Lady’s Victoria, London Guide

Today I want to bring you my guide to Victoria, London. This neighborhood was once a fairly bland area by one of the city’s major train stations, but today it’s thriving. There’s a lot to discover in Victoria, so read on for the highlights.

Victoria, London

Best known for the train station of the same name, Victoria has long lived in the shadow of neighboring Belgravia.

But with Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and St James’s Park on its doorstep, the area’s rise from obscurity was inevitable. And now that rise has finally happened.

Where to Stay in Victoria

If you want to stay in Victoria, my favorite hotel in the area is The Resident Victoria (formerly The Nadler).

Just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, it’s in an ideal location in the heart of London. The rooms are stylish and the prices are hard to beat for the quality it offers.

Restaurants in Victoria

The most obvious sign of the area’s new beginning was the opening of the Nova complex, which ushered in a host of new restaurants in Victoria.

From casual pizza to wine bars, coffee shops, burger places, and sushi restaurants, there’s no shortage of options in an area that formerly offered little choice.

Beyond Nova, cafes like Iris & June still delight with their great coffee, and restaurants like Bleecker have the burger market cornered (their veggie burger is amazing, too).

And that’s not all. The Cardinal Place Food Market is one of my favorite under-the-radar markets in London. Every Thursday it fills the plaza with sizzling scents and mouth-watering treats under its awnings.

And speaking of markets, Market Hall Victoria has restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and a roof terrace overlooking Victoria station.

Theater in Victoria

It’s not just food that makes Victoria worth another look, though. This London neighborhood also has a lot of cultural highlights.

In addition to Buckingham Palace and the adjacent Queen’s Gallery and Royal Mews, the area has a number of good theaters.

From long-running Wicked at the Apollo to performances at The Other Palace, there are established and experimental works on stage.

Even cinema fans have the comfy Curzon to get excited about. But most noteworthy is the acclaimed musical Hamilton, which calls the Victoria Palace Theatre its home.

Side Streets in Victoria

As if that’s not enough, Victoria has some lovely side streets to explore. I’m a sucker for a good mews or alley, and if I’m going to love a neighborhood, it has to have a few.

The area between Victoria Street and Buckingham Palace has a tangle of streets and mews to rival the prettiest in other parts of the city. Buckingham Mews is my favorite. I love its colorful houses and wisteria vines.

There are some good little pubs in Victoria tucked away in places like Wilfred Street, and I always smile when I walk by Pine Apple Court.

On the other side of Victoria Street, the candy-cane stripes of Westminster Cathedral dominate the scene. But the wander-worthy streets behind it have equally lovely treasures to discover.

And that’s to say nothing of Little Ben, Victoria’s diminutive answer to Westminster’s iconic clock. It puts a smile on my face every time I walk by.

Victoria

Victoria may never match Belgravia in style or Big Ben in fame, but it’s come a long way from its bland past. There’s still a lot to come, too, and I can’t wait to see what the neighborhood surprises me with next.

Have you been to Victoria, London? What are you favorite places in this London neighborhood?

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