London area of Belgravia guide

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

When King George IV decided to make Buckingham Palace his permanent residence in 1825, the Grosvenor family saw an opportunity. They commissioned architect Thomas Cubitt to build an area of exclusive housing on this newly fashionable land, and his grand classical designs have survived to this day as some of the most fashionable residential property in London. It’s a peaceful and hugely attractive area, especially by contrast with the bustle that surrounds it, and many of the UK’s richest residents have their London homes here. The twentieth century had little impact on Belgravia, and her antique shops and Michelin-starred restaurants are still discreetly located behind plain front doors, while the hotels offer topnotch facilities. Sloane Square’s bars and restaurants are packed every evening with ‘Sloanes’, the sons and daughters of wealthy rural gentry, though it is also the home of the Royal Court Theatre, and its long tradition of left-wing theatre.

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