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.

Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
35 Charles Street, W1J
Typically for this aristocratic part of town, a discreet entrance leads to a thoroughly luxurious interior. Muted colours and marble floors give the sense of an ... More

 

 

Ascott Mayfair London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
49 Hill Street, W1J
Soak up the sophistication in these stylish serviced boutique apartments. The 1920s art deco building blends the comforts and amenities of home with an extensive range ... More

 

 

Washington Mayfair Hotel
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
5 Curzon Street, W1J
The Washington Mayfair Hotel was built in 1913 and remodelled in 2008. Located right in the heart of London's affluent Mayfair area, this privately owned, purpose ... More

 

 

Hotels in Mayfair

 

Chris Bracey: I've Looked Up To Heaven And Been Down To Hell
London > Events > Exhibitions
Scream Gallery, 34 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London W1J
Acclaimed London-based neon-artist Chris Bracey will be given his first UK solo exhibition this May. Taking place at Scream London, I've Looked Up To Heaven And ... More

 

 

George Bellows (1882-1925)
London > Events > Exhibitions
Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Mayfair, London W1J
In the spring, the Royal Academy of Arts stages the first ever UK retrospective for American Realist painter George Bellows, who would probably be regarded as ... 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. Over 11,000 pieces are sifted through from relative unknowns ... More

 

 

Events in Mayfair

 

London Palladium
London > Entertainment > Theatres
8 Argyll Street, Mayfair, London W1F
For those who owned televisions in the 1950s and 1960s, the London Palladium is quite simply the most famous variety theatre in the world. Stars who ... More

 

 

Pigalle
London > Entertainment > Jazz Clubs
215-217 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J
Forties-themed late-night supper club. If you’re considering a more glamorous and alternative evening’s entertainment, head to Piccadilly and burlesque cabaret club, Pigalle. Inspired by the genteel, romantic ... More

 

 

Wigmore Hall
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
36 Wigmore Street, Mayfair, London W1U
Built by the Bechstein piano company in 1901, this grandiose concert hall is regarded by many as London's best venue for chamber and solo performances. Wigmore ... More

 

 

Entertainment in Mayfair

 

Gagosian Gallery Davies Street
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
17-19 Davies Street, 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, 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

 

 

Colnaghi Gallery
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
15 Old Bond Street, Mayfair, London W1S
Among the first galleries to be established in Europe, Colnaghi specialises in Old Master paintings and drawings from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Its clients ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in Mayfair

 

Geo F Trumper
London > Shopping > Hair and Grooming
9 Curzon Street, 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, 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, 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, , 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, , Mayfair, London W1J
... More

 

 

Tamarind
London > Restaurants > Indian/South Asian restaurants
20 Queen Street, Mayfair, , 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, , 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, 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, 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, Mayfair, London W1K
Beyond the doormen in top hats and white gloves outside the Connaught Hotel there are two outstanding bars, the second of which is the swish Coburg ... More

 

 

Connaught Bar
London > Nightlife > Bars
Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K
If you're after perfection in a glass in an ultra-stylish location then look no further than the main bar at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair. The ... More

 

 

The Met Bar
London > Nightlife > Bars
Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, 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, 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, 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, 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, Mayfair, London W1J
... More

 

 

The Dorchester Hotel
London > Business > Venue Hire
54 Park Lane, 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, Mayfair, London W1J
... More

 

 

Meeting Venues in Mayfair