Once an infamous spot for historic duels and dastardly highwaymen, Knightsbridge — named for the two Knights who fought to the death on the bridge over London’s river Westbourne — is now known for its luxury hotels, upscale restaurants and world-class shopping.
Right in the high-end heart of the capital, Knightsbridge borders the grand embassies of Belgravia, the elegant greenery of Hyde Park and the art, fashion and history of Kensington and Chelsea.
In vogue even before Princess Diana led the world’s paparazzi on a merry, designer-clad dance amongst the chic eateries and boutiques of Beauchamp Place, Brompton Road and Sloane Street, Knightsbridge has few rivals when it comes to the choice of where to spend a truly luxurious weekend in London.
Where to stay
The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner
This five-star, 93-bedroomed grand hotel in one of London’s most regal locations feels like a home from home…if home happens to be an exquisitely-furnished, gold-embellished royal palace where suave, sophisticated and faultlessly-efficient staff glide about attending to your every need.
And, if the Rolls-Royces parked on The Lanesborough’s private driveway just around the corner from Buckingham Palace don’t tell you that this is a rather special hotel, then the fact it has its own Royal Entrance and every room comes with its very own butler, certainly will.
My room, a junior suite, was decorated in the ‘aristocratic country house’ style beloved of royalty and seriously UHNW guests. Constable-style landscape paintings in the drawing room and bedroom slid magically upwards, at the touch of a button, to hide within their frames and reveal TV screens through which I could summon my butler, order 24 hour room service, or simply watch an episode of ‘Amazing Hotels’ (to save you the job of searching through BBC iPlayer, I can tell you that Monica Galetti and Giles Coren visited The Lanesborough in series four, episode six).
A marble and gold bathroom came stocked with toiletries from haute perfumier Roja Dove, as well as yet another TV screen — this one cleverly hidden within the vanity mirror so it can be seen from the bath. The walk-in shower, being at the other end of the epically-large room, was too far away from the screen to see (a distinctly first-world problem if ever there was one), so I had to entertain myself by singing, as I imagine some of the Lanesborough’s more famous guests, such as Cher, Madonna and Mariah Carey, would have done.
The hotel, which Forbes named ‘One of the Finest Properties in the World’ in their 2023 Travel Guide, boasts a stupendously opulent dining room in the form of its flagship restaurant The Lanesborough Grill. Originally a courtyard when the house was built in 1719 for James Lane, the last Viscount Lanesborough, I was lucky enough to enjoy both dinner and breakfast beneath its conservatory-style roof — from which hang huge ornate crystal chandeliers — surrounded by Greek revivalist friezes, sumptuous sofas and more gold leaf (over 42,000 sheets in the hotel’s ceilings alone) than you could shake a royal sceptre at.
Suffice to say, dinner was nothing less than superlative. My starter of English asparagus was served with Jersey Royals (as if the Lanesborough would serve just any old common potato!), Iberico ham and a wild garlic and aioli purée (£23) that was, as my partner eloquently described, like “an English country vegetable garden encapsulated in a perfect dot of the most verdant green” — we don’t usually talk like that at dinner but, hey, this was The Lanesborough! We both succumbed to the sheer joy of Dover sole, cooked to perfection and served Meunière style in brown butter sauce (£62) with grilled hispi cabbage, spiced pork and fennel dressing (£8). An unapologetically decadent dessert of lemon cream tart with chamomile, lime and vanilla (£15) preceded a cigar taken downstairs in the Garden Room.
To call this a smoking room is like calling Harrods a corner shop. Humidors line the wall stocked with the finest combustibles Havana has to offer, and, whilst I was tempted by the 1770 Napoleon cognac which Zilbe, the silver-tongued maitre d’ tried to tempt me with, I knew that, at £6,500 a shot, it didn’t stand much chance of getting signed off my expenses claim. A glass of single malt instead sent us, happily sated, back up to our suite — recently turned-down by our butler who welcomed us back, standing dutifully outside its front door like a palace footman.
Next morning, after a breakfast of smoked Isle of Man kippers and poached egg (£24), I headed downstairs again, this time to discover one of luxury London’s best kept secrets: the 20,000 square foot spa which was last year crowned Best London Spa at the Good Spa Awards. Possibly the most exclusive, and certainly the most enjoyable, way to work out, wind down and chill out in the capital, The Lanesborough Club and Spa boasts a spacious, high-tech gym, a hydrotherapy pool and multiple saunas and steam rooms for male and female guests. There are treatment rooms offering massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and bespoke treatments using spa and beauty products from brands including Harper, Ila, Tata and Royal Fern.
Rooms at The Lanesborough start at £850 per night (B&B); junior suites from £1,300. Click here for more information.
The Lanesborough Club and Spa is also available to non-hotel-residents on a membership basis. For more details visit, lanesboroughclubandspa.com.
Where to shop
As well as being home to two of the most famous department stores in England, if not the world – Harvey Nichols and Harrods (more on that last one in a minute) – Knightsbridge is also host to a range of exclusive designer boutiques and ateliers. From Hermes and Louis Vuitton to Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, and from Fendi to Gucci by way of Baleciaga and Burberry, all the top names are here. But there are also several lesser known, stealth-wealth brands and discreet boutiques with that coveted Knightsbridge postcode who are worthy of your, and your credit card’s, attention…
Alpha Tauri
171-175 Brompton Road
The Red Bull owned store (their first in London) offers stylish designs combining high-tech fabrics with quality leather, fine cashmere and Merino wool. This flagship property features a 6-metre high, two-storey LED wall which changes colour according to the time of day, and a Formula 1 car painted in the livery of Alpha Tauri, the team sponsor.
Click here for more information.
Eleventy
The Berkeley, Wilton Place
Located inside luxury hotel The Berkeley, Milanese fashion atelier Eleventy brings the laid-back luxury of Lombardy to London. Think soft knitwear in natural, muted tones, timeless cashmere coats and limited-edition denims in vintage cuts.
Click here for more information.
The Map House
54 Beauchamp Place
Halfway down Beauchamp Place (locals pronounce it ‘beesham’, by the way) lies London’s oldest specialist antiquarian map seller. It’s been selling maps to explorers such as Ernest Shackleton, Prime Ministers such as Winston Churchill and royalty such as King Edward VIII for over a century.
Click here for more information.
Theodore’s Collection
172 Brompton Road
With over 30 years experience in the luxury watch and jewellery industry, Theodore’s is one of West London’s top locations to buy, sell or repair pre-owned Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Hublot, Patek Philippe and Rolex timepieces.
Click here for more information.
Where to enjoy lunch
From The Lanesborough, walk along South Carriage Drive, past the Pan Statue and on to Park Close. Walk through this attractive and atmospheric little Victorian alleyway to emerge on Knightsbridge (the name of the road as well as the area) and, opposite, you will find the Bulgari Hotel. Inside this achingly-cool temple to style you will find Sette, the first London outpost of New York City’s famed celeb-haunt Scarpetta. Specialising in homemade pasta, Sette – meaning seven in Italian – is a glamorous eatery which you’ll certainly want to dress up for, even at lunchtime.
Designed by Thomas Juul-Hanson, who also oversaw Scarpetta’s flagship restaurant in Manhattan’s NoMad neighbourhood, it’s all smooth wooden floors and panelling, Art Deco style statement lighting and mirrored walls – ideal for people watching or just admiring yourself, as most of the people at the neighbouring table seemed to be doing when I visited. Despite the narcissism of some of the clientele (and, to be fair, the people admiring themselves were pretty beautiful), the food is excellent.
I chose from the set lunch menu (two courses for £36 or three for £42) and had a starter of the creamiest, most indulgent burrata with smoked aubergine purée, marinated aubergine and confit of Datterini tomato. This was followed up by the house special, Scarpetta spaghetti with San Marzano plum tomatoes and basil; a simple yet delicious and satisfying dish of pasta like Mama used to make…if Mama was a glamorous Italian sex-siren dripping in diamond jewellery – Sophia Loren for example. A cool, crisp glass of Sancerre from Domaine Cedrick Bardin (£15) accompanied it before a dessert of Espresso Budino with salted caramel, chocolate biscotti and hazelnut gelato.
Afterwards, I popped my head into Nolita Social downstairs and made a note to come back and visit when the after-hours bar is open, especially on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays when there’s live music or a DJ to accompany the cocktails and light-bites menu.
Where to have afternoon tea
When it comes to shopping, Harrods needs no introduction. However, there are also over 20 bars, cafes and restaurants scattered across the world’s most famous department store’s seven storeys. One of the latest additions to these is Angelo Musa, named after the French Pastry World Champion and executive pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris who oversees this elegant patisserie on Harrods’ fourth floor.
As well as offering reservations and walk-in tables to sample their selection of savoury and sweet treats, Angelo Musa also offers a sophisticated French take on that quintessentially British classic, the high tea (£75 per person or £87 with a glass of champagne). Served on a silver tiered stand with a pot of tea or coffee of your choice, the high tea comprises three plates of tastefully refined delight.
First come the savouries, of course, including a decadent crab and lobster brioche and a surprisingly delicate take on that Gallic classic, the Croque Monsieur. Angelo’s version, the Croque Foret, is a toasted chestnut mushroom and parmesan sandwich with gruyere cheese and black truffle. So far, so magnifique.
Patisseries follow, including a délice of chocolate-peanut croustillant, peanut crémeux and peanut chantilly and, my own favourite, ‘100 per cent Vanilla’. His signature creation, this cloud-like taste of heaven is made of vanilla-almond sponge and croustillant as well as vanilla crémeux and vanilla white chocolate mousse.
Scones come last, as they rightly should, served with clotted cream and Angelo’s hand-crafted jams which are also available to purchase and take home.
What else to enjoy
The borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which most of Knightsbridge is part of, is officially the sixth “greenest urban city centre” in England, Scotland and Wales. One of the reasons for that accolade is its proximity to Hyde Park. At 350 acres, it’s the largest of the Royal Parks and the ideal place to enjoy a rich slice of uppercrust London life. It was originally a hunting ground for the sole enjoyment of King Henry VIII but was opened to the public in 1637 by Charles I. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a member of the royal family on horseback cantering down one of the park’s bridleways.
From The Lanesborough, cross the main road (via the subway, past Hyde Park Corner underground station), enter Hyde Park and take a pleasant stroll through the Rose Garden and on to the Serpentine. Here, you can hire pedal boats on the boating lake, feed the swans (all the property of the monarch) or just take it easy and enjoy the greenery.
For more artistic indulgence, visit one Knightsbridge’s galleries such as ARX, which exhibits works by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, or Crane Kalman which specialises in modern British art by the likes of L.S.Lowry, Ben Nicholson and Mary Newcomb (both on Brompton Road).
A quick tube ride or a 20-minute walk away is Exhibition Road in South Kensington around which some of the finest museums of the world are located; the V&A (Victoria and Albert), the Natural History and the Science museums.
However you decide to spend it, a weekend in Knightsbridge is a royally luxurious affair. You’ll be following in the footsteps of many of England’s kings, queens and princesses who have themselves fallen in love with one of London’s most characterful and distinctive neighbourhoods.
For more information, visit: knightsbridgeldn.co.uk
All imagery used in this article unless stated otherwise credit: knightsbridgeldn.co.uk
