Nestled in the city’s centre, Marylebone is undoubtedly one of the most hip (and chic) neighbourhoods in London. This corner of the capital might be small, but it’s undoubtedly mighty with an array of things to do, classes to take, things to shop and delicious food to eat. If you wanted to live the ideal London life for a few days, you would find everything you might desire within its buzzing streets. From the best fitness classes and places to stay to the most interesting independent shops and fabulous restaurants, we have created the ultimate H&H Guide to Marylebone.
Stay
An oasis of calm in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city, The Prince Akatoki is a relaxing and fuss-free luxury hotel just minutes away from Marble Arch and Hyde Park. The ethos of this Japanese-style sanctuary is to make its guests feel relaxed and pampered during their stay. The natural materials and neutral tones used throughout the hotel convey a feeling of calmness while in the room. The wonderfully comfortable kimonos provided and the plushy bed invite you to stay in, take a bath using the delightful MALIN+GOETZ products and perhaps even enjoy a private yoga session before enjoying a well-deserved restorative sleep. The hotel might not have a spa, but their gym is a lovely place to start the morning with state-of-the-art equipment and even a Peloton bike. Of course, visiting The Malt Lounge for a cup of Japanese tea or a drink before heading to Tokii for fresh sashimi and maki rolls is a must.
If your style is more ‘home away from home’, this Georgian house transformed into a fabulous hotel will be just what you need to make the most of your time in Marylebone. The Lear’s Loft is the crown jewel of the hotel, a spacious, elegant and flamboyant suite that includes a private rooftop terrace with an outdoor bath – the perfect place to use all the lovely Verden products provided. Outside the comfort of your room, you’ll find that the Zetter is a buzzing pillar of Marylebone’s social life. Their iconic Parlour is the perfect place to spend some cosy time, from breakfast and afternoon tea to drinks and nibbles or a nightcap before bed.
Chiltern Firehouse has become one of London’s elite favourite hangout spots, transforming the red bricks of this former London fire station dating from 1887 into one of Marylebone’s modern emblems. The rooms are charming, elegant and cosy, providing everything you need and expect from a 5-star hotel with a touch of sober glamour. The real stars of the show, though, are the incredibly popular and impossible-to-book Firehouse restaurant and The Ladder Shed bar. But reserving a room might make it easier to get a table at their coveted eatery where you could find yourself sitting opposite the next big thing in British cinema, some undetected foreign aristocrat, or even David and Victoria Beckham. Most importantly, you could finally get to try their popular mini crab doughnuts that seem to have the whole of London under their spell.
Wellness
This small wellness centre combines Japanese and Western methods with holistic therapies to bring clients a sense of balance and relaxation. The treatments range from classic massages and facials to reflexology, acupuncture, aromatherapy and even craniosacral therapy. For first-timers, we suggest starting with Chi Yu’s Japanese Cosmo facial, which combines a massage with facial reflexology, acupressure and lymphatic drainage to detoxify, energise and nourish the skin, leaving you glowing after only thirty minutes. Chi Yu means ‘healing’ in Japanese, and the idea of healing the body, mind and spirit before any aesthetic concern is primordial for the team, making this wellness centre a little slice of zen in the middle of the busy city.
Sometimes, we need to nourish our souls, other times, we just want to feel chic and put together, and, in this case, nothing beats a new set of nails. One place you can always rely on for any nail needs is Townhouse. Located minutes from Marble Arch, this Marylebone salon is spacious and elegant, boasting enough space to host a whole nail party if you feel so inclined. Dedicate one hour to yourself before dashing off to explore Marylebone’s endless boutiques.
Anatomē is the ultimate wellness destination in the neighbourhood. After having enjoyed a day of treatments and pampering, it’s time to take care of your long-term health. As we all know, true wellbeing starts from the most basic habits, nutrition and sleep, and Anatomē has most of it covered. A lovely staff member will welcome you in their modern apothecary on Chiltern Street and ask you a few questions to understand your concerns and find the best products to support you through your health journey. Anatomē offers a limited number of product lines, still all are targeted to the specific problems that are most important for our wellbeing, such as sleep, hormonal balance and gut health. From this autumn, the brand is also organising workshops on various topics, like sleep health and menopause, to further help their clients reach their best, most balanced selves.
Fitness
Are you seeking a fun, high-intensity class to unwind after a long week? Then put your boxing gloves on and look no further than KOBOX. The tagline ‘where fight club meets fight club’ could not be more appropriate. For fifty minutes, you will be jumping, punching, ducking, and squatting, all to the rhythm of dance music, with strobe lights included. The atmosphere is electric, and you will feel like you are in the perfect place if you want a class that pumps up your endorphins while working every single muscle in your body. After the effort, you can always grab one of their delicious smoothies to regain some strength. If you are not quite sure if this is for you, the intro offer of four classes is only £49, while the monthly unlimited subscription starts from £160.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner, this is THE club you need to join if you are looking to meet like-minded people, join a community or simply find a way to hold yourself accountable and step up your running game. Tracksmith, the Boston-born sports brand, organises an array of free events weekly for runners of all levels. You can join one of their running groups on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and stick around after the workout to enjoy coffee, pastries or bananas and maybe even meet some new running buddies. These well-organised, inclusive and fun community-led events will add friendly competition to your running routine.
The most coveted pilates class in London could only be in Marylebone. And what’s a better way to start your day than working on your core in a lovely 5-star hotel? Nobu Pilates is the ultimate address for newbies and Pilates girlies alike. Nobu Pilates’ Creative Director Marsha Lindsay’s technique has London’s elite hooked. A-listers Maya Jama, Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts and Rochelle Humes swear by it, and Marsha has grown a real cult following thanks to her results-driven programs. Classes start from £37, and a package of 10 group classes is £400, so on the pricier side, but the location and quality of the classes more than justifies the price tag. If you are in the mood to push yourself, you can even book a one-to-one class with Marsha and, after the effort, you can enjoy the studio’s terrace with a green juice in hand.
Eat
If there is something about the food offering in Marylebone, it’s that it will be impossible to be bored of it. The variety of choices in such a small pocket of the city is incredible, and the quality of the food scene is nothing short of spectacular. Uli, for example, is a sleek pan-Asian restaurant serving mouth-watering food inspired by Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Singaporean traditions with plenty of healthy options. Holding on to the taste of summer for as long as we can, we suggest ordering the Thai sea bass fillet, steamed with chilli and lemongrass, accompanied by a bang bang chicken or tofu salad and some fresh Vietnamese summer rolls for the most fragrant and delicious meal. During colder nights, curries, wonton soups and dim sums will hit the spot.
No London neighbourhood is complete without a local Italian eatery. On Marylebone’s Seymour Road, The Italian Greyhound is a bar and a restaurant open all day, serving simple and delicious Italian food in a relaxing yet chic environment. Sip a sober martini or one of their other lovely mocktails – the Calabrian is one of our favourites – on their terrace in the sun or in their cosy dining room and enjoy an Italian feast. We would start with a creamy burrata with grilled peaches (the fruit used changes depending on the season) and hazelnuts before the main event with the delicate sea bream accompanied by artichokes, tomatoes and olives or their rib eye steak with polenta and greens. For the ones with a sweet tooth, their pistachio tiramisu will be the perfect end to a fabulous meal.
Jikoni boasts a fabulous mix of flavours from the four corners of the world. Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and Britain come together at Jikoni and the results are succulent. The restaurant is just as perfect for a romantic dinner as a big happy lunch with family and friends, but we love it even more as an alternative brunch destination. Out with the avocado toast and in with a flavour-packed buckwheat dosa, flavourful aglio e olio butterbean, delicate prawn toast scotch eggs and the unforgettable chickpea panisse. If you still need to satisfy your sweet cravings, then the banana cake is the one to get.
Things to do
After Amsterdam and Barcelona, the hottest independent modern and contemporary art museum just opened in London, in the heart of Marylebone. A must-visit for all art lovers, Moco has an incredible collection of modern, contemporary, and street art with pieces by iconic artists like Andy Warhol, Banksy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst and lesser-known but equally remarkable Tom Wesselmann. Moco has three floors of incredible art to explore, just seconds from Marble Arch.
Independent boutiques
Chiltern Street is home to many lovely independent boutiques. From flower shops and small British designers to innovative wellness brands and cool concept stores – there are plenty of things to see and buy on Marylebone’s most charming street.
For the home, Niwaki is a Japanese craft heaven. The shop specialises in garden accessories, from ladders to buckets and secateurs, but also carries a selection of home goods and small accessories that include chef-level Japanese knives, waterproof bags and cool denim jackets. Since the devil is in the detail, you might want to give your kitchen more ‘pzazz’. In this case, Sabre is the shop for you. A space completely dedicated to cutlery where you can build your own set choosing from colours, materials and shapes on offer – a concept so chic it could only be found on Chiltern Street. The last stop is Grandirosa, a lovely florist that only sources seasonal flowers, to get a fresh bouquet and maybe a luxurious Trudon candle to bring the chic spirit of Marylebone to your home.
If you are looking for a little personal shopping, your first stop should be Isabell Manns for the ultimate sartorial luxury. Isabell created an independent British brand with sustainability at its core. All prints are designed by the founder and printed in Italy, but all products are made sustainably and ethically in the atelier shop in Marylebone. Most of her designs are reversible and, when producing, Isabel sticks to a zero-waste policy, meaning that every inch of fabric is reused to make accessories like headbands and scrunchies. Just a few steps away, Cox & Power jewels are something to be witnessed. Showcasing both their own designs and guest artists, Cox & Power offers a variety of styles while maintaining the idea that jewellery should be sustainably made with ethically sourced materials. From concept stores like Monocle and Mouki Mou and conscious brands like Monc Eyewear, there is so much to discover that it would be very easy to spend the whole weekend shopping!
words by Alessia Armenise