DK Travel : London : Kensington and Knightsbridge

This is where London’s gentry live. Nannies push prams around Kensington Gardens, uniformed school children line up in Hans Crescent and the social “in-crowd” gossip in the Fifth-Floor Café at Harvey Nichols. Whatever time of year, nobody is without a tan. Harrods is the light beacon of the area; the solid rocks are the great museums established in South Kensington by Prince Albert, whose name is never far away. Kensington is the Royal Borough where Lady Diana roamed. She lived in Kensington Palace, the choicest of royal residences, and shopped in Beauchamp Place. Foreign royalty have homes here, too. Such mansions need the finest furnishings and some of London’s best antique shops are in Kensington Church Street and Portobello Road, the most fun place to be on Saturday mornings.

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Market Bar

This atmospheric pub is popular with locals.
Natural History Museum

The whole world of animals and minerals is vividly explained.

Earth Galleries, Natural History Museum

Decorative relief, Natural History Museum
Nicole Farhi

Sophisticated urban clothing from one of the UK’s leading designers is available is this cool, minimalist shop.
Park Café

Alongside the Serpentine Lido, the Park Café has lakeside tables. Jazz and poetry sessions take place on summer evenings.
Paxton’s Head

A popular watering hole for both locals and visitors, this old pub caters for all tastes, with cocktails and flavoured vodkas as well as real ales.
Pengelley’s

Exquisite new Asian cuisine is created by Ian Pengelley’s brigade of world class chefs.
Portobello Gold

This trendy bar, used by local antique dealers, has a suitably alternative atmosphere and an upstairs internet bar. There is also a conservatory restaurant.
Portobello Road

Running through the centre of the decidedly fashionable Notting Hill, Portobello Road, with its extensive selection of antique shops, is a great place to spend some time. It is especially good on Saturday when the market is in full swing. This starts just beyond Westbourne Grove, with fruit and vegetables, bread, sausages, cheeses, then music, clothes and bric-à-brac. Beyond the railway bridge it becomes a flea market. Sit upstairs in the Café Grove (No. 253a) and watch it all go by, or quench your thirst in Fluid’s juice bar (13 Elgin Crescent). Ethnic food is otherwise what goes down best, and the West Indian flavour spills over into the vibrant music and colourful clothes stalls.
Portobello Stalls

Along the market there are stalls offering ethnic food of every kind. The area also has a good choice of cafés around Portobello Green.
Royal Albert Hall

When Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for The Hall of Arts and Sciences, to everyone’s astonishment she put the wordsRoyalAlbertbefore its name, and today it is usually just referred to as the Albert Hall. It is a huge, nearly circular building, modelled on Roman amphitheatres, and seats 7,000. Circuses, boxing matches and all manner of musical entertainments are held here, notably the Sir Henry Wood Promenade Concerts.

Royal Albert Hall

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Restaurant price categories

For a three course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes, and extra charges.
- under £15
- £15–£25
- £25–£35
- £35–£50
- over £50