Top New Year’s Eve spots in London

With 2014 on the horizon, it’s nearly that time of year – after the Christmas celebrations, the tiresome Boxing Day sales, and the few days after when we reconcile in the warmth of our homes and glare bitterly at the weather outside – to venture into the night, decked out in all things bright and sparkly and sharp in search of the ultimate way to wave goodbye to 2013, and welcome the year ahead. A new year, for some, means a new beginning – be it a brand new gym membership, or a promise to oneself to quit smoking or cut out eating that. And with these resolutions,  some of which lasting for much longer than others, it seems traditional to leave the previous year of successes and failures with a definitive bang.

It’s no quietly kept secret that London is the home of diversity. Every street you walk down, there’s a restaurant from a part of the world you’ve never visited, or a new neighbour who’s just moved in next to you with a life story you could write a novel about. You can sit on a train and hear ten conversations in ten different languages. It comes as no surprise then that London is internationally renowned as the place to be to welcome the New Year.

For the extravagant

For those wanting to go all-out, the only feasible option is a lush and vehemently extravagant soiree in the heart of London itself. For sophisticated partygoers like these there are a whole host of locations, a multitude of skyscrapers across the capital. Not far from Liverpool St station is the home of the Heron Tower, a 39-floor skyscraper with a bustle of activity and a stunningly awe-striking view of the cityscape. There’s a unique menu from their cool and prestigious restaurants such as the Duck & Waffle and Sushisamba, who run well into the hours of the am, the blistering morning after the night before. For further information visit here.

Closer to the clubs and bars of central London is the tallest building in Europe – the stabbing and protruding Shard, situated by London Bridge. Celebrating the New Year in a building with astonishing, full-circle panoramas of the city is not without its consequences, with tickets setting you back £375. For further information visit here.

For the quieter ones

If you’re not willing to fork out the stunting cost of a ticket to a planned event, there are a plethora of popular hotspots in the thick of the action for all to enjoy. When the clock strikes midnight, the view is all that matters, and we all want the best spot we can get to get that winning selfie with the fireworks in the background that we’ll post on all our social media profiles three hours after, when we remember that we took them.

For the best view without the lavish price tag, Primrose Hill, a one minute walk from Camden Town in North West London, is the place to be. It can however be muddy, or snowy if the weather gets really bad, so donning a few more layers is definitely a wise tactic in order to fend off the sniffles and shivers.

If you’re willing to camp out for a close-up view – bearing in mind the perpetually temperamental weather in London – you could head down to the Southbank, where the highly coveted centrepiece fireworks from the EDF Energy London Eye reside.

Whether you’re with friends or family – be it in a swanky restaurant, or a hurriedly improvised get-together at a friends house – celebrating the arrival of 2014 shouldn’t be a stressful tirade. Stay safe, have fun, and don’t be afraid to see where the night takes you!

Hannah Ross
Photo: Courtesy of Duck and Waffle