A mooch around Marylebone Village, a hidden gem in Central London

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In between Regent’s Park and Mayfair, and steps away from the hustle and bustle of noisy Oxford Circus, is the surprisingly lovely and peaceful Marylebone Village.

Tree-lined streets, tall Georgian architecture, and a fascinating selection of indie boutiques and restaurants jostle within a bubble of decorum, thoughtfully curated by The Howard de Walden Estate. I spent a whole day here exploring what this London gem has to offer.

A huge but pretty sign overhead announced that I was about to enter via Marylebone High Street, a long, handsome street that stretches through the heart of the village.

I made my way to the five-star Marylebone Hotel, which takes up a huge chunk of the corner on Welbeck Street and Marylebone High Street, to drop off my overnight bags. Then headed around the corner to 63 Marylebone Lane for breakfast at the tiny Ottolenghi for a coffee and pastry, which sits opposite the Marylebone Hotel’s 108 restaurant, for some morning nourishment before setting out for the day, checking out the shops.

I started at the very quirky Koibird shop next door. There are colourful garments and jewellery from several designers, and every item is one of a kind. The interior of Koibird is also one of a kind, with sparkling silver mirrored tiled walls and shelves showing off unusual homeware items, a huge silver ball around which clothes are displayed and an in-store Nutrition Cafe offering nutritious foods.

A little further on at 74 Marlebone Lane, I popped into Tracey Neuls, a  Canadian shoe designer and founder of TN29 and the eponymous Tracey Neuls labels. There’s a clever display of shoes hanging down from the ceiling and some staples on the side. I particularly liked her exceptionally comfy DOT parchment leather sneakers (£395).

On the corner of Marylebone Lane and Bulstrode Street is a rare find – a speciality hat shop. With its purple-clad exterior and ribbons fluttering in the wind, VV Rouleaux sells everything you could ever want in a hat, the base, the ribbons and accessories. Some are ready-made, but here is an opportunity to create your own.

I popped into O Pioneers to check out its range of clothes and its homewares downstairs. A pair of wine glasses made from seashells caught my eye, and I wondered how anyone could drink from them.

I spotted Mud, an import from Australia that famously sells porcelain homewares designed with minimal aesthetic and an artisan finish in 19 bold or pastel hues. Mud seems to be popping up in stylish places and now has 12 stores globally, including this one.

Nearby at 49 Marylebone Lane is Platform, a spacious designer clothes shop selling ceramics on the lower floor. The outlet specialises, they say, in design-driven slow fashion – a movement in fashion that prioritises ethical and sustainable practices. The idea is that you buy fewer longer-lasting clothes that you can wear over and over.

Lunch was at the convivial Lina Stores, who have a huge outlet on the corner of Marylebone Lane and Wigmore Street. There’s a large deli downstairs and a restaurant on the ground level with an open kitchen. I enjoyed a most gorgeous Carciofi Fritti fried artichokes, aioli, salsa verde to start and followed by Tagliolini con Limone, Zucchine e Pepe Rosa a truly gorgeous tagliolini, lemon, courgette, pink peppercorn, which gave the dish a delightful crunch.

Spending time scouring through books is a joy, and I got to do that at Daunt Books. Probably the most beautiful bookstore in London the interior is in a gorgeous Edwardian building at 83 Marylebone High Street. It has long oak galleries over three floors, a conservatory ceiling that lets in lashings of light and a stained-glass window at its end. It is known primarily for its travel books, but there’s also literary fiction, self-help, biography, and gardening books. 

Just off Marylebone High Street is Moxon Street, home to the Rococo Chocolates, a shop that has been trading for 36 years. Beautiful chocolates in myriad flavours made in Acton in the UK can be tasted by joining their tasting session hosted by Nadeem. He tells me there are key elements to tasting chocolate – the visual, the snap for the crunch, the smell, and the taste, which must be savoured. In the mix, Nadeem included the Dubai chocolate-filled kadayif and a pistachio-tahini cream, which seems to have gone viral on social media. Having tasted it, I now know why.

I concluded my tour at Margaret Dabbs nail salon, located at 7 New Cavendish Street, for a wonderful 90-minute luxury manicure.

I then spent the evening at Carlotta’s restaurant, at 77 Marylebone High Street, for a brilliant Italian-style sensory and culinary experience before retiring for the night in my gorgeous luxury suite at the  Marylebone Hotel.