Guide to the Prettiest Streets in London
Pastel-coloured rows of terraced houses, quaint and historical mews, vibrant shop fronts on famous streets, magnificent views of St Paul’s Cathedral, bold squares and googly eyes on front doors; here’s everything you need to know to visit the 21 prettiest streets in London.
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Your first thoughts of London may be the glitzy skyscrapers of The City, the bright lights of Soho, the bustling theatre district of the West End, the boozy brunches and the swanky bars. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll find some of London’s best colour and charm in the most unexpected places.
One of our favourite things to do in London is explore the charming and colourful streets. Quintessential crescents, charismatic squares, bold-coloured streets, quaint lanes and historical mews make up some of the best parts of London and we’re here to share them with you.
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Below is a map of the 21 prettiest streets in London and we’ll then share a bit about each, the closest Underground stations and everything else you need to know including the best time to visit, the best way to get around London’s prettiest streets, top tips and more.
Contents
Prettiest Streets in London
Lancaster Road
Kicking off our list of London’s prettiest streets is one of our absolute favourites, Lancaster Road.
Located in Notting Hill, like many on this list, Lancaster Road is one of the most famous streets in London. The vibrant rainbow-coloured houses are a favourite among photographers and influencers and it’s no surprise why.
Our top tip: the most colourful section is between All Saints Road and Basing Street.
Closest station: Ladbroke Grove
Goodwin's Court
Step back in time in this charming Georgian alley tucked away in the bustling West End.
Running between Bedfordbury and St Martin’s Lane, Goodwin’s Court is lined with gorgeous and well-preserved bow-fronted cottages dating back to the 17th century. Looking at historical photos, you can see that the court has hardly changed since then.
Although the streets on either end of the alley are very busy, when we visited Goodwin’s Court, no one else was there. This alley has remained hidden with no one really using it as a shortcut between streets.
For you Harry Potter fans, you may think that Goodwin’s Court looks familiar. It’s actually the inspiration for Knockturn Alley, however, it’s believed that the alley was too narrow to film in. You can learn more about this on a Harry Potter walking tour of Central London.
Closest stations: Leicester Square and Covent Garden
Portobello Road; one of the most famous streets in London
Located in the heart of Notting Hill is one of the most famous streets in London; Portobello Road.
This street of gorgeous colourful terraced houses and shops is home to the renowned Portobello Road Market; the largest antique market in the world!
With over 1000 dealers from antiques to bric-a-brac to fresh produce to clothing to secondhand goods and more, it’s no wonder this is one of London’s most loved landmarks.
The main days for Portobello Road Market are Friday and Saturday and from Monday to Thursday a smaller market runs.
If this street feels familiar, you can thank Richard Curtis’s Notting Hill where you see Hugh Grant walking down in the opening scenes.
Closest stations: Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill Gate
Kynance Mews
Kynance Mews is without a doubt one of the most beautiful streets in London.
Mews houses date back to the 18th and 19th centuries and were originally stables and carriage houses for the affluent residents of grand townhouses. Today, they’re some of London’s most sought-after properties tucked away in lanes and alleys offering a sense of tranquility within a bustling city.
Unfortunately for us, they’re well out of our price range but we can all dream!
Kynance Mews is also one of the best streets in London to visit during autumn when the street and entrance archway are blanketed with golden red leaves and in spring when wisteria hangs from the houses.
Closest station: Gloucester Road
Chalcot Square
The pastel-coloured houses of Chalcot Square make this one of the cutest streets in London.
A stone’s throw from Primrose Hill, one of London’s most beautiful parks, Chalcot Square is a must-visit. There’s also a small garden in the middle of the houses you can sit and enjoy the colourful view.
Closest station: Chalk Farm
Chalcot Crescent
Around the corner from Chalcot Square is the pastel-hued curve of Chalcot Crescent; one of the most beautiful streets in London.
Closest station: Chalk Farm
Neal's Yard
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden is one of the most colourful places in London; Neal’s Yard.
Home to a selection of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, Neal’s Yard is a great spot for lunch and to pick up some health and wellbeing products.
What was once one of London’s best-kept secrets is now a popular place for people to post on Instagram. If you’re only visiting to take a photo, we’d recommend coming early.
Closest stations: Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road
Saint Luke's Mews
Saint Luke’s Mews is an absolute gem and one of our favourite prettiest streets in London.
Saint Luke’s Mews is also one of the most famous residential streets in London again thanks to Richard Curtis as it’s where Andrew Lincoln declares his love for Kiera Knightley in Love Actually. The pink house to be exact.
This is another street we’d love to buy a house on, however, a 3-bedroom house will set you back almost £3 million!!
Closest stations: Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove
Hartland Road
Just around the corner from foodie heaven Camden Market is the charming Hartland Road.
The pretty pastel-coloured windows and bottom of the houses against beautiful pink flowers make this one of the most beautiful streets in London.
Closest station: Queen’s Park
Watling Street; one of the best streets in London
A different vibe to the majority of streets in this guide, however, Watling Street couldn’t be missed off the list of prettiest streets in London.
Tucked away behind the busy streets of The City is Watling Street; a narrow thoroughfare lined with historical pubs and shops and a magnificent view of St Paul’s Cathedral at one end.
Watling Street is also part of the ancient Roman road that led from Dover to Chester!
Closest stations: Mansion House, St Paul’s, Cannon Street and Bank
Conduit Mews
Located just a few minutes’ walk from Paddington Station is this tranquil cobbled mews lined with beautifully coloured houses making this one of London’s prettiest streets.
Closest station: Paddington
Bathurst Mews
A few streets from Conduit Mews is this lush green oasis of Bathurst Mews.
Residents put such great effort into their planting that in 2021, Bathurst Mews won “Mews in Bloom”.
Bathurst Mews also apparently has the last two remaining stables around Hyde Park. They hire out horses and serve as a reminder of what the mews would have been like in the past.
Closest Station: Lancaster Gate and Paddington
Kelly Street
Another of our favourite prettiest streets in London is Kelly Street in Kentish Town.
Kelly Street still remains largely off the social media bandwagon unlike the streets in West London so this is a great one to visit any time of the day.
Every house is a different colour and some have even painted their doors a contrasting colour to enhance the vibrancy. Kelly Street is definitely one of the best streets in London!
Closest station: Kentish Town West
Denbigh Terrace
Heading back over to Notting Hill now for this utter gem!
Just off Portobello Road, Denbigh Terrace is full of pastel-coloured houses and some of London’s most sought-after properties.
It’s become one of the most photographed streets in Notting Hill and is often full of people posing outside the houses. This may put you off but you can absolutely see why. Just make sure you arrive early morning.
Closest stations: Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove
Callcott Street
There’s a little cluster of streets that you’ll see now that are arguably the most beautiful streets in London and some of Notting Hill’s most colourful streets. We’ll share them separately but they’re next to each other.
Callcott Street is simply charming. Every house is a different shade of pastel and you may even be lucky enough to spot a vintage car!
Closest station: Notting Hill Gate
Hillgate Place
Around the corner from Callcott Street is Hillgate Place where the row of charming terraced houses continues and the colours become bolder and brighter.
Closest station: Notting Hill Gate
Farm Place
Farm Place is definitely one of the most colourful places in London and our favourite street amongst these three.
Every house is painted a different bright colour and who doesn’t want googly eyes on their bright pink front door?!
These roads are unsurprisingly the most popular Notting Hill streets to photograph so we’d recommend arriving around 7am.
Closest station: Notting Hill Gate
Holland Park Mews
Accessed through an intricate stone archway, Holland Park Mews is one of the prettiest streets in London. The colours are fairly subtle and muted and, for the most part, are only on the garages and doors.
This elegant mews is a 5-minute walk from Holland Park making it even more desirable.
Closest station: Holland Park
Norland Place
Norland Place is one of the most unique and vibrant colourful streets in London.
All the houses are bright blue which I think would give us a bit of a headache if we lived here! However, it’s lovely to come and photograph.
Closest station: Holland Park
Pottery Lane
Pottery Lane is without a doubt one of the cutest streets in London!
Peach-coloured houses draped in foliage give this street a really elegant and peaceful feel.
Closest station: Holland Park
Elgin Crescent
Lastly on our list of prettiest streets in London is Elgin Crescent.
The entire street is lined with beautiful rainbow-coloured terrace houses dating back to the 1800s. You’ll struggle to put your camera down!
Closest station: Ladbroke Grove
Well, that wraps up our list of prettiest streets in London; continue reading for everything else you need to know.
Everything You Need to Know to Visit London's Prettiest Streets
How to get around the prettiest streets in London
Many of London’s prettiest streets are within walking distance of each other, especially those in Notting Hill.
For those farther away, we’d recommend using Santander or Lime bikes. Cycling around London isn’t as scary as it sounds. There are cycle lanes almost everywhere and by bike you may stumble across some lovely gems you wouldn’t have seen on public transport.
Alternatively, you can use the Underground or buses. You’ll see the closest tube stations under each street above.
The best time to visit
Most of the prettiest streets in London are now very well known on social media so we’d recommend visiting as early as possible so you’re not having to fight for a good photo with hoards of others.
Some that aren’t super well known (at least for now anyway) are Goodwin’s Court, Norland Place, Chalcot Square and Kelly Street.
Where to stay to visit London’s prettiest streets
Don’t base where to stay in London on exploring the prettiest streets as they’re in different areas and you’ll have to travel around London anyway.
Saying that, however, Notting Hill is a great base if you’d like to be out of Central London but still within easy reach. Notting Hill also has some lovely parks, restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.
Some other great areas to stay in London are:
- The West End – within walking distance of the theatres with many great restaurants, bars and shopping. You’ll also be within walking distance of London’s main attractions and landmarks.
- Camden – a fantastic and vibrant area with an alternative scene. Great food and nightlife.
- Brixton – for its markets and exciting restaurants
- Greenwich – for a quaint village-y feel and a huge park with incredible views of Canary Wharf
- Hampstead – great if you fancy being out of the city’s hustle and bustle but within easy reach. You’ll also have the famous Hampstead Heath on your doorstep and you’re close to Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill.
Last top tips
- Please please please BE RESPECTFUL!! These are people’s houses, do not stand on their steps, sit on their walls or touch their properties in any way. People have damaged properties trying to get their ‘perfect photo’ – this is not OK!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to the 21 prettiest streets in London. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or get in contact and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more guides and updates in real-time.
Also, make sure to check out some of our other detailed London guides below.
