Beautiful West London neighbourhoods

In this section, I share some of my tips on places to visit in West London, from a Japenese garden in Holland Park and a botanical garden in Chelsea, to world-class museums in Kensington, and colourful streets in Notting Hill.

Holland Park

Holland Park is an attractive area in Kensington. It’s a great place for a walk, with lots of big houses and tree-lined streets, and of course Holland Park itself. You can get here on the tube by taking the central line to Holland Park. Things to do in Holland Park include:

Beautiful streets - as one of the most expensive parts of the city, Holland Park is an ideal place to take in some of the city’s grandest homes. Must-see streets include Holland Park, Holland Park Mews, Royal Crescent, and Portland Road. In the spring, there are some fabulous wisteria displays on Ilchester Road and Stafford Terrace.

Holland Park - the Kyoto Garden, a pretty Japanese garden, is one of the highlights of this park. There is also a Dutch Garden, located near the remains of Holland House, which is fabulous in spring when the tulips are in bloom. There are also woodland areas to explore. Look out for the park’s resident peacocks!

Leighton House - dating back to the 1860s, Leighton House was once the home of the artist Frederick Leighton, and includes a stunning Arab Hall featuring tiles from Syria. The house has recently reopened following a period of redevelopment, and now has enhanced visitor facilities including new exhibition galleries, a cafe and shop.

South Kensington

South Kensington is a wealthy part of London with grand houses and upscale restaurants. The area is also home to some of the city’s best cultural attractions. You can get here by taking the tube to South Kensington or Gloucester Road. Things to do include:

Mews streets - these cobbled streets are usually located behind large 19th and 18th century homes. The mews houses were originally used for horses, with stables on the ground floor and servants living in the floor above. Kensington is probably the best place to see the mews houses, with many mews streets in the area including Kynance Mews, Stanhope Mews South, Adam and Eve Mews, Queens Gate Mews, Ennismore Mews and Ennismore Garden Mews, Drayson Mews, Ensor Mews, Princes Gate Mews, Cranley Mews, Kendrick Mews (don’t miss the ski-themed street art on the junction with Reece Mews), Atherstone Mews, Queensbury Mews West, Canning Place Mews, and Elvaston Mews.

Beautiful residential streets - as you might expect in one of London’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, there are some stunning houses in the area. The Boltons - an oval shaped street with a garden in the middle - has some of the grandest houses, and it’s fun to check out the lavish seasonal displays here at Halloween and Christmas. Other streets worth seeing are Blithfield Street, Wetherby Place, Claireville Street, Kensington Park Gardens, Lexham Gardens, and Cornwall Gardens.

Thinnest house - this skinny house at 5 Thurloe Square is one of London’s most surprising sights. Located at the end of a terrace, the thin house was once an artist’s studio, and is now home to some exceptionally pricy flats.

Victoria and Albert Museum - my personal favourite of all the museums in the city, the Victoria and Albert Museum has collections of fashion, art, photography, jewellery, ceramics and furniture. In the centre of the museum is the lovely John Madejski Garden.

Natural History Museum - a fantastic museum, particularly for families, it’s worth coming here just for the building alone which has an ornate terracotta facade. The museum hosts an annual Wildlife of the Year photography exhibition showcasing the best wildlife photography from around the world.

Brompton Oratory - a beautiful and underrated Victorian Catholic church, built in a neo-classical style

Proms at the Royal Albert Hall - this annual classical music festival has become more diverse over the years and you can now watch orchestras perform more contemporary material. The iconic Royal Albert Hall offers great views and an impressive sound system. If you don’t mind standing, you can get Promming tickets on the day which give you a standing place in the Arena directly in front of the stage, or the upstairs gallery.

Kensington Gardens - a royal park which was originally part of Kensington Palace, and now open to the public. The highlight is the Italian Gardens with its water features and fountains.

Notting Hill

Notting Hill is an attractive part of London, famous for its market on Portobello Market, but also worth visiting just to wander round the beautiful and often colourful streets. You can get here by taking the tube to Notting Hill Gate. Things to do in Notting Hill include:

Colourful streets - there are houses painted in many different colours in Notting Hill, which gives the area a unique and vibrant feel. Key streets to see these include Elgin Crescent, St Luke’s Mews, Lancaster Road, Colville Terrace, and Portobello Road.

Portobello Road market - perhaps most famous for being the main setting for the 1999 film Notting Hill, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, Portobello Road is home to regular street markets, as well as many antique shops including the instagrammable Alice’s at number 86. There are some great places to eat here too, including the original Hummingbird Bakery site in the city, an American style bakery that does cupcakes.

The Gate Picturehouse - one of London’s loveliest cinemas, the Grade II Listed Gate dates back to Edwardian times and is a single screen cinema.

Chelsea

Chelsea is a wealthy and attractive part of London, with upscale shops, and colourful houses. You can get here by taking the tube to Sloane Square. Things to do in Chelsea include:

Beautiful residential streets - for colourful houses, I recommend Bywater Street, Burnsall Street and Godfrey Street. Other attractive streets include Cheyne Row, Cheyne Walk and Cheyne Place which are great for wisteria spotting in spring. Don’t miss the pretty No 50 Cheyne pub.

Saatchi Gallery - located near the Duke of York Square, which has a Saturday food market, the Saatchi Gallery hosts changing exhibitions of contemporary art and photography.

Shopping - the Kings Road has lots of independent shops and boutiques. This is also a great area to browse charity shops (thrift stores) as you can sometimes find some great items that local wealthy residents have donated.

Chelsea in Bloom -a free floral festival which takes place every year in May, with a different theme each time. Past themes have included ‘floral feasts’, ‘flowers on film’ and ‘British icons’. Most of the displays are on the Kings Road, or clustered around Sloane Street and Pavilion Road.

Cadogan Hall - a lovely place to see a music concert, Cadogan Hall is a former church that was converted into a music hall in the 1990s. It is the main venue for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. You can also see jazz and pop concerts here.

Chelsea Physic Garden - London’s oldest botanical garden, spread across 4 acres, and home to over 4,500 medicinal, edible and useful plants. Many of the plants are rare and endangered species which are able to grow in the garden’s micro-climate.