Baker Street Apartments

Stay here in Marylebone Village and there’s no need to wander far to experience London’s allure. You’re a few minutes’ from Oxford Street, a stroll away from a West End show, and a short tube ride from any city sight you’ve always longed to see. If sophisticated shopping lured you to London city,

If it’s high-end you’re after, and no less than the best brand names will do, on nearby New Bond Street you can pick up a Prada handbag, or spend the afternoon browsing tempting displays at Gucci and Chanel. But Marylebone High Street has enough exclusive fashion boutiques and gift shops to satisfy the staunchest shopping fan. Cath Kidston sells her successful range of striped and sprigged homeware here, and Toast has a timeless easy-wear clothing range that won’t mind being crammed into a suitcase.            

There’s nothing like some serious shopping for working up an appetite and in Marylebone you could sampling every world cuisine. For the best Chinese in London, Royal China Club gives classic Chinese dishes a modern twist, in an elegant setting that’s perfect for an intimate evening. In a large central aquarium, fish and assorted crustaceans create a talking point, before they appear on your plate along with a selection of Dim Sum. Add wine from more than a hundred bins, or choose from forty different types of tea, all stored in a traditional tea chest behind the gleaming granite bar.

Close to home and more casual, Tommi’s Burger Bar sits on a corner at 30 Thayer Street – locals say it’s the best burger joint in London. Burger tours are a new trend for local foodies, with several taking in Tommi’s on the trail of the ultimate bun-and-burger experience. And with a burger, fries and soda combo coming in at under a tenner, Tommi’s could be the best cheap eats option in the city.

Sophisticates will enjoy the sumptuous Marylebone Hotel, where business customers preen, posture and prop up the bar until the early hours. A separate door leads to 108 Marylebone Lane, the hotel’s restaurant, a cut above the corporate, with a range of tempting modern British dishes. Ingredients are sourced from the best of London’s suppliers: meat from The Ginger Pig in Borough Market, cheese from La Fromagerie, and sausages from Biggles, all favourites of choosy locals. 

You’ll need such hearty fare to sustain you for Marylebone’s attractions. Sherlock Holmes fans make a beeline for Baker Street; Madame Tussaud’s on Marylebone Road is a crowd-pleaser. Few can resist a souvenir photo with a replica Royal or a famous world leader, and the Spirit of London cab ride takes you on a tour of London’s past.

For genuine city history, Marble Arch is steps away, and when you just want to go with the flow, there’s a choice of Royal Parks. Hyde Park has lawns just right for a long lie down on a warm day; Regent’s Park has London Zoo and calming canalside walks. You’re close to Westminster too, for those icons that grace every postcard – the Big Ben clock tower, Houses of Parliament, and splendid Westminster Bridge.

If you’re taking in everything on your holiday tick-list, build in time to sit and breathe. Marylebone comes with beautiful formal squares: Manchester Square, Cavendish Square, and magical Paddington Street Gardens, tucked away behind the High Street in almost- secret spot.

You could spend your whole visit here uncovering Marylebone’s secrets, and fall under the spell of London’s enchanting appeal. Full-on fun or long unhurried evenings; Christmas lights on Oxford Street or crisp autumn leaves in Hyde Park – this city has magic whatever the season. One stay in Marylebone might not be quite enough.