UK's coolest street with cheap food, trendy stores & huge festivals (2024)

THE coolest street in the UK has been revealed - and it has been praised for it's recent revival.

Time Out has announced it's top 30 coolest neighbourhoods in the world by speaking to local experts and travellers.

Time Out's Travel Editor Grace Beard explained: "Nominated by our local expert editors and contributors –who know their cities like nobody else – these are the best streets in cities around the world right now to eat, drink, dance, shop and stroll.”

And one in the UK came in number 17 - and it's found in London.

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Gerrard Street, the main road in Chinatown, was praised for it's recovery after visitor numbers plummeted during the pandemic.

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Now, it has been raved about for it's amazing restaurants, as well as trendy new stores thanks to social media.

Time Out said: "Chinatown, the one inSoho, is special, both in terms of its historical significance and also its present-day, social media-powered renaissance.

"Today, Gerrard Street (Chinatown’s main lantern-festooned drag) is maybe the most bustling, lively bit ofLondon.

"TikTok has made social media stars of nearly every single food stall and eatery in the area.

"New restaurants have opened up, a few of which are competing with the likes ofFour Seasons, Leong's Legend and Wong Kei for the coveted 'best place in Chinatown' crown.

"Meanwhile, Gen Z-friendly shops and boutiques have replaced the manky tat stores."

Not only that but they also have its annual Chinese New Year festival every year, with street parades and limited edition snacks.

Sun Travel's Ryan Gray recently visited the area while on a mission to explore the capital city on a budget.

He said: "We stopped at Lanzhou Lamian, right next to Leicester Square station, where two portions of authentic Chinese pullednoodlescame to £18.

"Chinatown also has some amazing dessert options for the sweet-toothed and we picked up a bag of taiyaki - Japanese custard-filled fish-shaped cakes - for £2.20 from the Chinatown bakery."

Taking the number one spot on the Time Out list was High Street in Melbourne thanks to it's "unique, something-for-everyone local businesses".

And Rua da Boavista, Lisbon was the highest entry for Europe, coming in seventh place, found next to the Time Out Market.

Last year, Time Out named Hull as one of the best places to visit in 2024.

And both Liverpool and London featured in Time Out's top 50 cities to visit in 2024.

Here are some other cool neighbourhoods to visit too.

The Baltic Triangle, Liverpool

Named one of the coolest places to live by the Telegraph and Time Out, The Baltic Triangle has transformed abandoned warehouses into a creative district.

Coffee shops, bars, restaurants and gaming attractions are just some of the latest pop ups in the Grade II listed warehouses.

There is even the Michelin Guide rated Manifest and Jurgen Klopp Mural.

Mosely, Birmingham

Now home to six Michelin-starred restaurants, Mosely is quickly becoming one of the cooler areas of Birmingham.

There is also one of the city's best pubs The Prince of Wales with a huge outdoor beer garden.

Sun Travel's Hope Brotherton previously wrote: "As someone who grew up in Birmingham, Moseley was always regarded as one of the coolest areas in the city thanks to its independent food scene and edgymusic festivals."

Cliftonville, Margate

Back in 2022, Margate's Cliftonville was named one of the coolest in the UK.

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Also dubbed Shoreditch-on-Sea, there are now trendy murals, amazing seafood restaurants and quirky co*cktail bars lining the streets.

As the Sun's Deputy Travel Editor, I was lucky enough to have once lived there - here's what it's like as a local.