week in london - hotel recommendations - entertainment recommendations?

how about the http://www.great-eastern-hotel.co.uk/?

You could always nibble on some http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/home_feat_where_cockneygrub.asp including jellied eels. I love the book market just outside the National Film Theatre on the South Bank. Hell, I love just walking along the South Bank, from Westminster to the Tower of London. Depends what you're into, mostly.

My favprite London activity - the National Portrait Gallery. there is something about seeing so many faces one after another - they speak of history, and the passage of styles, yes - but there is magic there too.

Oh - All Hallows also has surviving parts from early medieval to modern (including a medieval prayer chapel underground, and also memorials to the Blitz) - it is a small embodiment of London history.

The most interesting thing I have done in London is to visit the church of All Hallows by the Tower. It's not hard to find - it's right beside the Tower. In addition to being the official parish church for the port of London, it is also the church from which Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire of London in 1666. That said, the Anchor pub on the south side of the River isn't that off-beat, but has a very nice view of the river. And you get to sit under London bridge. Sure, it's a modern monstrosity, but hey, it's still London Bridge.

And http://www.ica.org.uk/ is the best place in London to see bands, IMHO. If there's a band you think you might like playing there at the time, obviously.

Go see a movie in the lovely http://www.electriccinema.co.uk/. And have a lovely http://www.squarepie.com/. Or a http://www.gbkinfo.com/. Slightly random suggestions, I know.

Oh and this will be my last response to this question, but get an oyster card. Pay as you go oyster works on tubes and buses. The card costs you 3 quid then you can top it up anywhere. Without an oyster, a tube journey is 3 quid. Using an oyster, it's 1.50. So you only need to take two journeys to make up the cost of the card, and then you don't have to queue for tickets. The price is capped, too, so if you get lots of tubes and buses the most you'll pay is something like 4.70. You can buy them at tube stations and various newsagents.

If you do want to go to Highgate (I'd highly recommend it) - call ahead. The cooler - older part of the http://highgate-cemetery.org/index.asp (the western cemetery) is closed to the public with the exception of tours. There is one tour every day during the week and a bunch on the weekends. I'd also recommend a proper English football match. There are a bunch of premiere league teams in London. You may not be able to get tickets for an Aresenal or Chelsea fixture - but tickets for Fulham or Charleton Athletic would probably be easy enough to come by. The on and off bus is a great suggestion. Gives you a great sense of what you want to go back and explore further. The Tate Modern is well worth a visit - and the library in the British museum is one of the coolest looking rooms. If you are music people - check out what's on. There are a bunch of rooms in London that have fantastic musical pedigree. If there is anything good on at the http://www.the100club.co.uk/main.asp - I'd totally recommend a trip if for nothing else than to stand in the same room as legends from so many eras.