Marylebone: Area guide
While it’s not an area that was massively on my radar in my early London years, as I’ve grown older (and perhaps developed a bit more taste…) Marylebone is now a strong contender for my favourite part of town.
Complete with beautiful architecture (red brick mansion blocks - dreamy), a quiet-ish feel, a village-y high street packed with upmarket indie shops, and a huge range of eateries: it just ticks all the boxes.
At the moment, I’m lucky to live about 20 mins away from Marylebone so I’m there a LOT and have gathered some of the area’s best finds for you. I hope you love them if you visit!
Your Marylebone area guide
Eat & drink
For a special occasion: Chiltern Firehouse is my absolute favourite for a bouji meal or some fancy cocktails. It’s pricey, but the food is mega, I’ve literally never had a bad night there, and they treat you like royalty. Iconic for a reason!
For lunch with the girls: Jikoni is my go-to for lunch in the area. The interiors are SO sweet, the cross-border menu is delicious (get the banana cake, it’s a must!) and again, the staff are so so lovely.
For brunch or a casual bite: Granger & Co gets my vote wherever the location, but the one here is a pretty big space - read: you can normally get a table (unlike a lot of their other sites). Get the ricotta hotcakes if you’re going for breakfast, or the gochujang chicken burger later in the day!
Cafes: There are a slew of amazing coffee shops, including Monocle, Shreeji News (which stocks the most incredible selection of magazines) and Hagen Espresso Bar. I also love popping into Good Life Eatery for an acai bowl or something similarly nourishing after the gym.
Shop
There are two main shopping streets in Marylebone:
Chiltern Street - I don’t often actually shop or buy much here, it’s just a beautiful street for browsing! Highlights are the Anatome store, the Monocle lifestyle store (a few doors down from the cafe) and Bella Freud.
Marylebone High Street - my favourite spots are the Aesop store (this branch is so beautifully designed), Sezane for a hit of Parisian chic, Bayley & Sage or Daylesford for a window shop (let’s be real, only the uber wealthy food shop in this kind of deli!), Diptyque for a gawk at the interiors (the wallpaper in this store is divine), La Fromagerie if I’m hosting a wine & cheese night, and, finally, I can literally never resist poking my head into any Daunt Books.
Culture
Pop into The Conran Shop to drool over some iconic design pieces
The Wallace Collection is a small but incredibly beautiful and well-curated gallery