A Story of Home Fitzrovia Area Guide
Once considered a bit of a no-man’s land between Marylebone and Bloomsbury, this trendy district of London’s West End has certainly blown up in popularity over the last 10 years.
The area has a rich bohemian history with writers Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw and Arthur Rimbaud once calling these streets home. Today it is popular with creatives, media types, A-Listers and anyone who wants to be in the midst of the London buzz, with bars and hot-ticket restaurants on their doorstep.
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE
After their success in Exmouth Market, King’s Cross, and Bankside, Caravan opened their newest venue on Great Portland Street, Fitzrovia. The building was an old Radio 1 recording studio and Caravan have incorporated this history into the design. You can find an extensive record room in the basement next to the private dining rooms.
What we love the most about Caravan is the coffee and delicious pastries that you can either eat in or take-away from the counter on the ground floor.
Caravan, 152 Great Portland St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 6AJ
STEEPED IN TRADITION
Demartino is a traditional Italian restaurant loved by locals and celebrities alike, serving wholesome Italian food from all regions in Italy. Along with their daily specials and extensive pasta dishes, they have a wide selection of fresh fish and meats cooked to perfection by their talented young chefs. We love the photos of the celebrities that have visited over the years.
Demartino 196-198 Great Portland Street, Fitzrovia, London W1W 5QF
HONEY TO THE BEE
A few minutes walk from Caravan, you will arrive at Honey & Smoke. Described by the owners as “a big, buzzy grill house with room enough for everyone who wants to eat with us. We serve our favourite Middle Eastern grills here: lamb kofta and chops, whole fish and slow-cooked octopus, charred cauliflower and aubergine.” We love it!
Honey & Smoke, 216 Great Portland St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 5QW
“An oasis in the heart of the West End. Located on Newman Street this cocktail bar is filled with flora and fauna collected from all over the world.”
DESIGN JUNKIES
A very interesting museum and library is located on Portland Place at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). If you want to know more about architecture, RIBA offers tours of its historic building as well as letting members of the public access its library highlighting the best designs from the United Kingdom and around the world. Being lovers of architecture this is one of our favorites.
The Royal Institute of British Architects,66 Portland Pl, London W1B 1AD
LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING LAGERS
Film producer Guy Richie is an influential resident of the Fitzrovia community. A few doors down from his magnificently refurbished townhouse sits his welcoming pub, Lore of the Land. Co-owned by David Beckham, and stocked by the Gritchie Brewing Company, Lore of the Land is a beer lovers type of pub. A rustic yet stylish restaurant sits on the first floor and is an ideal spot for a Sunday roast. Definitely one of the best in town!
Lore of the Land, 4 Conway St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 6BB
SINK THE PINK
The Punch Room at The London Edition is one of London’s top cocktail bars. The reservations-only venue has classic wood panelling with comfortable lounge seats and offers ten different cocktail choices as well as other mixed drinks. The reason we love the Edition, is the pool table in the hotel’s reception. A great place to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.
The London Edition, 10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP
TAVERN WITH SOME SERIOUS HISTORY
It is widely believed that Fitzrovia was named after the Fitzroy Tavern which has been located in the neighbourhood since 1883. It first began as a coffeehouse and has seen some pretty famous patrons over the years from poet Dylan Thomas to infamous occultist Aleister Crowley. Definitely worth stopping by.
Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2LY
GREEN FINGERS?
Mr Foggs House of Botanicals is an oasis in the heart of the West End. Located on Newman Street, this cocktail bar is filled with flora and fauna collected from all over the world. The bar is spread over two floors with hanging ivy on the ground floor, antique horticultural prints on the ceiling and a greenhouse-style enclosure above the stairs. Expect to find botanical-inspired cocktails from a Victorian inspired menu.
Mr Fogg’s House of Botanicals, 48 Newman St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1QQ
OVER AND OUT
Perhaps the only major landmark in London to be protected by the Official Secrets Act, British Telecom Tower was a sophisticated radio tower when it opened in the 1960s. Many of the radio dishes and antennas have been removed since then as our communications needs have changed, but the building still serves as an iconic piece of the London skyline. Closed to the public since the 1980s, it does open occasionally as a ticketed event, so be sure to keep an eye out for one of these special Open House weekends and visit the most iconic place in Fitzrovia.
60 Cleveland St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 4JZ
“It is widely believed that Fitzrovia was named after the Fitzroy Tavern which has been located in the neighbourhood since 1883”
INSTAGRAM HEAVEN
If we had to use one word to describe Circolo Popolare it would be enchanting. Minutes after walking in to this sister restaurant to Shoreditch’s Gloria, you will be picking your jaw up off the floor. It has an enchanting feel, illuminated by candles, garden lights and 20,000 bottles bottles lining the walls. Oh, and there’s an enormous tree at the back of the room, just for fun.
Circolo Popolare, 40-41 Rathbone Pl, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HX
COCKTAILS & DREAMS
As you enter Waeska bar at The Mandrake you are immediately drawn to the collection of treasured artefacts, objects and priceless artworks, sitting behind the expansive labradorite bar. You are soon drawn by the list of ethnobotanical cocktails, created by the expert team of in-house mixologists. The cocktail menu is founded on ethnobotany – the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. Waeska’s evolving menu of cocktails will surprise and tempt you in equal measure.
Waeska bar at The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1PG
