Upmarket London district Mayfair has always been a hot property — its dark-blue card is the most expensive on the UK’s version of the Monopoly board, after all. Bordered by Hyde Park, Bond and Regent streets, and bustling Piccadilly, this neat square of a neighbourhood is surrounded by landmarks as name-droppable as its notable residents.
Its gracious townhouses have been home to literary legends, music royalty and historic figures (Jimi Hendrix and Winston Churchill among them) and it’s part of the zeitgeist today as a setting in Bridgerton. Our guide to Mayfair will show you how regal it still feels — here’s what to do and where to stay in London’s high-end ‘hood.
The best breakfasts in Mayfair
Every flâneur needs their fuel. Sample speciality beans and brews — from the Galapagos to India — at HR Higgins, who have been roast-masters since 1942; or hearty yet healthy breakfasts at deli Popina. Redemption Roasters, a café that hires and supports people who’ve been through the prison system, sits in the courtyard of St James’s Church in Piccadilly (plus there’s a food market here on Mondays, from 11am to 5pm, if you get peckish); Aussie-born District has serious single-origin Antipodean-style brews and stacked focaccia sandwiches. Arôme Bakery is a French-Japanese café, noted for its thick slab of honey-butter shokupan toast, miso-bacon escargot pastries and bright matcha lattes.
When it hits the PM, swap your cappuccinos for a cuppa at afternoon tea. At prim-and-proper Fortnum & Mason, decadent finger sandwiches and fresh scones are traditional to a tee; or eschew convention at eccentric Sketch, whose salmon and caviar éclairs and mini cherry clafoutis put a French twist on tea time.
The best shopping in Mayfair
You’ll want to reserve room in your suitcase for shopping in Mayfair. Take your credit card on a tour of boutique-lined Burlington Arcade, top-notch tailors on Savile Row, and dripping-in-designer-labels Bond Street. And instead of following a yellow-brick road somewhere magic, let yellow bags lead you to sartorial stalwart Selfridges.
Almost-too-pretty-to-write-in notebooks from Mount Street Printers may have you penning prose à la former Mayfair resident Oscar Wilde; a mooch in loved-by-royals bookseller Hatchards and flip through Maison Assouline’s bold travel tomes might similarly inspire. The London outpost of Somerset’s Farm Shop supplies organic produce, niche condiments and artisan cheeses; pair with top-shelf bottles from Hedonism Wines and Berry Bros. & Rudd.
The best art in Mayfair
The Royal Academy of Arts is a cornerstone of Mayfair’s artistic community, and its Burlington House locale is just as impressive as its annual summer exhibition. Dazzling pieces — with prices to match — are showcased at acclaimed auctioneers Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips. Or do a contemporary-art crawl: see emerging artists at Halcyon Gallery; David Zwirner’s modern exhibits contrast with its Georgian townhouse setting; relative newcomer Lyndsey Ingram plays with colour and form, whereas Sadie Coles HQ has been making waves in the art world for decades. And the globally renowned Gagosian and Hauser & Wirth galleries are deserving of your attention, too.
Where to drink in Mayfair
Little House Mayfair
If you know someone with membership — or you’re that someone — rub designer-bag-toting shoulders with royal heirs and off-duty models at Annabel’s or the Arts Club. Hip hotel the Twenty Two keeps its private club hush-hush (but guests have a much higher chance of gaining entry), and Little House Mayfair is the area’s not-so-secret Soho House club.
If your invite to one of Mayfair’s members’ clubs got lost in the post, raise your spirits elsewhere. You’ll catch young professionals nursing early-afternoon pints at the Audley Public House or the history-steeped Chequers Tavern. An air of Parisian romance imbues Comptoir Café & Wine, a streetside brasserie with wines by-the-glass and cheese boards; equally deserving of date night is secretive Kwānt, where Dutch courage comes in the form of arcane cocktails.
Where to eat in Mayfair
Seafood restaurant Scott’s has been drawing a celebrity crowd since 1851 (there are whispers Ian Fleming first tried a ‘shaken, not stirred’ martini here); Angela Hartnett-helmed Murano impresses with Italian-leaning dishes using fine British produce, and Langan’s Brasserie is esteemed for both its fine art and food. The area boasts some top tasting menus: Indian cooking gets a modern makeover at Michelin-starred Gymkhana; seasonal plates are presented with a touch of theatre at Hide, led by chef Ollie Dabbous; and Roka Mayfair’s seasonal sushi to share might have you jousting with your chopsticks.
Andalucían eatery Sabor requires booking well in advance, but its Galician grills and Spanish plates are a worthy reward. Storied Shepherd Market — the location of the 17th-century May Fair from which the neighbourhood gets its name — remains a lively quarter, whether you’re looking for grooming or gastronomy. Noble Rot Mayfair is a stand-out here, with its oenophile’s-dream wine list and indulgent set lunch; and intimate Kitty Fisher’s serves up old-world charm alongside proudly British produce.
The best things to do in Mayfair
Not everything in ritzy Mayfair requires whipping out the Amex: archway-framed arcades and history-rich passages, such as the petite Pickering Place, are worthy of a wander. The area is bordered by some of London’s finest parks — Hyde and Green — which are a verdant tonic to your cosmopolitan pursuits (although the former’s twin Serpentine Galleries give it the cultural edge), as are tucked-away Mount Street Gardens and Brown Hart Gardens. Mayfair’s central co-ords mean you’re also well-placed to tackle London hotspots, such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.
Like moths to a flame, the neon sign of the Curzon Mayfair, on its namesake street, draws cinephiles to its art deco-inspired theatres that screen independent and foreign films. Fancy food hall Mercato Mayfair has taken residence in a former church, adorned with vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows; give thanks for its street-food offerings at the altar bar.
Where to stay in Mayfair
The Twenty Two
With their art-adorned walls and oh-so-swish bars, our favourite hotels in Mayfair follow in the well-heeled footsteps of this high-end ‘hood.
If you’ll allow us go Swiftie for a sec, I don’t know about you, but we’re feeling the Twenty Two, a revamped townhouse dressed in crimson velvet and checkerboard tiles, where you can dance like no one’s watching in its private nightclub (well, there are no phones allowed, but someone might spy you in its mirrored ceiling).
The debonair Dandy Bar at the Mayfair Townhouse is fitting for date nights; the hotel stretches along Half Moon Street (made famous as a setting in Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and the P.G. Wodehouse novels). The verdant views over Hyde Park from minimalist Como Metropolitan London are as soul-stirring as its spa’s holistic treatments, but perhaps they’re best enjoyed from its top-floor Nobu restaurant as you tuck into the signature black cod miso and other nikkei delicacies.
Navigate more of London like a local with our neighbourhood guides to Kensington, Covent Garden, Marylebone and Soho. Or spend a weekend break in the capital.