The Microhood: Westminster

What’s it got that we love?
Westminster – at least, that hallowed part of the borough around College Green – is home to a sensational sightseeing cluster that includes the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. These emblems together add up to a Unesco-listed World Heritage Site – so, not many residents, then?

Quite the opposite – lots of people live here. “Westminster has a lovely community and is prettier than you might think,” says Laura Wilcox-Chandley, head of sales at Savills Westminster. Stray beyond the power cluster and you’ll find yourself in film-set streets peppered with Queen Anne mansions. “It’s so beautiful,” Wilcox-Chandley says. “I often see tourists in quiet streets, amazed at what they’ve found.” 

There’s a quiet bustle here, with shopping on Victoria Street, music recitals at Smith Square Hall, world-class art at Tate Britain, and fabulous urban set pieces – the Mall, Whitehall and Buckingham Palace – on the doorstep. St James’s Park has been home to a pod of pelicans since the 17th century and Victoria Tower Gardens overlooks the river. It’s well trodden, but, says Wilcox-Chandley, “calm as well as central”. That historical weight is everywhere, from the Churchill War Rooms to the Changing of the Guard, Westminster School, which can trace its existence back to 1394, and the audible chimes of Big Ben. Imagine that as your alarm clock.

Hang out at…
The UnHerd Club attracts politicos for talks, bonhomie and food at its Old Queen Street Cafe. Also relatively new is the Onion Garden, a secret garden with a café and regular events. Traditional pubs include the Sanctuary House on Tothill Street, which specialises in pies, and the Speaker on Great Peter Street, which puts the accent on great beer. The Red Lion is a Whitehall classic and The Rubens at the Palace offers cocktails in a hotel bar. 

For dining, the Cinnamon Club is a modern Indian restaurant in the former Westminster Library. Snapping at its heels is Tiffin Tree. The Regency Café is in demand for its vintage looks and old-school fayre. Wilcox-Chandley recommends Chez Antoinette on Palmer Street and the Korean restaurant Ma Eum. Morning options include the Notes coffee barrow on Strutton Ground and Formative Coffee. 

How’s the shopping?
Westminster is close to Mayfair and Sloane Street, while Victoria Street has the Cardinal Place shopping centre, which also hosts a Curzon cinema. More special is the area’s lovely line in ecclesiastical emporia: Watts and Co and Hayes & Finch are the go-tos for cassocks and candles. 

Where to buy?
The Queen Anne and Georgian houses on Old Queen Street are renowned, and the mansions on Queen Anne’s Gate have glorious gardens backing onto St James’s Park.

“We’ve sold five in the past couple of years in the £10 million region,” says Wilcox-Chandley. Another prime area is Smith Square and its environs, including Cowley Street and Barton Street, where limited stock and a revered location command a premium. But it stacks up well against Mayfair, Belgravia and Knightsbridge. 

There are mansion blocks on Carlisle Place and Ashley Gardens, close to Westminster Cathedral. “These can be very large, and international buyers like their lateral layouts,” says Wilcox-Chandley. On a smaller scale, perhaps for a pied-à-terre, Savills recently sold a one-bedroom flat on Matthew Parker Street for £500,000. And historically significant estates such as the Millbank Estate and the Edwin Lutyens-designed Grosvenor Estate are always worth a look. 

LAURA WILCOX-CHANDLEY, HEAD OF SALES, SAVILLS WESTMINSTER
laura.wilcoxchandley@savills.com

Read the In Focus: Prime Central London – Autumn 2025 report