International travel can at first seem worrisome to vegans. Where can we go that won’t compromise our values? And perhaps more importantly, what do we eat when we get there?

Enter London. This capital city is easy for vegans to navigate. There’s no language barrier—which means there’s little chance of restaurants mucking up your food order—and British attitudes toward animals are similar to those in the States. Even better, London is positively bursting with exciting things to see and eat­. We’ve compiled a list of a few of our favorites below. Let us know in the comments section your top vegan sites in jolly old England.

 What to See

Jeremy Bentham

If you like a bit of the macabre blended with animal rights, London has the perfect attraction: Jeremy Bentham. Bentham was an 18^th century philosopher who was a pioneer on issues of animal rights. It was Bentham who said, “[T]he question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?” He believed animals should be treated well simply because they have the capacity to feel pain. Bentham foresaw a time when nonhuman animals would attain rights, and he viewed it as degrading to animals for anyone to think of them as things.

So how do you see Jeremy Bentham in London? That’s where the macabre comes in. Bentham died in 1832, and he asked that his body be dissected and then preserved for University College London (UCL). Today, his skeletal remains have been padded out with straw, dressed in his original clothes, and put on display in a glass box in UCL’s South Cloisters. According to UCL’s museum’s website, “He is usually woken up around 8am, and put to sleep at 6pm.” Swing by on a weekday to get your picture taken with this trailblazing philosopher.

Tower of London

A visit to this famous (and infamous) castle is an absolute requirement for first-time visitors to London. But its sordid history covers more than royal beheadings and imprisoned queens. The tower was also once home to the royal menagerie. Exotic animals first arrived at the tower in 1210 as gifts from foreign dignitaries to the English king, and they continued to arrive right up to the early 19^th century. Conditions for animals at the tower were not good, with animals left to suffer in tiny barren cages and some forced to fight to the death for the amusement of the king or queen.

Some 600 years of animal suffering are memorialized today through wire statues of animals placed throughout the grounds and a special exhibit on the historic menagerie. As you tour the tower, take a moment to remember all who were once imprisoned here.

Where to Eat

London is a melting pot of cultures, and there’s a meal out there for every taste and budget. Fortunately, you can find vegan versions of stereotypical English foods: For a traditional full breakfast, including vegan sausage and beans on toast, try St. Margaret’s House. For “fish” and chips, you can’t beat The Coach & Horses, London’s first vegetarian pub! And vegan dessert puddings are readily found at Mildreds and manna.

If British cuisine’s not your scene, there are plenty of other delicious options. From Italian to Japanese and from Afghan to Eritrean—and even food spots that offer dairy-free ice cream cookie sandwiches—vegans will find plenty to eat at restaurants throughout the capital. Vegan cafés and cake shops abound in the trendy Camden neighborhood, and Indian restaurants stand on nearly every street corner, ready to fill empty vegan stomachs.

Where to Shop

Shopaholics will love the diversity of London stores, which range from high-end fashion houses to tiny Beatlemania stands.

For clothes, shoes, or accessories, stop at Topshop. This trendy chain has committed to keeping fur and exotic-animal skins out of its stores and even teamed up with PETA U.K. to promote ethical fashion.

For beauty products, hit up Lush. Also found in the States, Lush has been creating fresh, handmade cosmetics for 20 years and has always been cruelty-free.

And for an array of compassionate clothes, accessories, groceries, books, DVDs, and more, you can’t go wrong with Vx—the U.K.’s first entirely vegan boutique.

So get thee to London, and quick! Your dollar will go further in the U.K. now than it has in years.