Area guide to Brompton: London Design Festival district curator on the hidden gems of this South Ken enclave

Jane Withers, curator of Brompton Design District, on how the neighbourhood is a vibrant cultural hub filled with secret spaces
Amira Hashish21 September 2023

Brompton has been a part of my life on and off for so long. I first got to know the area when I was a student doing my masters in Design History at the V&A and RCA. As the home of these institutions Brompton and South Kensington really is the cradle of design and design education.

When I was a student I rented a long, narrow attic in the roof of a big house on the corner of Lennox Gardens. It definitely hadn’t been renovated and you could only stand up in the centre. It was fantastic in the rain; drumming on the slate roof tiles.

Latterly I’ve had the chance to spend time here again to curate the Brompton Design District. Every September for the London Design Festival we put on a programme of temporary exhibits exploring experimental design staged in properties owned by South Kensington Estates.

Brompton Area Guide
Jane Withers at Cromwell Place, the new arts hub in Brompton
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

It has been a great way to explore the area and poke around in buildings all over the place.

Best eating and drinking

Ognisko, the Polish restaurant on Exhibition Road, is in a wonderful house with a terrace overlooking the square behind. I have so many memories of weddings and parties laced with vodka there. Tombo, a small Japanese cafe near South Kensington station, serves really good fresh salad bowls.

Brompton Area Guide
The Art Deco reading room at Institut Français, where you can also find Cine Lumiere and the Tangerine Café Bar
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

Tangerine Café Bar migrated to the Institut Français from the Chelsea Physic Garden. It’s a great place to eat before a movie at Cine Lumiere in the same building.

Where I work out

You will find me on the cycle path from Kensington Palace to the Serpentine; it has to be one of the most beautiful routes in London. I often detour to a statue I love called Physical Energy by George Frederic Watts, a rider on a horse where they seem to meld into one surge of energy, man as part of the cosmos.

For a culture fix

The V&A. I have known it since I was a kid, I studied there and subsequently curated exhibitions there. I love strolling through the galleries and discovering new things.

To commune with nature

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens offer nature on a grand scale, they feel so cosmopolitan. I love watching the different tides of people come and go through the seasons. Also, the roof garden of the Ismaili Centre is one of London’s secret gardens.

Brompton Area Guide
Jane Withers outside the V&A Museum
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

It’s in four parts delineated by water channels around a central fountain and draws inspiration from the Qur’anic Garden of Paradise. Watch out for the occasional open days, usually during Open House London.

Shopping

Bute Street is great for food, in particular Moxon’s Fishmongers. There is also the farmers’ market on Saturday morning that really showcases the French influence on the area. Head to Old Brompton Road and Brompton Cross for all the design stores including Cassina, Molteni, B&B Italia and The Conran Shop.

Brompton Area Guide
Bute Street in Brompton is a go-to for great food
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

Getting Around

I walk and cycle. I love poking around the squares and back streets.

Dream street

Reece Mews, where Francis Bacon lived and had his studio. The mewses in this area often have the remains of garages and old trades, which I like.

Something you only see in Brompton

I love the mix of institutions and odd entities hidden behind the white facades. Some are quite eccentric, such as the College of Psychic Studies dedicated to the study of psychic and spiritualist phenomena. I think Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was an early president. Or there is the Royal Geographic Society; possibly the only building on the planet with a bronze statue wearing mittens.

Brompton Area Guide
The roof garden of the Ismaili Centre is one of London’s secret gardens
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

What’s the catch?

A few too many places geared to tourists.

In three words

Design. Education. Eccentricity.

Jane Withers is the Curator of Brompton Design District hosting a programme as part of London Design Festival until September 24; bromptondesigndistrict.com. The 2023 theme is Conviviality – The Art of Living Together.

Schools

Brompton has several primary schools nearby rated outstanding or good, including Christ Church CofE and Oratory Roman Catholic. For secondary education, the immediate area offers only independent options. Queen’s Gate School is an independent day school for girls up to 18. Knightsbridge School is a mixed school that is also independent.

What it costs

Buying in Brompton

Average flat price: £1,910,200

Average house price: £3,999,270

Renting in Brompton

Average one-bed pcm: £3,520

Average two-bed pcm: £5,250

Source: Hamptons

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in