A Guide to Sloane Street, Borough of Chelsea

Sloane Street is one of the premier high-end shopping destinations in London and it also boasts luxury hotels, elegant residential properties and stunning landmarks.

The street forms the western boundary that divides Belgravia from equally upmarket South Kensington and Chelsea, stretching a kilometre south from the famous Harvey Nichols store in Knightsbridge.

As you walk south along Sloane Street, you’ll find a huge choice of designer stores including Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana before passing Cadogan Place Gardens. The Danish and Icelandic embassies are also located on Sloane Street, as are several upscale hotels, including the 5-star Jumeirah Carlton Tower.

Whether you are looking to buy property in the area or are simply curious about this famous street, here’s your ultimate guide to Sloane Street in Chelsea:

A brief history of Sloane Street

Unlike Belgravia – which is owned by the Grosvenor Estate – Sloane Street’s origins can be traced back to 1777 when Charles Sloane, then Earl Cadogan, granted a lease to architect Henry Holland for the development of Hans Town – the area of fields between Knightsbridge and the King’s Road.

Holland created Sloane Street, Hans Place and later Sloane Square as well as designing the street layout, building houses and selling speculative building rights on the development.

Sloane Street remains part of the Cadogan Estate, which has been in existence since 1717 when Charles, 2nd Baron Cadogan married Elizabeth Sloane, daughter of Sir Hans Sloane, who had purchased the Manor of Chelsea in 1712.

The latter part of the 19th century saw further development in Knightsbridge when Sloane Street developed into an increasingly busy commercial centre serving the area’s fashionable residents.

However, Harvey Nichols can trace its history back to Benjamin Harvey’s shop of 1831 on the corner of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street, while The Cadogan Hotel opened in 1887.

But the seeds of Sloane Street’s journey culminating in the exclusive, leading luxury stores we see today, were sown in the 1960s when nearby King’s Road saw an influx of high-end trend-setting stores.

During the 1990s, Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family bought most of the properties on the west side of Sloane Street at the Knightsbridge end. The National Bank of Dubai opened its first overseas branch in London to serve the many UAE-based visitors who continue to rent these properties in summer.

In fact, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel on Cadogan Place is owned by the hotels arm of the Dubai Holding Company. Other notable hotels in the area include the Millennium Hotel on Sloane Street and the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane.

Sloane Street continues to evolve and in 2013 welcomed the first UK standalone boutique for Tom Ford and a new Ermenegildo Zegna boutique, while Alberta Ferretti, Christian Dior, Valentino and Saint Laurent have all carried out major store refurbishments.

Shops and amenities on Sloane Street

There is an abundance of boutique designer stores, excellent restaurants and other high-end amenities on Sloane Street and the nearby side streets.

These are some of the top stores and amenities in the area:

Stores

Sloane Street is a luxury shopper’s paradise, with fashion stores including Balenciaga, Bulgari, Burberry, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and many more.

Luxury jewellers such as Boodles, Cartier and Tiffany & Co. also have stores on Sloane Street.

Clinics and Beauty Stores

Sloane Street is also home to highly reputable clinics such as Cadogan Clinic and the Sarah Chapman Skinesis Clinic. You’ll also find top hair salons and nail salons including Nail’d It and Salon Sloane.

For a day of relaxation and luxury pampering, the Peak Fitness Club and Spa at the Carlton Tower Jumeirah is one of London’s best wellness facilities.

Restaurants

Whether you are looking for an evening of fine dining or a sophisticated eatery to have lunch during a busy shopping day, there are some excellent restaurant choices. Harry’s Dolce Vita, La Maison Ani and Sale e Pepe are amongst the top dining options on Sloane Street.

Recent developments on Sloane Street

Sloane Street recently underwent a £46 million transformation, which was funded by property manager Cadogan. Redevelopments encompassed a widening of the pavements, hardscaping including the planting of over 100 trees and installing modern street furniture. LED lighting was also incorporated into the project, creating a welcoming and vibrant ambience.

Many of the stores have also invested heavily in upgrading their premises including expansions to boutiques Saint Laurent and Brunello Cucinelli. New flagship stores for Temperly and L’Object also opened their doors, further enhancing the upscale offerings of this iconic London street.

Property in and around Sloane Street

But there is more to living in and around Sloane Street than luxury brands and designer stores. From grand terraces of white stucco houses in Lowndes Square to elegant crescents of period properties, portered mansion blocks and neat conversions, the prime areas radiating from Sloane Street contain some of the world’s most desirable residential homes currently on the market.

The property choice extends to classic period townhouses in gracious squares such as Eaton Square and Chester Square, ultra-prime new-build apartments and penthouses in flagship developments such as One Hyde Park to cottage-style houses tucked away in quiet mews.

Meanwhile, Pont Street – which cuts across Sloane Street, providing a convenient link between Belgravia and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea – contains Dutch-style red-brick buildings built in the 19th century by Earl Cadogan. Many have since been converted into apartments, but there still remains a number of whole houses that are particularly sought after.

Want to expert takes on the local area? Read about the most expensive boroughs in London and browse the best private members’ clubs near Belgravia.

Life under the Cadogan Estate

We covered the Grosvenor Estate in our Area Guide to Eaton Square. The 8th Earl of Cadogan comes a close second to the Duke of Westminster in the London property stakes. Cadogan Estates Ltd is particularly associated with the area around Cadogan Square, Sloane Street and King’s Road in Chelsea, where the company owns the freehold on a mix of residential, retail and commercial property. It also owns property in Knightsbridge.

In 2000, the company acquired the Duke of York’s Headquarters, a former barracks adjoining Sloane Square, which has been converted to retail, office and residential use, as well as providing a home for the Saatchi Gallery.

The Chelsea estate comprises several hundred flats and houses and the company continues to develop its residential portfolio. New homes have been built at Cadogan Gardens and as part of the second phase of the Duke of York Square development off King’s Road, while residents of a Cadogan Estate property are often eligible to become a member of one of its gardens, some of which include tennis courts.

Transport in and around Sloane Square

There are several public car parks within easy reach of Sloane Street – including the NCP facility on Cadogan Place and ParkBee Cloisters Car Park off Sloane Avenue.

District and Circle Line trains run from Sloane Square Tube Station to the City and West to Kensington High Street and Notting Hill. Nearby South Kensington station also offers Piccadilly Line services into the West End and to Heathrow Airport.

New look for Sloane Square Station

The refurbishment of Sloane Square Tube Station in 2015 sparked protests when its iconic olive green tiles – which had been in place since the 1980s – were replaced by “a palette of dark blue and off-white tiles throughout the station”.

A spokeswoman for the Chelsea Society said it had opposed the removal of the tiles during a consultation with Transport for London.

However, TfL said the new look “has given Sloane Square a complete and consistent design throughout the station as well as making it smarter, brighter and much more welcoming to customers.”

Underground stream marks ancient boundary

The Westbourne stream forms the ancient boundary between the lands of Chelsea, under the stewardship of the Cadogan Estate to the west and the Grosvenor Estate to the east. The stream still exists, although now runs underground.

Sloane Street has been firmly established as a must-visit location for shopping, dining and leisure and the neighbourhood is a highly desirable area to live, with exceptional amenities on the doorstep. Why not explore our other guides, like our guide to the ‘Best restaurants in Belgravia‘?

For information about property sales and lettings in Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea and South Kensington, please contact Best Gapp.