Introduction
West Kensington is a quiet residential neighbourhood occupying the W14 postcode district, situated between Hammersmith, Holland Park, Shepherds Bush and Fulham.
Made up of several prominent areas, families and well-heeled retirees tend to favour the Brook Green area of West Kensignton, which is filled with elegant mansion blocks and substantial period houses and home to both St Paul’s Girls’ School and the Ecole Française de Londres Jacques Prévert. Over the last decade, West Kensington has become populated with a plethora of independent restaurants, boutiques and cafes, particularly along Blythe Road. North End Road, which runs from the KensingtonOlympia exhibition centre down to Fulham Broadway, offers a more eclectic mix, with traditional pubs and Indian restaurants interspersed with art galleries and vegan cafes.
West Kensington is very popular with undergraduates and graduate students thanks to its proximity to the ImperialCollege campuses and the easy commute via Piccadilly line from Barons Court to central London universities like King’s College, the London School of Economics and University College London. There are large Antipodean, American, French,Mediterranean, Italian and Spanish populations and over half of WestKensington’s residents are qualified to degree-level, giving the area a diverse and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
£806,000
average property price
£652 per week
average rental price
Property market
West Kensington enjoys all the benefits of theWest London lifestyle while remaining more affordable than some of its neighbouring boroughs. Property prices averaged £805,627 in 2024, compared with an average price of £2,190,589 in Holland Park according to Rightmove. Average rents are relatively high at £652 per week according to Foxtons thanks to consistently high demand. Prices in West Kensington are currently around 12%below their 2016 peak, meaning now is an ideal time to snap up undervalued property investments in this area.
The £1 billion regeneration of KensingtonOlympia that is now nearing completion is significantly improving the local area and is likely to lead to an increase in property prices. Thomas Heatherwick, the design luminary behind Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, has designed the masterplan, which will see the creation of 550,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of restaurants and bars, hopefully drawing millions of pounds of investment and consumer spending to the neighbourhood. LondonRichmond purchased a beautiful two bedroom duplex apartment close to Queens tennis club in West Kensington and after completing a 2-month refurbishment, let the property to a professional couple for 3-years.
Things to do
Kensington Olympia is set to be London’s newest cultural landmark and a destination for art, education, entertainment, music and dining, as well as home to the major trade shows for which it is famous. Once completed there will be two performance venues – the AEG-runOlympia Music Hall and Olympia Theatre, which will be London's largest new purpose-built theatre in almost 50 years – hosting a thrilling programme of drama and live music that will draw thousands of visitors a night to the area.
Leighton House is a little jewel box of a museum with a stunning collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by the likes ofJohn Everett Millais, Edward Burne-Jones and George Frederic Watts. Open to the public every day except Tuesdays, the museum is famous as much for its elaborate Oriental interiors as for its art. The breathtaking two-storey ArabHall, inlaid with thousands of tiles collected by Frederic Leighton (the house’s original owner) during visits to the Middle East, has been featured in various films, TV shows and music videos, including ‘Gold’ by Spandau Ballet.
For drama fans, The Curtains Up pub on Comeragh Road has a hidden gem nestled in its cellar vaults. Intimate venue theBarons Court Theatre was founded in 1991 and has just 60 seats wrapped around its stage, giving every member of the audience the thrill of being up close and personal with performances. Their regular improv nights are a white knuckle ride for spectators and performers alike and a real breeding ground for new talent.
“West Kensington enjoys all the benefits of the West London lifestyle while remaining more affordable than some of its smarter neighbours”
Shopping
Residents of West Kensington are fortunate enough to live a short walk or bus ride from two of London’s retail meccas:Westfield White City and Kensington High Street. The former is the largest shopping centre in Europe and offers a massive range of brands catering to every taste and need, from Apple to Zara. The luxury retail area The Village has a selection of designer shops to rival Bond Street, including De Beers,Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu. There are also dozens of great places for a pitstop in case you get a sudden hankering for a flat white, a bubble tea or an artisanal frozen yoghurt.
For those who prefer to shop in the fresh air,Kensington High Street has maintained its long-established status as one ofLondon’s premier shopping high streets over the decades, with teen-friendly offerings like Urban Outfitters and H&M mixing with more grown-up stores like COS and Marks & Spencer. The old department store Barkers ofKensington is now occupied by a vast and thriving brand of Whole Foods Market.It has also become a genuinely pleasant place to stroll since a recent experiment in ‘shared space’ design (enabling pedestrians to cross wherever they like instead of at designated crossings) has slowed traffic, reduced accidents and enhanced the atmosphere and air quality.
Pamper and exercise
The boutique K West Hotel & Spa is a favourite with the movers and shakers of the music and media industries and is currently undergoing a £45 million refurbishment, due to complete mid-2025. Its elegant new spa will include a hydrotherapy pool, herbal steam room,Scandinavian style sauna, steam and sanarium, foot baths and London’s first‘s now paradise’, a hot-cold experience that will make you feel completely refreshed and rejuvenated. Their K Fit gym will also be fully renovated and ready for guests and members to work up a sweat.
For exercisers dedicated to achieving visible results, the F45 Training at Kensington Olympia merges three cutting-edge fitness training styles into one 45-minute functional training class. Each session combines the proven benefits of high-intensity interval training(HIIT), circuit training and functional training in order to tone, sculpt and strengthen.
For wonderful hair cuts, colour and treatments, The Loch on Blythe Road is one of the neighbourhood's best kept secrets (though it was recently named one of the best hair salons in London byHarper’s Bazaar, so it’s advised to book ahead!). Founded by two former Aveda creative directors, the salon is a light, airy space where the focus is very much on the craft and science of haircare – expect forensic attention to detail, whether you’re there for a seamless balayage or a specialist cut for curly hair.
Dine
If you can’t decide whether you fancy a tuna avocado hand roll, a croque monsieur or a Full English, Espress-Mo and next door sister establishment Sushi Novu have all of your lunch and brunch bases covered. Local regulars and visitors from events at the nearby Olympia centre love this independent institution’s super friendly staff and wide-ranging menu packed with fresh, and delicious options. Everything is halal by design and the team is very sensitive and flexible when it comes to catering to other dietary requirements.
Blythe Road, which runs between HammersmithRoad and Shepherds Bush Road, has a fabulous variety of international cuisines. Pentolina is a beloved neighbourhood Italian with elegantly rustic interiors serving up traditional Italian mains – the stew of braised pork shoulder and figs is a must – and an excellent list of regional wines. Chez Abir is a family-style Lebanese restaurant that’s always filled with happy groups working their way through huge sharing plates of mezze, lamb kibbeh and stuffed vine leaves.And Real Thai offers fantastic authentic Thai food in a clean modern setting, from tom yum soup to massaman curries. Try the ‘Weeping Tiger’ dish, a succulent fillet of marinated grilled sirloin with a sweet, hot and salty dressing and steamed rice.