Pimlico is a sought after area of London that offers visitors and residents alike so much in terms of beautiful surroundings, great restaurants, and myriad opportunities for creating the perfect London lifestyle. This architecturally important area is made up of a grid of regency terraced houses originally designed by Thomas Cubitt, the most prestigious of which are set around iconic London garden squares. Many of the streets are now conservation areas.
Located in central London, next door to Belgravia, there are over 350 Grade II listed buildings and churches adding to the historical and architectural atmosphere of this famous London village, which achieved international recognition following the release of the film Passport to Pimlico in 1949, a classic example of an Ealing comedy.
Today, the area is a highly sought after, offering a gentle lifestyle surroundings with a fantastic array of amenities and attractions right on your doorstep. Whether you need a food lovers market stall heaven, internationally renown art galleries, and simply the convenience of a local dry cleaners, Pimlico has it all.
Places to go, to see, things to eat and drink
Saatchi Gallery: If you are into art, you will know the name Saatchi – since it was first opened in 1985, the Saatchi Gallery has become on of the most famous contemporary art exhibitions for rising new talent.
Make sure that you check out the gallery’s website for the latest exhibitions. The gallery is now a registered charity and holds a mixture of free and ticketed events.
Tachbrook Market
Tachbrook Market is one of those old fashioned London markets that are regularly featured in films like Notting Hill, or TV adverts. Open six days a week, Monday to Saturday, between 8am and 6pm, its stalls sell a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, flowers, household goods and international hot food varieties.
Battersea Power Station
Pimlico to the south is bordered by the river Thames, and just across the river is Battersea Power Station. Once responsible for supplying a fifth of the capital’s electricity requirements, the station has since be recommissioned to become one the London’s most successful and exciting attractions, offering dining, shopping and other experiences within the building’s beautifully preserved industrial architecture.
Dolphin Square
Dolphin Square is one of the most renown residential squares in London as a whole and is definitely worth taking into account when completing a walking tour of Pimlico itself. It was originally built in 1935 and was regarded as a blueprint for private residences – housing 1250 apartments that tended to be inhabited by MPs and Lords, including Harold Wilson, William Hague, Lord Chief Justice Lord Goddard, as well as Princess Anne.
Restaurants and bars:
As in any popular area of London, the vast array of different restaurants and bars will keep your taste buds anticipating their next meal for weeks to come. Being a primarily residential area, the streets are usually thronging with locals coming out of an evening to take advantage of their local amenities.
Popular eateries such as Grumbles, Cambridge Street Kitchen, and Thyme offer an extensive choice of European, French and British cuisine which are enjoyed alongside a variety of wines and cocktails.
The Marquis of Westminster is exactly what you would expect it to be – a typical London pub on the ground floor, with large tables, cosy booths inviting the end of the day workers in for a welcome tipple on their way home from the office. On the first floor is a slightly more formal dining room serving good old fashioned British pub classics such as bangers and mash, and fish and chips with mushy peas.