Knightsbridge may have the reputation as a destination for the very well-heeled tourists, and with an iconic shopping strip popping with high-end brands and some of London’s best hotels, it’s easy to see why.
Scratch the surface of this ritzy west London neighbourhood however, and you’ll be rewarded with independent shops, a wealth of restaurants and backstreets with oodles of village vibes.
From where to eat to places to shop, peruse and sleep, here’s your guide to the best of Knightsbridge.
Where To Eat & Drink
Signor Sassi
A neighbourhood Italian restaurant that has been plating up deliciously homespun and hearty fare since the 1980s. While now it is part of the ritzy San Carlos restaurant group, this art deco pearl is nothing like its sister restaurants. While embellished with gold and mirrors (and a lot of photos too), its charm - which comes by the bucketload – is old school.
Address: 14 Knightsbridge SW1X 7QL
Website: signorsassi.co.uk
Pantechnicon
An ode to Japanese and Nordic cultures, Pantechnicon is three floors of gastronomic goodness and dreamy interiors. The roof terrace over looks Motcomb street and the foliage covered watering spot has an indoor section too for winter. Found in the lower ground vaults, sachi is a refined yet casual enough Japanese restaurant that comes with an extensive sake menu and a seamless Japandi interior. Lastly, find Café Kitsune on the ground floor, if you’re in the mood for a coffee café-style nosh and pastries with a Japanese riff.
Address: 19 Motcomb Street SW1X 8LB
Website: pantechnicon.com
The Bunch of Grapes & Paxton Heads
These two, large Greene King Pubs venues have retained their grand, ornate Victorian-era charm, which makes them a great option if you’re looking for a casual drink in an impressive setting embellished in ornate and intricate finishings. Dating back to 1644 and found on Brompton Road, The Bunch of Grapes still retains the original snob screens, which were used to divide the classes whilst drinking back in the day. Once a gin palace, Paxtons Head, on Knightsbridge, is a Grade II listed building that comes with the original oak panels, etched mirrors and glass work – it’s worth a drink just to soak up the interiors.
Sette at Bulgari Hotel
An achingly chic and manicured restaurant that is a sister venue to Manhattan’s Scarpetta restaurant, Sette serves up sophisticated Italian dishes and convivial hospitality in a flawless dining room bathed in mood lighting. Every meal of the day, plus an Italian take on afternoon tea, is served here, and watch out for the bloody Mary bar which comes with the already indulgent weekend brunch.
Address: 4 Knightsbridge Green SW1X 7QA
Website: settelondon.co.uk
Things To Do
Hyde Park
One of the eight Royal Parks, this central London oasis of green space sprawls 350 acres, flanked by Mayfair, Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Kensington. While a great place for a stroll or a book-read, the park is also home to the Serpentine Gallery and lido, which is open to the public for swimming during the summer season. Also look out for the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain or soak up the park on horseback.
Website: royalparks.org.uk
The Arx
A contemporary gallery if there ever was one, The Arx is a gallery, an interiors showroom and an art curation service that can style your art to your own home, and fit out the space as well if needs be. The gallery also works with big brands such as Bang & Olufsen and Overfinch, and with leading London chefs such as Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellars. The gallery represents around 10 artists, with exhibitions changing regularly. While most of The Arx’s artists are emerging or on their way up, the team can source Rothkos, Damien Hirsts, Tracey Emins and the like, if you’re after works by established artists too. The space is open during the week by appointment only, but open to all at the weekends.
Address: 197-205 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge SW3 1LB
Website: thearx.com
Crane Kalman Gallery
A glimpse of Knightsbridge yore, this compact gallery has been standing on Brompton Road since 1957, when art deal Andras Kalman relocated his basement Manchester gallery. It focuses on Modern art with a focus on British artists such as L.S Lowry who supported the gallery from its early days. However, you’ll find artworks, sculptures and pieces by American and European artists here too.
Address: 178 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge SW3 1HQ
Website: cranekalman.com
Where To Shop
Harrods, Harvey Nichols & Flagship Stores
Perhaps the two most iconic shopping destinations in Knightsbridge, Harrod’s and Harvey Nichols offer floors of premium shopping with all the luxury brands you could dream of and more covered. Each department store has various bars, restaurants and eateries (the Harrod’s food hall with its tiled mosaics are particularly noteworthy) to replenish the weary shopper.
However if boutique style shopping is more your thing, Brompton Road is home to a number of flagship stores. Brands such as Spain’s bright and bold Bimba Y Lola or Milano’s timeless Eleventy – found in The Berkeley - both have flagship stores along Brompton Road and Knightsbridge, which is flecked with brands such as Gucci, Burberry and Alpha Tauri.
The Theordore’s Collection
A shop for people who like to be on time and in style, this jewellers specialises in luxury watches that are collector’s pieces and vintage finds. On display, you’ll find premium watch brands such as Rolex, Cartier and Omega. If you make your way downstairs, you’ll be rewarded with a stocked bar and even more watches so beautiful you wished you wanted to be on time more. But with some of these timekeepers selling at £350K, they don’t come cheap.
Address: 172 Brompton Road, Kightsbridge SW3 1HW
Website: theodorescollection.com
Pandora
For those of you who love a rifle through vintage stores to find one off pieces that wow, this backstreet gem will give you that same dopamine hit. Rummage through racks upon racks of pre-loved vintage designer pieces; Issey Miyake, Paco Rabanne, Helmut Lang and the like are squidged in together in a wonderfully chaotic way, with bags, shoes, dresses, coats, two piece ensembles, skirts and tops all up for grabs. It’s a vintage shopper’s dream. Also good to note, if you like shopping second hand, Knightsbridge’s charity shops are worth a thorough onceover as well, as these also have plenty of designer and premium High Street brands
Address: 16-22 Cheval Place, Knightsbridge, SW7 1ES
Website: pandoradressagency.com
Knightsbridge's Best Afternoon Teas
The Lanesborough
The Lanesborough hosts afternoon tea in its resplendent glass-domed, blue hued Lanesborough Grill dining room, which is a feast in its own right. The hotel recently received an Award of Excellence at this year’s Afternoon Tea Awards for its botanical, Royal Parks-inspired Meadow Afternoon Tea, which will now be followed up with the Queen Charlotte tea, created in partnership with Netflix and Shondaland. Celebrating Regency glamour and the hit show Bridgerton, the tea’s parade of patisserie includes the Danbury Delight which is a Berryiolette pistachio gateaux inspired by Lady Danbury’s love of hats and jewels, and Your Majesty - a cake tribute to the show’s star Queen Charlotte that comes with strawberry scented cream bavaroise and is infused orange gel and sprayed with red chocolate.
Address: Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA
Website: oetkercollection.com
Holy Carrot
Found at Urban Retreat spa, plant-based restaurant Holy Carrot serves up a vegan afternoon tea that is every bit as indulgent and decadent as the others. Savoury bites include creative combinations, such as palm heart with lemon miso aioli and sourdough crostini, while the patisserie at the end is every bit as inventive as other afternoon teas, with a miso and caramel sponge cake, chocolate delice and a winter berry mousse cake.
Address: 2-4 Hans Cres, Knightsbridge SW1X 0LH
Website: holycarrot.co.uk
The Berkeley
Another of the area’s prestigious hotels, The Berkeley serves up two afternoon teas. One is the award winning Pret-a-Portea – a miniature catwalk of edible treats based on the season’s fashions, and which changes with the seasons too. Sink into the likes of Ralph Lauren’s hero coat, made from black forest gateau or Prada’s camel chocolate biscuit coat, which is completed with pink statement fur sleeves made from royal icing. The other, is by popular pâtissier Cedric Grolet (famous for his patisserie fruit wonders), who has created a French-Anglo version of the meal for something that is a little less formal, but every bit as sublime.
Address: Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL
Website: the-berkeley.co.uk
Where To Sleep
The Lanesborough Hotel
One of Knightsbridge’s most prestigious hotels, The Lanesborough is a Wes Anderson-perfect exercise in Regency opulence. As resplendent and polished as the hotel is, the atmosphere is down to earth, with convivial, chatty staff and a fluffy hotel cat lazing around to make you feel at home in your grand surrounds.
Found on Hyde Park Corner, a short stroll away from Marble Arch and across the road from the park itself, the building, once a hospital, dates back to the 1700s and further than the Duke of Wellington’s house, Apsely House, and even Buckingham Palace for that matter.
Each of the 93 spacious suites and rooms have access to a butler and are full of comforts, from the chocolate dipped welcome strawberries to the room’s temperature personalised to you. They come with generously-sized ensuites with underfloor heating and the suites have been styled with such meticulous care, you’ll find yourself saturated with grandeur from the moment you enter the space.
Complementing the Regency interiors, the artworks featured throughout the hotel – including the rooms and suites – date back to the 1700s and have been curated using equestrian and military themes as guidance, quietly acknowledging the building’s Napoleonic era origins when horses were the mode of transport of de jour.
The hotel is home to the Lanesborough Grill, a blue-hued, glass domed dining hall celebrating the best of British culinary culture, with its Sunday roasts, award-winning afternoon teas and sublime dinners. For drinks, The Library which is a smart den of a room with an extensive cognac and whiskey menu alongside its fairly lengthy cocktail menu. Look out for jazz and other events here.
Open from the afternoon onwards, the hotel’s secreted outdoor terrace, The Garden Room, also has a wealth of whiskey, but only for those in the mood for a Cuban cigar. If you prefer to unwind with a spa treatment, the hotel’s glamorous spa is tucked away in the depths of the hotel and has several treatment rooms for pampering and a decently sized women’s hydro pool for relaxation. Guests have access to the hotel’s boutique gym facilities as well.
Address: Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA
Website: oetkercollection.com
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