Tucked away between Oxford Street and Regent’s Park, Marylebone Village keeps its charms well-hidden. It may not be hip like East London or up-and-coming like Peckham and places south of the river, but this collection of Georgian and Victorian mansion blocks set along elegant lanes and quiet mews somehow remains one the city’s best-kept secrets. Here’s what you’ll find.
Orrery
Fischer’s1. Great restaurants
Take your pick! Marylebone is a real foodie haunt. The Golden Hind (73 Marylebone Lane, +44 (0) 20 7486-3644) serves some of the city’s best fish and chips–and has been doing so for 101 years. The Providores and Tapa Room is where you’ll find award-winning fusion cuisine from Kiwi chef Peter Gordon (including what one critic described as “London’s best laksa”) and great weekend brunches. Other gems include La Fromagerie, which offers a simply staggering array of cheeses and charcuterie; fine-dining French restaurant Orrery, origianlly designed by Terence Conran; and Fischer’s, a ’20s-Vienna-inspired café which opened last year, courtesy of the team that launched both The Wolseley and The Ivy. Then there’s the nearby Chiltern Firehouse, U.S hotelier Andre Balazs’ first overseas venture: a hotel, bar and New York-style brasserie so popular when it launched in 2013 that it spawned a Bloomberg article titled “How to get a Table at Chiltern Firehouse Without Being Famous”.
Cox + Power
2. Eclectic shopping
One of the charms of this part of town is the number of traditional businesses still going strong: Howarth specializes in woodwind instruments; VV Rouleaux offers up eye-catching ribbons and other haberdashery; while The Button Queen is London’s only shop dedicated to, well, buttons of course. You can also find some great vintage clothing at weekend market Cabbages & Frocks, held from 11am-5pm on Saturdays in the churchyard of St Marylebone Parish Church. And there are plenty of more modern places to visit too, be it contemporary jewellery at either Cox + Power or Kabiri or cult womenswear at KJ’s Laundry.
3. Cultural inspiration
Nearby, The Wallace Collection houses more than two dozen galleries of world-class art and furnishings, with a particular focus on Dutch and Flemish work from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as 19th century French painting, including works by the likes of Rubens and Rembrandt. And the building itself is a stunning example of the area’s architectural style. Even better: admission is free.
Paddington Street Gardens
Regent’s Park4. A fab farmers’ market
If you’re in Marylebone on a Sunday (10am-2pm), head for the Cramer Street car park (behind Waitrose supermarket) to find one of London’s best outdoor farmers’ markets. The 30 or more vendors come from within 100 miles of London, bringing with them all kinds of good stuff: from freshly shucked oysters and awesome sausage sandwiches to artisanal breads, cheeses, jams and gelatos. It’s the perfect place to stock up for a picnic in the adjacent Paddington Street Gardens or up the road in Regent’s Park, just a 10 minute walk away.
Coco Momo
The Marylebone5. An awesome array of pubs
It wouldn’t be London without a welcoming pub to retreat to, and there’s no shortage in Marylebone. While the likes of Coco Momo (79 Marylebone High St.) and near-neighbors The Prince Regent and The Marylebone are now more bistro and bar than traditional pub, their corner locations make them great places for people-watching when you’re done eating and shopping. And, if it’s a more authentic feel you’re after, Gunmakers—complete with friendly locals, unfriendly pub cat, portraits of Churchill and craft ales brewed in nearby Camden—has you covered.
ESSENTIALS
Metropolitan
