The ‘most naff’ London tourist attraction that sees 2.5 million visitors a week

Like Oxford Circus, it’s a part of London that Londoners know to avoid like the plague: Leicester Square.

Sometimes it’s an unavoidable, pigeon-filled cut-through on the way to Soho, but even then most of us skirt around the edges, doing whatever we can to dodge slow walkers and aggressive buskers.

So it’s little surprise that it’s been dubbed the ‘most naff’ tourist attraction in the capital.

And yet, despite that (or perhaps because of it)an estimated 250,000 people visit every day.

As it was described in The Telegraph. It is the ‘West End’s premiere holding pen of commerce, petty crime and rancid pizza slices.’

So if there are things you really want to do on Leicester Square but dealing with the marauding masses isn’t your bag, here’s where you should go instead:

Instead of M&M world…

If you’ve got a sweet tooth but don’t want to queue on the street to spend a small fortune on a treat you could buy at Tesco, go for something more bespoke.

You’re not far from William Curley, a pâtissier chocolatier in Soho that serves up nostalgic treats like fancy Jaffa Cakes or Millionaires Shortbread.

William has won the title of Britain’s Best Chocolatier four times and has also collected more than 30 gold awards for his creations at the Academy of Chocolate Awards. Now that’s something worth queuing for.

Instead of the Lego Store…

The Lego store may be cool, but down on Regent Street there is Hamleys. Okay, there is still an element of chaos, but it’s better quality chaos. What else would you expect from seven floors of toys? Yes, that includes Lego.

Hamleys isn’t just a toy shop, they also do demonstrations and host elaborate displays – I’ll never forgive my dad for not letting me have the life-sized cuddly giraffe in the foyer.

An alternative for theatre…

While we fully support a trip to the Hippodrome for a West End performance, there’s another great show on at the minute just down the road.

If you venture to the Dominion Theatre at Tottenham Court Road, you’ll be able to watch a musical with songs written by Elton John himself.

The unmissable The Devil Wears Prada is currently showing at the grade II listed art deco building and is scheduled to run the adaptation of the 2000s blockbuster until September 2026.

An alternative for cinema…

Leicester Square is home to premieres, but there’s a more enjoyable (and a lot less pricey) way to enjoy film.

There’s the very retro Electric Cinema in Notting Hill (think leather armchairs, side tables and even double beds), while a bit further out the Olympic Cinema in Barnes is a great place for a full night out with a fabulous restaurant underneath.

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