London
1 The Berkeley Hotel
Gardeners and landscape designers have transformed the rooftop of this five-star hotel into a rustic oasis replete with birch trees, hedgerows, birds, butterflies and even cow sounds. Guests have access to the rooftop pool, and for an extra fee can partake in massages, facials and a summer picnic menu that includes British favorites like strawberries and cream. Half-day access costs $74. Treatments from $82. See the-berkeley.co.uk.
2 Hayward Gallery
"Love Is What You Want," a retrospective running until Aug. 29, surveys the works of Tracey Emin, one of Britain's most celebrated and divisive contemporary artists. Personal disclosure — on everything from her philandering father to her multiple abortions — informs the unsettling and sweeping collection, which includes her explicit drawings, self-portraits, quilts, pill bottles and desperate letters. Visit southbankcentre.co.uk for details.
3 Quince
Bulgarian chef Silvena Rowe opened Quince at the May Fair Hotel in June. The lavish setting — antique mirrors, timber finishes, leather upholstery — matches the opulence of Rowe's modern eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Ottoman-inspired dishes include pork glazed in blueberry-and-coriander molasses, and "borek cigars" — seven-spice lamb shank and baby spinach in phyllo pastry. For reservations, call (44-20) 7915 3892.
4 Notting Hill Carnival
On Aug. 28 and 29, Britain's Caribbean community will once again throw Europe's largest street festival. More than 1 million revelers will graze at endless food stalls and dance at impromptu street parties in the lead-up to the main event: a parade of feathered dancers, steel drums and awe-inspiring floats. Rio isn't the only city that does carnival right. For more info, see nottinghill-carnival.co.uk.
5 British Museum
The Mandylion of Edessa — one of the earliest images of Christ — normally sits in the Pope's private chapel in the Vatican. This summer, however, it joins 150 other objects drawn from around the world in the British Museum's summer blockbuster, "Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe." Running until October, the show's stunning display includes fragments of the True Cross and what are thought to be pieces of the Crown of Thorns. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Fridays until 8:30 p.m.; admission $20; britishmuseum.org.
6 Basil's Bar
The Goring Hotel hosted Kate Middleton on her final night as a commoner. This summer it's re-creating Basil's Bar, the duchess's favorite watering hole in Mustique, inside its leafy courtyard. Bartenders mix Basil's iconic cocktails — like the Hurricane David and the Mustique Mule — behind a driftwood bar surrounded by 84 tons of sand. Visit thegoring.com.
7 Mount Street
When Tadao Ando unveiled his water installation in front of the Connaught Hotel on July 6, it marked the completion of the Mount Street rejuvenation project. A favorite of the tony Mayfair set, this off-radar street is quintessentially London. Its homogeneous Victorian buildings house an eclectic mix of antique shops, butchers, cigar specialists, leather-goods stores and the likes of Balenciaga and Louboutin.
8 da Polpo
Building on the success of his much ballyhooed restaurants Polpo and Polpetto, restaurateur Russell Norman opened his third bacaro in Covent Garden in June. The new offering features a similar menu of Venetian tapas — like a grilled mortadella, Gorgonzola and pickled-radicchio pizzetta, and perfectly formed arancini — and introduces an expanded range of meatballs like lamb and mint, and pork and fennel. Details at dapolpo.co.uk.
9 Wyndstock
Ninety minutes from London by train, the Wyndstock estate in Hampshire opens its fairy-tale gates for a country house party on Aug. 27. The $100 tickets include dinner, dancing, camping and breakfast, plus activities such as badminton, midnight swimming, storytelling in the woods, fireworks and a bonfire. Sip Pimm's at the man-made beach or toast your new boho friends on the croquet grounds. See wyndstock.com.
10 The Proms
Billed as the world's greatest classical-music festival, the Proms features eight weeks of orchestral music concerts staged primarily at Royal Albert Hall, one of London's most celebrated venues. Running until Sept. 10, the festival boasts headliners like Chinese pianist Lang Lang and German violinist Christian Tetzlaff. Even sold-out concerts reserve standing places, available for purchase on the day. Standing tickets from $8; bbc.co.uk/proms.