Victoria is much more than just a train station.
While it is certainly one of London’s main transport hubs, this small patch of the city is increasingly becoming a destination in its own right. Sandwiched between Belgravia, Chelsea, Pimlico and Westminster, the area is home to some excellent pubs, world-famous theatres and no fewer than three Michelin stars.
So rather than whizzing through it on the Undeground, clamber up out of the tunnels and sample some of the excellent offerings to be found only a stone’s throw from the station.
This is the complete guide to going out in Victoria.
Restaurants
Market Hall, which opened in November 2018, is the new culinary hub of the area. It’s taken residence within the old arcade that sits right next to Victoria station, and is now packed with some of London’s finest, most eclectic street food traders. There are 13 incumbents in total, ranging from fish and chips supremo Kerbisher and Malt, to the Roti King offshoot Gopal’s Corner. There’s also a small bar, serving a range of beers, spirits and soft drinks.
There are some real stars to be found elsewhere — quite literally, with the Michelin guide listing three Victoria restaurants in its latest edition. A Wong was first awarded its Michelin star back in 2017 for its elegantly finessed approach to Chinese cooking, inspired by the country’s various regions. The Taste of China menu is a particular marvel, taking diners through dumplings, peking duck, seabass and beyond. It’s only available in the evening but a lunchtime trip comes highly recommended, especially for those fond of dim sum.
Another Michelin star is to be found in the Dining Room of the Goring hotel. It’s a grand old place, loved for its superb wine and loving approach to quintessentially British dishes. There is lots of meat on the menu, from beef Wellington to Salt Marsh lamb, as well as a fine selection of seafood, such as the glazed lobster omelette and rock oysters — each bite speaks volumes of the century or so of experience behind this place.
Finally, there’s Quilon, a star within London’s booming Indian food scene. The dishes are expressive and delicately composed with an unmistakably personal touch, all thanks to chef Sriram Aylur. It’s largely inspired by south west coastal Indian cuisine, with standouts including the signature halibut curry, or the spiced Mangalorean chicken. Fancy a beer? There’s a whole tasting menu dedicated to pairing it with food.
Lorne has an understated, intimate feel to it, making it seem like a real neighbourhood restaurant, rather than one just a stone’s throw away from the hubbub of Victoria station. The decor is Scandi-inspired, with a clean, refined yet still homely aesthetic to it. The food is a perfect match — innovative and relatively inexpensive, with dishes making effortless jumps between Britain and the rest of Europe. Co-founder Katie Exton is a sommelier, so take time pouring over the huge wine list.
Naughty Piglet is one of the best food spots in Brixton, and its sister restaurant can be found inside the Other Palace Theatre in Victoria. The Other Naughty Piglet serves up small plates, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be left wanting — the portions are generous and the food itself hugely satisfying. Expect a colourful blend of flavours and inspirations, taking you from Korean BBQ to Devonian crab by way of creamy Italian burrata.
Any Boisdale joint — whether that be this one in Victoria, or the branches in Bishopsgate, Mayfair and Canary Wharf — promises a lively night out, with much more than just the food to enjoy. It puts on live jazz six nights a week, which is the perfect soundtrack to the food. It's broadly British but with a distinctly Scottish leaning — roasted loin, roast haggis and the like. Make the most of an excellent whisky offering, too.
For a taste of Italy, head to TOZI, which specialises in Venetian cicchetti — small plates, in other words. Meats and cheese dominate, showcasing all the wonderful things you can do with the simplicity of those two ingredients, but it’s well worth dipping into the menu for pizzas and pastas, too. The vibe of the place is friendly and casual, which makes sense when you know that the restaurant’s name is Venetian slang for a group of pals.
Those with a carnivorous inclination should make their way to M Victoria Street, part of the popular M Restaurant group. The steak is the star of the show here, cooked to perfection and balanced with all the flavour you would expect. The smaller bites also deserve your attention, not least the smoked wagyu tartare. It all comes at a hefty price, but you most certainly get what you pay for.
Aster brings together the culinary styles of France and the Nordic nations with aplomb, crafting dishes that make you wonder why the two haven’t gone together all along. There are other European influences in there too, but you can easily spot the Scandi classics, such as meatballs and lingonberry jam. It all comes beautifully presented.
Another winning fusion comes in the form of UNI, this time combining all the flavours of Peru and Japan. The food is vibrant, full of complementary textures and styles, with a particular focus on fresh fish. The menu ranges from moreish tapas dishes to ceviche, bento boxes and sashimi.
Hai Cenato is the ninth restaurant to be opened by the prolific Jason Atherton in just six years. Proving that it’s not a case of quantity over quality, this place focuses on hearty Italian comfort food — and boy does it deliver. The pizzas are devilishly moreish, beguiling with their fluffy bases and sumptuous toppings, while the risottos and pastas are done to perfection. Be sure to head to the bar, the Drunken Oyster, for a tipple afterwards (more information on that in the Pubs and Bars section below).
Pubs and bars
Bag O Nails is a welcoming corner pub, always alive a mix of tourists and office workers who have clocked out for the evening. It’s a lovely winter pub — cosy and welcoming — and doesn’t tend to get too busy (at least not as busy as some other drinking holes in the area).
The Albert feels like a blast from the past. It's a Grade II-listed building and retains many of its Victorian features, which means it stands rather incongruously among its modern surroundings. That’s all part of the charm though. Head inside and you’ll find characterful interiors and an excellent selection of beers and ales.
For a particularly cosy drinking experience, head to The Cask and Glass. Inside, it’s only big enough for a small bar and a handful of tables, which finding a spare seat is rare. Not to worry, though, as the friendly staff and welcoming vibe of the place make it a great option to stop off for a brief libation.
Another superb corner pub, the St Georges Tavern is a smart place, with comfy sofas, sophisticated exposed-brick interiors and a dependable mix of cask ales. It’s a pretty big place, meaning it attracts the usual mix of tourists and thirsty office workers. There’s a decent selection of real ale here, too.
Colonies is also popular with the after-work crowd — thanks mainly to its beer garden, which is always a busy gathering place during summer. There’s also a heated smoking area for when the temperature plummets later on in the year. The beer range is good, stocking plenty of craft and ale options, with a decent wine list too. If you’re feeling hungry, then the classic pub grub comes recommended.
Unfussy and unpretentious, the Shakespeare is a perfect spot for a pre- or post-train pint, located right next to Victoria station. There are no particular thrills to the drinking experience here, and it can get quite noisy at peak times, despite its huge size. But it’s a solid boozer and when you’ve got a train to catch but the thirst comes calling, it’s a good option.
Despite its name, the Marquis of Westminster is actually further down towards Pimlico — but is still only a short walk from Victoria. It’s a welcoming place, with a stylish wood-panelled dining room that serves up some delicious pub classics. For drinks, there’s a wide selection of beers, but the wine list and cocktails shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Away from the traditional Victorian boozers and instead offering a taste of Bavarian drinking culture is Munich Cricket Club. It boasts a impressive range of beers from the region, with eight draft options and seven bottled offerings, as well as some traditional dishes — the slow-roasted pork knuckle is a real winner. Providing the musical accompaniment is the venue’s in-house oompah band.
Greenwood is a classy sports bar — not two things that you’d necessarily put together, granted, but this place manages to pull it off. The interiors are a peculiar mix of old and new, with bookcases juxtaposed against slick metal beams. It’s packed with TV screens that show a broad range of sport, from football to boxing. The food is crowd-pleasing and executed well, offering up a range of burgers, pizzas and other comforting favourites.
Eating at Hai Cenato? The Drunken Oyster, the bar that sits atop the restaurant, is the ideal spot to head to for an after-dinner tipple (or, perhaps, even before you eat, seeing as the happy hour runs from 4-8pm). The star of the show here are the Spritzes, which are all on tap — no need for messing around with all that pesky mixing, then. The decor is sleek and electric.
One of Victoria’s most prestigious hotels, the Goring, is the best place to head to for a sophisticated tipple. The Bar and Lounge at the Goring is a luxurious affair, replete with red, gold and yellow finishes, chandeliers and hanging portraits. It feels like a time capsule, a preservation of a more opulent past. The champagne list will rival the very best of them and while there is plenty else on the menu, covering wine and cocktails, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by avoiding the bubbly.
Vagabond has five branches across London, including this one in Victoria. It has more than 140 wines to sample by the glass, sourced from all over the world. Keep an eye out for the guided tasting events that it regularly hosts if you want to boost your reputation as a wine buff.
Coffee shops and cafes
If you’ve spent any length of time on Instagram over the past few years, you will probably have seen somebody posting about Peggy Porschen. The supremely snappable cafe has been filling up Insta feeds for some time now, thanks to its pink, floral facade and cutesy interiors. Luckily, the food stacks up, too — its scrumptious cupcakes are some of the best in London.
For more cake-based goodness, head into the English Rose Cafe and Tea Room. It’s the kind of place that will delight the tourists — Union Jack teapots, tiny red telephone box ornaments and the like — but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided by Londoners. Quite the opposite, especially if they fancy a delicious cream tea.
For a caffeine hit, Sourced Market is a fine place to start. It’s a spacious spot with plenty of long tables, working well for people who want to hang around and work on laptops while they enjoy their drink. It regularly rotates its featured roasters, meaning there’s often something new to try.
Timmy Green is a big, airy place that is great for coffee — and a whole lot more. It’s inspired by Australian cafe culture, which means it boasts a relaxed vibe alongside hearty, healthy food. Brunch is served until 3pm on weekdays and until 4.30pm on weekends, with the smashed avocado on toast a real winner.
TomTom, meanwhile, is one for the enthusiasts. It sources its beans from all over the world, and roasts all of its produce on site — giving each cup a noticeable freshness. The espressos are among the best in the area, but any of the caffeinated delights on the menu are worth a try.
Music and nightlife
Live music and clubbing isn’t exactly in plentiful supply in Victoria. Boisdale, the Scottish restaurant, is probably your best bet, putting on live jazz six nights a week — and the shindigs often go on well until the wee hours.
Arts
Victoria’s arts scene is dominated by its theatres. The Victoria Palace Theatre leads the pack, thanks to its star production: the ever-popular Broadway smash, Hamilton. A Grade II-listed building with beautiful, grand interiors, it’s got real form when it comes to hosting killer productions — before Hamilton, it was home to Billy Elliot for 12 years.
Elsewhere, the Apollo Victoria Theatre boasts another one of London’s stage heavyweights, having run performances of the musical Wicked since 2006. It’s a huge place, tailormade to host these kinds of blockbusters.
The third notable venue in the area, the Other Palace Theatre, might seem to live in the shadow of the other two, but it is certainly worth a visit. Rather than one flagship production, this place puts on a variety of shows, from improvised musicals to comedy.
Most Instagrammable spots
Peggy Porschen
The Goring hotel
Victoria Palace Theatre
And one more thing…
For a month or so in 1764, the great composer Mozart moved with his family into 180 Ebury Street, Victoria. While he was there, he battled an illness which left him mostly housebound. To pass time while he recuperated, he composed his first two symphonies — naturally. There’s a plaque outside the house commemorating his time spent there and, just down the road, you can find a statue of the man himself.
How to get there
Tube: Victoria (Victoria line)
Rail: Victoria
Bus: 2, 11, 16, 24, 35, 38, 44, 52, 73, 82, 148, 170, 185, 211, 436, 507, C1, C2, C10
