dressed as a 19th century policeman. The museum is only accessible as part of a guided tour conducted in English by a guide.
- Monday — Tuesday: closed. Wednesday — Sunday: 10:00 — 17:00.
- Admission: Adults £15. Children under 16 — £10. Children under 6 years old — free of charge.
- Ticket Reservations.
- Inspection time: 20 to 50 minutes.
- The site offers a quiz on your knowledge of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels.
The museum is dedicated to a fictional literary character, so there are no things that belonged to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The museum recreates the atmosphere of a Victorian English house of the 19th century. You will see in what conditions in Conan Doyle’s time could live a widow who rented rooms for two tenants.
The compact living room is furnished according to the book’s descriptions. There are two armchairs by the fireplace. On a chair is an open valise of a doctor of that era. On the shelves — vials with reagents and flasks from the chemical laboratory, books. Near the window, a table set with antique porcelain invites to dinner.
In addition to the living room, you can see the bedrooms of Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson, a room with wax figures — characters from Conan Doyle’s books. On the staircase, stained glass windows, a wall-mounted letter stand, an antique vacuum cleaner and other details immerse you in the atmosphere of the time. Upstairs are a 19th-century powder room and a pantry.
There are several interesting sites near the museum, not Sherlock-related but worth a visit.
London Beatles Store
Here they sell souvenirs with Beatles symbols: magnets, pens, T-shirts, vinyl records, autographed photos of the musicians, etc.
Open daily, 10:00 a.m. — 6:30 p.m.
Madame Tussauds London.
- What to see: wax figures of celebrities, including actors who played in the Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes films.
- Hours of operation: daily, 10:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.
- Admission: adults — £30.50. Children under 15 — £24.00. Children under 3 years old — free of charge.
- Reservations for tickets here.
Sherlock Holmes Statue.
Not far from the Sherlock Holmes Museum there is a monument to the famous detective on Marylebone Rd. Next to the street sculpture you will see the entrance to the Baker Street Metropolitan Line station.
The Sherlock Holmes Public House & Restaurant.
The interior of the pub is in the style of the 19th century. On the second floor you can see the exhibition dedicated to Sherlock Holmes.
- How to get there: Charing Cross tube station.
- Website.
Chinatown.
There is a Chinatown in central London that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman visit in «Sherlock». There are many Chinese restaurants and eateries in the neighborhood.
How to find: Piccadilly Circus tube station. Follow Shaftesbury Ave to 62 Wardour St and turn right.
Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly Square)
Piccadilly Square appears several times in the TV series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch.
InHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron and Hermione are transported to this square from Ron’s brother’s wedding and dodge a bus.
How to find: Piccadilly Circus tube station.
There are many places in London that are associated with Sherlock Holmes. They will remind you of your favorite characters, help you imagine yourself in the movie and diversify your experience of the city.
