With its glamorous hotels, globally renowned museums and sprawling public green spaces, Knightsbridge serves as a perfect microcosm of London’s charm. Here are the best seven things to do in the area.
What to do in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is one of London’s most valuable postcodes. Famed for its five-star hotels, extravagant shopping options and Michelin-starred restaurants, this London district is as upscale as it gets. Beyond the polished exteriors though is a vibrant cultural scene, embodied in world-class museums like the V&A, alongside verdant royal parks that date back centuries. Here are seven things to do in Knightsbridge.
Shop Until You Drop at Harrods
The ubiquitous postcard picture of Knightsbridge – Harrods is a shopping destination that’s worthy of a full day. This beautiful Victorian-era department store is the pinnacle of London high fashion, with brand names like Tom Ford, Burberry, Guerlain, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and many more. If designer clothing isn’t really your thing, there’s plenty still to browse at Harrods, from flowers and rare wines to designer pens and fine china tea sets.
In terms of food and drinks, you’re spoiled for choice at this six-floor shopping haven. Harrods Food Hall is famously buzzing with gourmet food and delicacies from around the world, and there are some indulgent fine-dining spots too, like the lovely Sushi by MASA.
For the full British experience, tuck into some fresh scones and tea at the Harrods Tea Rooms, or treat yourself to some refreshing sparkles in the decadent Moët & Chandon champagne bar.
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After Harrods, Venture Over to Sloane Street
As far as fashionable streets go, picturesque Sloane Street is one of the best (so much so that ‘Sloane Ranger’ is a fashion style in and of itself). Around a minute’s walk from Harrods, Sloane Street offers a more al fresco shopping experience, and it has a niche selection of local London designers like Emilia Wickstead, Gina’s, and Anya Hindmarch.
Beyond shopping, there are some swanky cafés and bars on Sloane Street, such as the underground Sloane Bar (think: late night smooth electronica, fine wines and candle-lit ambience).
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Sleep or Dine in a Five-Star Hotel
What really cements Knightsbridge’s status as the centre of London luxury is its string of five-star hotels and restaurants.
Located in a grand Edwardian building overlooking the lovely Hyde Park, the Mandarin Oriental is a feast for the eyes, and it offers plenty more than comfortable Egyptian-cotton lined beds. In this Knightsbridge hotel, you’ll find the experimental Michelin-starred restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which serves up a delectable menu of medieval-era inspired dishes like the famous ‘Meat Fruit’ (chicken liver parfait with tangerine), alongside the beautiful Hyde Park Garden, where you can enjoy some English sparkling wines in spring and summer.
For a hotel that’s a little more intimate and local, The Egerton is one of London’s finest. This boutique hotel has just 28 rooms spread across two red-brick Victorian townhouses, and it’s bursting with charm and character. Perhaps best of all at The Egerton is the hotel’s popular Doggy Afternoon Tea, which has a specially crafted pooch-friendly menu with items like a chicken consommé martini.
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Steam your Stress Away in a Luxury Spa
Knightsbridge is a district of upscale hotels, so it’s no surprise that the area has some of the best spas in Central London. Spread across two floors of onyx, oak and Italian Vicenza stone, the Bulgari hotel spa in Knightsbridge is a true urban oasis, and it’s a gorgeous spot to steam away your worries and sweat out any city toxins. Inspired by the Roman baths at Caracalla, this spa has a stunning mosaic-lined 25m swimming pool, alongside 11 private treatment rooms. For the go-getters, there’s also a well-kitted gym equipped with everything from Olympic barbells to TRX gear.
For some alternative relaxation, the spa at the Mandarin Oriental has an extensive selection of professionally-led holistic therapies, such as Kundalini yoga, chakra alignment and reiki energy healing.
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V&A Museum
Not everything in Knightsbridge demands your best credit card. For something that’s free and family-friendly, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is a treasure trove of cultural history and inspiration. This Knightsbridge museum is home to the world’s largest collection of art and design artefacts, with 2.3 million items spanning from ancient Egypt to the present day.
Book worms will have a field day in the V&A museum library, which holds an abundance of rare books and manuscripts including Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Forster (the notebooks in which Da Vinci recorded his thoughts and ideas), early editions of Aristotle, Ovid and Sophocles, and the manuscripts of most of Charles Dickens’s work.
While you’re at the world-famous V&A, don’t forget to pick up some stylish, unique gifts in the museum shop, or stop by the outdoor Garden Café for some specialty tea and cake.
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Apsley House
It’s well known that London real estate is as premier as it gets, but few mansions in Knightsbridge can compete with the former address of Apsley house: Number 1, London.
One for the art history buffs, Apsley House is a monument to the first Duke of Wellington, who lived in the house following his historic victory in the Battle of Waterloo. Inside this grand house, you’ll see 3,000 wonderful artefacts ranging from Velazquez and Rubens paintings, to the batons and swords given to the Duke in the nineteenth century.
Apsley House is also home to the statue of Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker, which was commissioned by Napoleon himself (even though he rejected it because it looked ‘too athletic’).
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Hyde Park
Last but certainly not least is the sprawling Hyde Park. This royal park was once used as a hunting ground by Henry VIII, but today it’s one of London’s most vibrant public green spaces. Nicknamed ‘The People’s Park’, Hyde Park regularly hosts festivals, concerts, protests and everything in between, but most days, it’s a quiet urban sanctuary.
If the five-star hotels and spas of Knightsbridge don’t quite cut it for you, venture north toward Hyde Park for a quiet afternoon stroll through fragrant rose gardens, or for a wholesome spot of bird watching in the wildflower meadows.
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Final Take
Whether you’re a tourist or born-and-bred Londoner, Knightsbridge delivers something for everyone – from the affluent Sloane fashionistas to the bird watching park ramblers. Whatever you decide to do in Knightsbridge, you can be sure that this charming district will rope you back in time and time again.
