London area of Mayfair guide

What to do and where to stay in London's Mayfair neighbourhood

Primarily thanks to the game Monopoly, where the area is deigned to have London's most expensive property, Mayfair's sharp reputation precedes it. The smart neighbourhood is named after the annual May Fair which used to take place on the site that is Shepherd Market today. Traditionally bordered by Hyde Park to the west, Oxford Street to the north, Pall Mall and Green Park to the south and Regent Street to the east, Mayfair contains some of London's most exclusive luxury hotels, restaurants, shops, members' clubs and private residences. Rents are among the highest in London and the world - which adds to the area's exclusive feel. Important buildings in Mayfair include the Royal Academy of Arts, the Grosvenor House Hotel, Claridge's, The Dorchester and the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. Mayfair has also become an attractive location away from the City for private banks, hedge funds and wealth managers. Throw in the designer shops and art galleries of Old Bond Street, New Bond Street, Savile Row (home to some of the world's most renowned tailors) and Conduit Street - and you begin to get a picture of just how exclusive the neighbourhood is.

See our recommended nearby Mayfair Hotels, Events, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.

Hilton Green Park
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
Half Moon Street, W1J7BN
Fourteen hundred-year-old townhouses have been knocked together to create this unusual Hilton Hotel, at the heart of London's smartest area. The discreet luxuries of Mayfair are ... More

 

 

The Connaught
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
Carlos Place, W1K
... More

 

 

Flemings Mayfair
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
Half Moon Street, W1J
This Georgian property, which dates back to 1730, has been refurbished to create a timeless fusion between traditional style and modern flair. This is the place ... More

 

 

Hotels in Mayfair

 

Nicholas Hawksmoor: Architect Of The Imagination
London > Events > Exhibitions
Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Mayfair, London W1J
Photographs, drawings, texts and video interviews with architects discussing the ways in which Hawksmoor's designs have sparked trends and inspired others.... More

 

 

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
London > Events > Exhibitions
Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Mayfair, London W1J
Anyone can submit to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition which gives it a wonderful element of surprise. Around 12,000 pieces are sifted through from relative unknowns ... More

 

 

Inside Ukraine
London > Events > Business Events
The Dorchester Hotel, 53 Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K
Still a relatively new conference, having launched in 2010, the Inside Ukraine conference is another event from the Economist's impressive string of business conferences which still ... More

 

 

Events in Mayfair

 

Curzon Mayfair
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
38 Curzon Street, London, Mayfair, London W1J
This swish venue is one of London's most attractive cinemas and has a long pedigree of showing art-house films. Housed in a Grade II-listed building, the ... More

 

 

Dorchester Bar
London > Entertainment > Jazz Clubs
54 Park Lane, London, Mayfair, London W1K
Dining accompanied by live jazz and soul music. ... More

 

 

Entertainment in Mayfair

 

Gagosian Gallery Davies Street
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
17-19 Davies Street, London, Mayfair, London W1K
The Gagosian Gallery in Mayfair is a tiny space, what estate agents would optimistically call bijou. But size isn't everything and Larry Gagosian's influence should not ... More

 

 

Royal Institution of Great Britain
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
21 Albemarle Street, London, Mayfair, London W1S
Best known for its annual televised Christmas lectures, the RI is one of Britain's most famous science institutions and the place where famous scientists such as ... More

 

 

Alan Cristea Gallery
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
31 Cork Street, London, Mayfair, London W1S
Alan Cristea Gallery is the largest publisher and dealer of artists' prints and editions in Europe. Set up by Alan Cristea, who brings with him twenty ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in Mayfair

 

Geo F Trumper
London > Shopping > Hair and Grooming
9 Curzon Street, London, Mayfair, London W1J
Famous barber frequented by famous faces offering the full works, even manicures. Men can learn how to shave properly with a special training session.... More

 

 

Heywood Hill
London > Shopping > Books
10 Curzon Street, London, Mayfair, London W1J
Heywood Hill, run by John de Falbe, sells old, new and antiquarian books, specialising in literature, history, architecture, biography, travel and a well-stocked children's department. Founded ... More

 

 

Maggs Brothers
London > Shopping > Books
50 Berkely Square, London, Mayfair, London W1J
Established in 1853, Maggs Bros. Ltd., is one of the world's oldest and largest dealers in antiquarian, first edition, autograph and rare books. Books are divided ... More

 

 

Shopping in Mayfair

 

The Greenhouse
London > Restaurants > Modern European restaurants
27a Hays Mews, Mayfair, , London, Mayfair, London W1J
There has been an unfortunate habit recently for really top class restaurants to attempt to be friendly, laid back, and unintimidating - very nice, but it ... More

 

 

Butlers at The Chesterfield
London > Restaurants > British restaurants
The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, , London, Mayfair, London W1J
... More

 

 

Tamarind
London > Restaurants > Indian/South Asian restaurants
20 Queen Street, Mayfair, , London, Mayfair, London W1J
This Indian restaurant is a real treat for anyone with an interest in the variety and surprises that Indian cooking can hold. Head chef, Alfred Prasad, ... More

 

 

Restaurants in Mayfair

 

The Only Running Footman
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
5 Charles Street, Mayfair, , London, Mayfair, London W1J
Part of a trio of great restaurant slash pubs from the Meredith Group, this is the flagship with a restaurant upstairs and pub with food downstairs ... More

 

 

Punch Bowl
London > Nightlife > Pubs
41 Farm Street, London, Mayfair, London W1J
Famous for its famous owner, the Punch Bowl became a celebrity hang-out when Guy Ritchie split up with Madonna. The director of 'Lock, Stock & Two ... More

 

 

Ye Grapes
London > Nightlife > Pubs
16 Shepherd Market, London, Mayfair, London W1J
Built in 1882 this gorgeous Victorian pub could be the perfect spot for a night out, if you can find it, that is. Very close to ... More

 

 

Pubs in Mayfair

 

The Coburg Bar
London > Nightlife > Bars
Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, London, Mayfair, London W1K
The Connaught's Coburg Bar has been superbly updated, the handiwork of Parisian based designer, India Mahdavi. Wood panelled interiors and antique pieces are counterbalanced by modern ... More

 

 

Connaught Bar
London > Nightlife > Bars
Carlos Place, London, Mayfair, London W1K
The Connaught Hotel is a London institution and the David Collins revamped Connaught Bar has become 'the' cocktail bar to frequent for the trendiest of Londoners. ... More

 

 

The Met Bar
London > Nightlife > Bars
Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, London, Mayfair, London W1K
The Met Bar was synonymous with celebrities in the nineties - Kate Moss and her clan were among the A-list regulars - and it still gets ... More

 

 

Nightlife in Mayfair

 

Aman Spa
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
The Connaught, Carlos Place, London, Mayfair, London W1K
The luxury Aman Spa in the basement of the marvellous Mayfair hotel, The Connaught, is the first and only UK spa from the world ... More

 

 

Spa Illuminata
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
63 South Audley Street, London, Mayfair, London W1K
Situated on the upmarket South Audley Street in Mayfair, Spa Illuminata recreates the calming atmosphere of a classical Roman spa in heart of the city. Behind ... More

 

 

The Dorchester Spa
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, London, Mayfair, London W1K
Consistently voted the top hotel spa in the UK (and who are we to disagree with the exacting standards of Conde Nast Traveller readers), The Dorchester ... More

 

 

Leisure in Mayfair

 

Education in Mayfair

 

Dartmouth House (English-Speaking Union)
London > Business > Venue Hire
37 Charles Street, The English-Speaking Union - Dartmouth House, Mayfair, London, Mayfair, London W1J
... More

 

 

The Dorchester Hotel
London > Business > Venue Hire
54 Park Lane, London, Mayfair, London W1K
One of the most famous hotels in England, The Dorchester is a stunning Art Deco curve, overlooking the expanses of the Royal Parks. This is the ... More

 

 

The May Fair
London > Business > Venue Hire
Stratton Street, London, Mayfair, London W1J
... More

 

 

Meeting Venues in Mayfair