Fun Things To Do In Holland Park: West London's Exclusive Neighbourhood

If you have heard of Holland Park but want to know what to do there, what fascinating sights you'll discover, and where to eat, drink, and shop, this blog post will answer all your questions.

Before we start, let me tell you why Holland Park in West London is a great place to visit. It is home to one of London's most stunning public parks, unsurprisingly called Holland Park. Several museums are here, from arts and crafts houses to the Design Museum, and it's a stone's throw from the royal and trendy hotspots of Kensington and Notting Hill.

So come along with me as I take you on a deep dive into Holland Park and share my experience of this affluent and historic Kensington and Chelsea neighbourhood with you.

Take a stroll through leafy Holland Park

The 55-acre public green space is in the heart of this city neighbourhood, close to Holland Park tube station on the Central Line.

A grand Jacobean mansion called Holland House once stood in the park owned by Lord Holland. The Grade l listed mansion ruins, mostly destroyed in WWII, are now the backdrop of the Holland Park Opera. In the early 17th century, before the change in ownership, Holland House was called Cope Castle, owned by Sir Walter Cope, the Chancellor of the Exchequer to King James l.

Fun fact: The first dahlia flowers ever to be grown in England were planted in the 19th century by Lady Holland in the garden at Holland House.

Take a moment of reflection in the Kyoto Garden

Even though I was born in London, this was the first time I had visited Holland Park, and I was thrilled by its beauty.

The park is a glorious place for a leisurely stroll, from the tranquil Japanese Kyoto Garden with its Koi carp pond, waterfall, and red and green Acer trees and Fukushima Memorial Garden to the rose garden awash with colour and scent. If you are lucky, you might see one of the resident peacocks roaming around the park.

In spring, the Dutch Garden comes alive with a burst of colour in the form of tulips while wisteria tumbles across the stone walkway, making the park a pretty place to visit all year round. There are large areas of woodland to walk in. I loved the tranquillity in the park, a reprise from the hustle and bustle of the nearby busy London streets.

Daisy Green Cafe is in the park and has outdoor seating. If you have children in tow, the Holland Park playground offers them a place to have fun on a zip wire, giant seesaw and climbing frames. There are also tennis courts, so don't forget your racquet if you enjoy outdoor sports.

Visit Leighton House Museum

Holland Park has a couple of secret gems to discover; one of them is the Leighton House Museum. The house at 12 Holland Park Road was the home and art studio of the renowned Victorian painter Frederic, Lord Leighton. I wasn't expecting to walk inside and see an interior more in keeping with an Arabian palace than a West London home, but that's precisely what happened.

Turquoise wall tiles, ornate decorations, and a fountain greeted me in what Lord Leighton called his Arab room. Upstairs, a similar cornucopia of colour, sculptures, and paintings was an assault on the senses. From its drab frontage, Leighton House hid its fantastic interior very well, and after taking tea and cake in the extensive garden, I was happy I had stumbled upon this treasure in Holland Park.

Visit Sambourne House

Like the incredible Leighton House, this property was built in the Arts and Crafts era and is a prime example of a Victorian house that has been left much as its owner intended. See the furniture, ornaments, art and the William Morris wallpaper that hangs on the walls, a nod to the favoured decor of this period.

Visit Cosmic House

Built between 1978 and 1983 in a somewhat different genre from Leighton and Sambourne, this radical post-modern Holland Park home is open from April to December. Cosmic House is at 19 Lansdowne Walk; opening times and pricing details can be found on the Cosmic House Website.

Take a peek at Holland Park Mews

The 18th/19th-century Holland Park mews were once stables. The external staircases, which once led to servant quarters, are an outstanding feature of the mews. Now converted to des-res accommodation, these unique Holland Park properties have a hefty price tag between £2 - £4 million per property. You can walk through the much-photographed stone arch that leads to the mews, but please respect the residents' privacy.

See Holland Park's Arts and Crafts Houses

As a Londoner, I am familiar with most of London's neighbourhoods and the architecture in each one, from mansions to townhouses and mews. This was my first time in Holland Park, so the house designs here surprised me. I discovered why they looked so different while I was in the Leighton House Museum.

Some of the houses were built for members of the Holland Park Circle in the late 1800s. This group of distinguished creatives, from sculptors and painters to illustrators and writers, built their houses/studios close to one another to enjoy high society life. With their air for creativity, the vast properties all differed in style, from those with circular turrets to rooftop glasshouses, decorative balconies, and long windows. All the houses enjoyed extensive gardens, which is a rarity in London, and is why these properties are now so expensive.

Pop into the Design Museum

I stumbled upon London's Design Museum while walking through the park toward the Kensington High Street exit. This is the place to visit to discover multiple design facets. There are always different events at the museum, so check the Design Museum website to see what suits you.

Who lives in Holland Park?

Holland Park is a leafy London suburb favoured by pop, film, stage, and sporting celebrities with the wealth to own one of these prestigious London houses. Famous residents over the years have included Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, David and Victoria Beckham, and Sir Michael Winner. One of the neighbourhood's most famous residents is Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), who has lived in Tower House, a Gothic Revival mansion, since 1972. He famously outbid the late David Bowie to have the house, which he has spent decades restoring to its former Victorian glory.

The area also attracts international buyers who enjoy the finer things in life, from houses to local amenities.

Eating and drinking in Holland Park

Belvedere Restaurant is in the heart of Holland Park, in a historic building dating back to the early 1800s. It was once a coach house and stables, then a ballroom and orangery, and finally, the Belvedere Restaurant, which attracts the illustrious West London crowd. Enjoy Mediterranean fine dining in eclectic surroundings.

Moving on to the tree-lined Holland Park Avenue, it is a place to stroll, people-watch, and shop.
Boujie boutiques, hip cafes and restaurants, beauty parlours, and traditional British pubs are on one side of the street. Huge white mansions, tucked away behind locked gates, line the other.

There are plenty of places to eat in Holland Park. You can enjoy lunch at Julie's modern French restaurant or have Greek plates and wine at Vori. Treat yourself to handmade chocolates at Melt, artisan gelato at Unico, or fresh pastries at Buns from Home. Afterwards, sip on a cider at The Mitre or The Castle, two Holland Park pubs worth visiting.

What else is there to do near Holland Park?

A short walk will take you to Kensington Gardens, home to Kensington Palace. The Serpentine Lake and Gallery, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain and the Diana Memorial Playground are also here.

You are only a hop, skip, and jump away from the famous streets of Notting Hill, which features cherry blossoms in spring, colourful mews houses, and the most photographed blue-fronted bookshop, the inspiration for the bookshop in the film 'Notting Hill'. For shoppers, one of London's oldest markets is on Portobello Road, where eclectic fashion mixes with bric-a-brac and London-inspired paraphernalia.

Search for short-stay accommodation near Holland Park

So that's my lovely round-up of the best things to do in Holland Park. I hope it inspires you to visit one of London's most affluent and interesting neighbourhoods.

Please PIN For Future Travel To London

If you have enjoyed reading this, you will find my other London blog posts of interest to you:

26 Unique Hidden Gems in London You Won’t Want To Miss

14 Historic London Landmarks

Best London Walk: Tower Bridge to Westminster Bridge

Christmas Lights in London: Festive Guide by a Local

10 Best London Afternoon Tea Experiences

5 Unusual and Unique Places to Eat in London

5 Best Immersive Dining Experiences in London For Culture Vultures

Chelsea In Bloom: London’s Must-See Free Annual Flower Event

Battersea Power Station Lift 109 Review

Visit St Dunstan in the East: London’s Charming Church Garden

If you are travelling to Europe in Spring and want to see tulips, my blog post on Keukenhof Tulip Garden in Holland is a good read.