One of my favourites is Connaught Village, an elegant neighbourhood filled to the brim with lovely cafes, beautiful shopfronts, and village essentials including a cheesemonger and a corner pub.
Though it tends to fly under the radar, it’s only a stone’s throw from busy Oxford Street and Hyde Park. I recently spent a delightful morning exploring the village, and I’m thrilled to share some of my highlights with you – the must-sees and must-eats (and must Instagram) in this darling little village.
With the kids tucked away at school, I walked from Marble Arch tube station to Connaught Village headed for some caffeine and carbs and set out to design a perfect day.
Café Culture
To start off your day, a few café’s I’d recommend a few places:
Abasto serves the best of Argentina: empanadas, cakes, coffee, charcuterie, cheese, and specialist groceries. They also have a gorgeous wine room in the back of the shop.
Roni’s stocks good bagels, patisserie, and cuppas. Hot tip – don’t miss the homemade brownies.
Saint Aymes is Instagrammers heaven. The creation of the London-born Aymes-Wilson sisters, this café is a pink paradise. The floral façade changes throughout the year and the interiors feature a floral wall alongside pink-hued walls. Go for the signature artisan chocolates, stay for the 23ct gold hot chocolate and cakes.
Beauty
After the café fix, a beauty treatment may be in order.
Head to Fé Hair and Beauty where salon owner serves up high-end hair treatments like hair botox and Brazilian keratin treatments, alongside other beauty services. Dog-friendly and kid-friendly, too.
Vitamasques, with its pretty pink façade, sells K-beauty style masks and accessories in pretty packaging. Pick up a few beauty treatments for your next Netflix night in, and their online shop is really good, too. Note to self: buy that jade roller everyone has been talking about.
Shopping
If you’re up for a bit of shopping, Connaught Village has some really special independent luxury shops. As much as I love showing up in the same Zara dress like everyone else, sometimes it’s good to mix it up and wear something special, don’t you think?
Check out Kokoro, a contemporary ready-to-wear womenswear shop, Seoul Street Style a glam boutique with colourful and cool fashion inspired by fashionistas from Seoul, and The Place, a beautiful little shop showcasing up and coming designers. I tried on a few dresses and loved this one, perfect for that Positano trip I’ve been meaning to plan for years…
Before you leave the neighbourhood, don’t forget the essentials – cheese and flowers.
Buchanan’s, the neighbourhood cheesemonger, sources and sells some truly lovely cheese from the best producers in the UK and Europe. They also offer something called London Cheese School, so obviously I need to know where to feature that one on my C.V. because I’m enrolling ASAP.
You couldn’t miss the gorgeous PM Flowers if you tried! A beautiful florist featuring a stunning pink façade and fresh floral display outside. The staff are lovely and very helpful.
Hidden Corners
I ended my day by walking to Lancaster Gate tube station, and on the way walked through some gorgeous mews, including my kids favourite – Bathurst Mews – known for the horse stables for Hyde Park horse riding, and my favourite is the lovely Hyde Park Gardens Mews.
It’s a lovely day out in any season, and the gorgeous shops, cafes, and art galleries are always changing their offerings, creating a perfect excuse to return again and again.
Follow @ConnaughtVillage and @Londonispink on Instagram to see more beautiful images.
