Knightsbridge Area Guide

Knightsbridge has, over the years, become a byword for both exclusivity and luxury.

Located in West London, just south of Hyde Park and serviced by a tube station and several bus links, Knightsbridge draws locals and tourists alike in their droves, attracting well-heeled and international customers to such establishments as Harrods and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

The district has a significant presence of embassies, including Ireland, France, Denmark, Bahrain, Iceland, Kuwait and Turkey. So, if you’re looking to open a hospitality venture here, you’ve got a unique opportunity to target foreign dignitaries and their associates.

The district is also home to One Hyde Park, called ‘the world’s most expensive residential building” and retail complex. This development includes three retail units totalling 385,000 sq ft and 86 residential properties, marketed with prices starting at around £20 million, all adding to a higher concentration of affluent people in and around the area. One flat in the complex sold for £140m, making it Britain’s most expensive sale at a record-breaking £6,000 per square foot.

Knightsbridge is also home to Harrods, the much-famed luxury department store that specialises in premium label fashion, beauty products, wine and food. With its gigantic building and iconic green and gold bags, Harrods is probably ‘the world’s most famous store’. Founded in 1834, Harrods is the site of England’s first escalator which was installed in the store in November 1898. It’s not just the high-quality products that attract visitors either. The store features several eateries including The Georgian for afternoon tea, The Coffee bar (freshly roasted coffee and baked goods by day, espresso Martinis by night), the Caviar House Oyster Bar with champagne, and the sumptuous Chucs Restaurant, which specialises in flavours of the Italian Riviera. Chucs (all-day) Restaurant evokes the essence of yacht life and the Mediterranean Sea. With all needs, wants and desires available, Harrods truly is a place you can spend all day in, getting lost in opulence and outrageous ostentation.

First-class Cuisines 

There are plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants in the area, giving both residents and visitors to the area a wealth of dining options to tantalise all manner of taste buds. Chef Nathan Outlaw’s at The Capital, Basil Street, uses sustainable seafood caught predominantly from the Cornish Coast, making sure to use the freshest ingredients possible. With a revolving menu and interiors of stripped back elegance, you’re sure to enjoy both the meals and ambience.

For a taste of The Mediterranean, Rivea London offers gourmet French-Italian cuisine against a backdrop of polished mahogany, slick curves, and geometric patterns.  Located in the Bulgari Hotel, this restaurant offers seared John Dory with early vegetables, tender braised veal cheeks, celeriac and black truffle, and pan-seared Dover sole, capers, lemon and crouton. Whichever dish you choose is certain to be a voyage of sumptuous tastes and textures.

An extremely popular Knightsbridge restaurant is the internationally acclaimed Zuma. This informal yet high-end modern Japanese restaurant offers diners a sushi counter and robata grill, all against a natural designer interior backdrop. The Zuma menu itself is both comprehensive and alluring. Dishes are authentic but not traditional with bold, intense flavours and an emphasis on simple presentation enhanced by quality ingredients.

One of the area’s ‘must try’ restaurants is San Lorenzo. Since it was established in 1963 by Lorenzo and Mara Beni, San Lorenzo has become a gastronomic power force in Knightsbridge and is known for hosting very affluent diners. This upmarket Italian trattoria distils Tuscan, Piedmontese, and Roman influences for a timeless experience.

International, wealthy urbanites

Knightsbridge is home to a sizable proportion (32%) of managers, directors and senior officials, while corporate managers and directors make up 24.3% of the population, giving the area a feeling of accomplished professionals. According to the last census, 53% of the area’s population were male, and 47% female. The census showed that the average age of people in Knightsbridge is 38, whilst the median age is lower at 35. 

According to the Coutts Prime Property Index, at the top of the market (£10m+), transactions in Q1 2018 were centred around Knightsbridge and – despite what the wider press has reported on the state of the market – there are still a number of high-value residential transactions being made in the area as prime remains truly prime.

Knightsbridge is home to the many of the world’s most luxurious hotels including the Mandarin Oriental, the Bvlgari Hotel, and the Wellesley, with travellers attracted to the grandeur and prestige provided in the area. With these all within the area, you’ll be able to garner a good image of the surrounds, who the residents are – and then use this to shape your next restaurant property venture.  Be it a premium café or bistro, or an ostentatiously decorated haute cuisine establishment, Knightsbridge is an area that oozes lux and louche living.