Recommendations sought for a weekend in London

Tresco your a mind of information I love art deck and will be checking out that cocktail bar.
absentgrandma I hope your friend enjoys her trip.

Apologies, I've just realised its Travelodge Waterloo Road not Waterloo Bridge (Road).

It's a bit busy, but how about the William Morris tea rooms at the V&A? Quite extraordinary decor. Somerset House often has interesting things on, and a pleasant courtyard for coffee, plus of course the Courtauld Institute for art.

Thanks everyone...lots to work on there. Docklands not a good choice so I'll think again. Thanks Grannyknot for the 'heads-up' on the Waterloo Bridge Travelodge... I would never have thought of that one. I'l send her the links you posted as well.
My friend is very quiet and reserved, but very used to travelling (though not to England.!) so I had already thought museums would be of interest... though don't know what her niece is like. My friend loves 'English tea', so I'll point her in the direction of the London Reveiw of Books if she's going to the British Museum. I would mention 'Tea at the Ritz' but I think she'd probably faint at the price!

The buses are much easier to use now they tell you the name of the stop you are arriving at, so if you have looked up the route you know where to get off. I agree about Docklands being too full of offices. It all depends on what their interests are. If they are in the Lambeth area, the Garden Museum is a little oasis for some calm. There are great views of St Pauls' from the cafe at the top of Tate Modern. This place is good for dinner and has a great Art Deco style cocktail bar www.brasseriezedel.com near Picadilly Circus. London Review of Books near British Museum has some of the best cakes and a good atmosphere. Can throw out more random suggestions but as I said, depends on interests!

Here's another website with info about the buses:

www.londonforfree.net/outdoors/bustour/bustour.shtml

I think that Docklands is a bit out of the way for a tourist in London. It is very officey. What about the Lambeth area? The Travelodge in Waterloo Bridge Road gets very good reviews from my work colleagues - and if you're in the right room, you even get a view of the London Eye. South Bank within walking distance and there is so much going on there all the time.

I've got a "pay-as-you-go" Oyster card which is dead simple. You just put as much on it as you need and when we have guests I lend it to them.

There is a website too that tells you how to catch some of the regular London buses that follow the main routes of the tourist buses, I'll see whether I can find it. It's fun!

Here you go, it's the Number 11 bus:

www.londondrum.com/events/?p=17339

Thanks Tresco. I forgot about the Oyster card, they weren't an option last time I was in London so I'll go on the London Transport website and get clued up about it. Think I'll ask my friend round for supper and we'll both go online and investigate that and the river trips. What did we do before the internet?

If they like dance, Sadlers Wells has great shows and is very reasonable for London. (book the seats with "restricted visibility" - only means you can't see very top of set where nothing is happening anyway) A few minutes walk away in Exmouth Market there is a very good Meditteranean/Turkish style restaurant called Sade where you can get a 2 course pre-show meal for around £10. Ibis hotels are also worth considering for budget travellers - I stayed in Docklands one last August for around £50 for twin room. Not much around it though in terms of restaurants, as it is very much a work environment. Borough Market might be interesting to explore. How about getting the boat either from Tate Modern to Tate Britain (or vice versa) or from Westminster to Greenwich? Make sure they get an Oyster card, buses are going cashless.