Map Quest: South London

When London's Royal Festival Hall (RFH) reopened in June after a two-year restoration, more than 250,000 people turned up to celebrate the rebirth of a British icon. The spring cleaning of the RFH, the postwar centerpiece of the 1951 Festival of Britain, represents the final piece of the puzzle in establishing the south bank of the Thames--from the London Eye big wheel down to the Design Museum at Shad Thames--as one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the capital. Multiple bridges make it accessible to more than 15 million Londoners and visitors, and the Southbank Centre boasts 10 restaurants on its 21-acre (8 hectare) riverfront site. Here's a guide to the highlights:

For a hop-on, hop-off boat trip with amusing commentary by a real Thames waterman, choose a Red Rover service (1) from Waterloo Millennium (London Eye) pier for the Tate Modern and the Tower of London (44 20 7740 0400; citycruises.com)

Golden Jubilee Bridges (2), left, is the official name for the pair of footbridges that now link the south bank with the West End, although Londoners still use the name of the railway bridge between them: the Hungerford Bridge.

The Royal Festival Hall (3) is not just for music aficionados--from classical to Iggy Pop--but also for those interested in design. The furniture of postwar-design star Robin Day has been restored, as have the carpets designed by architects Peter Moro and Leslie Martin. The venue will also be the central hub of this year's London Design Festival (Sept. 15 to 25; londondesignfestival.com)

The Hayward art gallery (4), overshadowed in recent years by the success of the Tate Modern downriver, is back on the culture map. In October a highly anticipated exhibit, "The Painting of Modern Life," opens with works by Gerhard Richter and Andy Warhol (southbankcentre.co.uk).

Designed by Sir Norman Foster with sculptor Sir Anthony Caro and Arup engineers, the Millennium Bridge (5), which links pedestrians at the Tate Modern on the south side of the river to St. Paul's Cathedral on the north, is still known affectionately by Londoners as the "wobbly bridge," although its seasickness-inducing swing has been corrected.

In October, the Tate Modern (6) will present the work of avant-garde artist Louise Bourgeois. Plus, among the best free sights in London are exhibitions in the massive Turbine Hall tate.org.uk/modern) The Tate's neighbor, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, hosts Love's Labour's Lost until Oct. 7 shakespeares-globe.org)

Skylon restaurant (7), left, named for the (long-gone) towering sculpture, a symbol of 1951's festival, is located in the RFH and boasts spectacular river views and an interior design inspired by the RFH's history (44 20 7654 7800; skylonrestaurant.co.uk).

Canteen, located on the east side of the RFH, combines bench seating (you rarely need to book) with British cooking from fresh seasonal produce (44 845 686 1122; www.canteen.co.uk).

Giraffe, situated beneath the RFH on the riverside level, is a family-friendly, all-day cafe offering burgers, salads and, especially of note, healthy fruit smoothies. Booking not necessary. Southbank Centre (44 20 7928 2004; giraffe.net)

It's a 10-minute walk to Anchor & Hope, which deserves its reputation for what the Brits call great pub grub, including steak-and-kidney pie and braised rabbit. Save space for pudding. Annoyingly, no reservations. 36 The Cut, SE1 (44 20 7928 9898).