Kensington & Hyde Park
Kensington & Hyde Park
Neighbourhood Top Five
1Victoria & Albert Museum Thumbing through an encyclopaedic A–Z of decorative and design works from across the globe while admiring the astonishing architecture and making hordes of unexpected discoveries.
2Natural History Museum Becoming hypnotised by the awe-inspiring stonework and inexhaustible collection of this world-leading museum, while putting aside time to delve into its bucolic Wildlife Garden.
3Hyde Park Enjoying a picnic in London's green lung and exploring its many sights and gorgeous scenery.
4Science Museum Nurturing a wide-eyed fascination for the complexities of the world and the cosmos in this electrifying museum.
5Harrods Big-time shopping – or just window-shopping!
Explore Kensington & Hyde Park
You can navigate a serious learning curve or at least catch up on all you forgot since high school at South Kensington's magnificent museums of the arts and sciences. You'll need several days – and considerable calorific reserves – to do them all justice. Museums open at 10am, so you don't have to set your alarm too early, but being near the front of the queue when the doors open means useful elbow room.
Shoppers will make an eager beeline for Knightsbridge, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, but there are also tranquil shopping escapes – such as John Sandoe Books and Peter Harrington – to sidestep the jostling crowds.
For a sight-packed day visit Hyde Park and conjoined Kensington Gardens – crucial for seeing why Londoners love their green spaces. Begin by exploring the opulence of Apsley House before walking across the park, via the Serpentine, to the Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Palace.
Outstanding restaurants will be with you every step of the way: Kensington, Knightsbridge and Chelsea take their dining particularly seriously, so some of your fondest memories could well be gastronomic, whether you’re grazing, snacking or plain feasting.
Local Life
AHang-outs Rub shoulders with discerning drinkers at the Anglesea Arms or Queen's Arms or snap your fingers with local jazz hounds at the swinging 606 Club and Pheasantry.
AMuseums Late-night Fridays at the Victoria & Albert mean fewer crowds (especially children) and locals can get a look-in.
AParks When the sun's out, Londoners dust off their shades, get outdoors to expanses of green like Hyde Park and lie on the grass reading chunky novels.
Getting There & Away
ATube Kensington and Hyde Park are well connected to the rest of London via South Kensington, Sloane Sq, Victoria, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner stations. The main lines are Circle, District, Piccadilly and Victoria.
ABus Handy routes include 74 from South Kensington to Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner; 52 from Victoria to High St Kensington; 360 from South Kensington to Sloane Sq and Pimlico; and 11 from Fulham Broadway to the King’s Rd, Sloane Sq and Victoria. Heritage Routemaster 9 runs from Kensington High St, via the Royal Albert Hall, Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner all the way through Piccadilly to Trafalgar Sq.
ABicycle Santander Cycles are very handy for pedal-powering your way into, out of and around the neighbourhood.
TOP SIGHT
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Museum of Manufactures, as the V&A was known when it opened in 1852, was part of Prince Albert’s legacy to the nation in the aftermath of the successful Great Exhibition of 1851. Its original aims – which still hold today – were the ‘improvement of public taste in design’ and ‘applications of fine art to objects of utility’. It’s done a fine job so far.
Collection
Through 146 galleries, the museum houses the world’s greatest collection of decorative arts, from ancient Chinese ceramics to modernist architectural drawings, Korean bronze and Japanese swords, cartoons by Raphael, gowns from the Elizabethan era, ancient jewellery, a Sony Walkman – and much, much more.
Entrance
Entering under the stunning blue-and-yellow blown-glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly, you can grab a museum map (£1 donation requested) at the information desk. (If the ‘Grand Entrance’ on Cromwell Rd is too busy, there’s another around the corner on Exhibition Rd, or you can enter from the tunnel in the basement, if arriving by tube.) A new entrance on Exhibition Rd was unveiled in 2017.
Level 1
The street level is mostly devoted to art and design from India, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, as well as European art. One of the museum’s highlights is the Cast Courts in rooms 46a and 46b, containing staggering plaster casts collected in the Victorian era, such as Michelangelo’s David, acquired in 1858.
The TT Tsui (China) Gallery (rooms 44 and 47e) displays lovely pieces, including a beautifully lithe wooden statue of Guanyin (a Mahayana bodhisattva) seated in a regal lalitasana pose from AD 1200; also check out a leaf from the ‘Twenty Views of the Yuanmingyuan Summer Palace’ (1781–86), revealing the Haiyantang and the 12 animal heads of the fountain (now ruins) in Beijing. Within the subdued lighting of the Japan Gallery (room 45) stands a fearsome suit of armour in the Domaru style. More than 400 objects are within the Islamic Middle East Gallery (room 42), including ceramics, textiles, carpets, glass and woodwork from the 8th century up to the years before WWI. The exhibition’s highlight is the gorgeous mid-16th-century Ardabil Carpet.
For fresh air, the landscaped John Madejski Garden is a lovely shaded inner courtyard. Cross it to reach the original Refreshment Rooms (Morris, Gamble and Poynter Rooms), dating from the 1860s and redesigned by McInnes Usher McKnight Architects (MUMA), who also renovated the Medieval and Renaissance galleries (1350–1600) to the right of the Grand Entrance.
Level 2 & 4
The British Galleries, featuring every aspect of British design from 1500 to 1900, are divided between levels 2 (1500–1760) and 4 (1760–1900). Level 4 also boasts the Architecture Gallery (rooms 127 to 128a), which vividly describes architectural styles via models and videos, and the spectacular, brightly illuminated Contemporary Glass Gallery (room 129).
Level 3
The Jewellery Gallery (rooms 91 to 93) is outstanding; the mezzanine level – accessed via the glass-and-perspex spiral staircase – glitters with jewel-encrusted swords, watches and gold boxes. The Photographs Gallery (room 100) is one of the nation’s best, with access to over 500,000 images collected since the mid-19th century. Design Since 1945 (room 76) celebrates design classics from a 1985 Sony credit-card radio to a 1992 Nike ‘Air Max’ shoe, Peter Ghyczy's Garden Egg Chair from 1968 and the now ubiquitous selfie stick.
Level 6
Among the pieces in the Ceramics Gallery (rooms 136 to 146) – the world's largest – are standout items from the Middle East and Asia. The Dr Susan Weber Gallery (rooms 133 to 135) celebrates furniture design over the past six centuries.
Don't Miss
AJewellery Gallery
ARaphael cartoons
ACast Courts
AArdabil Carpet
ATT Tsui (China) Gallery
Practicalities
AV&A
A
%020-7942 2000
ACromwell Rd, SW7
A
h10am-5.40pm Sat-Thu, to 10pm Fri
A
tSouth Kensington
The Exhibition Road Building Project
V&A Tours
TOP SIGHT
Natural History Museum
A sublime house of worship to science, this colossal building is infused with the irrepressible Victorian spirit of collecting, cataloguing and interpreting the natural world. The museum building is as much a reason to visit as the world-famous collection within.
Blue Zone
Undoubtedly the museum's star attraction, the Dinosaurs Gallery takes you on an impressive overhead walkway, past a dromaeosaurus (a small and agile meat eater) before reaching a roaring animatronic T-rex and then winding its way through skeletons, fossils, casts and fascinating displays about how dinosaurs lived and died.
Another highlight of this zone is the Mammals & Blue Whale Gallery, with its life-size blue whale model and extensive displays on cetaceans.
Lest we forget we are part of the animal kingdom, the museum has also dedicated a gallery to Human Biology, where you'll be able to understand more about what makes us tick (senses, hormones, our brain and so on).
Green Zone
While children love the Blue Zone, adults may prefer the Green Zone, especially the Treasures in Cadogan Gallery, on the 1st floor, which houses the museum's most prized possessions, each with a unique history. Exhibits include a chunk of moon rock, an Emperor Penguin egg collected by Captain Scott's expedition and a first edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species.
Equally rare and exceptional are the gems and rocks held in the Vault, including a Martian meteorite and the largest emerald ever found.
Take a moment to marvel at the trunk section of a 1300-year-old giant sequoia tree on the 2nd floor: its size is mind-boggling.
Back on the ground floor, the Creepy Crawlies Gallery is fantastic, delving into every aspect of insect life and whether they are our friends or foes (both!).
Red Zone
This zone explores the ever-changing nature of our planet and the forces shaping it. The earthquake simulator (in the Volcanoes and Earthquakes Gallery), which recreates the 1995 Kobe earthquake in a grocery store (of which you can see footage) is a favourite, as is the From the Beginning Gallery, which retraces Earth's history.
In Earth's Treasury, you can find out more about our planet's mineral riches and how they are being used in our everyday lives – from jewellery to construction and electronics.
Access to most of the galleries in the Red Zone is via Earth Hall and a very tall escalator that disappears into a huge metal sculpture of the Earth. The most intact stegosaurus fossil skeleton ever found is displayed at the base.
Orange Zone
The Darwin Centre is the beating heart of the museum: this is where the museum's millions of specimens are kept and where its scientists work. The top two floors of the amazing 'cocoon' building are dedicated to explaining the kind of research the museum does (and how) – windows allow you to see the researchers at work.
If you'd like to find out more, pop into the Attenborough studio (named after famous naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough) for one of the daily talks with the museum's scientists. The studio also shows films throughout the day.
Hintze Hall
This grand central hall resembles a cathedral nave – quite fitting, as it was built in a time when the natural sciences were challenging the biblical tenets of Christian orthodoxy. Naturalist and first superintendent of the museum Richard Owen celebrated the building as a 'cathedral to nature'.
After 81 years in the Mammals Hall, in 2017 the blue whale skeleton was relocated to Hintze Hall, with the famous cast of a diplodocus skeleton (nicknamed Dippy) making way for the colossal mammal. The transfer itself was a mammoth and painstaking engineering project, disassembling and preparing the 4.5-tonne bones for reconstruction in a dramatic diving posture that will greet visitors to the museum.
Exhibitions
The museum hosts regular exhibitions (admission fees apply), some of them on a recurrent basis. Wildlife Photographer of the Year (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; adult £10.50-13.50, child £6.50-8, family £27-36.90; hOct-Sep), with its show-stopping images, is now in its 50th year, and Sensational Butterflies (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.nhm.ac.uk; Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, SW7; £5.85, family £19.80; hApr-Sep; tSouth Kensington), a tunnel tent on the East Lawn that swarms with what must originally have been called ‘flutter-bys’, has become a firm summer favourite.
Wildlife Garden
Due to be hugely expanded, this slice of English countryside in SW7 encompasses a range of British lowland habitats, including a meadow with farm gates, a bee tree where a colony of honey bees fills the air, and a pond.
Don't Miss
AHintze Hall
ATreasures in Cadogan Gallery
ADinosaurs Gallery
ADarwin Centre
AWildlife Garden
TOP SIGHT
Science Museum
With seven floors of interactive and educational exhibits, this scientifically spellbinding museum will mesmerise adults and children alike.
Level Zero
The most popular galleries are on the ground floor (Level Zero), starting with Exploring Space, which features genuine rockets and satellites and a full-size replica of 'Eagle', the lander that took Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon in 1969.
Next is the Making the Modern World Gallery, a visual feast of locomotives, planes, cars, engines and other revolutionary inventions (penicillin, cameras and other innovations). You can also examine an entire, and then revolutionary, Nazi V-2 Rocket, with a panel removed exposing its internal workings. In the Wellcome Wing, you can find Major Tim Peake's (the UK's first official astronaut) Soyuz TMA-19M descent module.
Also on the ground floor is the amazing shop, full of lava lamps, alien babies, squidgy balls, bouncy globes, boomerangs, goo and other delights for the legions of small elbows whizzing this way and that. Some kids don't get much further into the museum than this.
Level 2
The fantastic Information Age Gallery on the 2nd floor (Level 2) showcases how information and communication technologies – from the telegraph to smartphones – have transformed our lives since the 19th century. Standout displays include wireless transmissions sent by a sinking Titanic, the first BBC radio broadcast and a Soviet BESM 1965 super computer. On the same floor, the Clockmaker's Museum is a marvellous and new collection of timepieces, incorporating over 1000 watches, 80 clocks as well as sundials and marine chronometers. Journeys through Medicine, also on the 2nd floor, explores the world of medical intervention; in 2019, the far larger £24 million Medicine Galleries will open. The new 2nd-floor Mathematics: the Winton Gallery, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is a riveting exploration of maths in the real world. The Atmosphere Gallery explains the science of the world's climate over billions of years and tackles the issue of current climate change.
Level 3
The 3rd-floor (Level 3) Flight Gallery (free tours 1pm most days) is a favourite place for children, with its gliders, hot-air balloons and aircraft, including the Gipsy Moth, thatAmy Johnson flew to Australia in 1930. Also check out the designs for an early aerial steam carriage – a futile attempt to harness steam power for flight. This floor also features a Red Arrows 3D flight-simulation theatre (adult/children £6/5) and a Fly 360 degree flight-simulator capsules (£12 per capsule). Another simulator, Typhoon Force (adult/child £5/4), replicates a low-level mission aboard a Typhoon fighter jet. Also on the 3rd floor, interactive Wonderlab (£6) explores scientific phenomena in a fun and educational way, with daily shows.
Basement & Garden
If you’ve kids under the age of five, pop down to the basement (Level –1) and the Garden, where there’s a fun-filled play zone, including a water-play area, besieged by tots in orange waterproof smocks.
Don't Miss
AExploring Space Gallery
AInformation Age Gallery
AMaking the Modern World Gallery
AFlight Gallery
AFlight simulators
Practicalities
AExhibition Rd, SW7
Ah10am-6pm
A
W
AtSouth Kensington
TOP SIGHT
Hyde Park
One of London’s largest royal parks spreads itself over 142 hectares of neat gardens, wild expanses of overgrown grass and glorious trees. As well as being a fantastic green space in the middle of London, it is home to a handful of fascinating sights and hosts Winter Wonderland from November to January.
Green spaces
The eastern half of the park is covered with expansive lawns, which become one vast picnic-and-frolic area on sunny days. The western half is more untamed, with plenty of trees and areas of wild grass.
If you're after somewhere more colourful (and some shade), head to the Rose Garden (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Hyde Park; tHyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge), a beautifully landscaped garden with flowers year-round. It's an ideal spot in which to sit and contemplate for a while.
A little further west, you'll find the Holocaust Memorial Garden (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; tHyde Park Corner or Knightsbridge), a simple stone marker in a grove of trees.
Speakers' Corner
Frequented by Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell and William Morris, Speakers' Corner (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Park Lane; tMarble Arch) in the northeastern corner of Hyde Park is traditionally the spot for oratorical flourishes and soapbox ranting. If you’ve got something to get off your chest, do so on Sunday, although you’ll mainly have fringe dwellers, religious fanatics and hecklers for company.
It’s the only place in Britain where demonstrators can assemble without police permission, a concession granted in 1872 after serious riots 17 years before when 150,000 people gathered to demonstrate against the Sunday Trading Bill before Parliament, only to be unexpectedly ambushed by police concealed within Marble Arch. Some historians also link Speakers' Corner with the nearby Tyburn gallows, where condemned criminals might speak to the crowd before being hanged.
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
This memorial fountain is dedicated to the late Princess of Wales. Envisaged by the designer Kathryn Gustafson as a ‘moat without a castle’ and draped ‘like a necklace’ around the southwestern edge of Hyde Park near the Serpentine Bridge, the circular double stream is composed of 545 pieces of Cornish granite, its waters drawn from a chalk aquifer more than 100m below ground. Unusually, visitors are actively encouraged to splash about, to the delight of children.
The SolarShuttle ferries passengers from the Serpentine Boathouse to the fountain on weekends from March to September (every day from mid-July to late August).
The Serpentine
Hyde Park is separated from Kensington Gardens by the L-shaped Serpentine, a small lake once fed by waters from the River Westbourne.
You can have a swim too – between May and September – at the Serpentine Lido, where a swimming area within the lake is ring-fenced. There is also a paddling pool for children.
If you'd rather stay dry, rent a paddle boat from the Serpentine Boathouse.
The Serpentine Galleries
Constituting some of the most important contemporary-art spaces in town, these two galleries are a major draw. South of the Serpentine lake is the original Serpentine Gallery (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7402 6075; www.serpentinegalleries.org; Kensington Gardens, W2; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; W; tLancaster Gate or Knightsbridge), in which Damien Hirst, Andreas Gursky, Louise Bourgeois, Gabriel Orozco, Tomoko Takahashi and Jeff Koons have all exhibited. The setting is the 1930s former tea pavilion in Kensington Gardens.
In 2013 the gallery opened the Serpentine Sackler Gallery (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7402 6075; www.serpentinegalleries.org; West Carriage Drive, W2; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; tLancaster Gate) within the Magazine, a former gunpowder depot, across the Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park. Built in 1805, it was augmented with a daring, undulating extension designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Zaha Hadid.
The galleries run a full program of exhibitions, readings, talks and open-air cinema screenings. A leading architect who has never previously built in the UK is annually commissioned to build a new ‘Summer Pavilion’ nearby, open from June to October.
Don't Miss
AThe Serpentine Galleries
ASpeakers' Corner
ADiana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
Practicalities
Awww.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park
Ah5am-midnight
AtMarble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Queensway
1Sights
1Knightsbridge & South Kensington
Natural History Museum Top Sight
Victoria & Albert Museum Top Sight
Science Museum Top Sight
Brompton OratoryCHURCH
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7808 0900; www.bromptonoratory.co.uk; 215 Brompton Rd, SW7; h7am-8pm; tSouth Kensington)
The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, also known as the London Oratory and the Oratory of St Philip Neri, is a Roman Catholic church second in size in London only to the incomplete Westminster Cathedral. Built in Italian baroque style in 1884, the interior is swathed in marble and statuary; much of the decorative work predates the church and was imported from Italian churches. The church was employed by the KGB during the Cold War as a dead-letter box.
There is a busy schedule of services (five in English and Latin on weekdays, four on Saturday and throughout the day on Sunday), including a Solemn Mass in Latin on Sundays (11am).
Royal College of Music MuseumMUSEUM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7591 4842; www.rcm.ac.uk/museum; Prince Consort Rd, SW7; tSouth Kensington)
F
This illustrious museum is closed for rebuilding and redevelopment until 2019. Till then, a part of the museum collection can be explored digitally online via the website.
TOP SIGHT
Kensington Palace
Built in 1605, Kensington palace became the favourite royal residence under William and Mary of Orange in 1689, and remained so until George III became king and relocated to Buckingham Palace. Today, it remains a royal residence, with the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and his wife Kate) and Prince Harry living here.
A large part of the palace is open to the public, however, including the King's and Queen's State Apartments. The King's State Apartments are the most lavish, starting with the Grand Staircase, a dizzying feast of trompe l'oeil. The beautiful Cupola Room, once the venue of choice for music and dance, is arranged with gilded statues and a gorgeous painted ceiling. The Drawing Room lies beyond.
Visitors can also access Victoria's apartments where Queen Victoria (1819–1901) was born and lived until she became Queen. An informative narrative about her life is told through personal effects and extracts from her journals.
Replacing the Fashion Rules exhibition and running until 2018, Diana: Her Fashion Story celebrates the stunning dress sense of the former Princess of Wales.
The sunken garden in the garden to the palace is ablaze with flowers in spring and summer.
Don't Miss
ACupola Room
AGrand Staircase
AVictoria's apartments
ASunken garden
Practicalities
Kensington Palace (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.hrp.org.uk/kensingtonpalace; Kensington Gardens, W8; adult/child £19/free; h10am-6pm Mar-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Feb; tHigh St Kensington)
1Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
Hyde Park Top Sight
Royal Albert HallHISTORIC BUILDING
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0845 401 5034, box office 020-7589 8212; www.royalalberthall.com; Kensington Gore, SW7; tour adult/child £12.75/5.75; tSouth Kensington)
Built in 1871 thanks in part to the proceeds of the 1851 Great Exhibition organised by Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's husband), this huge, domed, red-brick amphitheatre, adorned with a frieze of Minton tiles, is Britain’s most famous concert venue and home to the BBC’s Promenade Concerts (the Proms) every summer. To find out about the hall's intriguing history and royal connections, and to gaze out from the Gallery, book an informative one-hour front-of-house grand tour (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7589 8212; adult/child £13/6; hhourly 9.30am-4.30pm), operating most days from 9.30am.
The hall was never intended as a concert venue but as a ‘Hall of Arts and Sciences’, so it spent the first 133 years of its existence tormenting everyone with shocking acoustics. The 85 huge mushroom-like fibreglass acoustic reflectors first dangled from the ceiling in 1969, and a further massive refurbishment was completed in 2004. There's a whole range of other tours, from a grand tour to a secret-history tour, an afternoon-tea tour, an architectural tour, behind-the-scenes tour and tours with dining provided.
oAlbert MemorialMONUMENT
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %tours 020-8969 0104; Kensington Gardens; tours adult/concession £9/8; htours 2pm & 3pm 1st Sun of month Mar-Dec; tKnightsbridge, Gloucester Rd)
This splendid Victorian confection on the southern edge of Kensington Gardens is as ostentatious as its subject. Purportedly humble, Queen Victoria’s German husband Albert (1819–61) explicitly insisted he did not want a monument. Ignoring the good prince’s wishes, the Lord Mayor instructed George Gilbert Scott to build the 53m-high, gaudy Gothic memorial – the 4.25m-tall gilded statue of the prince, surrounded by 187 figures representing the continents (Asia, Europe, Africa and America), the arts, industry and science, went up in 1876.
An eye-opening blend of mosaic, gold leaf, marble and Victorian bombast, the renovated monument is topped with a crucifix. The statue was painted black for 80 years, originally – some say – to disguise it from WWI Zeppelins (nonetheless, the memorial was selected by German bombers during WWII as a landmark). To step beyond the railings for a close-up of the staggering 64m-long Frieze of Parnassus along the base – carved in situ and described by Scott as 'perhaps one of the most laborious works of sculpture ever undertaken' – join one of the 45-minute tours.
Kensington GardensPARK
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0300 061 2000; www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens; h6am-dusk; tQueensway or Lancaster Gate)
A gorgeous collection of manicured lawns, tree-shaded avenues and basins immediately west of Hyde Park, the picturesque 107-hectare expanse of Kensington Gardens is technically part of Kensington Palace, located in the far west of the gardens.The large Round Pond is enjoyable to amble around and also worth a look are the lovely fountains in the Italian Gardens, believed to be a gift from Albert to Queen Victoria; they are now the venue of a handy new cafe.
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, in the northwest corner of the gardens, has some pretty ambitious attractions for children. Next to the playground stands the delightful Elfin Oak, a 900-year-old tree stump carved with elves, gnomes, witches and small creatures. George Frampton’s celebrated Peter Pan statue is close to the lake, while the astonishing Albert Memorial is in the south of Kensington Gardens, facing the Royal Albert Hall.
Wellington ArchMUSEUM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wellington-arch; Hyde Park Corner, W1; adult/child £4.70/2.80, with Apsley House £10.50/6.30; h10am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 4pm Nov-Mar; tHyde Park Corner)
Dominating the green space throttled by the Hyde Park Corner roundabout, this imposing neoclassical 1826 arch originally faced the Hyde Park Screen, but was shunted here in 1882 for road widening. Once a police station, it is now a gallery with temporary exhibitions and a permanent display about the history of the arch. The open-air balconies (accessible by lift) afford unforgettable views of Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and the Mall.
Originally crowned by a disproportionately large equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington (which now stands in Aldershot in Hampshire), it was replaced by the current four-horse Peace Descending on the Quadriga of War, Europe’s largest bronze sculpture, in 1912.
Serpentine LakeLAKE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7262 1330; tKnightsbridge, South Kensington)
Hyde Park is separated from Kensington Gardens by the squiggly Serpentine lake, created when the Westbourne River was dammed in the 1730s. At Christmas, it's the site of a brass-balls swimming race, and in summer people like to rent pedalos (adult/child per hour £12/5). A solar ferry called the SolarShuttle goes at a river-snail's pace from the boathouse to the Lido Café. In operation year-round (operators assure us), we presume it must depend on the weather.
TOP SIGHT
Apsley House
This stunning house, containing exhibits about the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo, was once the first building to appear when entering London from the west and was therefore known as ‘No 1 London’. Still one of London’s finest, Apsley House was designed by Robert Adam for Baron Apsley in the late 18th century, but later sold to the first Duke of Wellington, who lived here until he died in 1852.
In 1947 the house was given to the nation; 10 of its rooms are open to the public. Wellington memorabilia, including his death mask, fills the basement gallery, while there’s an astonishing collection of china and silver, including a dazzling Egyptian service, a divorce gift from Napoleon to Josephine, which she declined.
The stairwell is dominated by Antonio Canova’s staggering 3.4m-high statue of a fig-leafed Napoleon with titanic shoulders, adjudged by the subject as ‘too athletic’. The 1st-floor Waterloo Gallery contains paintings by Velázquez, Rubens, Van Dyck, Bruegel, Murillo and Goya. A highlight is the elaborate Portuguese silver service, presented to Wellington in honour of his triumph over ‘Le Petit Caporal’.
Check the website for details of occasional atmospheric evening openings, when you can explore the house after dark.
Don't Miss
AEgyptian service
ACanova’s statue of Napoleon
AWaterloo Gallery paintings
Practicalities
Apsley House (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7499 5676; www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/apsley-house; 149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, W1; adult/child £9.30/5.60, with Wellington Arch £11.20/6.70; h11am-5pm Wed-Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar; tHyde Park Corner)
2Neighbourhood Walk
Gardens & Mews
Start Lancaster Gate tube station
End Natural History Museum
Length 2.2 miles; 1½ hours
Begin outside Lancaster Gate tube station and head to the park. Bear left at the 1Italian Gardens – thought to be a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria – and follow the path along Long Water until you reach 2The Arch, an imposing travertine statue by Henry Moore that affords fantastic views of Kensington Palace, the Tudors' favourite palace and current residence of Princes William and Harry. As you reach the road, glance left at the 3Serpentine Sackler Gallery, a former gun depot with a modern extension designed by prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid.
Cross the 4bridge over the Serpentine – the lake separates Hyde Park from Kensington Gardens – and take in the views. Turn right into Kensington Gardens, walk past the 5Serpentine Gallery, a famous contemporary-art gallery, and make your way south to the 6Albert Memorial, a Victorian Gothic confection commemorating the Prince Consort. Carry on west through the park and exit at Palace Gate. Walk down and turn right onto Canning Place. Take a moment to admire the gorgeous 7Canning Mews to your right: you can just picture the horses and carriages. Also take a long look up De Vere Gardens and its lengthy line of grand houses.
Turn left onto Canning Passage and then left again onto Victoria Grove. The boutiques and wisteria-clad houses on this little square could be straight out of a Cotswold village. Bear right along 8Launceston Place and walk on past ivy-covered walls and exquisite houses: this is some of the most coveted real estate in London. Take a small detour down 9Kynance Mews on the right (there is a public right of way until about halfway down the mews) to see the storybook cottages.
Take a left at Cornwall Gardens; cross to Queen's Gate Gardens, then turn right at Queen's Gate (all these streets are lined with white stuccoed buildings typical of the area): the aNatural History Museum is just ahead of you. The main entrance is a little further along on Cromwell Rd.
1Chelsea & Belgravia
oMichelin HouseHISTORIC BUILDING
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 81 Fulham Rd, SW3; tSouth Kensington)
Built for Michelin between 1905 and 1911 by François Espinasse, and completely restored in 1985, the building blurs the stylish line between art nouveau and art deco. The iconic roly-poly Michelin Man (Bibendum) appears in the exquisite modern stained glass (the originals were removed at the outbreak of WWII and stored in the Michelin factory in Stoke-on-Trent, but subsequently vanished), while the lobby is decorated with tiles showing early-20th-century cars.
oNational Army MuseumMUSEUM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 0717; www.nam.ac.uk; Royal Hospital Rd, SW3; h10am-5.30pm, to 8pm 1st Wed of the month; tSloane Sq)F
This inventively redesigned museum vibrantly relates the history of the British Army, from the perspective of its servicemen and servicewomen. The museum reopened with a big bang in 2017, with five brand-new state-of-the-art galleries, including the Soldier Gallery, the Army Gallery, the Society Gallery (exploring society's relationship with the army), the Battle Gallery (the army at war) and the Insight Gallery (on the impact of the British Army through the world). Free talks, workshops and tours are also hosted: see the website for details.
On the Ground Floor Lower Level, Play Base (£4.50) offers a fun and immersive experience for under 9s (including an assault course and the chance to clamber aboard a command liaison vehicle), with six one-hour sessions from 9.40am to 4.20pm. There's a cafe (10am to 5pm) too, for museum-weary legs, caffeine requirements and snacks.
Saatchi GalleryGALLERY
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.saatchigallery.com; Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, SW3; h10am-6pm; tSloane Sq)F
This enticing gallery hosts temporary exhibitions of experimental and thought-provoking work across a variety of media. The white and sanded bare-floorboard galleries are magnificently presented; at the time of writing, Richard Wilson’s mesmerising 20:50 – one of the main draws to the museum – had unfortunately been taken off display, so check ahead. A cool shop chips in on the 1st floor.
Check the website for dates when the galleries may be shut for ticketed exhibitions.
King’s RoadSTREET
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; tSloane Sq)
At the counter-cultural forefront of London fashion during the technicolour '60s and anarchic '70s (Ian Fleming's fictional spy James Bond had a flat in a square off the road), the King’s Rd today is more a stamping ground for the leisure-class shopping set. The last green-haired Mohawk punks – once tourist sights in themselves – shuffled off sometime in the 1990s. Today it's all Bang & Olufsen, Kurt Geiger and a sprinkling of specialist shops; even pet canines are slim and snappily dressed.
In the 17th century, Charles II fashioned a love nest here for himself and his mistress Nell Gwyn, an orange-seller turned actress at the Drury Lane Theatre. Heading back to Hampton Court Palace at eventide, Charles would employ a farmer’s track that inevitably came to be known as the King’s Rd.
Chelsea Physic GardenGARDENS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7352 5646; www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk; 66 Royal Hospital Rd, SW3; adult/child £10.50/6.95; h11am-5pm Mon, to 6pm Tue-Fri & Sun Apr-Oct, 9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri Nov-Mar; tSloane Sq)
You may bump into a wandering duck or two as you enter this walled pocket of botanical enchantment, established by the Apothecaries’ Society in 1673 for students working on medicinal plants and healing. One of Europe’s oldest of its kind, the small grounds are a compendium of botany, from carnivorous pitcher plants to rich yellow flag irises, a cork oak from Portugal, the largest outdoor fruiting olive tree in the British Isles, rare trees and shrubs.
The site, not far from the river, ensures a slightly warmer microclimate to protect nonnative plants. The fascinating pharmaceutical garden grows plants used in contemporary Western medicine; the Garden of World Medicine has a selection of plants used by indigenous peoples in Australia, China, India, New Zealand and North America. There’s also a heady perfume and aromatherapy garden plus a fine cafe near the shop; enter from Swan Walk. Pick up an audio guide or join a free tour (held three or more times daily); a host of courses and lectures detail plant remedies.
Royal Hospital ChelseaMUSEUM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk; Royal Hospital Rd, SW3; hgrounds 10am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, Great Hall shuts daily noon-2pm, museum 10am-4pm Mon-Fri; tSloane Sq)F
Designed by Christopher Wren, this superb structure was built in 1692 to provide shelter for ex-servicemen. Since the reign of Charles II, it has housed hundreds of war veterans, known as Chelsea Pensioners. They’re fondly regarded as national treasures, and cut striking figures in the dark-blue greatcoats (in winter) or scarlet frock coats (in summer) that they wear on ceremonial occasions.
The museum contains a huge collection of war medals bequeathed by former residents and plenty of information about the institution's history and its residents. Visitors can also peek at the hospital’s Great Hall refectory, Octagon Porch, chapel and courtyards. Chelsea Pensioner–led tours are also available (adult/child £12/7).
Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is buried here, in the old cemetery. The extensive grounds are home to the Chelsea Flower Show, the annual jamboree of the gardening world, held in May.
Carlyle’s HouseHISTORIC BUILDING
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7352 7087; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carlyles-house; 24 Cheyne Row, SW3; adult/child £6.50/3.25; h11am-5pm Wed-Sun Mar-Oct; tSloane Sq)
From 1834 until his death in 1881, the eminent Victorian essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle dwelt in this three-storey terrace house, bought by his parents when it was surrounded by open fields in what was then a deeply unfashionable part of town. The lovely Queen Ann house – built in 1708 – is magnificently preserved as it looked in 1895, when it became London’s first literary shrine. It’s not big but has been left much as it was when Carlyle was living here and Chopin, Tennyson and Dickens came to call.
Chelsea Old ChurchCHURCH
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7795 1019; www.chelseaoldchurch.org.uk; cnr Old Church St & Embankment, SW3; h2-4pm Tue-Thu; tSouth Kensington, Sloane Sq)
This beautiful and original church stands behind a bronze monument to Thomas More (1477–1535), who had a close association with it. Original features of the largely rebuilt church (it was badly bombed in 1941) include more than one hundred monuments dating from 1433 to 1957, including Thomas More (1532) and Henry James (1916). Don't miss the chained books at the western end of the southern aisle, the only ones of their kind in a London church.
The central tome is a 'Vinegar Bible' from 1717 (so-named after an erratum in Luke, chapter 20), alongside a Book of Common Prayer from 1723 and a 1683 copy of Homilies. Also look out for fragments of 17th-century Flemish stained glass, of exceptional clarity and artistry.
5Eating
Quality and cashola being such easy bedfellows, you’ll find some of London’s finest establishments in the smart hotels and ritzy mews of Chelsea, Belgravia and Knightsbridge, but choice exists in all budget ranges. Chic and cosmopolitan South Kensington has always been reliable for pan-European options.
5Knightsbridge & South Kensington
Comptoir LibanaisLEBANESE$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7225 5006; www.comptoirlibanais.com; 1-5 Exhibition Rd, SW7; mains from £8.50; h8.30am-midnight Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; W; tSouth Kensington)
If your battery's flat hoovering up South Kensington's museums, this colourful, good-looking and brisk restaurant just round the corner from the tube station is a moreish stop for Lebanese mezze, wraps, tagine (slow-cooked casseroles), mana'esh (flatbreads), salads and fine breakfasts. When the sun's shining, the outside tables quickly fill with munchers and people-watchers. There are no reservations, so just turn up (elbows sharpened).
V&A CafeCAFE$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7581 2159; www.vam.ac.uk/info/va-cafe; Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, SW7; mains £7.45-13.50; h10am-5.15pm Sat-Thu, to 9.30pm Fri; W; tSouth Kensington)
There is plenty of hot and cold food to choose from at the V&A Café, and although the quality is nothing to rave about, the setting most definitely is: the extraordinarily decorated Morris, Gamble & Poynter Rooms (1860) show Victorian Gothic style at its best.
DaquisePOLISH$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7589 6117; www.daquise.co.uk; 20 Thurloe St, SW7; mains £15-20; hnoon-11pm; tSouth Kensington)
Counting Roman Polanski among its diners, this popular South Kensington restaurant has been serving a heart-warming range of vodkas and wholesome Polish dishes for 60 years. You can usually find the oft-seen bigos (a ‘hunter’s stew’ of cabbage and pork), pierogi (dumplings) and an abundance of soups on the reasonably priced and regularly varying menu. The express lunch is excellent value at £10.
L'EtoCAFE$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.letocaffe.co.uk; 243 Brompton Rd, SW3; mains £11.50-19.95; h9am-10pm Sun-Wed, to 11pm Thu-Sat; W
v; tSouth Kensington, Knightsbridge)
With its all-day service, this upmarket cafe has found an excellent niche between the museum district of South Kensington and the shopping vortex of Knightsbridge. The salad bar and eye-popping sweets counter are great, although the à la carte menu is good too, if a little over-priced.
oDinner by Heston BlumenthalMODERN BRITISH$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7201 3833; www.dinnerbyheston.com; Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1; 3-course set lunch £45, mains £28-44; hnoon-2pm & 6-10.15pm Mon-Fri, noon-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm Sat & Sun; W; tKnightsbridge)
Sumptuously presented Dinner is a gastronomic tour de force, taking diners on a journey through British culinary history (with inventive modern inflections). Dishes carry historical dates to convey context, while the restaurant interior is a design triumph, from the glass-walled kitchen and its overhead clock mechanism to the large windows looking onto the park. Book ahead.
Also on hand is a 16th-century Tudor-style private room that seats 12 guests, who dine at an extravagant Sapele and Rosewood oval table. Set lunches are available Monday to Friday.
Bar BouludINTERNATIONAL$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.barboulud.com/london; Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1; mains £15-34, 2-/3-course lunch menu £18/21; hnoon-11pm; Wv; tKnightsbridge)
Combining French gastronomy with American influences must have raised a few chef's eyebrows in Daniel Boulud's native France, but diners vote with their forks, whether they choose the saumon au beurre blanc or the 'Yankee' burger.
The drinks list is just as trans-Atlantic with a spectacular cellar (the wine list is 27 pages long) and equally great cocktails (the white cosmopolitan, with vodka, elderflower liqueur and white cranberry is to die for). The set lunch is available daily between noon and 6.30pm.
ZumaJAPANESE$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7584 1010; www.zumarestaurant.com; 5 Raphael St, SW7; mains £15-75; hnoon-3pm Mon-Fri, to 3.30pm Sat & Sun, 6-11pm Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; W; tKnightsbridge)
Zuma oozes style – a modern-day take on the traditional Japanese izakaya (‘a place to stay and drink sake’), where drinking and eating harmonise. The robata (chargrilled) dishes are the stars of the show; wash them down with one of 40 types of sake on offer. Booking is advised, although there are walk-in spaces at the robata and sushi counters.
Rib RoomBRITISH$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7858 7250; www.theribroom.co.uk; Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Cadogan Place, SW1; mains from £24, 2-/3-course set lunch £28/32; h7-11am Mon-Sat, 8-11am Sun, 12.30-2.45pm Tue-Fri, to 3.30pm Sun, 6.30-10pm Tue, to 10.30pm Wed-Sat; W; tKnightsbridge)
Head chef Ian Rudge's faultless preparation is the cornerstone of the much-lauded carnivorous menu at the Rib Room, satiating Knightsbridge diners with steaks, cutlets, roast rib of beef and oysters with aplomb since the swinging '60s. Prices may steady your hand, but the food is superlative (and well-priced set meals come with a glass of Champagne). Service is outstanding.
The three-course set lunch on Sunday is £55.
5Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
MagazineINTERNATIONAL$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7298 7552; www.magazine-restaurant.co.uk; Serpentine Sackler Gallery, West Carriage Dr, W2; mains £13-24, 2-/3-course lunch menu £17.50/21.50; h9am-6pm Tue-Sat; W; tLancaster Gate, Knightsbridge)
Located in the elegant extension of the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, Magazine is no ordinary museum cafe. The food is as contemporary and elegant as the building, and artworks from current exhibitions add yet another dimension. The afternoon tea (£25, with one cocktail) is particularly original: out with cucumber sandwiches, in with gin-cured sea trout, goat's curd and coconut granita.
Magazine opens for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays from April to September, with the added bonus of live music.
OrangeryCAFE$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-3166 6113; www.orangerykensingtonpalace.co.uk; Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, W8; mains £12.50-16.50, afternoon tea £27.50; h10am-5pm; v; tQueensway, High St Kensington)
The Orangery, housed in an 18th-century conservatory on the grounds of Kensington Palace, is lovely for a late breakfast or lunch, but the standout experience here is English afternoon tea. Book ahead to bag a table on the beautiful terrace.
OgniskoPOLISH$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7589 0101; www.ogniskorestaurant.co.uk; 55 Prince's Gate, Exhibition Rd, SW7; mains £7-20, 2-/3-course set lunch £18.50/22; hnoon-3pm & 5.30-11.15pm, to 10.30pm Sun; W; tSouth Kensington)
Ognisko has been a stalwart of the Polish community in London since 1940 (it's part of the Polish Hearth Club). The grand dining room is stunning, bathed in light from tall windows and adorned with modern art and chandeliers, and the food couldn't be more authentic: try the delicious pierogi (dumplings stuffed with cheese and potatoes) or the blinis.
Launceston PlaceMODERN BRITISH$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7937 6912; www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk; 1a Launceston Pl, W8; 2-/3-course set lunch £25/30, 3-course dinner £30-60; hnoon-2.30pm Wed-Sat, to 3.30pm Sun, 6-10pm Tue-Sat, 6.30-9pm Sun; W; tGloucester Rd, High St Kensington)
This exceptionally handsome, superchic Michelin-starred restaurant is hidden away almost anonymously on a picture-postcard Kensington street of Edwardian houses. Prepared by London chef Ben Murphy, dishes occupy the acme of gastronomic pleasures and are accompanied by an award-winning wine list. The adventurous will aim for the six-course tasting menu (£75; vegetarian version available) or the 'reduced' five-course version (£49).
The pre-theatre dinner (£30) is available in the early evening.
Min JiangCHINESE$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7361 1988; www.minjiang.co.uk; Royal Garden Hotel, 10th fl, 2-24 Kensington High St, W8; mains £12-68, lunch set menu £40-55, dinner set menu £70-88; hnoon-3pm & 6-10.30pm; v; tHigh St Kensington)
Min Jiang serves up seafood, excellent wood-fired Peking duck (běijīng kǎoyā; half/whole £33/60), dim sum (from £4.80) and sumptuously regal views over Kensington Palace and Gardens. The menu is diverse, with a sporadic accent on spice (the Min Jiang is a river in Sichuan).
PRACTICAL TIP
FINE BUT AFFORDABLE DINING
Chelsea and Kensington have some of the finest – and most expensive – restaurants in London. One way of enjoying them without breaking the bank is to go for the set lunch menus, which offer great value (two to three courses for less than £30).
5Chelsea & Belgravia
oTom’s KitchenMODERN EUROPEAN$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7349 0202; www.tomskitchen.co.uk/chelsea; 27 Cale St, SW3; mains £16-30, 2-/3-course lunch menu £16.50/19.50; h8am-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3.30pm & 6-10.30pm Sat, to 9.30pm Sun; Wv; tSouth Kensington)
S
Recipe for success: mix one part relaxed and smiling staff, and one part light and airy decor to two parts divine food and voilà: you have Tom's Kitchen. Classics such as grilled steaks, burgers, slow-cooked pork belly and chicken schnitzel are cooked to perfection, while seasonal choices such as the homemade ricotta or pan-fried scallops are sublime.
The restaurant goes to great lengths to support British farmers, growers and fishers. You can read about their suppliers online, or in little cards in the restaurant.
Daylesford OrganicDELI$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7881 8060; www.daylesfordorganic.com; 44b Pimlico Rd, SW1; mains £8-17; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; Wv; tSloane Sq)
A chomping ground for the Chelsea and Pimlico set, with a deli counter, a farmhouse shop and a modernist cafe serving delicious breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas.
Painted HeronINDIAN$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7351 5232; www.thepaintedheron.com; 112 Cheyne Walk, SW10; mains £13.50-20, 2-course lunch menu £15.94; h11.30am-3.30pm & 6-11pm; v; tSloane Sq)
The rather formal setting – starched white tablecloths, cubby holes and leather banquettes – is softened by intimate lighting in the evenings and affable service on all occasions. As for the food, it's a delight, from classics such as biryani and tikka masala to Modern Indian innovations such as venison curry with red wine and chocolate samosas for dessert.
Lots Road Pub & Dining RoomGASTROPUB$$
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7352 6645; www.lotsroadpub.com; 114 Lots Rd, SW10; mains £12-20; hnoon-11pm Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; tFulham Broadway)
Light floods through the windows into the high-ceilinged, wood-lined, curved dining area and onto the black-and-chrome bar, where choice wines are sold by the glass. Service is tip-top and the regularly changing menu may read as standard fare – beef, salmon, lamb – but it’s all delicious.
Sunday roasts are deservedly popular, and don’t miss the sticky toffee pudding.
oFive FieldsMODERN BRITISH$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7838 1082; www.fivefieldsrestaurant.com; 8-9 Blacklands Tce, SW3; 3-course set meal £65, tasting menu £85; h6.30-10pm Tue-Sat; W; tSloane Sq)
The inventive British prix fixe cuisine, consummate service and enticingly light and inviting decor are hard to resist at this triumphant Chelsea restaurant – now with a Michelin star – but you'll need to plan early and book way up front. It's only open five nights a week.
oGordon RamsayFRENCH$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7352 4441; www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/restaurant-gordon-ramsay; 68 Royal Hospital Rd, SW3; 3-course lunch/dinner £65/110; hnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-11pm Mon-Fri; W; tSloane Sq)
One of Britain’s finest restaurants and London’s longest-running with three Michelin stars, this is hallowed turf for those who worship at the altar of the stove. It’s true that it’s a treat right from the taster to the truffles, but you won’t get much time to savour it all. Bookings are made in specific sittings and you dare not linger; book as late as you can to avoid that rushed feeling. The blowout Menu Prestige (£145) is seven courses of perfection.
oRabbitMODERN BRITISH$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-3750 0172; www.rabbit-restaurant.com; 172 King's Rd, SW3; mains £6-24, set lunch £13.50; hnoon-midnight Tue-Sat, 6-11pm Mon, noon-6pm Sun; v; tSloane Sq)
Three brothers grew up on a farm. One became a farmer, another a butcher, while the third worked in hospitality. So they pooled their skills and came up with Rabbit, a breath of fresh air in upmarket Chelsea. The restaurant rocks the agri-chic (yes) look and the creative, seasonal modern British cuisine is fabulous.
The drinks list is just as good, with a great selection of wines from the family vineyard in Sussex, and local beers and ciders.
MedlarMODERN EUROPEAN$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7349 1900; www.medlarrestaurant.co.uk; 438 King's Rd, SW10; set lunch £25-35, 2-/3-course dinner £41/49; hnoon-3pm & 6.30-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 6-10.30pm Sat, 6-9.30pm Sun; W; tFulham Broadway, Sloane Sq)
With its uncontrived yet crisply modern and cool green-on-grey design, Medlar is a King's Rd sensation. With no à la carte menu and scant pretentiousness, the prix fixe modern European cuisine is delightfully assured: the menu changes with the season but tries hard to promote British ingredients as well as underrated meats such as pigeon and guinea fowl, all beautifully presented.
HunanCHINESE$$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 5712; www.hunanlondon.com; 51 Pimlico Rd, SW1; set lunch/dinner from £42.80/66.80; hnoon-2pm & 6.30-11pm Mon-Sat; v; tSloane Sq)
In business for over three decades, this understated Chinese restaurant imaginatively exercises a no-menu policy, so just present your preferences and let the dachu (chef) get cracking. A meal will comprise 12 to 18 small, tapas-style dishes – many with a pronounced Taiwan accent (despite the name) – to encourage a spectrum of flavour and colour. Vegetarian options available.
5Victoria & Pimlico
oPimlico FreshCAFE$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7932 0030; 86 Wilton Rd, SW1; mains from £4.50; h7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun; tVictoria)
This friendly two-room cafe will see you right whether you need breakfast (French toast, bowls of porridge laced with honey or maple syrup), lunch (homemade quiches and soups, 'things' on toast) or just a good old latte and cake.
KazanTURKISH$$
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7233 7100; www.kazan-restaurant.com; 93-94 Wilton Rd; mains £6.50-25, set menu from £27.50; hnoon-3pm & 5.30-10pm, to 10.30pm Fri; tVictoria)
Aromatic Kazan gets repeated thumbs up for its set Turkish meze, shish kebabs and kulbasti (rosemary-rubbed grilled fillet of lamb). Flavours are rich and faultless, service is attentive and the Ottoman ambience alluring, but not over the top. Seafood and vegetarian options available. Booking ahead is recommended.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia do not have London's oldest and most time-seasoned watering holes, but several very charming, characterful and distinctive pubs provide a congenial environment for a pint.
oAnglesea ArmsPUB
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7373 7960; www.angleseaarms.com; 15 Selwood Tce, SW7; h11am-11pm Mon-Sat, noon-10.30pm Sun; tSouth Kensington)
Seasoned with age and decades of ale-quaffing patrons (including Charles Dickens, who lived on the same road, and DH Lawrence), this old-school pub boasts considerable character and a strong showing of brews, while the terrace out front swarms with punters in warmer months. Arch-criminal Bruce Reynolds masterminded the Great Train Robbery over drinks here.
oTomtom Coffee HouseCAFE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 1771; www.tomtom.co.uk; 114 Ebury St, SW1; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun; W; tVictoria)
Tomtom has built its reputation on its amazing coffee: not only are the drinks fabulously presented (forget ferns and hearts in your latte, here it's peacocks fanning their tails), but the selection is dizzying; from the usual espresso-based suspects to filter, and a full choice of beans. You can even spice things up with a bonus tot of cognac or whisky (£3).
The cafe also serves lovely food throughout the day, from breakfast and toasties on sourdough bread to homemade pies (mains £5 to £10).
PheneBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.thephene.com; 9 Phene St, SW3; hnoon-11pm Mon-Fri, 10am-11pm Sat, to 10pm Sun; W; tSloane Sq)
This beautiful bar/pub in the heart of Chelsea is a hit – from the red banquette in the stylish dining room to the elegant terrace for summer evenings, and from the excellent selection of beers brewed by the capital's many small breweries to the original G&Ts (lots of different gins and flavoured tonics).
Queen’s ArmsPUB
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.thequeensarmskensington.co.uk; 30 Queen’s Gate Mews, SW7; hnoon-11pm Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; tGloucester Rd)
Just around the corner from the Royal Albert Hall is this blue-grey-painted godsend. Located in an adorable cobbled mews setting off bustling Queen’s Gate, it beckons with a cosy interior and a right royal selection of ales – including selections from small, local cask brewers – and ciders on tap. In warm weather, drinkers stand outside in the mews (only permitted on one side).
The fine pub menu is good for dinner, with burger-and-a-beer offers on Mondays for a tenner.
Buddha BarBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-3667 5222; www.buddhabarlondon.com; 145 Knightsbridge, SW1; cocktails from £15; h5pm-midnight Mon-Fri, noon-midnight Sat, to 11.30pm Sun; W; tKnightsbridge)
When you've shopped your legs off in Knightsbridge, this serenely seductive zone welcomes you into a world of Chinese bird-cage lanterns, subdued lighting, tucked-away corners and booths, perfect for sipping on a Singapore Sling and chilling out. The restaurant downstairs continues the Oriental theme, serving pan-Asian specialities.
Drayton ArmsPUB
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7835 2301; www.thedraytonarmssw5.co.uk; 153 Old Brompton Rd, SW5; hnoon-11pm Mon, to 11.30pm Tue & Wed, to midnight Thu & Fri, 10am-midnight Sat, to 11.30pm Sun; tGloucester Rd)
This vast, comely Victorian corner boozer is delightful inside and out, with some bijou art-nouveau features (sinuous tendrils and curlicues above the windows and the doors), contemporary art on the walls, a fabulous coffered ceiling and a heated beer garden. The crowd is both hip and down-to-earth; great beer and wine selection. The pub has a studio theatre too, with nightly productions at 8pm.
3Entertainment
This isn't the neighbourhood for cutting-edge clubs, but if jazz floats your boat, a couple of standout venues should top your London list.
o606 ClubBLUES, JAZZ
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7352 5953; www.606club.co.uk; 90 Lots Rd, SW10; h7-11.15pm Sun-Thu, 8pm-12.30am Fri & Sat; 
dImperial Wharf)
Named after its old address on the King's Rd that cast a spell over jazz lovers London-wide back in the '80s, this fantastic, tucked-away basement jazz club and restaurant gives centre stage to contemporary British-based jazz musicians nightly. The club can only serve alcohol to nonmembers who are dining, and it is highly advisable to book to get a table.
There is no entry charge, but a 'music charge' (£10 Sunday to Thursday and £14 Friday and Saturday) will be added to your food/drink bill at the end of the evening; it's open for occasional Sunday lunches.
oRoyal Albert HallCONCERT VENUE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0845 401 5034; www.royalalberthall.com; Kensington Gore, SW7; tSouth Kensington)
This splendid Victorian concert hall hosts classical music, rock and other performances, but is famously the venue for the BBC-sponsored Proms. Booking is possible, but from mid-July to mid-September Proms punters queue for £5 standing (or ‘promenading’) tickets that go on sale one hour before curtain-up. Otherwise the box office and prepaid-ticket collection counter are through door 12 (south side of the hall).
A variety of tours of the Albert Hall are also available.
oPheasantryLIVE MUSIC
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7351 5031; www.pizzaexpress.com/kings-road; 152-154 King's Rd, SW3; from £12; h11.30am-11pm; tSloane Sq, South Kensington)
Currently run by Pizza Express, the Pheasantry on King's Rd ranges over three floors, with a lovely garden at the front for alfresco dining, but the crowd-puller is the live cabaret and jazz in the basement. A grade II–listed 19th-century building, the Pheasantry has been a ballet academy, a boho bar and a nightclub (where Lou Reed once sang).
Shows are generally at 8pm or 8.30pm; book online.
Cadogan HallCONCERT VENUE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 4500; www.cadoganhall.com; 5 Sloane Tce, SW1; tickets £10-40; tSloane Sq)
Home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 950-seat Cadogan Hall is a major venue for classical music, opera and choral music, with occasional dance, rock, jazz and family concerts.
Royal Court TheatreTHEATRE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7565 5000; www.royalcourttheatre.com; Sloane Sq, SW1; tickets £12-38; tSloane Sq)
Equally renowned for staging innovative new plays and old classics, the Royal Court is among London’s most progressive theatres and has continued to foster major writing talent across the UK. There are two auditoriums: the main Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, and the much smaller studio Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Tickets for Monday performances are £12.
A limited number of restricted-view standing places go on sale one hour before each Jerwood Theatre Downstairs performance for just 10p each. Contact the theatre to check on availability.
Ciné LumièreCINEMA
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7871 3515; www.institut-francais.org.uk; 17 Queensberry Pl, SW7; tSouth Kensington)
Attached to South Kensington’s French Institute, Ciné Lumière's large 300-seat art-deco salle (cinema) screens absorbing international seasons (including the London Spanish Film Festival; www.londonspanishfilmfestival.com) and classic and recently released French cinema and international films, subtitled in English.
7Shopping
Frequented by models, celebrities, and Russian oligarchs, and awash with new money (much from abroad), this well-heeled part of town is all about high fashion, glam shops, groomed shoppers and iconic top-end department stores. Even the charity shops along the chic King’s Rd resemble fashion boutiques.
oJohn Sandoe BooksBOOKS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7589 9473; www.johnsandoe.com; 10 Blacklands Tce, SW3; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; tSloane Sq)
The perfect antidote to impersonal book superstores, this atmospheric three-storey bookshop in 18th-century premises is a treasure trove of literary gems and hidden surprises. It's been in business for six decades and loyal customers swear by it, while knowledgeable booksellers spill forth with well-read pointers and helpful advice.
HarrodsDEPARTMENT STORE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 1234; www.harrods.com; 87-135 Brompton Rd, SW1; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-6pm Sun; tKnightsbridge)
Garish and stylish in equal measures, perennially crowded Harrods is an obligatory stop for visitors, from the cash-strapped to the big spenders. The stock is astonishing, as are many of the price tags. High on kitsch, the ‘Egyptian Elevator’ resembles something out of an Indiana Jones epic, while the memorial fountain to Dodi and Di (lower ground floor) merely adds surrealism.
Many visitors don't make it past the ground floor where designer bags, the myriad scents from the perfume hall and the mouth-watering counters of the food hall provide plenty of entertainment. The latter actually makes for an excellent, and surprisingly affordable, option for a picnic in nearby Hyde Park. From 11.30am to midday on Sunday, it's browsing time only.
Peter HarringtonBOOKS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7591 0220; www.peterharrington.co.uk; 100 Fulham Rd, W3; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat; tSouth Kensington)
Over three floors, Peter Harrington has a huge collection of first editions (in generally fine quality), signed modern art prints (Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Bridget Riley, Elisabeth Frink, MC Escher, Damien Hirst among others) and more. Pick up a signed first edition, first printing of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (£250,000) or a more affordable first edition of Dr Seuss's Daisy-Head Mayzie (£150).
PickettGIFTS & SOUVENIRS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7823 5638; www.pickett.co.uk; cnr Sloane St & Sloane Tce, SW1; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri, 10am-7pm Wed, to 6pm Sat; tSloane Sq)S
Walking into Picketts as an adult is a bit like walking into a sweet shop as a child: the exquisite leather goods are all so colourful and beautiful that you don't really know where to start. Choice items include the perfectly finished handbags, the exquisite roll-up backgammon sets and the men's grooming sets. All leather goods are made in Britain.
There are actually two shops next door to each other: one for men, one for women. Women's clutch bags start at around £345; men's bags range between £245 and over £1000. Everything bought here is delightfully gift-wrapped too.
Harvey NicholsDEPARTMENT STORE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.harveynichols.com; 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1; h10am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-6pm Sun; tKnightsbridge)
At London’s temple of high fashion, you’ll find Chloé and Balenciaga bags, the city’s best denim range, a massive make-up hall with exclusive lines and great jewellery. The food hall and in-house restaurant, Fifth Floor, are, you guessed it, on the 5th floor. From 11.30am to midday, it's browsing time only.
Jo LovesCOSMETICS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 8611; www.joloves.com; 42 Elizabeth St, SW1; h10am-6pm Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat, to 7pm Thu, noon-5pm Sun; tVictoria)
Famed British scent-maker Jo Malone opened Jo Loves in 2013 on a street where she once had a Saturday job as a young florist, featuring the entrepreneur's signature candles, fragrances and bath products in a range of delicate scents – Arabian amber, white rose and lemon leaves, oud and mango. All products come exquisitely wrapped in red boxes with black bows.
Conran ShopDESIGN
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7589 7401; www.conranshop.co.uk; Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, SW3; h10am-6pm Mon, Tue & Fri, to 7pm Wed & Thu, to 6.30pm Sat, noon-6pm Sun; tSouth Kensington)
The original design store (going strong since 1987), the Conran Shop is a treasure trove of beautiful things – from radios to sunglasses, kitchenware to children's toys and books, bathroom accessories to greeting cards. Browsing bliss. Spare some time to peruse the magnificent art nouveau/deco Michelin House the shop belongs to.
Limelight Movie ArtVINTAGE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7751 5584; www.limelightmovieart.com; 313 King’s Rd, SW3; h11.30am-6pm Mon-Sat; tSloane Sq, South Kensington)
This spiffing poster shop is a necessary stop for collectors of vintage celluloid memorabilia, nostalgic browsers or film buffs. Prints are all original and prices start at around £70 for the smaller formats (such as lobby cards) but can go into four figures for larger, rarer posters.
Penhaligon'sFASHION & ACCESSORIES
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7823 9733; www.penhaligons.com; 132 King's Rd, SW3; h9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, to 7pm Wed, 11.30am-6.30pm Sun; tSloane Sq)
Stepping through the door of this cute branch of the famous perfumery, sitting cosily on the corner of Bywater St, is like walking into a floral spray of hyacinths, roses and peonies. The beautifully presented bottled perfumes make exquisite gifts.
Rippon CheeseFOOD
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7931 0628; www.ripponcheeselondon.com; 26 Upper Tachbrook St, SW1; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm Sat; tVictoria, Pimlico)
A potently inviting pong greets you as you near this cheesemonger with its 500 varieties of mostly English and French cheeses. Ask the knowledgeable staff for recommendations (and taste as you go!) and stock up for a picnic in a London park.
Peter JonesDEPARTMENT STORE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7730 3434; www.peterjones.co.uk; Sloane Sq, SW1; h9.30am-7pm Mon-Tue & Thu-Sat, to 8pm Wed, noon-6pm Sun; tSloane Sq)
An upmarket department store, Peter Jones's fortes are china, furnishings and gifts, though it stocks accessories and cosmetics too.
British Red CrossVINTAGE
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7376 7300; 69-71 Old Church St, SW3; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat; tSloane Sq)
The motto 'One man's rubbish is another man's treasure' couldn't be truer in this part of London, where the 'rubbish' is made up of designer gowns, cashmere jumpers and perhaps a first edition or two. Obviously the price tags are a little higher than in your run-of-the-mill charity shop (£40 rather than £5 for a jumper or jacket), but it's still a bargain for the quality and browsing is half the fun.
T2FOOD & DRINKS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7584 5280; www.t2tea.com; 96 King's Rd, SW3; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; tSloane Sq)
This Australian brand is the tea lovers' answer to the coffee craze of the last few years. There are dozens of blends from around the world to choose from, which all come packaged in funky bright-orange cardboard boxes. The original teaware is another draw.
2Sports & Activities
Winter WonderlandAMUSEMENT PARK
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com; Hyde Park; tHyde Park Corner)
From November to January, this six-week attraction in Hyde Park is full of winter festivities, shows, ice-skating, circus acts and more.
Pure GymGYM
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %0845 676 6500; www.puregym.com; The South Kensington Estate, 63-81 Pelham St, SW7; tSouth Kensington)
Pure Gym has over 40 gyms around the city.
Hyde Park Tennis & Sports CentreTENNIS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7262 3474; www.willtowin.co.uk/hyde-park-centreinfo; South Carriage Dr, Hyde Park; tennis per hr adult £11-14, child £7-10; h8am-6pm; tKnightsbridge)
Has six outdoor hard tennis courts, a bowling green (£8 per person per hour), a nine-hole putting course (£6) and an outdoor gym, as well as a cafe. Peak hours (after 5pm) are priciest for tennis.
Serpentine SolarShuttle BoatBOATING
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7262 1989; www.solarshuttle.co.uk; adult/child £5/3)
Ferries passengers from the Serpentine Boathouse to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain at weekends from March to September (every day from mid-July to late August).
Serpentine BoathouseBOATING
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7262 1330; adult/child per 30min £10/4, per 1hr £12/5; tHyde Park Corner or Knightsbridge)
Rent a paddle boat from the Serpentine Boathouse.
Serpentine LidoSWIMMING
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %020-7706 3422; Hyde Park, W2; adult/child £4.80/1.80; h10am-6pm daily Jun-Aug, to 6pm Sat & Sun May; tHyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge)
Perhaps the ultimate London pool is inside the Serpentine lake. This fabulous lido is open May to August. Sun loungers are available for £3.50 for the whole day.