7 best London locations in Netflix thriller Black Doves includes £40,000,000 penthouse

Black Doves has become the most talked about Netflix thriller of the Christmas season – and not just beause of its twisty ending.

The drama follows Keira Knightley’s spy Helen, who becomes entangled London’s criminal underworld as she seeks to avenge her lover Jason’s (Andrew Koji) death.

She is joined by best friend and hitman Sam (Ben Whishaw) as she defies herboss Reed’s (Sarah Lancashire) orders in her quest for retribution.

Since bingeing the six-parter, fans have been desperate to know if they can visit the multiple London locations used in the espionage drama.

And, fortunately, fans can create their own Black Doves filming tour in the capital as many of the locations are accessible to the public – from a London hotel to a bingo hall.

Here are 7 locations you can visit featured in Netflix thriller Black Doves.

Royal Lancaster London

The scenes where hitman Sam meets Reed were filmed at luxury hotel the Royal Lancaster London near Hyde Park.

In Black Doves, Sam is seen getting dropped off outside the hotel before having a drink with Reed in the Royal Suite.

He then chats up a man and takes him back to his room after having a glass of champagne in the hotel’s Park Lounge bar.

Jeffery Archer’s penthouse

Reed’s political intereference is certainly paying off as she lives in a £40,000,000 penthouse over looking the River Thames.

The property is owned in real-life by Jeffrey Acher, who has welcomed the likes of royal and prime ministers into his abode.

He told the Mail Black Doves was the second time in 30 years he’d granted permission to a crew to film after a BT advert in 1998.

Boston Manor Park

It would not be a British cime drama without at least one flyover as a location.

In Black Doves, it’s Boston Manor Park and the M4 flyover into Hounslow doing the honours.

There, away from prying eyes, Sam teaches trainee spy Helen how to shoot like a professional.

Crystal Palace

While in Black Doves, Helen lives in celebrity and politician enclave, Highgate, the property is actually in Crystal Palace.

The show’s production designer Laura Ellis Cricks told Netflix: ‘It would be aspirational for most people, but also had to feel very lived in and messy, with kids’ stuff everywhere.

‘I don’t know any clean children! We tried to show a beautiful, bespoke kitchen with crap stuck all over it. It needed to be believable.’

Buzz Bingo, Tooting

Sam meets Reed to handover a hard drive at the Granada Building in Tooting, now home to Buzz Bingo.

Before becoming a bingo hall, the art deco building was home to the Granada Tooting cinema.

Black Doves producer Harry Munday told Time Out: We had a time limit to shoot there. We had to be done by a certain point that morning and as we were finishing up and leaving, loads of people were coming inside to play bingo.’

London pubs

The pub scenes in Black Doves were filmed in boozers including The Palm Tree in Mile End and Spitalfield’s The Market Coffee House & Bar.

The interior of The Palm Tree was used for Jason’s wake, while Sam reunites his former crime boss Lenny (Kathryn Hunter) at The Market Coffee House & Bar.

Other London watering holes used in Black Doves include Covent Garden’s The Coal Hole and MPs’ favourite The Westminster Arms in Whitehall, producer Harry told Time Out.

Southbank

You could call London the unofficial fourth main character in Black Doves so naturally Southbank is featured prominently.

It’s also, where, sadly, Jason meets his gruesome end after being shot dead by an unidentified hitman.

He spends his last moments slumped on a bench on the riverside promenade.

Black Doves is available to stream on Netflix.

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