Let’s discover Pimlico, a charming residential area. Here, no long, noisy High Street or busy crowd bustling through the shops. In Pimlico, the atmosphere is more private, a pleasant and quiet neighbourhood where shops, local businesses and restaurants enliven the daily lives of residents (Warwick Way, Wilton Road, Tachbrook Street, Churton Street). 

Pimlico has much to offer, starting with its location: 

  • To the north, Victoria, an entirely restored  and modernized district, very designer and lively with restaurants, shops, theaters and a transport hub with access to the underground, national trains, a bus station, and the Gatwick Express service which runs to Gatwick airport, 
  • To the south, the Thames with the Thames path where you can stroll, walk, jog as you wish, 
  • To the east, Westminster, a vibrant tourist district and cradle of British institutions and its many government buildings 
  • To the west, Chelsea, an upscale district of London with the famous elegant shopping artery of King’s Road, the Saatchi Gallery, and the Royal Court Theater among other points of interest, 

 

Pimlico is therefore very well placed. 

The architecture of the area is not to be outdone. Elegant, it reflects, in many streets, the intervention of architect Thomas Cubitt in the 1820s, commissioned by Richard Grosvenor – Second Marquess of Westminster – to develop Pimlico. Today, Pimlico offers a varied architectural style: long rows of white Victorian stucco mansions, houses with Georgian facades and colorful doorways, post WWII buildings (which are not the most attractive) and of course the iconic and imposing Dolphin Square – built in the 1930s and which at the time was the largest building complex ever built in Europe with a shopping arcade inside. Dolphin Square has been for more than 80 years a “mythical” address where politicians, spies (MI5 is not far away, just across Vauxhall Bridge Road), notables and businessmen among others have come and gone. Winston Churchill lived there. General de Gaulle had his Free French government based there. Today, in addition to offering beautiful apartments, you will find a very nice spa for moments of relaxation, as well as a restaurant and a gym. The interior gardens with the famous dolphins of the fountain make it a haven of peace. 

Pimlico also attracts families due to the proximity of primary and secondary schools, some of which are rated outstanding by OFSTED (Pimlico Primary and Pimlico Academy). It is also a good option for professionals looking to be close to Westminster and Victoria among others. From a practical point of view, you will also find numerous doctors, dentists, opticians as well as the private Lister Hospital. Another significant advantage: property prices are lower here than in neighbouring districts and rather attractive given the central location of the district. 

And there is more. Pimlico is also very well served by public transport: 

  • The underground (the Victoria line gives direct access to the District and Circle lines or to the Northern line via Stockwell) 
  • The many buses will take you to Covent Garden, Marylebone, London Bridge, Canary Wharf, etc. 
  • National trains from Victoria station: Thameslink, South Western Railway, South Eastern, access to Gatwick Airport via the Gatwick Express. 

 

 If you like walking, you will be able to walk to the parks that surround Pimlico (the green spaces that you will find in Pimlico are squares, charming but not very large). You’ll be spoiled for choice: Ranelagh Gardens (in Chelsea), St James’ Park, Green Park, Hyde Park. 

 

You get it: Pimlico has everything to please those attracted to a peaceful neighbourhood but with everything else in the immediate vicinity. On the cultural side, you will see below that Pimlico has nothing to envy the surrounding neighbourhoods’ offer either. 

The best addresses and activities to discover in Pimlico and its immediate surroundings: 

For food enthusiasts 

  • Pimlico farmer’s market / Orange Square – Pimlico Road: Take time to go to the market on a Saturday morning 
  • Tachbrook street market: market gardeners and street food stands from Monday to Saturday 
  • Pubs: there are about twenty in Pimlico. Quite impressive compared to the expanse of Pimlico. You’ll be spoiled for choice: Warwick, Constitution, Prince of Wales, White Swan … 

  For the pleasure of the eyes and the mind: 

  • Tate Britain: It is part of the network of Tate galleries in England with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network. It opened in 1897. Here you can admire an important collection of British art starting from the Tudor era. 
  • Victoria Apollo Theater: it produces concerts and musicals. The theater was originally a cinema in 1930. It was transformed into a performance hall in the 1970s. 
  • Visits of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral 

 Time out and shopping: