London area of SW7 guide

What to do and where to stay in London's SW7 neighbourhood

The exclusive SW7 postcode covers South Kensington and part of Knightsbridge. South Kensington's concentration of prestigious and world-class museums is unique to London. In no other European city would you find the likes of such luminaries as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal Albert Hall within walking distance of each other and a large number of elegant hotels and landmarks. It's no coincidence that these bastions of culture are clustered together and the name of the street that links them, Exhibition Road, gives a clue as to why they are ''“ the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851 created the foundations for these grand institutions dedicated to the arts and sciences. It was this investment in the area that set in motion a building spurt with large terraced houses which gives the district its current appearance as a high-class residential area. Catering for this type of resident are the designer shops around Brompton Cross. There's also a distinct European flavour to modern day South Ken with a strong French emphasis - thanks to the excellent French Institute and a Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle - making it all the more chic.

See our recommended nearby SW7 Hotels, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.

Fifty Four Boutique Hotel
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
54 Queen's Gate, SW7
Located at 54 Queen's Gate, this traditional Edwardian townhouse hotel is well positioned, within five minutes' walk of both Gloucester Road and South Kensington Tube stations ... More

 

 

The Egerton House Hotel London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
17 Egerton Terrace, SW3
Set back from a tree-lined garden square in exclusive Knightsbridge, with prime shopping nearby at Harrods or along the King's Road and the Natural History Museum ... More

 

 

Grange Strathmore Hotel London
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
41 Queen's Gate Gardens, SW7
Ideally located in London's affluent and fashionable Kensington area, the Grange Strathmore Hotel is an elegantly restored London townhouse, combining Victorian splendour with modern day luxury. ... More

 

 

Hotels in SW7

 

Science Museum IMAX
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
Exhibition Road, Knightsbridge, SW7, London SW7
The huge IMAX screen - ten times bigger than the average screen - at the Science Museum is one of the few places in London where ... More

 

 

Royal College of Music
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
Prince Consort Road, SW7, London SW7
The Royal College of Music is the school where Gustav Hoilst, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Benjamin Britten, James Galway, Joan Sutherland and Ralph Vaughan Williams learnt their ... More

 

 

Cine Lumiere
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
Institut Francais Cultural Centre, 17 Queensberry Place, SW7, London SW7
The Cine Lumiere is a shining beacon for all fans of European and World cinema. Attached to the Institut Francais, its programme is varied and intelligent, ... More

 

 

Entertainment in SW7

 

Science Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Exhibition Road, SW7, London SW7
The Science Museum in South Kensington houses one of the most comprehensive collections looking at the development of science and industry, and it is all done ... More

 

 

Victoria and Albert (V & A) Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Cromwell Road, SW7, London SW7
The Victoria and Albert Museum (or V & A as everyone calls it) was originally founded in 1852 to inspire and educate British designers and manufacturers. ... More

 

 

Natural History Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Cromwell Road, SW7, London SW7
The Natural History Museum is sure to impress even the most jaded of children. This ornate museum is home to more than 70 million specimens from ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in SW7

 

La Cave a Fromage
London > Shopping > Delicatessens
24-25 Cromwell Place, SW7, London SW7
In true French style, this chic cheese shop piles its wares high and stinking, with no fridges, or glass barriers to stop customers getting in for ... More

 

 

Gilding the Lily
London > Shopping > Florists
Old Brompton Road, SW7, London SW7
Superior florist directly opposite South Kensington Tube Station. They sell flowers to the great and good of this area and as you might expect, this means ... More

 

 

Moxon's
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
17 Bute Street, SW7, London SW7
Fishmonger Robin Moxon is regarded as one of the best suppliers of fish in London and is all too familiar with early morning trips to Billingsgate ... More

 

 

Shopping in SW7

 

Ognisko Polskie
London > Restaurants > Eastern European restaurants
55 Prince's Gate, Exhibition Road, SW7, London SW7
Polish cuisine. Booking advised. Separate room for parties. Tables on patio. Dress smart casual. ... More

 

 

Kulu Kulu
London > Restaurants > Japanese restaurants
39 Thurloe Place, SW7, London SW7
Kulu Kulu is a good example of a typical sushi bar, a great place to go for sushi whether you’re a novice or an experienced fan. ... More

 

 

Thai Square - Exhibition
London > Restaurants > Thai restaurants
19 Exhibition Road, South Kensington, , SW7, London SW7
One of the smallest restaurants in the Thai Square group, this intimate space has enough room to seat 48 people. The standard Thai cusine includes favourites ... More

 

 

Restaurants in SW7

 

The Enterprise
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
35 Walton Street, South Kensington, , SW7, London SW3
Bar ... More

 

 

The Admiral Codrington
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
17 Mossop Street, SW7, London SW3
Affectionately referred to as "the Cod", this Knightsbridge boozer-come-gastropub has acquired a reputation for serving high quality, modern food in no-fuss, sleek surroundings. If you do ... More

 

 

Builders Arms
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
13 Britten Street, SW7, London SW3
This popular, basic pub serves some really great food. Everything is cooked on the premises from proper ingredients and the smell that drifts out of the ... More

 

 

Pubs in SW7

 

Barts
London > Nightlife > Bars
Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, SW7, London SW3
Taking its inspiration from the American speakeasy movement, Barts is a tiny, intimate and relaxed bar in South Kensington which promises a refreshingly fun experience - ... More

 

 

Eighty Six
London > Nightlife > Bars
86 Fulham Road, SW7, London SW3
Eighty-Six is the brainchild of George Adams and Charlie Kearns, the duo behind Verbier's Coco Club. A popular place for after hours socialising for the Fulham ... More

 

 

Nightlife in SW7

 

G-Spa
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
63-81 Pelham Street, SW7, London SW7
Downstairs from LA Fitness (keep going past the people who look like they're about to die on the running machines) you'll find G-Spa. A world away ... More

 

 

Space NK
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
40 Hans Crescent, SW7, London SW1X
The Knightsbrige branch of Space NK in Hans Crescent, right next to Harrods, is especially appealing - not only does it sell desirable toiletries, chic ... More

 

 

Leisure in SW7

 

Dana Centre
London > Education > Evening Classes
165 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, SW7, London SW7
There are plenty of initiatives trying to get kids involved in science, but the Dana Centre, an extension of the Science Museum, is the first one ... More

 

 

Education in SW7

 

Victoria and Albert (V & A) Museum
London > Business > Venue Hire
Cromwell Road, SW7, London SW7
Conference facilities can accommodate for up to 2450 people.... More

 

 

Natural History Museum
London > Business > Venue Hire
Cromwell Road, SW7, London SW7
The Natural History Museum is sure to impress even the most jaded of children. This ornate museum is home to more than 70 million specimens from ... More

 

 

Royal Geographical Society
London > Business > Venue Hire
1 Kensington Gore, SW7, London SW7
Conference facilities can accomodate for up to 1034 people.... More

 

 

Meeting Venues in SW7