London film locations to love

Image credit: Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)



The film that put London on the map as home of the ‘rom-com’.

There were a plethora of London locations used but our favourite scene is the one along the South Bank where Hugh Grant’s character declares his feelings for Andie MacDowell with “in short, to recap it slightly in a clearer version, eh, the words of David Cassidy in fact, eh, while he was still with the Partridge family, eh, "I think I love you."

Love London location: Waterloo Bridge underpass, South Bank

Image credit: Paddington (2014) © STUDIOCANAL

A film about a marmalade sandwich loving bear from Peru who falls in love with London and the family that falls in love with him. Both the sequel and the original were shot in a variety of central London locations but the scene at Paddington Station where the Brown family first encounter and adopt the bear is one of the most heartfelt.

Love London location: Platform 1, Paddington Station

Image credit: Notting Hill (1999) © Universal Pictures

A movie that continues to act like a magnet for tourists to west London searching for the ‘blue door’ of Hugh Grant character’s home, sadly no longer there. However, you can still visit the site of the Travel Book Shop where he works and where Julia Roberts film star says her teary goodbye - sniff, sniff.

Love London location: 142 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Image credit: Love Actually (2003) © Universal Pictures

Multiple storylines, and London locations, converge in this whirlwind romantic comedy which was filmed in Trafalgar Square and Heathrow Airport as well as the old City Hall building at Tower Bridge. However, arguably the most romantic scene is the one where Andrew Lincoln’s character Mark shows up to Juliet's (Keira Knightley) house on Christmas Eve with cue cards declaring his unrequited love.

Love London location: St Lukes Mews, Notting Hill, London, Greater London

Image credit: S.W.A.L.K. aka Melody (1971) © STUDIOCANAL

Described as a “forgotten inspiring gem” by director Wes Anderson and still a huge cult favourite in Japan, Melody is a romance about two school kids who fall deeply in love. It was filmed extensively around Kennington and presents a very authentic and gritty London of the seventies. However, the brilliant young cast and the swooning soundtrack by the Bee Gees elevate the story beyond its period and place into a timeless London love story.

Love London location: Brompton Cemetery where the young romantics try to comprehend the enduring power of love by the number of school terms.

Image credit: Rocks (2019) © Altitude



A modern coming-of-age story about a young teenage girl struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother after being abandoned by their single mother. The film, directed by Sarah Gavron, is a powerful story about the love and bond between young friends in the face of grown-up responsibilities. Rocks made a star out of its lead, Bukky Bakray, who became the youngest winner of the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2021. The film is shot extensively in Hackney around Bethnal Green and Ridley Road Market area and the iconic opening scene of the group of friends dancing was shot on the roof here.

Love London location: Sulkin House, Globe Town, London E2 0RS

Image credit: Withnail & I (1987)

Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical film is famous for its hilarious lines between the two friends and their dysfunctional bromance, as well as for having one of the saddest endings in comedy film history. It was shot around Notting Hill and Camden and most notably, for its ending shot at Regent’s Park in front of a real-life wolf enclosure at London Zoo.

Love London location: ’Hamlet’ soliloquy delivered by Withnail on the Regent's Park bench opposite London Zoo.

Image credit: My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) Allstar_Channel 4

This culture clash comedy is an uncommon love story that takes place between a young South London man (Gordon Warnecke), who decides to open an upscale laundromat to make his family proud, and his childhood friend, a skinhead (Daniel Day-Lewis, in a breakthrough role) who volunteers to help make his dream come true.

Love London location: Shot extensively on Wilcox Road, and the site of the fictional Powders Laundrette at no. 38.

Image credit: Boxing Day (2021) © Warner Bros. Pictures

Inspired by London writer, director, and star Aml Ameen's life, Boxing Day follows Melvin (Ameen), a British author living in America, who returns home to London for Christmas to introduce his American fiancée to his eccentric British-Caribbean family. Filmed in lots of recognisable London locations, the final proposal on Potter’s Field with the background of Tower Bridge and the old CIty Hall, will turn any heart to mush.

Love London location: Potter’s Field, Southwark

Image credit: Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) © Universal Pictures

Based on Helen Fielding's hugely popular novel, this romantic comedy follows Bridget (Renee Zellweger), a post‑feminist, thirty‑something British woman who has a penchant for hilarious romantic encounters.



Love London location: Bridget’s flat is located at 8 Bedale Street right next to Borough Market, above The Globe Tavern pub.