It’s been a while since we last went to London as a family. Our last attempt scuppered by the industrial action hitting the railways in the UK.

Battersea is a Grade II listed beautiful industrial building that was a coal-fired power station until it was decommissioned in the 70’s.

A cityscape featuring the iconic brick facade and tall chimneys of Battersea Power Station with people walking on the paved area in front and contemporary buildings to the side. Clouds adorn the sky above.

You might be aware of it if you’re a Pink Floyd Fan 🐖

A large, cylindrical white chimney stack rises above a brick building with modern glass extensions, against a blue sky with light clouds.

It’s been in limbo for decades as plans were made and fell through to do something with the site until it was finally opened to development as a multi-purpose site filled with shops, bars, entertainment and even residential properties. It finally opened late 2022 but we’d yet to visit and hadn’t ever really gone over to that side of London.

Even Apple’s UK HQ is there now

I’d only ever seen Battersea from a distance before and the sheer size of the building was breathtaking as we approached it. The style is referred to as “Brick Cathedral” mimicking a more medieval style brought up to the modern age. It’s a beautiful functional building that looks traditional and alien at the same time. In a city that’s becoming more and more about glass and steel there’s something to be said for keeping these buildings standing and re-purposing them for more modern usage. Shops and high price apartments may not be the most original use for the space, but you can’t deny that its brought life back to a building that was left to rot for decades.

A photograph of a tall, cylindrical tower atop a brick building against a blue sky, with sunlight casting the building’s shadow onto the facade.

The approach and surrounding area has been uplifted with the development as well with more modern buildings containing apartments, smaller stores and such. It’s an airy modern place to roam.

A black and white image of two people standing near a food truck with a sign that reads “COFFEE BUTTIES PASTRIES”, with urban buildings in the background.

There is an “experience” where you can go up one of the chimneys that’s now converted to a viewing pod and take in the city sights, but we skipped it this time due to the pricing for four and the queues involved.

Interior of a modern two-level shopping arcade with a glass and steel roof, featuring hanging geometric light fixtures and lined with various shops and boutiques.

A large, geometric crystal chandelier sculpture hangs indoors, reflecting light with various colors. In the background, there’s a sign reading “POWER OF DESIGN” and two individuals are visible near a railing on the right.

This LEGO display was a highlight. It looked incredible. There was even random LEGO petals spread around the floor as well.

A LEGO florist kiosk filled with colorful artificial flowers, set in a shopping area with stores in the background.

A vibrant flower shop display with an array of multi-colored bouquets, including red roses in wooden crates, set against a backdrop of retail stores. The “flowers” are actually LEGO.

The LEGO model of Battersea at the LEGO store was a nice touch as well.

A LEGO created model of Battersea Power Station.

Our attention was wandering from shopping to food now as the day progressed, so we made our way up the stairs to where the majority of the restaurants, cocktail bars and cinema was located.

An interior space with “CONTROL ROOM” signage, featuring a central bar area with bright orange lighting. People are seated at the bar and tables, engaged in conversation and dining activities.

A food hall interior with a vibrant tiled floor, featuring a bar area with patrons sitting at the counter, several dining tables with guests, and illuminated signs reading “Arcade.” There’s also a menu board on a stand in the foreground.

If you’ve read any of the series of my posts about our holiday to Japan, you’ll know we love a food hall, and Battersea has a space called Arcade that’s in a similar style! Sit down. Order on your phone in this case and food from multiple different restaurants (all under the umbrella of the single company) is brought to your table.

The image shows a table in a casual dining setting with Mexican-style food, including tortilla chips in a red basket, a half-eaten taco on a plate with a lime wedge, a bowl of guacamole, a can of soda.

This food was delicious but the price was high and the portioning small. Photo’s of the food in the menu made things look much bigger than they were. I had a Birria Taco with a side of Nachos. My youngest son had a double burger and fries 1 My eldest and my wife had a paneer paratha wrap that smelled so amazing i couldn’t help but ask for a bite. 2

The ambiance was fun and relaxed. Our bellies somewhat full we continued to wander around the stores and take in the space.

A colorful indoor space with people using light-up hula hoops under neon lights. Reflective surfaces add to the vibrant atmosphere.

A Starbucks cafe interior with customers, viewed from an exterior vantage point. Two pigeons are on the ground in the foreground, one closer and blurred, likely moving, another at the cafe entrance.

Interior of a modern building featuring an industrial-style design with high ceilings and exposed steel beams. In the center is a helical sculpture resembling a staircase hanging from the ceiling, and a railing with people walking by and sitting at tables.

Interior of a multi-level shopping center with people walking and shops on each floor, featuring industrial-style architecture with exposed beams and a glass roof.

Just outside the main building there was a Korean supermarket named Oseyo, so I’m happy to say I’m now stocked up on ramen and gochujang as a result of this trip!

Outdoor view of a modern storefront with large glass windows, displaying various products inside. Pedestrians are walking by on the sidewalk. Reflective glass panels of an adjacent building above the store show reflections of surrounding architecture.

Lots of the stores are high end fashion brands and such, but there’s still a lot to see for your run of the mill tourists like us. If you’re coming to London and have half a day you want to fill, you could do a lot worse than spending some time roaming the halls and surroundings of such a unique and iconic building.

Interior of a modern building with exposed brick walls, structural steel beams, and a high ceiling with metal grid panels and suspended lighting.

A large brick building with a tall cylindrical tower under a clear blue sky, with an airplane flying in the distance.

A towering red brick building facade with vertical lines and a narrow arched detail at the top under a blue sky with light clouds.

Low angle view of a tall brick building with a large chimney against a cloudy sky, captured in black and white.

Modern buildings featuring curved architecture with reflective glass facades alongside a traditional building with a tall chimney, under a cloudy sky.

  1. The burgers were by far the best value in my opinion vs the rest of the menu. ↩︎

  2. My wife is pescatarian so sadly I could not reciprocate with my Taco, but my nachos were free rein on the table. ↩︎