Our guide to Chelsea: the best restaurants, retail therapy and riverside views
Our guide to Chelsea features award-winning restaurants, boutique shopping, cultural hotspots and riverside walks.
There’s something special about Chelsea. It has an easy elegance and sophistication. Chic Chelsea has some of the capital’s best shopping, award-winning restaurants and cultural venues. And it’s vibrant, too, with an assortment of legendary nightlife and entertainment to enjoy.
It’s been home to the rich and famous for centuries. Henry VIII had a manor house on Cheyne Walk. Rock royalty, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones all lived in the area in the 1960s. Despite appearances, Chelsea residents aren’t always perfectly coiffed ‘Sloanes’ - the edgy punk movement emerged from Chelsea in the 1970s when Dame Vivienne Westwood lived there.
With a welcoming, community-feel, Chelsea appeals to families from all over the world. The area has excellent schooling catering to wide-ranging preferences. There’s Hill House Prep, where the king started his education, Holland Park School, Hampshire School and the Lycée Français, to name but a few favourites.
Every May, Chelsea comes into bloom with the arrival of the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. Held in the Royal Hospital Chelsea, it’s a simply spectacular showcase of cutting-edge garden design and breathtaking floral displays.
But there are wonderful green spaces in Chelsea year round, not just in May. Chelsea Physic Garden is London’s oldest botanical garden with medicinal plants being the speciality. It’s a tranquil place to enjoy workshops in yoga, growing your own food or botanical sketching. Then there’s Chelsea Embankment Gardens, Battersea Bridge Gardens and the vast Battersea Park just across the river.
Central London is an easy bike ride or walk along the Thames Path. You can commute by Uber Boat into the City or catch a bus or tube from Sloane Square. As it’s bordered by Fulham, Knightsbridge and South Kensington, there are plenty of underground and overground transport links within walking distance.
Anna Narizzano, an Associate in our Chelsea office, believes that “Chelsea maintains its allure despite challenges in the Prime Central London market.”
She shares her expert insight, saying, “The presence of cash buyers in the area is significant. Needs-based buyers are currently driving activity, with a high proportion moving for education, employment and lifestyle.”
“The rare, best in class trophy properties are performing well and holding their value. These are being agreed and sold discreetly off market. So, it’s important to stay connected with us directly in order to know about these exclusive sales,” Narizzano explains.
Property-wise, you’ll find handsome Georgian houses, attractive Victorian terraces and mews properties, as well as red brick mansion blocks. Head to the riverside for striking new developments with contemporary apartments boasting expansive waterfront views. But it’s the beautiful garden squares such as Cadogan Square, Markham Square and Carlyle Square that really hold their own.
Kings Road shopping
Pottering along Kings Road is the perfect pastime, browsing the independent shops, iconic department store and exceptional boutiques.
Don’t miss the much loved John Sandoe Books - a traditional, and somewhat nostalgic, bookshop on Blacklands Terrace. You’ll find a fine food market in Duke of York’s Square on a Saturday. Not actually a market at all, but Chelsea Farmers Market is a quiet spot off King’s Road with wonderful al fresco dining options as well as unique, independent shops.
At the end of Kings Road, Sloane Square and Sloane Street host an array of high-end designer stores, and luxury boutiques are all over Chelsea.
Foodie hotspots
La Famiglia is a local institution; a long-standing authentic Italian restaurant that’s been hosting Chelsea residents for 35 years. Josephine Bouchin, by Claude and Lucy Bosi, is an amazing French bistro on the corner of Fulham Road. Another King’s Road classic, Bluebird is a favourite lunch or dinner spot. Michelin starred, The Five Fields delivers exceptional service and sumptuous cuisine. The refined Restaurant Gordon Ramsay offers fine dining that warrants its three Michelin stars. But in Chelsea you’ll find everything from juice bars to Japanese restaurants and enough coffee shops to keep you fully caffeinated day and night.
Arts and culture
The Saatchi Gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions and is hugely supportive of emerging artists. Its Summer Lates offer Art After Dark on Friday evenings. Then there are smaller art galleries to explore, including Albemarle and Clarendon Fine Art. The Royal Court Theatre on Sloane Square is known as the writers’ theatre. It’s a great place to discover new talent and lesser-known plays.
Riverside location
The Thames Path is a wonderful waterfront route to walk along. Head west and you’ll follow the Thames to Hammersmith, Chiswick and Barnes. If you go east, you’ll encounter iconic landmarks like the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye and Embankment.
The waterfront has changed significantly in recent years. The former Lots Road power station has been stylishly redeveloped into Chelsea Waterfront comprising contemporary apartments accompanied by riverside restaurants, bars and shops.
Stamford Bridge
Home to Chelsea Football Club, Stamford Bridge is a must-visit destination for fans of the Blues. There’s also a popular nightclub and jazz bar there too.
Pubs and bars
Traditional British pubs abound in Chelsea. The Phene is a pretty stylish bar, whilst The Fox and Pheasant has a cosy atmosphere and does a cracking Sunday roast. The Cross Keys is said to be one of the oldest pubs in the oldest part of Chelsea. It was a favourite of Bob Marley and The Rolling Stones back in the day, and Ixchell serves the best tequila. The speakeasy bar in the super stylish At Sloane Hotel is the perfect blend of great British glamour with a touch of French elegance. Look out for a new pub from the Gladwin Brothers - The Chelsea Pig opens soon.
Properties available in Chelsea
