Escape the mayhem in Marylebone Village
Image Credit: Alexey Fedorenko
Escape the city without leaving London. We discover the delights of Marylebone Village.
Nestled between Regents and Hyde parks with Mayfair and the West End on the doorstep, Marylebone is slap bang in the midst of some of the busiest parts of London, yet when you slip off Oxford Street and wonder into Marylebone Village you discover a rather delightful haven away from the hustle and bustle.
Marylebone comes to life at this time of year with sprinkles of Christmas elegance. Once you’ve battled your way through the mayhem of Oxford St you will welcome the tranquillity of Marylebone Village.
There are many ways to get to Marylebone, with Edgware Road, Marylebone, Baker Street, Great Portland Street, Marble Arch and Oxford Circus all surrounding Marylebone’s main residential, shopping and hospitality areas. Once you reach Marylebone high street, there’s no shortage of things to do with high end fashion boutiques, book shops, bars and restaurants. It’s a laid back yet civilised high street, with none of the chaos of Oxford Street to contend with. It truly does feel like a microcosm of civility away from the madness.
Step straight off the high street into the delightful ‘Home’ bar and restaurant, which is adorned with hanging plants and flowers from the walls and ceiling. The drooping wisteria leaves may be plastic, but it doesn’t detract from the experience, it’s a very cool place for a bite to eat and a drink. Expect to meet Home’s ‘chief in charge’ Lazarus who sets a pretty ferocious pace in the front of house and all the team seem thrive off his energy, with a very slick table service even when busy. Lazarus’s passion spills into the room with great food, drinks and an all-round great service offering, you really can’t go too wrong here for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The highly recommended chocolate and hazelnut donuts are to die for by the way!
There are many bars and restaurants to suit all moods and occasions. 31 below is a great spot on the high street for cocktails and the Coach Makers Arms is a great spot for a lively after work beer or two.
Where to stay, there’s no shortage of places to set up camp for the night and as you would expect of an affluent district of London there are some pretty swanky places to stay! If you’re going to stay in Marylebone, then there really is no better place to stay than the Marylebone Hotel. It’s a five-star residence which takes the microcosm vibe of the Village to the next level with a wonderfully welcoming and chic hotel.
Time seems to stand still here and it exudes understated luxury and elegance whatever time of the day it happens to be. Rooms range from the modest to the rather extravagant suites. Our room was perfect in every way with one of the comfiest hotel beds I’ve slept in and possibly the best nights sleep I’ve had in a hotel for some time.
The hotel has a fantastic bar and restaurant. The Cocktail bar has a relaxed vibe and offers some interesting signature cocktails. The 108 brasserie is stylish and refined and whist we only had breakfast (which was fantastic) it was looking extremely welcoming in the evening with outdoor seating on the street adding a continental vibe.
There’s a really comforting and understated feel to The Marylebone Hotel. The staff were all excellent, with fast and efficient check-in and check-out.
There’s none of the ostentatious fuss that comes with many high-end hotels, but this doesn’t detract from the luxurious experience.
It really was a delightful place to stay, and the perfect escape for anyone looking for somewhere special to spend and night or two!
Image Credit: Alexey Fedorenko
The evening is really when Marylebone comes into it’s own. There’s a hubbub but it’s not imposing.
We ate at Aubaine, a French restaurant chain on Moxon Street (Just off the high street). They also have restaurants in Mayfair, Notting Hill, Brompton Road, Selfridges and a Deli in Covent Garden. With a stylish French bistro feel with rattan chairs and a modern twist of the classic French bistro look. The food is much better than I expected of a chain restaurant. The Stone bass with cannellini bean stew was to die for, as was the Hake with spiced lentils.
Other things to do in the area
You could lose yourself for a weekend just pottering around Marylebone, but it’s within easy access to Regents Park, The British Museum, Soho and Covent Garden. Notting Hill and Portobello Rd are also within a short Uber or couple of stops on the Circle line.
The Marylebone Hotel
47 Welbeck Street,
London,
W1G 8DN
0207 486 6600
marylebone@doylecollection.com
https://www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-marylebone-hotel/
Home Restaurant
79 Marylebone High St,
London,
W1U 5JZ
https://homemarylebone.com/
Aubaine
7 Moxon Street,
London,
W1U 4EP
Marylebone@aubaine.co.uk
https://aubaine.co.uk/marylebone-restaurant-menu/
