Knightsbridge unseen - discover the village behind the main streets
Charlie Burton - Senior Commissioning Editor at GQ
The word Knightsbridge brings to mind some of London’s greatest hits: the upscale shopping emporiums of Harrods and Harvey Nicholls; the destination galleries of the Victoria and Albert Museum; the baroque grandeur of the Brompton Oratory. But that’s only one side of the story.
Take the streets that the tourists rarely tread, and you’ll encounter a village-like neighbourhood cherished by its residents. It’s an enclave of charming, colourful mews houses that seem to have been parachuted in from another time and place, and small businesses whose owners are familiar faces to those who call the area home. There are independent coffee houses such as Carpo, where you can also enjoy artisanal nuts and small-batch chocolate; there are the relaxed pubs – the flower-bedecked Anglesea Arms is much-loved redoubt – and there are the sporting
communities that have sprung up around the nearby Hyde Park tennis courts and lido. More intriguing yet are the little secrets that locals hold dear. Have you ever drunk Potocki vodka in the elegant bar of the Polish Hearth Club? Or taken in a French classic at the Ciné Lumière?
You must – but you didn’t hear about it from us...
Charlie Burton
Charlie Burton is the Senior Commissioning Editor of GQ, the leading UK men’s lifestyle magazine, and also its technology columnist. He writes monthly commentary on the technology-driven trends that are changing the world and co-edits the publication’s tech reviews. Charlie Burton was formerly the Associate Editor of Wired magazine, the monthly chronicle of disruptive ideas and innovations, to which he continues to contribute articles. His first book, How To Win At Life, a collection of interviews with world experts about the things they do best, is out now. Follow him on Twitter @charlie_burton and Instagram @charlieburtongq
