Art is cool. Everyone knows that. And like Charles Saatchi and his YBAs, London’s got more than its fair share. In 1994 Roy Strong wrote in The Sunday Times that, for a successful exhibition, ‘You’ve got to have two out of death, sex and jewels’. For whatever reason, these are the galleries that just keep on getting it right.

Tate Modern
The art gallery for people who don’t like art galleries, and the world’s biggest too. Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron converted the Bankside Power Station, gutting the Turbine Hall and creating a whopping 82 galleries. Though criticised for weak areas in its collection, this is a long-awaited addition to the London gallery scene. And for anyone struggling to make sense of the thematic hang, the place is open until 10 pm on Fridays, so have a few beers and let your imagination run riot.

National Gallery
Oil paintings smell lovely. Compared to the Louvre, Prado and others of that ilk, this gallery’s collection of Western European art from 1250 onwards is a relatively small one but, happily, almost all of it is permanently on view. Botticelli, Titian, Turner, Van Eyck, Canaletto, Velásquez, Da Vinci… all for free: so go give them a good sniff.

ICA
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is a firm believer in art’s role within public life and therefore much of its work occurs beyond the traditional gallery space. Yes, it’s trendy, and no, the haircut who sells you a ticket won’t grin and tell you to ‘have a nice day’, but this is still an excellent venue for art, gigs, movies and more.

Royal Academy of Arts
A true institution, the Royal Academy is home to the diploma work of every Royal Academician. Due to an age-old wariness of art-world renegades (we’re talking women, Scots, watercolourists and other such social menaces) the RA’s collection is not quite as comprehensive as one might hope. Its real strength lies in architectural drawings and sculpture – in fact, this is home to the only marble sculpture by Michelangelo in England.

Whitechapel Art Gallery
Some of the most important exhibitions of modern and contemporary art in Britain have taken place in this Grade II listed building on Whitechapel High Street. Decidedly avant-garde, the array of conceptual art, installations, video, film, performance and new media pieces can be a little hard to swallow, but if you enjoy a challenge, the Whitechapel’s where it’s at.