Decades before the actress Natasha Rothwell ever set foot in London, she dreamed of living there. The historic charm — the regal theaters and terraced houses — was part of the pull. The other reason was the city’s connection to classic rom-com films.
“‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Love Actually’ and ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ definitely made it feel like a place where love is possible,” said Ms. Rothwell, who stars in the current season of the hit HBO show “The White Lotus.”
In 2021, the Los Angeles resident finally got her opportunity to be a part-time local in London while filming the movie “Wonka.” During her five months there, Ms. Rothwell, 44, took long walks along the River Thames, enjoyed “quite exquisite” dinners at the Michelin-starred pub the Harwood Arms, and visited the Tate Modern art gallery so frequently, she purchased a membership.
Ms. Rothwell’s penchant for culture and self discovery runs parallel to that of Belinda Lindsey, her character in “The White Lotus.” Belinda, the empathetic spa manager of the fictional resort White Lotus Maui in Season 1, returns for Season 3, which takes place in Thailand and debuted Feb. 16. “In the time between we last saw her and Season 3, she’s embarked on a journey of healing and trying to figure out how to trust again, and how to be more self-reliant,” Ms. Rothwell said of Belinda.
Ms. Rothwell’s most recent visit to London, for a “White Lotus” press trip, lasted only 48 hours. When she can stay a bit longer, here are five of Ms. Rothwell’s top London destinations.
1. Bridge Theater
Nestled in the shadow of the iconic Tower Bridge, the riverfront Bridge Theater offered instant familiarity with Ms. Rothwell. “It just brought me back to my roots of being a theater major and just nerding out,” she said, noting the avant-garde establishment reminded her of the Woolly Mammoth Theater in Washington, D.C., where she worked after college.
While in attendance for “White Noise,” the critically acclaimed play by Suzan-Lori Parks, during Ms. Rothwell’s first stay in London, she took inventory of the Bridge Theater’s gritty, “kind of punk” ambience and the crowd full of theater purists.
“It just felt like everyone there understood that it was a sacred place where art was going to be performed,” she said.
2. MiMi Mei Fair
According to Ms. Rothwell, much of the appeal of London’s culinary scene is its unique offering of both low-key neighborhood favorites and…
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