Area guide to Kensington

Victoria ‘Harry’ Harrison, better known as Amazonica, has always felt a connection to Kensington. The superstar DJ tells Emma Magnus why it’s the best of Zone 1

2024-03-27 -

I’ve lived between Gloucester Road and Kensington High Street for eight or nine years now. I’ve always gravitated to this part of London. I grew up in Sunningdale, west of the capital, and we’d always drive through this part of town. When I first moved to London, it was around here. I’ve bounced around a bit since, living in Los Angeles and Primrose Hill, but this feels like home.

For getting to shows, DJing and having a nice lifestyle that isn’t too chaotic — despite being in Zone 1 — this is definitely the place to be.

EATING AND DRINKING

The best place to eat is Da Mario, on Gloucester Road. It’s an Italian and was Princess Diana’s favourite restaurant. It’s incredible — the best Italian food you can have outside Italy. There’s a seafood pasta dish which is next level. And it’s lovely in there. I really like it.

I don’t drink alcohol, but there’s a coffee shop called Hjem on Launceston Place that I go to every day. They make their own almond milk — it’s not the stuff you get in the carton. I’m addicted to it. It’s an absolute treat.

WHERE I WORK OUT

I’m a long-term member of Equinox on Kensington High Street, which used to be the old Biba store [the clothes shop run by fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki] in the Sixties and Seventies. When I’m in there, I always imagine Freddie Mercury walking around, or Twiggy getting her dresses. But now, obviously, it’s a massive gym. It’s fabulous.

TO COMMUNE WITH NATURE

You can’t get better than Hyde Park. We’re right near the Kensington Palace entrance, and I walk around there every day with my dog, Sidney Vicious. It’s the best bit of open space. Through Covid, it absolutely saved me — I walked round that place, every inch of it, every day for about three years.

GROCERY SHOPPING

There’s High Street Kensington Farmers’ Market every Sunday morning on Phillimore Walk. They do the best micro veg, natural honey, raw apple juice, organic eggs … It’s brilliant. I try and go there whenever I can, although sometimes it’s difficult with my DJ schedule. If not, I go to Whole Foods or M&S, both on Kensington High Street. You can’t go wrong.

FOR A CULTURE FIX

There are so many places around here. The V&A is a five-minute walk away. For music, you’ve got Troubadour on Old Brompton Road, which was incredible back in the day. Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan played there. It’s still a cool, under-the-radar place.

I go to the movies a lot. There’s a Picturehouse on Fulham Road and an Everyman on King’s Road. I’m also looking forward to the reopening of Kensington Roof Gardens in May. It’s super close — above the Equinox gym, funnily enough.

GETTING AROUND

Walking! This city is the best for that. I lived in LA for years and I don’t drive, and that was a nightmare. From here, you can walk anywhere. In the summer, say, if you want to do some shopping in town, you can just walk to Selfridges or Soho across Hyde Park, if you want to make a day of it. That is a gift.

For my international gigs, I usually get in an Uber to Heathrow. I’ve done door-to-door in an hour from the plane to my front door. That to me is everything — and to still be in Zone 1 is a miracle.

I don’t really like public transport if I can avoid it, but I have to say that you’ve got all the lines here. You can get everywhere super quickly. It’s great for that as well.

DREAM STREET

Palace Green, the road next to Kensington Palace. It’s got some of the most expensive real estate in Europe. There are huge houses and all the embassies are there, too. Every time I walk down there, I think: wow. It’s like Disneyland.