Shepherd Market

A WIndow on London's History

Anyone wishing to get a bit of ‘old London’ should look no further than Shepherd Market with its small, square piazza hosting a stack of eclectic restaurants, shops and galleries. London is overpopulated with ‘hidden gems’ but this one really does deserve the moniker. Tucked in between Piccadilly and Curzon Street it nestles ‘within’ the heart of Mayfair and keeps much the ‘olde-worlde’ village charm for on which it has built a reputation.

Shepherd Market was designed by Edward Shepherd in1735, the secluded streets of the area providing a backdrop to much salaciousness over many centuries. A slightly seedy atmosphere continues to lurk and linger in its narrow network of claustrophobic passageways. Still very ‘village-like’ its historic association with prostitution and Georgian grunge are not muted by its modern façade.

Behind today's, picturesque shop fronts lie tucked a cobbler, a chemist and a builders’ merchant. There are boutiques, pubs and restaurants that make it a destination much-favoured by the visiting ‘bon viveur’ for the village’s main appeal lies in its splendid choice of hostelries.

Once upon a time, there used to be a two-week-long May Fair when crowds would descend on the area to partake in multiple revelries, gambling and drinking. Sadly the custodians of morality, at the time, decided that the event was an affront to public decency and it was banned in the early eighteenth century. Happily, the area has continued to cultivate a more refined image into the 21st century but lucky visitors can be treated to a fleeting glimpse of the past.

Lucy TripTide

TripTide User