Best Restaurants, Bars and Things to Do in Sloane Square, London

About Sloane Square

Sloane Square occupies a particular position in London's social geography: it sits at the convergence of Chelsea, Belgravia and Knightsbridge, and the restaurants and bars around it reflect that mix. The square itself and the streets running off it contain a range of venues from casual all-day cafes to more formal dining rooms, with the King's Road extending the options southward and the Pimlico border extending them east.

The neighbourhood has a reliable, year-round quality that comes from serving a local population that eats out regularly. The Royal Court Theatre on the square's western edge brings a specific audience for pre- and post-show dining, and several restaurants nearby have built a loyal following from that trade. The area also has some of London's better hotel bars and independent wine bars tucked into the surrounding streets.

Lets Discover creators who cover this part of London know the area at ground level and their picks reflect what works across different occasions, from a weekday lunch to a proper evening out.

The streets immediately around Sloane Square contain the densest concentration of venues, with the square itself providing a focus for cafes and bars that benefit from the footfall of the King's Road and the nearby underground station. Sloane Street running north toward Knightsbridge has its own cluster of restaurants that cater to the hotel and residential population. Lower Sloane Street and the streets running toward Chelsea Bridge and the Royal Hospital have a quieter character with some worthwhile neighbourhood venues. The blocks between the square and Victoria contain a mix of options that tend to serve the local office and residential population and are often better value than the immediate square area.

History and culture in Sloane Square

Sloane Square takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, the physician and naturalist whose collection formed the basis of the British Museum and who owned much of the land in Chelsea during the 18th century. The square itself was laid out in the early 19th century as part of the development of the surrounding streets, and the Royal Court Theatre on its western edge has been on the site in various forms since 1870. The theatre gained international significance in the 1950s when it became the home of the English Stage Company and premiered works by John Osborne, including Look Back in Anger, launching the kitchen-sink drama movement that reshaped British theatre. Peter Jones department store, which has occupied the eastern corner of the square since the late 19th century, remains one of the area's landmarks and was rebuilt in its current modernist form in the 1930s.