Americans love London, at least in theory. They have images of The Beatles and Shakespeare and Princess Diana in mind, fantasies of gambolling past Sherlock Holmes on Baker Street, arm-in-arm with Mary Poppins, pickin’ a pocket or two, boy… only to arrive here and find it’s now all Five Guys and American candy stores.
Yet, still they come and indeed are coming in greater numbers. While there is some renewed Trump effect (Beauchamp Estates say there was a 20 per cent uptick in wealthy Democrats buying properties here) but also simply because London’s reputation as a place to live continues to grow. London was named the world’s most popular destination for 2025 at Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards, taking over from Dubai because of its “culinary scene and rich arts and heritage offering”.
The New York Times also recently named east London as one of best 25 places in the world to visit in 2025, citing as evidence the new East Bank cultural centre which opens in February with Sadler’s Wells East with V&A East soon to follow.
But where do they hang? Well, it’s fair to say that Americans are looking for that authentic ‘Brid-ish’ experience, meaning traditional experiences of the most cliched style. Which is fair enough: it’s all baseball and hot dogs when we pop the other way.
Greenwich remains a hot spot, according to TripAdvisor, with the pie and mash and liquor-obsessed Americans particularly keen on Goddards Pie and Mash shop on St Williams’ Walk near the Park.
And here’s the thing, Americans love the history of an Old Country like ours but what they’re most interested is a (literal) taste of more traditional working-class London oik fare. So it’s not about the Cutty Sark or the Naval College in Greenwich, it’s more about jellied eels and the pubs.
Going to see the football — the lower the league the better (as seen with Ryan Reynolds’ purchase of Wrexham FC, who were non-league at the time — or cricket at the Oval, is a must. But everything leads back to the pub in the end (they catch on fast, these Yanks).
In fact, if you want to spot an American celeb in London, they’re probably at the bar in your local. A few years back Tom Cruise was pictured sharing a, er, wine with David Beckham at The Cow in Notting Hill. Art scene enfant terrible Vincent Gallo likes to hole up in the basement of Soho Guinness pub, The Toucan, though remains sipping water.
Speaking of Soho Guinness pubs, the Americans, along with everyone else, are now obsessed with The Devonshire, where the best pint of the black stuff is sold and where celebs can be spotted sidling behind the bar to the room at the back. The likes of Margot Robbie and Jon Bon Jovi have been spotted there in recent months.
Along with pie and mash, fish and chips are a big thing. Melanie Todd who runs the Sunny in London site for American expats, says: “If someone asked me recommend the one place in London that the most American celebrities have visited for food, without a doubt it would be The Seashell of Lisson Grove in Marylebone. They have a long-standing reputation for outstanding fish and chips and are very proud of their celebrity clientele. You might say they have a similar reputation to Sardi's in New York City.” Lady Gaga caused paparazzi mayhem when she paid the place a visit, and Demi Moore has been photographed in there recently. Exciting times in the chippy world.
Prime London property agent Peter Wetherell insists that London is actually simply a collection of villages: – “Mayfair is a village, Belgravia is a village…” – and that this is part of the appeal to Americans. The idea of moving to a specific area of London and pretty much sticking there. This is most evidenced in Notting Hill, which he says has a leafy feel with gardens that they love and where, “properties sell to Americans as soon as they come up.”
He says, “the Americans aren’t coming, they’re already here,” with the trend going beyond Democrats fleeing Trump. In fact, the big trend at the high end is young hedge fund types and tech bros splashing their new money around. Blackstone are moving into a new office building on Berkeley Square. Famed New York architect Robert Stern – “he’s like a god in New York,” says Wetherell – is building a massive new development in Mayfair for the Caudwell scheme.
The Americans in these environs they don’t care about massive rises in stamp duty, they want to live in a legacy area where there’s cocktail bars, high-end restaurants and exclusive members’ clubs. Buying property in London is not an investment, it’s a lifestyle choice.
There are Americans without millions to their names, and Kalyn Franke, who runs the Girl Gone London YouTube channel, says Kensington and Bloomsbury are where the younger, student population gather – “You’re almost guaranteed to hear an American accent if you’re walking in those areas” – though she says if you want to find them on a night out head to the bar/restaurant Passyunk Avenue in Fitzrovia: “It has Philly cheesesteaks, macaroni and cheese, and tons of sports paraphernalia.”
The more upwardly mobile American workers with families may well be working at Apple HQ in Nine Elms, or Google HQ in Kings’ Cross, but they don’t want to live in those areas.
Marco Previero, Co-Founder & Head of Research at R3Location says: “When relocating to London, American buyers often gravitate toward the city’s most affluent neighbourhoods, prioritising areas with a strong sense of character and identity... While many Americans move to London for professional opportunities, it's not surprising to note that areas like Nine Elms and Kings Cross — despite hosting Apple and Google — have not emerged as prime residential or investment hotspots for this demographic.”
Americans want old school London charm. They want Mary Poppins charm. They want leafy English village charm. They want St John’s Wood.
This is where the private, independent American School is based, which is a huge draw for Home Alone-style wealthy families. Alumni of the school include Kathleen Turner, Stuart Copeland and, er, Steve-O from Jackass. But St John’s Wood also has the pull of its leafiness, its English village feel and the presence of British celebrity royalty like Sir Paul McCartney, a few Rolling Stones and Harry Styles. No wonder north London is the place of choice for visiting superstars like Taylor Swift (who was househunting there) and Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, who frequented the Gatehouse Pub in Highgate.
For such types as this, London is where it’s at in a way not seen for 100 years. Wetherell says: “It’s going to be the Roaring Twenties all over again.” Just with a bit less jazz and a few more fish and chips.
