London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [70]
KNIGHTSBRIDGE
There’s no getting away from it. This is shop-’til-you-drop territory of the highest order. With two world-famous department stores, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, a few hundred yards apart, and every bit of space between and around taken up with designer boutiques, chain stores, and jewelers, it’s hard to imagine why anyone who doesn’t like shopping would even think of coming here. If the department stores seem overwhelming, Beauchamp Place (pronounced “Beecham”) is a good tonic. It’s lined with equally chic and expensive boutiques, but they tend to be smaller, more personal, and less hectic. Nearby Sloane Street is lined with top-end designer boutiques such as Prada, Dior, and Tods.
Another place to find peace and quiet is a divinely peaceful stroll in fashionable Belgravia, one of the most gorgeous set-pieces of urban 19th-century planning. Street after street is lined with grand white terraces of aristocratic town houses, still part of the Grosvenor estate, and owned by the Dukes of Westminster. Many are leased to embassies, but a remarkable number around Lowndes Square, Belgrave Square, and Eaton Square remain homes of the discreet, private wealthy and outright super-rich. Often, the only people on the streets are professional dog walkers and chauffeurs. Some people call the area near Elizabeth Street Belgravia, others Pimlico–Victoria. Either way, now that you’ve had a break, it’s time to shop again, and this street is the place to be.
Top of Chapter | London Maps Contents
EXPLORING KNIGHTSBRIDGE
Belgrave Square.
This is the heart of Belgravia, the epicenter of posh aristocratic London. The square, as well as the streets leading off it, is genuine grand territory and has been since it was built in the mid-1800s. The grand, porticoed mansions were created as town residences for courtiers, conveniently close to Buckingham Palace, just around the corner. These are some of the grandest houses in London, and although many of them are embassies, several are still private homes. Walk down Belgrave Place toward Eaton Place and you pass two of Belgravia’s most beautiful mews: Eaton Mews North and Eccleston Mews, both fronted by grand rusticated entrances right out of a 19th-century engraving.
TIP Traffic really whips around Belgrave Square, so be careful.
Harrods.
Just in case you don’t notice it, this well-known shopping destination frames its domed terra-cotta Edwardian outline in thousands of white lights each night. The 4.5-acre store’s sales weeks are top-notch, and inside it’s as frenetic as a stock-market floor. Its motto, Omnia, omnibus, ubique (Everything, for everybody, everywhere) is not too far from the truth. Don’t miss the extravagant Food Hall, with its stunning Art Nouveau tiling around the meat and poultry section and continuing to the fishmongers’ territory, where its glory is rivaled by displays of the sea produce itself. | 87–135 Brompton Rd., Knightsbridge | SW1X 7XL | 0207/730–1234 | www.harrods.com | Mon.–Sat. 10–8, Sun. 11:30–6 | Knightsbridge.
Harvey Nichols.
This is fashionista central and a must for anyone who has been watching Absolutely Fabulous, dahling—in which case you’ll already know to call it Harvey Nicks. The Fifth Floor Restaurant, Café, and Bar offer outstanding views and stylish refreshments that attract an equally stylish clientele. | 109–125 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge | SW1X 7RJ | 0207/235–5000 | www.harveynichols.com | Mon.–Sat. 10–8, Sun. 11:30–6 | Knightsbridge.
Previous Chapter | Beginning of Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Table of Contents
Getting Oriented | Exploring
Updated by Jack Jewers
Notting Hill is one of London’s most famous trendsetting square miles of multi-ethnicity, music, and magnificent street markets. Throw in a goodly number of see-and-be-seen-in restaurants and a sprinkling of the younger and adventurous versions of the Cork Street modern-art