The 20 best things to do in Bayswater

Notting Hill’s rep as a brunchy destination has helpfully seeped into Baywater, and while there are a handful of good spots for a slap-up mid-morning meal, Sunday in Brooklyn is a standout. The deck-chair striped canopies shelter a corner of Westbourne Grove which is a surprisingly nice patch if you fancy eating al-fresco, but there’s a pretty sizable restaurant inside, too. The brunch menu is a mash-up of American classics and imaginative twists: think enormous pancakes or a don ruben omelette with mole sauce.

Its name might not leave much to the imagination but that does nothing to negate the charm of Bayswater’s iconic Queens Skate Dine Bowl. Boasting a 1,100 square-metre ice rink, a burger restaurant, and 12 bowling lanes, the Queensway fun palace has been a popular choice for generations of west Londoners’ childhood birthday parties. What’s more, this isn’t just any old all-year-round ice rink (although in central London, that is a rarity), but the oldest one in the UK, having been hosting skaters since it was built, way back in 1930, when it was founded by  entrepreneur and ice skating enthusiast Arthur Octavius Edwards. As well as standard ice skating sessions – by which we mean ‘slowly shuffling around the edges while clinging to the railings for dear life’ sessions – it also hosts skating lessons, ice curling sessions and even the ‘ice karting’.

A real local landmark, Baywater’s historic Porchester Spa is not just any old sauna and steam room set-up, but actually London’s oldest spa facilities, having first opened in 1929. The Grade II-listed building reopened in early 2020, restored to its former Art Deco splendour after an £800,000 refurbishment project. With an improved steam room, extended sauna, plunge pool, and three Turkish steam rooms (tepidarium, caldarium and laconium), the Westminster Council-owned spa is a well-equipped, no-fuss facility, with very reasonable prices if you’re after a treatment or two.

The Bayswater branch of this Levantine restaurant duo (which also has a location in South Ken) is sleekly and minimally decorated, but still a homely place to enjoy dinner. Its all-day, seasonal menu of boasts a colourful fusion of Levantine influences (think houmous, toasted feta, fritters and octopus) and a wealth of hearty, comforting dishes absolutely crammed with fresh, fragrant flavours and mostly designed to be shared. It’s also got a fair few vegan-friendly options, and most of the menu is gluten-free.

Despite London’s plethora of great boozers, plenty of neighbourhoods lack a local which still has a bit of buzz and atmosphere after 10pm. Not Bayswater, thanks to The Westbourne. This charmingly shabby, bubbly gastropub is a popular spot for an after-dinner drink, and is particularly lively on a Thursday and Friday evening. In the summer months, you can hear the street-side beer garden before you can see it, and drinkers stand and mingle out front, often spilling into the street. The south-facing position means the terrace has sun all-day long, making it a great day-drink spot, too.

One of a small chain of four venues spread across north and west London, the ‘Notting Hill’ brunch spot Beam – which technically falls within the vicinity of Bayswater – is best known for its Middle Eastern-inspired all day breakfast. Its signature ‘Beam benedict’ (a lamb patty doused in harissa hollondaise) is particularly good, while its lunch menu offers up a variety of flavour-packed wraps and flatbreads. It’s not just the food that you can feast on either - with its Scandi-style furniture and pretty tiled arches, this is one of the most eye-catching cafés in the area.

Hidden away in Hyde Park – right by the Victoria Gate entrance and the Victoria Lodge – this curious little spot is great place to swing by for a flavour of Victorian London. The cemetery actually came about by accident when Cherry, a maltese terrier, was buried in the grounds of lodge at the request of her family, who had befriended a park gatekeeper back in 1881. A couple more wealthy Londoners followed suit, and by 1903 when the cemetery closed, 300 graves had been placed in the spot. The cemetery isn’t technically open to the public, but visiting can be arranged for groups of up to six people in one-hour slots (for £60).

Hidden just round the corner from Bayswater tube station, this reasonably priced little restaurant and takeaway spot serves up seriously punchy Malaysian food. Its menu boasts hearty, spicy, unpretentious take on the childhood dishes of founders Med Pang and Koi Lee, which arrive quickly in generous portions. With friendly service and a homely, laid-back setting, Kopitiam and its Vietnamese sister, Med Salleh Viet (in Westbourne Park), are two great spots for a casual dinner.

The Cleveland Arms is a chic take on a classic British pub. Perched at the end of Gloucester Mews, just a five-minute walk from Paddington Station, it’s a lovely little tucked-away spot for some really tasty food. The menu is small but executed well, and the scotch eggs with curry mayonnaise are a must-try. Though the spot brands itself as a gastropub, it’s still a popular place for an after work pint in the week. Head here late in the afternoon and you’re guaranteed to be met with a friendly buzz of people overflowing into the street. 

Hear the phrase ‘small plates’ and you probably think bare brick walls, natty wine and a menu that basically just comprises of lists of ingredients followed by a number (‘tomato, peach, fennel pollen. 4.’). But this cosy family-run spot is the polar opposite of your average hipster small plates restaurant. Its homely, unfussy atmosphere is mirrored in its generous portions of comforting Cypriot home cooking. A smattering of Aphrodite’s plentiful starters would make a great small-plates feast, but the  beef stifado is pretty mega, too, especially when washed down with a bottle selected from its extensive wine list. It’s an endearing dinner spot beloved by locals (so we’d recommend booking in advance.)

It’s easy to miss Queensway Market, given how much its yellow façade blends in with the sea of London-themed souvenir shops which clutter Queensway, but the Bayswater market hidden behind it is surprisingly vast. Chock-a-block full of counters and stalls offering everything from computer, watch and phone repairs, to palm readings and beauty treatments, there’s plenty to discover on a mooch around, including eateries like a juice stall, Uzbek Corner, serving up hearty dishes from Uzbekistan, and a brilliant traditional Malaysian spot called Normah’s (we gave it a rare five stars in our recent review.)

With it’s bright, uncluttered interior, specialty coffee shop Tab x Tab is a lovely place to grab a coffee. Occupying a more spacious patch of the pavement and a menu of modern takes on brekkie classics, it’s also one of the better spots in Bayswater for an alfresco brunch with a side of people-watching. The kitchen shuts at 3pm daily, but stop by later in the day to sample a menu of imaginative cocktails, including a yuzu negroni and a ‘matchatini’.

It’s not like Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are highlights exclusive to Bayswater – they’re obviously bordered by some super-swanky neighbourhoods – but being by far the largest and lushest green space in the vicinity, they’re well worth an explore if you’re in the area. Enter the gardens opposite Lancaster Gate tube station and you’ll be greeted by the Italian Gardens and Café. You can then pick up the path alongside The Long Water, and pass by the Peter Pan Statue, which is one of the park’s four talking monuments (others include Achilles, Queen Victoria and Serenity) – just scan the QR code to find out more.

On a summery day you’ll find plenty of ice cream vans dotted around Hyde Park, but none of them can match Fentons when it comes to variety and inventiveness. Located next to the south-facing exit of Queensway station on Bayswater Road, this whacky little ice cream shop serves up obnoxiously bright scoops of soft-serve gelato and sorbet in a wealth of interesting flavours, and with a huge variety of sauces and toppings. Need to reward the kids for making it through that sweaty journey on the Central line? With apple sorbet, popcorn and even ‘unicorn’ flavoured ice cream on the menu, they’re sure to love this place.

Dancing on the border of Bayswater and Notting Hill is this pretty, classic pub. Its outdoor seating is a peaceful spot to enjoy a sunny pint, but one of the cosily-packed tables, surrounded by velvety red curtains and bunting, is my favourite place to perch in the winter months. Despite the pristine rows of houses that surround this place, the Cock & Bottle retains a friendly, welcoming rep, with weekly events like a pub quiz on Tuesday evenings and an open-mic on Wednesdays, along with more ad-hoc activities, like themed seasonal ‘sip and sew’ nights.

Founded by renowned Persian chef, the late Farshid Ziafat, this ever-popular restaurant in the heart of Bayswater has been serving up lovingly made traditional Iranian food since 1985. The menu features everything from Khoresht, traditional, slow-cooked stews to kebabs grilled over charcoal, Persian-style fish and a wealth of dips and salads, all presented with care by a team with huge pride in their cuisine. Though London’s food scene is wonderfully diverse, authentic Persian restaurants are a little hard to come by, but that’s not the only thing that makes this place a bit special. The restaurant is smart and bright, but is dotted with quirky little details, including a wall decorated with antique cutlery and lampshades made out of pasta servers.  

Quite unlike the uniform streets which characterise this patch of London, The Beachcomber – a tiki bar specialising in agricole rhums from the French Caribbean – can only really be described as loud. Loud in flavour, colour, atmosphere and texture, this animated place features decorated with palm trees, faux bamboo, wooden masks and colourful lighting, and is a great spot if you fancy trying inventive cocktails made using the UK’s largest collection of rhum agricole, plus other classic tiki ingredients like cachaça, coconut cream and guanábana. It also runs a lively programme of DJ nights, rum masterclasses and open mic evenings too.

You’ll find a cluster of second-hand shops on pretty much any local high street in London, but few will be quite as meticulously curated as the ones in Bayswater. Got an afternoon free for some bargain hunting? Start with the Royal Trinity Hospice and Good on Queensway for some immaculately-preserved leather jackets and the odd piece of Burberry or two (at prices a tad more competitive than Depop) before strolling along to Traid and Shelter Boutique on Westbourne Grove for wackier, bolder, and slightly more affordable rails of options.

Situated on a quiet Bayswater backstreet, Sol’s is an Iberian-inspired delicatessen and wine bar offering seasonal produce, cheese, charcuterie and pantry provisions to take away, alongside a solid list of low-intervention European wines, focaccia sandwiches, salads, and seasonal Mediterranean small plates. Stop by for a glass of Cotes de Provence rosé (and, if it’s on the menu, a little nibble of mothias-sur-feuille goats cheese drizzled with delicate, floral honey), or pack a novella and a picnic blanket in your coolest tote bag, swing by to pick up some posh picnicky bits and find a sunny patch of Hyde Park – which is less than five minutes’ walk away – for a posh picnic. 

With interiors that look like they probably haven’t been updated since the place opened in 1997, and prices that also feel like they’re stuck in the past, a trip to locally loved Bayswater restaurant The Bengal feels like stepping back in time. The dated decor serves to create a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere in which to enjoy generous portions of classic curry house fare. Whether you’re sitting in or ordering a takeaway, this is a reliable option for inexpensive, flavoursome dinner. I’d particularly recommend the  bhunas and jalfrezis, traditional Bengali dishes that really stand out on a lengthy menu.