   Belgravia
 
Situated between Knightsbridge and Chelsea, beautiful Belgravia is the salubrious and wealthy area which houses many of the capital's most eligible figures. Belgrave Square and its surrounding streets is also the location of many embassies. However, there can be few squares that can equal Eaton Square in providing accommodation for no less than three James Bonds! Like Mayfair, Belgravia is almost entirely owned by the Duke of Westminster, Britain's richest man. Row upon row of glorious period houses and pristine squares make up the majority of the area, but there are also a number of extremely exclusive shops, restaurants and attractive pubs. Sandwiched between many of the grand houses you can find charming cobbled mews containing smaller residences. Belgravia's greatest asset is its unchanging air of confident prosperity. Come fear, foe, fire or flood, the tall houses reflect money in their cream facades, the diplomatic limos line up in their special parking bays. Belgravia is expensive. For your money you get unrivalled ambience, discreetly excellent management of the whole estate, plus a position mid-way between Harrods and Buckingham Palace - and a short taxi ride from everywhere you would ever want to be. The key to Belgravia's charm is its change of scale, from minute and charming mews homes in their cobbled cul-de-sacs, through low-storeyed terraces to the gleaming grandeur of the set-pieces of Eaton Square, Belgrave Square and Chester Square. Central Belgravia is almost wholly residential. The Estate's policy is to use the fringes for offices and shops and hotels, but to keep the heartland free of commerce - unless you count embassies. Shops are to be found in a few streets: Elizabeth Street and Motcomb Street have the majority - and of course you can commission your furniture from Viscount Linley's shop among the galleries and antique shops on Belgravia's southern borders, around 'Pimlico Green' down on the Pimlico Road. There are a few discreetly hidden pubs in mews. But the rest is houses and flats. The area is very popular with foreign diplomats and business people. Due to the positive ghetto of embassies in and around Belgrave Square there is a plethora of police, including the always-armed Diplomatic Protection Group. This reassures foreigners. Belgravia is, on the whole, fairly quiet and not the sort of place you would undertake a raucous pub crawl but is a delight to stroll around on a sunny afternoon. BELGRAVIA RESTAURANTS GOYA BELGRAVIA - 2 Ecclestone Place, London, SW1 - Tel: (0)20 7730 4299 - Cuisine: Spanish KEN LO's MEMORIES OF CHINA - 67-69 Ebury Street, London, SW1 - Tel: (0)20 7730 7734 - Cuisine: Chinese LE CAPRICE - Arlington House, Arlington Street, London, SW1 - Tel: (0)20 7629 2239 - Cuisine: Modern British MANGO TREE - 46 Grosvenor PLace, Belgravia, London, SW1 - Tel: (0)20 7823 1888 - Cuisine: Thai  |
