Piccadilly
Local Restaurants
Piccadilly an Epicenter Nightlife and Dining out in Central london. A lively place to let a flat if you don't mind a little noise and commotion.
Piccadilly Circus connects to Piccadilly, a thoroughfare whose name first appeared in 1626 as Pickadilly Hall, named after a house belonging to one Robert Baker, a tailor famous for selling piccadills or piccadillies, a term used for various kinds of collars. The street was known as Portugal Street in 1692 in honour of Catherine of Braganza, the queen consort of King Charles II of England, but was known as Piccadilly by 1743. Piccadilly Circus was created in 1819, at the junction with Regent Street, which was then being built under the planning of John Nash on the site of a house and garden belonging to a Lady Hutton. The circus lost its circular form in 1886 with the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue.
The junction has been a very busy traffic interchange since construction, as it lies at the centre of Theatreland and handles exit traffic from Piccadilly, which Charles C. B. Dickens, son of Charles Dickens, described as "the great thoroughfare leading from the Haymarket and Regent-street westward to Hyde Park-corner" and "the nearest approach to the Parisian boulevard of which London can boast."
The Piccadilly Circus tube station was opened 10 March 1906 on the Bakerloo Line, and on the Piccadilly Line in December of that year. In 1928, the station was extensively rebuilt to handle an increase in traffic.
Because of its proximity to Soho, the Circus was a significant meeting point in the underground history of homosexuals in Britain, especially as a focus for prostitution and informal encounters. When Alfred Kinsey visited London to study English sexual attitudes, he immediately asked to be taken on a sexual tour of Soho. The world around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square astounded him. Comparing London to the Hispanic sexual cultures of central America, Kinsey claimed that he had never seen so much street prostitution, except in Havana.
The intersection's first electric advertisements appeared in 1910, and from 1923 electric billboards were set up on the facade of the London Pavilion. Traffic lights were first installed in August 3, 1926 at the junction.
The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus was erected in 1893, to commemorate the philanthropic works of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. During the Second World War, the statue atop the Shaftesbury memorial fountain, The Angel of Christian Charity, was removed, and was replaced by advertising hoardings. It was returned in 1948. When the circus underwent reconstruction work in the late 1980s, the entire fountain was moved from the centre of the junction at the beginning of Shaftesbury Avenue to its present position at the southwestern corner.
Recommended restaurants around Piccadilly, W1J:
Fakhreldine (Located on Piccadilly)
85 Piccadilly, W1J, (Middle Eastern Cuisine)
5 minutes to the North East
Nowhere near the Edgware Road - London's Lebanonese outpost - but Fakhreldine serves up a delightful array of meze. A neat blend of modern and traditional, the restaurant overlooks Green Park.
Pret A Manger (Located on Piccadilly)
84 Piccadilly, W1J, (Cafes and Delis)
6 minutes to the North East
Pret sells up market fast food, hand made from natural ingredients, to take away or eat on site, in its trademark no nonsense chrome interiors. The menu includes imaginatively filled sandwiches, sushi, salads, soups, and deserts.
Nobu
Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, W1K, (Japanese Cuisine)
3 minutes to the West
This restaurant is a little over-hyped and very pricey; it’s advisable to book a table well in advance. The setting is very stylish indeed, at the top of the Metropolitan with views over Hyde Park, and the service is exemplary.
Al Sultan
51 Hertford Street, W1J, (Middle Eastern Cuisine)
3 minutes to the North
Another excellent restaurant in the Shepherd’s Market area, Al Sultan is nearly as good as local rival Al Hamra, but not quite. The menu is extensive and full of great dishes, notably the tableh and shawarma and fantastic lamb from the grill.
Al Hamra
31 Shepherd Market, W1J, (Middle Eastern Cuisine)
4 minutes to the North
This long-standing favourite in a prime position on the charming Mayfair enclave that is Shepherd’s Market, is a first class place that offers a truly memorable feast. The best items on the menu are traditional Lebanese fare like tabbouleh or labneh.
Le Boudin Blanc
5 Trebeck Street, W1J, (French Cuisine)
4 minutes to the North
A charming, superior French bistro that has been a well-loved feature of the Shepherd’s Market for many years. Le Boudin is expensive and you must book early, but for an authentic slice of French indulgence you can’t do better in London.
Tamarind
20 Queen Street, W1J, (Indian/South Asian Cuisine)
5 minutes to the North
Tamarind is one of the capital’s most impressive restaurants, a real treat for anyone with an interest in the variety and surprises that Indian cooking can hold. Head chef, Alfred Prasad, is a master of his craft.
Caffe Nero
50-52 Curzon Street, W1J, (Cafes and Delis)
5 minutes to the North East
Nero is probably the best of the Capital’s coffee shop chains. Offers a wide range of authentic Italian coffee in a pleasant relaxed environment. Snacks include sandwiches, Italian wraps, hot panini, soup, pasta and pastries.
Kiku
17 Half Moon Street, W1J, (Japanese cuisine)
5 minutes to the North East
Great sushi and sashimi are prepared before your eyes in a separate bar upstairs at this top-quality Japanese restaurant in the heart of Mayfair. The a la carte menu is extensive and tempting.
The Dorchester
54 Park Lane, W1A, (Afternoon Tea)
8 minutes to the North West
Winner of the Tea Council’s award for the Best Afternoon Tea in London for 2000 and 2002, this hotel has been a byword for style and comfort for over 70 years.