Mayfair serviced apartments

Mayfair Guide

Mayfair is the exclusive London area nestled between Oxford Street and Piccadilly, with Park Lane to the west and Regent Street to the east. It is an area of elegant squares, grand houses, galleries and boutique shopping, with world-class restaurants, smart cafés and cosy pubs. As London developed from the 18th century onwards, the area become home to well-heeled aristocrats followed by newly affluent business people. Rocketing property prices have kept it as a retreat for the wealthy few, with even the humblest former servants’ dwellings now commanding ferociousy high prices.

The location is ideal for access to all areas of London, making it a go-to area for business visits and tourists alike. The West End is on the doorstep and the City is a short ride away by tube, taxi or chauffeur-driven limousine.

Mayfair itself is a haven for serious art collectors, with prestigious galleries and auction houses offering museum-quality pieces. You can also spend large amounts of money on couture clothing, traditional tailoring and hand-made shoes. There are also enough shops to provide the necessities of life, and more everyday shops are not far away in Oxford Street.

Visitors can enjoy a teeming array of restaurants, bars and exclusive lounges, as well as pubs with a traditional London feel and plenty of good food. While the main thoroughfares bustle with activity, the side streets and mews alleys have a very different atmosphere. By exploring a little you can come across havens of peace such as tranquil Mount Street Gardens or Shepherd Market, site of the original May fairs.

The western boundary of Mayfair is Park Lane, where 5-star hotels sit next to prestige car showrooms. Across the busy road the open spaces of Hyde Park are ideal for serious exercise or a gentle stroll. You can even go riding from Hyde Park Stables.

A stay in Mayfair is always an exciting prospect, not just for visitors with deep pockets, but also for everyone who wants a taste of London life as enjoyed by its wealthiest elite.

Popular Mayfair locations

For designer shopping, New Bond Street is an excellent place to start for jewellery from the likes of Tiffany and Bvlgari, watches from Patek Philippe plus leather goods from Hermès and Louis Vuitton. For something to wear, the rarefied choices include Dior, Givenchy and Chanel. If you want to be exceptionally well-dressed Bond Street is the place to go. For top notch male styling you need to go a few streets away, to Savile Row. This is the traditional home of made to measure London tailors, including Gieves and Hawkes whose rich history goes back to 1771.

Cork Street is the centre of Mayfair’s art galleries and auction houses, and even a glance in the windows reveals the quality of the treasures available. Burlington Arcade is an elegant walkway off Piccadilly dating back to 1816. The small shop units are taken by jewellers, perfume shops and other luxury retailers. You can even get a traditional shoe shine here.

Piccadilly itself is a busy main road, with still more smart shops including Fortnum and Mason, a London institution selling an exceptional array of fine foods, wines and gifts over six floors. The shop has been here for over 300 years and remains a glorious place to buy anything from lobsters and beef ribs to sprouts and Christmas hampers. Further along Piccadilly, the cultural life of Mayfair is centred on the Royal Academy of Arts and its rolling programme of world-class exhibitions. There are also cafés and restaurants with in the walls if the Palladian mansion, making a visit about more than just art appreciation.

Regent Street continues the flow of grand buildings and upmarket stores along its sweeping curve. For something completely different, visitors can head along to Mayfair’s northern boundary of Oxford Street where discount clothing shops sit alongside coffee bars, toy shops, chemists and department stores.

As a location for a short term or longer stay, Mayfair offers plenty of rarefied and exclusive options for spending your time and money. However, you are never far away from more familiar High Street stores, and all the entertainment attractions of the West End. With easy transport links to the rest of London, it is a very good place to stay whatever the purpose of your visit.

Getting around

Mayfair’s underground stations are the places to start for journeys on no less than five of London’s main tube lines. To get to business areas, the Central Line runs across to the financial world of the City, and the Jubilee Line takes you to connections with the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) for Canary Wharf and Docklands offices. The tube lines also take you to many of London’s iconic tourist sights.

The bus network adds a swathe of further options. There are also plenty of black cabs to flag down, private cars to book and cycle ways too. Mayfair is also a pleasure to walk around, especially in the quieter streets around Shepherd Market.

For travel out of London, the underground will take you to the capital’s main rail terminals of Euston for journeys north, Paddington if you are heading west, and Waterloo and London Bridge for southern destinations. Heathrow airport is around 30 minutes away by train.

For weekends

Spending the weekend in Mayfair is a treat which you can make as indulgent as you like. For a luxury shopping experience there are few places in the world that offer so many exquisite stores and showrooms. The range of restaurants is excellent, and includes gourmet options offering classic, contemporary and regional cuisine.

5-star hotels such as Claridges and The Connaught welcome non-residents, so why not pop in for afternoon tea or a visit to a Champagne bar? For truly indulgent pampering, Mayfair also has a selection of exclusive spas and wellness venues. You can take in a film at the Curzon cinema, or one of the venue’s regular live performances, and follow up with a visit to one of the areas fashionable late night bars.

Alternatively, you can use Mayfair as a brilliantly located base for exploring the rest of London. Close by there are all the attractions of the West End, and as you go a little further away you are in easy reach of galleries, museums and London’s exceptional portfolio of world-famous sightseeing destinations.

For families

Mayfair works very well for families because of its central location. Virtually all of the city’s top attractions are easy to get to, as are shops, venues and eating options to suit all ages.

Like many generations before them, your children may want to make a beeline for Hamleys in Regent Street which proudly carries the banner of ‘The finest toy store in the world’. A London favourite since 1837, the store showcases every kind of toy imaginable, and even for adults has a sense of wonder.

If your children enjoy the finer things in life it is worth seeking out child-friendly afternoon tea at one of the grand hotels. For boisterous exercise, nearby Hyde Park offer plenty of space for charging around, and the Diana Memorial Playground near Kensington Palace isn’t far away. Adventure awaits here with pirate ships, teepees and much more, as well as pizzas and other favourite food at the Broadwalk Café.

A very significant attraction for families, and for all visitors to Mayfair, is that it is quite simply a lovely area to spend time in. Away from the main roads it has an atmosphere of well-heeled calm. It is generally safe, has pleasant, verdant squares and there are no shortage of places to while away the day. It is also so close to London’s premier attractions, which seals its credentials as a great base for a family visit.

Tips for moving to Mayfair

If you can afford to move to Mayfair, you will be living side by side with some of the wealthiest people in the country. The price of property per square metre tops £20,000 so even the smallest studio is a major investment. Against such high capital outlays, short and long term rentals can be much more flexible and attractive propositions.

For individuals and couples, Mayfair has plenty of characterful apartments to offer in traditional red brick blocks, as well as ultra-modern glass-covered new developments. Some apartments come with three or more bedrooms, so offer well-appointed accommodation for families. Larger houses and mansions are also dotted throughout the area, although, as you would expect, the prices are sky-high.

In terms of education, there are local primary schools in Hanover Square and South Street. For older children, Westminster School to the south of St James’s Square, has a stellar reputation as one of the UK’s highest achieving co-educational establishments. Further options for private and independent nurseries, schools and colleges in close proximity to the heart of Mayfair. Further education is on offer at nearby Westminster University and the London School of Economics, and there are also opportunities in smaller institutions to study theatre, fashion and even etiquette. Health provision is covered by a wide range of NHS and private practices and hospitals, and Mayfair also has plenty of choices for dental treatment.

When a place is as attractive as Kensington, it is always going to be a major draw for anyone relocating to London. As with any major move, it is important to match up what you want with what is available in the area, and at The Apartment Network we can help you do exactly that.

Mayfair is expensive on pretty well all fronts, but in return for the money you part with you will be living in one of the most sought after areas in the UK, and, indeed, in the world.

Places of interest

The shopping streets in Mayfair are packed with designer chic and the last word in luxury. Whatever your favourite indulgence, you’ll likely find it in the boutiques and galleries of Bond Street, South Molton Street and Cork Street. The traditionally skilled tailors of Savile Row are the place to go for the finest men’s suits, and gourmets should not miss a trip to Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly.

The plethora of places to eat and drink provide resting places between shops. The area’s green spaces such as elegant Berkeley Square and Grosvenor Square are lovely places to enjoy a peaceful picnic, or simply to sit and watch the world go by.

For art lovers, a visit to the Royal Society of Arts is essential. The Handel House Museum in Brook Street commemorates two of its world-famous residents – baroque composer Georg Frideric Handel and 60s rock legend Jimi Hendrix.

For a guide to the area’s buildings and history, consider joining a curated walking tour. You’ll come across the homes of national figures as diverse as Florence Nightingale and Winston Churchill, as well as further names from politics, literature and the cultural world.

Restaurants, events and entertainment

Mayfair is an unbeatable part of London for enjoying the finest of dining experiences. From Michelin-starred French classics at Le Gavroche to the most refined Cantonese delicacies at Hakkasan or upscale Indian dining at Benares, Mayfair has so many options for a spectacularly great meal.

Mayfair’s 5-star hotels are also home to remarkable restaurants where world-renowned chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Theo Randall conjure up sophisticated dishes with exceptional skill. You can also visit glitzy places such as Novikov for a selection of fine caviars, or, lower down the price scale, enjoy the noisy delights of the Hard Rock Café. You can also find cocktail lounges, stylish bars and casinos within Mayfair, as well as more traditional London pubs.

For film fans, the Grade II listed Curzon cinema is a top place to go. In the war years of the 1940s, the cinema used to give private viewing for US General Dwight Eisenhower. Today it is the perfect place to catch up with the latest Bond film as well as art films. The venue also hosts a range of interesting cultural events, so it is always worth checking what’s on at the time of your visit.