London area of South Kensington guide

What to do and where to stay in London's South Kensington neighbourhood

The concentration of prestigious and world-class museums in South Kensington is unique to London. In no other 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. 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; streets like the Boltons are among west London's smartest addresses. 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 French emphasis making it all the more chic.

See our recommended nearby South Kensington Hotels, Events, 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

 

 

Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
68-86 Cromwell Road, SW7
Formerly home to the Vanderbilt family, this grand Victorian townhouse with an imposing frontage is now part of the Radisson brand. Located on the bustling Cromwell ... More

 

 

Rydges Kensington London
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
61 Gloucester Road, SW7
A clean and bright boutique, Victorian hotel, the Rydges Kensington London offers excellent proximity to London's celebrated museums and the Royal Albert Hall. Only 75 metres ... More

 

 

Hotels in South Kensington

 

Russell Howard: Wonderbox
London > Events > Comedy
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7
Having been busy informing the nation of his Good News, Russell Howard hasn't been on a tour for three years. However, he's now ... More

 

 

English National Ballet: Swan Lake
London > Events > Dance
Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7
The Royal Albert Hall will be transformed into a magical lake this June as Derek Deane's critically acclaimed 'Swan Lake' is revived in the ... More

 

 

Codebreaker: Alan Turing's Life And Legacy
London > Events > Exhibitions
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7
Photographs and objects celebrating the centenary of the British computing hero Alan Turing, the Science Museum shows that there's more to this pioneering figure than maths. ... More

 

 

Events in South Kensington

 

Cine Lumiere
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
Institut Francais Cultural Centre, 17 Queensberry Place, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Science Museum IMAX
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
Exhibition Road, Knightsbridge, South Kensington, 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, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Entertainment in South Kensington

 

Natural History Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Cromwell Road, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Science Museum
London > Attractions > Museums
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Museum of Instruments
London > Attractions > Museums
Royal College of Music Prince Consort Road, South Kensington, London SW7
The RCM Museum of Instruments was started in 1894 with a donation from Sir George Donaldson. Today it features over six hundred instruments, some of which ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in South Kensington

 

Little Stinkies
London > Shopping > Children's Gifts and Toys
15 Victoria Grove, South Kensington, London W8
Don’t let the name put you off. It’s an incredibly pretty shop in one of the more sweet-smelling parts of London. Famous for their ... More

 

 

Moxon's
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
17 Bute Street, South Kensington, 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

 

 

La Cave a Fromage
London > Shopping > Delicatessens
24-25 Cromwell Place, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Shopping in South Kensington

 

Starbucks
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
83 Gloucester Road, South Kensington, London SW7
Originally from New York, Haagen Dazs is now a global ice-cream giant. These cafes sell their delicious luxury ice-cream straight as well as in sundaes and ... More

 

 

Black & Blue
London > Restaurants > American restaurants
105 Gloucester Road, South Kensington, London SW7
... More

 

 

Byron
London > Restaurants > American restaurants
75 Gloucester Road, South Kensington, London SW7
Of all the many burger chains in London, Byron is the least gimmicky and could well be the best. Byron claims to source its beef from ... More

 

 

Restaurants in South Kensington

 

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

 

 

The Admiral Codrington
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
17 Mossop Street, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Pubs in South Kensington

 

Eighty Six
London > Nightlife > Bars
86 Fulham Road, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Babylon at the Roof Gardens
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
99 Kensington High Street, South Kensington, London W8
Richard Branson's rooftop restaurant-come-nightclub at Kensington Roof Gardens is a favourite with the glam girls of Kensington, who can be seen at all hours sipping cocktails ... More

 

 

Barts
London > Nightlife > Bars
Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Nightlife in South Kensington

 

G-Spa
London > Leisure > Health and Beauty
63-81 Pelham Street, South Kensington, 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

 

 

The Roof Gardens
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
99 Kensington High Street, South Kensington, London W8
Although a restaurant, clubbing and event venue, the extraordinary Kensington Roof Gardens are still accessible to the general public during the day if there are no ... More

 

 

Leisure in South Kensington

 

Dana Centre
London > Education > Evening Classes
165 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, South Kensington, 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

 

 

Royal College of Art
London > Education > Universities and Colleges
Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7
This is one of London's most prestigious art colleges and the world's only wholly postgraduate university of art and design. You will need at least a ... More

 

 

The London School of Painting and Drawing
London > Education > Evening Classes
23 Kensington Square, South Kensington, London W8
Evening and weekend classes in life drawing and painting, taught by tutors from the Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal Society of British Sculptors. ... More

 

 

Education in South Kensington

 

Natural History Museum
London > Business > Venue Hire
Cromwell Road, South Kensington, 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

 

 

The Gore Hotel
London > Business > Venue Hire
190 Queen's Gate, Kensington, South Kensington, London SW7
... More

 

 

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

 

 

Meeting Venues in South Kensington