London area of Kensington guide

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

The streets of Kensington may not be paved with gold but, in terms of real estate, they might as well be. The most desirable area, where you’ll find many a multi-million pound residence, is between Kensington High Street, up and over to Notting Hill Gate. The Royal Borough (given ‘Royal’ status in 1901) has been home to the monarchy since 1689. Their well tended gardens at Kensington Palace are open to the public, as are those of Holland Park. When it comes to shopping, Kensington High Street has every high street brand you can think of with the landmark Barkers building reminding us of the street’s history in retail supremacy. With popular parks, museums and shops in easy reach and a crowd of competing hotels nearby, Kensington is brilliant for tourists wanting to be that little way out of the centre. There’s also a history of putting on fairs and exhibitions: the Olympia’s pretty glass covered main hall was originally called the National Agricultural Hall. Opening its doors on Boxing Day 1886, the Paris Hippodrome Circus started a tradition in entertainment on the grounds with around 400 performers, 300 horses and six elephants.

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

Kensington Close Hotel & Spa
London > Hotels > Budget Chain Hotel
Wrights Lane, W8
Kensington is a lovely part of town to wander around and this hotel is well-placed to explore the cafes, shops and restaurants scattered along Kensington High ... More

 

 

Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
Scarsdale Place, W8
Just off High Street Kensington this high rise hotel benefits from a wealth of shops, restaurants and bars outside its door. Kensington Palace and Gardens are ... More

 

 

NH Kensington
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
202-220 Cromwell Road, SW5
This clean, comfortable modern hotel made up of six Victorian houses is a short walk from Earls Court Tube station from where the Piccadilly line can ... More

 

 

Hotels in Kensington

 

Spirit of Summer Fair
London > Events > Exhibitions
Olympia, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London W14
Hosted by House and Garden magazine the Spirit of Summer Fair at Olympia is the summer season version of their hugely popular annual Spirit of Christmas ... More

 

 

Diana: Glimpses of a Modern Princess
London > Events > Exhibitions
Kensington Palace State Apartments, Kensington Gardens, Kensington, London W8
Following a major renovation in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Kensington Palace is once again opening its doors to the public. One of the first ... More

 

 

The Enchanted Palace
London > Events > Exhibitions
Kensington Palace State Apartments, Kensington Gardens, Kensington, London W8
As Kensington Palace undergoes a £12 million renovation project, due for completion in 2012, there's a magical exhibition revealing the secret stories about the lives of ... More

 

 

Events in Kensington

 

The Coronet
London > Entertainment > Cinemas
103 Notting Hill Gate, London, Kensington, London W11
Originally built in 1898 as a theatre, Notting Hill's Coronet is now the place to go for a good, old-fashioned cinema experience. The dcor harks back ... More

 

 

Entertainment in Kensington

 

Linley Sambourne House (18 Stafford Terrace)
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
18 Stafford Terrace, London, Kensington, London W8
For a virtually untouched and immaculately preserved slice of Victorian living, visit this delightful building. One of the only genuine Victorian townhouses remaining and virtually unchanged ... More

 

 

Linley Sambourne House (18 Stafford Terrace)
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
18 Stafford Terrace, London, Kensington, London W8
For a virtually untouched and immaculately preserved slice of Victorian living, visit Edward Linley Sambourne a delightful museum and one of the few genuine Victorian townhouses ... More

 

 

Kensington Palace State Apartments
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
Kensington Gardens, London, Kensington, London W8
Originally a private country house, public visitors are now warmly welcomed into Kensington Palace, the birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to Princess Diana between 1981 ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in Kensington

 

Children's Book Centre
London > Shopping > Books
237 Kensington High Street, London, Kensington, London W8
This is a bookshop and a whole lot more, with everything on offer from padded books for tots, through wonderful picture books and on to first ... More

 

 

Hotel Chocolat
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
163 Kensington High Street, London, Kensington, London W8
The High Street Kensington branch of Hotel Chocolat has an in-store cafe where weary shoppers can re-charge their batteries with a mug of Liquid Chocolat - ... More

 

 

Ottolenghi
London > Shopping > Delicatessens
1 Holland Street, London, Kensington, London W8
This southern Mediterranean deli has offers chic all-white decor, and an exotic cuisine, that mixes a dash of Italy and a spot of North Africa with ... More

 

 

Shopping in Kensington

 

L-Restaurant & Bar
London > Restaurants > Modern European restaurants
2 Abington Road, London, Kensington, London W8
... More

 

 

Whits
London > Restaurants > Modern European restaurants
21 Abingdon Road, London, Kensington, London W8
In the bad old days when eating out in London meant pot roast and soggy cabbage, Kensington's French community created a small oasis of deliciousness on ... More

 

 

Kitchen W8
London > Restaurants > Modern European restaurants
11 Abingdon Road, London, Kensington, London W8
Kitchen W8 at 11 Abingdon Road is a joint venture between Philip Howard, who has two Michelin stars at The Square, and restauranteur Rebecca Mascarenhas. While ... More

 

 

Restaurants in Kensington

 

The Scarsdale
London > Nightlife > Pubs
23A Edwards Square, London, Kensington, London W8
If pubs were judged by their location and setting, The Scardale Tavern in Kensington would top many lists for this really is quaint London at its ... More

 

 

The Abingdon
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
54 Abingdon Road, Kensington, London, Kensington, London W8
... More

 

 

Windsor Castle
London > Nightlife > Pubs
114 Campden Hill Road, London, Kensington, London W8
Elevated on an incline in the appropriately named Notting Hill, the rustic old Windsor Castle pub was so-called because in its early days the pub’s upper ... More

 

 

Pubs in Kensington

 

Piano
London > Nightlife > Bars
106 Kensington High Street, London, Kensington, London W8
If you ask your friends about this place, not many will know. It's not wildly off the beaten track either, situated directly opposite High Street Ken ... More

 

 

Babylon at the Roof Gardens
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
99 Kensington High Street, London, 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

 

 

Nightlife in Kensington

 

Kensington Roof Gardens
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
99 Kensington High Street, London, 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

 

 

London Archers
London > Leisure > Activities
Perks Field, Kensington Palace, London, Kensington, London W8
An excellent members archery club that shoots in the grounds of Kensington Palace in summer and in Pimlico in winter. Archery is a totally satisfying sport, ... More

 

 

Leisure in Kensington

 

The London School of Painting and Drawing
London > Education > Evening Classes
23 Kensington Square, London, 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 Kensington

 

Kensington Roof Gardens
London > Business > Venue Hire
99 Kensington High Street, London, Kensington, London W8
An oasis high in the sky above Kensington High Street, the Roof Gardens comprises one and a half acres of themed gardens. These gardens surround an ... More

 

 

Kensington Palace
London > Business > Venue Hire
Kensington Gardens, London, Kensington, London W8
Conference facilities can accomodate for up to 1040 people.... More

 

 

Meeting Venues in Kensington