Lady in Maida Vale

One of the best things about living in London is that there are so many unique neighborhoods. From the funky markets in Notting Hill to the organic pubs in Angel, you don’t have to go far to feel like you have traveled a long distance. But while every London neighborhood is different, most of them are laid out in a similar fashion: a high street full of restaurants and shops surrounded by a residential area. However, there is one neighborhood in London where this rule doesn’t apply: Maida Vale.

In my four years in London, I haven’t spent much time in Maida Vale.

I never had a specific reason for staying away until someone pointed out that the neighborhood’s lack of a traditional high street made it a bit confusing for people to visit.

It was true. How does one “go to Maida Vale” when there is no obvious place to go?

I decided to find out. Last weekend I spent three hours walking around Maida Vale and the adjacent Little Venice. I started out at the Maida Vale tube station and walked down a street full of beautiful residential buildings.

The red brick and white trim were pretty, but they didn’t give me enough of a reason to stay in the neighborhood. Where were all the Maida Vale restaurants and shops?

I didn’t have to wait long to find out. First I came across The Warrington, a former Gordon Ramsay pub with a pleasant beer garden out front. It was a start, but it was an isolated establishment amidst a sea of residential buildings.

A few minutes later I hit the jackpot: Clifton Road. A short one-block stretch acted as a miniature high street, complete with boutiques, restaurants, and shops.

There was everything from Raoul’s Cafe and Baker & Spice to Cafe Rouge and Tesco. Also present were a florist, a butcher, and a wine shop.

It was great. But it was small. Was there anything else in the way of Maida Vale restaurants and shops? I wanted to know.

I walked towards the Warwick Avenue tube station, passing by more beautiful mansion blocks. Suddenly a bright storefront caught my eye and I turned onto Formosa Street.

There I found another small area full of restaurants, shops, and pubs. There was Red Pepper, an Italian restaurant I had been to years before, the Prince Alfred, a Victorian pub packed with people, and Pipa, a boutique selling women’s and children’s clothing.

At that point I was starting to understand Maida Vale. Rather than one big high street, it had several smaller ones scattered throughout the neighborhood. I was excited to discover more.

A few streets over, I stumbled upon Clifton Nurseries. All I could see from the street was an awning emanating from a small alley.

I walked down the narrow passage and suddenly found myself in a large open space full of flowers. To my right sat a shop and cafe, and to my left a boutique and greenhouse.

Behind the nursery was a pub called the Warwick Castle. It was another enclave of Maida Vale restaurants and shops, and I loved it.

From there I continued down several other streets, finding a similar smattering of boutiques and other retail outlets on Bristol Gardens and Elgin Avenue.

At the end of my three hour tour, I finally felt like I understood the neighborhood. Sure, it lacked a traditional high street, but the small streets with Maida Vale’s restaurants and shops gave the area a unique character.

They proved that while there was no single obvious place to go in Maida Vale, there were a lot of less evident ones. I can’t wait to go back and discover more.