Tackle City one neighbourhood At A time
Sip, shop and savour your way through three iconic neighbourhoods
PAMELA FIEBER
London has been in the spotlight this spring as Canadians tuned in to the nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The glorious sights and sounds of the Royal wedding coverage — iconic buildings and grand streetscapes, sumptuous three-tiered tea trays and fascinating feathered hats, just may have inspired a few travellers to go ahead and book that flight.
You’ll want to go for tea. You’ll want to sample the signature cocktails. You’ll want to shop and see the sights, and you’ll want to stay in the ideal hotel for the neighbourhood.
So let’s sip, sightsee, shop and savour our way through three of London’s most fabulous and historic neighbourhoods.
KENSINGTON
The neighbourhood of Kensington is a most regal place.
Stroll around the extensive grounds of Kensington Palace, then step inside for the full tour, where you can explore the drawing rooms, public halls and period furnishings of the past. Generations of the royal family have made this sprawling compound home, from Queen Victoria to Prince Charles and now, the fab four — William and Kate, and newlyweds Harry and Meghan.
Check out some of Diana’s most famous outfits, including the black off-the-shoulder number made famous by her dance with John Travolta, and the tweed day suit in which she posed for her engagement photos to Prince Charles, at the exhibit Diana: Her Fashion Story. It’s rounded out with fun tidbits, such as notes Diana scrawled on the original designer drawings and a range of fashion photos.
Beyond the palace, Kensington offers great strolling, with its pretty cobbled lanes, terraced row houses and flower gardens. Wander through the elegant boutiques of Kensington High Street, and for contrast, the everyday shops of the High Street underground tube station.
There are a handful of museums within walking distance, including the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert ( V&A) Museum, where admission is free and you can explore seven floors of decorative arts, including arms and armour, jewelry, glass, paintings, tapestries, ceramics and rugs.
You can see the world’s oldest carpet, the Ardabil Carpet, dating back to the 1530s in the Middle East, an exact copy of which is in 10 Downing Street.
You can see original paintings for tapestries from artist Raphael, designed to hang in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
TIME FOR TEA
The Town House restaurant in The Kensington hotel offers an afternoon tea based on Beauty and the Beast, which is booked weeks in advance and features baguettes with a pot of chocolate, and delicacies based on the movie characters, such as a chocolate clock tart and a “Try the Grey Stuff ” white chocolate mousse, all served from teapots that emulate the talking dishes of Mrs. Potts and Chip Potts.
Every detail means something, and you’ll spend half the time connecting the clever references.
This afternoon tea is often reserved as a special family outing as needless to say, there is plenty to delight children and keep adults amused.
WHERE TO STAY
Housed in a Georgian mansion and featuring airy, high-ceilinged rooms and elegant furnishings, The Kensington evokes a time of grandeur and civility. The collection of joined drawing rooms on the main floor feel comfortably grand, leading visitors through a series of cosy vignettes, crackling fireplaces and deep armchairs. Guest rooms have elegant hardwood floors, four-poster beds, large claw foot tubs and heated towel racks, and an individual pot of rose petal tea delivered just before bedtime.
BLOOMSBURY
Bloomsbury is known as the most literary and intellectual neighbourhood in London, and a walking tour through the leafy hub of academia — home to the University of London and the British Museum — quickly reveals why tours here are often labelled Literary London.
Virginia Woolf lived here, along with other members of the Bloomsbury set — E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes and Clive Bell — a group of intellectuals as famous for their bohemian and intellectual lifestyle as their art.
You can see the home of Charles Dickens, marked with a modest placard. Also, the Victorian semi where author JM Barrie wrote Peter Pan in 1904. It looks remarkably like the house depicted in his story, right down to the manypaned windows flung open to the evening breeze.
A tour of these storied streets is not complete without admiring some of the historic architecture, from the Georgian and Edwardian terrace homes to impressive public buildings like the art deco Senate House Library, its monolithic exterior said to be the inspiration for George Orwell’s 1984. Best of all, there are bookstores galore in this neighbourhood, where book lovers can lose themselves for hours. Check out the historic SCOOB Books, a cosy warren of new and used treasures.
It’s best to end the walking and book browsing in the stylish and vibrant Coral Room of the Bloomsbury Hotel, a 1920s-inspired salon where small plate nibbles and sparkling wine cocktails are the perfect end to a day.
TIME FOR TEA
The walls of Dalloway Terrace are lined, literally, with spring flowers, and whimsical honeybees swing from the black-and-white canopied ceiling, in what is known as London’s most widely Instagrammed tea location. The theme? Honey Bee Afternoon Tea — don’t miss the Lemon shortbread served with lavender honey and blueberry cream.
WHERE TO STAY
The Bloomsbury Hotel is a glamorous Georgian originally built as the local YWCA, that offers something of a literary hideaway — from its fully stocked library to the generous stacks of coffee table books in each perfectly appointed guest room, to its gorgeous reading room full of comfy seating and lined with portraits (they are “studies of ” real portraits created by members of the Bloomsbury Group). The vivid and glam Coral Room is buzzing day and night with art-deco coolness.
MARYLEBONE
Marylebone was once known as a place to escape the hustle and bustle of London, and today it still features generous allotments of green space and a quiet village vibe combined with some shopping in historic, tiny boutiques. Bike riding is popular around here; zip across Hyde Park to South Kensington, cycle through The Regent’s Park or make your way up to the top of Primrose Hill for fantastic city skyline views.
They say this is where Kate gets her hats, so naturally one has to step inside V V Rouleaux for a peek. Whether this is true, it soon doesn’t matter — this little shop on the corner is enchanting, and boasts everything a hat-maker would need to deck out a Sundaybest outfit.
And its eye-catching displays of ribbons, feathers and beads make this a surprising and delightful find. It’s right across the street from The Marylebone, a modern and spacious hotel in the heart of this bustling neighbourhood. The view from the windows of a corner room is as Instagram-worthy as that delightful tea at Dalloway Terrace — adorable shop windows, London rooftops and rain-slicked, cobblestone streets filled with colourful umbrellas. Even the pubgoers spilling out into the night seem charming here.
You can combine shopping and history with a visit to the first department store in London, iconic Selfridges — where 6,000 square feet of retail space is as much about the experience as the fabulous finds. The flagship store is a major anchor on Oxford Street, right in the heart of the Marylebone shopping district, and now lays claim to the largest accessories department in the world.
Selfridges was one of the first to attract shoppers just for the pleasure of shopping, and its theatrical window displays remain a highlight on Oxford Street.
Meanwhile, the tiny shops of Marylebone are a revelation, a real mix of historic and trendy boutiques, including the Farrow & Ball paint store, Christys’ London: Great British Hat Makers and cool home textiles shop Caravane.
TIME FOR TEA
When you’re ready for a bite, stop in at 108 Pantry for afternoon tea, featuring a Spring Garden theme. This pretty little bistro is connected to 108 Brasserie, a trendy restaurant on Marylebone Lane known for fresh ingredients and home-baked breads — try the mouth-watering Guinness Brown Bread — as well as its own signature gin, distilled on the premises. Needless to say, the cocktails are divine, and a Rhubarb Mimosa sets the mood for this tea, themed An English Country Garden and served in an Edwardian Townhouse setting.
WHERE TO STAY
The surprisingly spacious rooms of The Marylebone offer a modern retreat in this historic place. The Marylebone has an art deco vibe that carries from the sleek, retro lounge area to the stylish and minimalist rooms. This hotel boasts a rare, full-sized pool, a large fitness centre and a fresh juice bar, The Juicery, known for zesty elixirs like London Greens and Chocolate Mint Milk. Ask for a corner room to take in those picturesque streetscapes.