London’s calling and our local CNCF Ambassadors have answered with some great ideas of things to do close to the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2025 venue.
Cross the river
Since our event is going to be right across the Thames River from Greenwich, Ambassador Simon Forster strongly recommended a visit. It’s an easy walk across the river, or it’s possible to take an Uber-type water taxi (here’s one option.) Greenwich is charming on its own, of course, but it is the home of the Royal Observatory Greenwich and the Prime Meridian, where it is possible to straddle time itself and stand across the Eastern and Western hemispheres at the same time! (And don’t worry, you won’t miss the Prime Meridian…it is literally a metal line in the courtyard of the Royal Observatory.)
Also in Greenwich is the Cutty Sark, a tea clipper ship built in the 1860s, that is open for exploration on all levels and even offers tea in the afternoon. It’s a good idea to book in advance.
Enjoy the views!
Ambassador Anastasiia Gubska has several literal sight-seeing suggestions. Starting at the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon venue, she recommends heading to the IFS Cloud Cable Car (about a 10 minute walk) and experience the views 90 meters above the Thames. Then, head to the O2 Climb, which she describes as “not for everyone but definitely an exciting experience!” The O2 is an event arena but it is possible to get tickets to do an outdoor climb to its roof where you will be rewarded with amazing 360 views of the river, Greenwich and the Docklands. Climbs can happen during the day, at sunset, or at twilight, and there is even a climb and dine option. Explore all the options.
Explore the local food options
London of course has nearly every cuisine imaginable, but Ambassador Abby Bangser wanted to be sure attendees understood a few of the subtleties of British food, starting with the well-known “Sunday Roast. “Sunday Roast is literally only available on Sunday, and kitchens often close around 3pm (though you can find one open later if you look!). I highly recommend an empty stomach for one of these.”
She also broke down another classic, the Full English. “The Full English (aka a fry up) is a breakfast that comes in a few different forms but usually has vegetarian and non-veg versions of egg, sausage, rasher bacon, black pudding (this one is an acquired taste!) and roast tomato, baked beans, grilled mushrooms, and hash browns. It’s great for after a long day/night though not small, so also keep an eye out for a butty/bap which is a bun and bacon and/or sausage and/or egg.”
With that cleared up, Ambassador Marcus Noble’s top advice for visitors to the London area was, in fact, FOOD! “London has food for everyone, with so many different options. My personal favourites are found in Chinatown. Just walking around the streets is amazing with all the delicious smell from the restaurants. I personally really like “Bun House.”
He also has two quirky coffee shop ideas: CuppaPug (which is exactly what you think it might be) and Shiba Inus with Love (ditto).
And don’t forget tea
Since no “what to do in London” blog could be complete without a quick explainer around tea, and since there are so many different kinds of tea to experience, here’s a quick look at the different kinds of tea from “elevenses” to cream tea, high tea and beyond. And if you want to have tea, the BBC’s Good Food site has put together 25 different afternoon tea experiences that vary from views to 1920s elegance to Halloween-themed (and a lot more).