This high-end, upscale residential area is filled with 19th century homes and moves at a slower pace than most central London neighbourhoods. Let’s explore.
Well known for its lush garden squares and Regency architecture, Pimlico has long shaken off its stuffy reputation and become one of the coolest parts of the capital.
It has also become a hub for post-work crowds, partly down to its location, but also because it has a lot to offer in terms of chic restaurants and old-school pubs.
From Tate Britain and the surrounding architecture to a handful of genuinely unmissable restaurants, here’s the best of what Pimlico has to offer.
Around the neighbourhood
Tate Britain
Not too far from Pimlico Station and situated along the River Thames is Tate Britain, easily one of the best free things to see nearby and one of the capital’s top art galleries.
You could lose a few hours here mesmerised by outstanding British artwork. Another draw is the building itself, a genuine maze of grand pillars, different rooms to choose from and myriad staircases, try not to get lost.
One of the best things about visiting galleries is the shop, right? Check out the Tate Britain shop for souvenirs, and treat yourself to a cake from the café while you’re there.
Wander Pimlico’s prettiest streets
Pimlico is home to some of London’s prettiest streets, get your phone at the ready, they’re genuinely photogenic.
If you’d like to see Pimlico in all its colourful glory, head to Eccleston Square Mews and Warwick Square Mews. The cobblestone streets are lined with old stone churches, historic pubs and pastel-coloured doors, each making for a great backdrop.
Also close by is Tachbrook Street, with its Victorian buildings and plenty of places to stop for lunch along the way. And don’t miss St George’s Square, Pimlico’s grandest garden square, laid out in the 1840s and the only one in the area that actually opens directly onto the Thames.
Tachbrook Street Market
Open Monday to Saturday, Tachbrook Street Market rivals the more famous Borough Market for great grub, and has done since 1867.
Expect everything from fresh meat and sweet treats to hot dishes spanning Türkiye, Lebanon and Italy. The artisan vendors make this market pretty special, there’s a lot of smiling and chit-chat from the stall owners.
Fair warning: you will want to eat everything.
Breakfast at the Regency Café
Pimlico’s most famous greasy spoon very nearly didn’t make it. The Regency Café, a proper art deco diner that first opened in 1946, closed at the end of 2024 when its long-time owners put the business up for sale, genuine local heartbreak at the time.
It’s since reopened under new ownership with plans to expand further, the kind of comeback story that’s rare in London’s current restaurant scene. Go for a proper fry-up in a genuinely historic room, and don’t expect anything fussy, that’s exactly the point.
Cambridge Street
Housed inside the quirky boutique hotel Artist Residence, Cambridge Street is a genuine neighbourhood hangout, a café, restaurant, cocktail cellar and terrace all rolled into one all-day, all-purpose venue.
By day, feast on stacked pancakes and sip coffee on the terrace while you watch the world go by. By night, head down into the basement cocktail cellar, cocktails here are themed around famous artworks, so you might land the Titanic or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo if you’re feeling adventurous, before the bar and restaurant come alive upstairs with neon signage and seriously good vibes. If you’re eating, the soft shell crab burger has genuinely great reviews, and it’s easy to see why.
Eating and drinking
Grumbles
Long-standing bistro Grumbles has been serving Pimlico hearty food and a good time for over 50 years.
The interior looks much as it did five decades ago, oak tables, black and white photos on the walls. The all-day menu serves a blend of French and British classics, and if you have a sweet tooth, the dessert menu is the real draw, a genuinely tough choice between Eton Mess and Crème Brûlée, order both if you can’t decide.
On Sundays, there’s only one thing on our minds, Sunday roasts. Choose from three courses and tuck into cream of leek and potato soup, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, then finish with lemon soufflé and lemon coulis.
About Thyme
A genuinely good modern European restaurant sits right in the middle of the neighbourhood, and here’s why you should visit.
For a slice of the Mediterranean in central London, About Thyme has the decor down to a tee, ambient lighting fills the dining space and white tablecloths line the tables, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d landed in Barcelona.
Choose between a selection of tapas dishes, or opt for a whole main to yourself if sharing isn’t your thing. The roasted monkfish is a genuine highlight.
Pimlico Fresh
Looking for somewhere to grab a light lunch in Pimlico? Pimlico Fresh is an Australian-owned café serving fresh, healthy food.
You’ll find all kinds of breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes here, including a properly good avocado toast topped with eggs and whatever extras you fancy. Or swing by for a mid-afternoon coffee and cake.
The Marquis of Westminster
Set along Warwick Way, an enclave of pubs, The Marquis of Westminster is one of our favourites.
The ground floor bar has a mix of seating from large tables to cosy booths, a popular spot for after-work regulars, so expect it to be lively on weeknights. Upstairs is a restaurant serving elevated British pub classics, bangers and cheddar mash, beer-battered fish and chips with minted mushy peas, that sort of thing.
The cocktail menu is also a genuinely compelling reason to visit, the Maple Pecan Old Fashioned is a particular favourite of ours.
The London x London Take: the Regency Café’s comeback and Cambridge Street’s evolution into one proper all-day venue are the two things that have genuinely changed here since we last properly looked at this piece, book Cambridge Street for an evening that runs from dinner to cocktails without moving rooms, and save the Regency Café for the following morning’s fry-up.
Practical tips
- The easiest way to get here is via the Victoria line. Pimlico is the official Tube station, though when exploring the northern part of the area it’s often easier to walk from Victoria.
- Tachbrook Street Market is closed on Sundays.
- Saatchi Gallery is sometimes described as Pimlico-adjacent, but it’s genuinely a 20-minute walk away in Chelsea, worth knowing before you build a route around it.
