Sloane Ranger Tour
It’s being whispered in farmers markets. In country estates, apple orchards, wine cellars and in stables from Kent to Somerset- the Sloane Ranger might be making a bit of a resurgence… I wouldn’t call it a comeback just yet. But.
The last two seasons of The Crown. The film Spencer. Megxit and everything after- the book Spare. Harry & Meghan on Netflix. You get the picture: the royals are everywhere. And one figure, in particular, is getting a lot of the attention- Princess Diana. Add to this shows like Downton Abbey or even Made in Chelsea, and it’s easy to see how a particular type of socioeconomic tribe is in everyone’s living rooms right now.
In fashion everything comes back. So put two and two together, and you have on one hand a newfound brand of ‘toff love’; and on the other an 80s and 90s style revival- it’s a pretty effortless pairing, to be fair. Kind of like a Buck’s Fizz made with cold pressed, organic, biodynamic Valencian orange juice from Daylesford topped with an icy-chilled Ridgeview 2016 Blanc de Blancs from the South Downs.
Diana was considered the ringleader of the Sloane Ranger breed. A ‘Super-Sloane’ according to Peter York and Ann Barr, authors of runaway bestseller ‘The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook’, who way back in ‘82 noticed the rise of the trend, and thus coined the moniker.
So the current 80s and 90s style revival is largely channeled by the late Princess of Wales’ personal fashion sense. The feathered haircut. The revenge dress. Even the name Diana saw a spike in popularity for newborn baby girls throughout 2022.
We at La Vie Rebelle honour those who think outside the box. And no one was more of a rebel than the Black Sheep herself. So as a tribute to this re-emerging trend, we’ve put together an itinerary that will take you through some of the best addresses around Sloane Ranger territory. We hope you enjoy the ride!
Rebelliously yours,
LVR.
MORNING
Hyde Park. Diana Memorial Fountain
Start your day nice and early by taking a morning stroll through Hyde Park.
Here you could quickly pay your respects to Diana at her memorial fountain, and a stop at the nearby Serenity sculpture to start your day in the best possible way.
Then make your way up to West Carriage Drive and walk all the way down into Exhibition Road. Hang a left on Cromwell Gardens, and into the V&A Museum.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Head straight to the cafés- grab a coffee plus a pastry or a scone, and take some time to admire the awesome architecture of the Gamble, Poynter and Morris rooms. Each with their own unique, intricate styles. It’s like a little Victorian Alhambra in there.
Then head outside to the John Madejski garden, and just chill there for a bit. It’s one of the most inspiring spaces in London.
When you’re feeling supercharged, which you very quickly will, head back outside into Cromwell Gardens, cross the street and take a left towards Knightsbridge.
Divertimenti
Four or five minutes into it, past the cake shops you’ll find Divertimenti. If you’re remotely into cooking or home decoration, I dare you to walk into that shop and walk out empty-handed. You will want to buy everything, but at the very least just get a mug or an apron for one of your (nicer) relatives.
The Map House
Mug in hand, and after showing some admirable restraint, continue your walk in the same direction for a couple more minutes, then cut a right onto Beauchamp Place. A minute or two into it you’ll see the Map House. It’s exactly the sort of shop we love at LVR. A little hidden gem- they have over 10,000 antique maps as well as some retro travel posters. Any of them would look perfect in your country estate (or your tiny London studio, who’s judging?!) and make you look like the adventurer you always wished you were.
Sloane Street
Keep walking down Beauchamp as it gently veers left into Pont Street.
Take in the beautiful exposed brick townhouses and then after a couple of minutes you’ll hit Sloane Street. This is it- you’re entering prime-time, true-blue Ranger territory.
We suggest you take a left and go all the way up to Knightsbridge, then about-face and all the way back down again towards Sloane Square. You’ll see all the high fashion houses such as Chanel, Valentino, Hermès, Balenciaga and the like.
Now, you’ll probably have worked out quite an appetite by this point. But it’s very important that you resist any urges. Just keep walking down until you reach Sloane Square. Once there, look over to your left and you’ll see it, gracing the entire left corner of that beautiful orange and white building. The red awnings read ‘Colbert’- your lunch spot for the day.
AFTERNOON
Colbert
Colbert is a hyper-real version of a real Parisian sidewalk café. It’s designed by David Collins, so you can bet your bottom franc that the details have all been taken care of. Meticulously. Well. Testament to this is that the place feels like it’s belonged there for decades. It’s inspired by the grands boulevards cafés of Paris, so we think it’s only natural that you begin your lunch with a Boulevardier (recipe at the end of this post). And of course, you want to sit outside, so grab a table on the terrasse, and just take it all in…
We’d recommend you have a light starter and a main, but do leave room for dessert and skip coffee. Get ‘l’addition’ and say ‘Au revoir!’
Piccolo Bar
A hop, skip and a jump and you’re in Piccolo Bar. Basically just go back onto Sloane Street (you make a right as you leave Colbert) and it’s a minute into it.
Between you and me- there’s far better coffee around. But it’s not even about the coffee here- it’s about the experience. There aren’t many left in London like this one, so we need to cherish it fiercely. Like an old relative that we hope will never leave us.
Order an espresso, and have it standing up on the counter outside- Italian style. Luckily the coffee is Italian style too (more on the bitter notes, slightly over extracted) so will prompt your palate perfectly for our next stop.
Parlour by the Ice Cream Union
Keep going up Sloane Street, past Jo Malone and Cucinelli. You’ll want to get the next one on the left, so cross the street now. Go down Cadogan Gardens, and take a sharp left onto Pavilion Road. On your right hand side is Parlour by ICU.
A pared down, minimalist little shop. There’s no funky, psychedelic flavours here. But everything is made using the best possible ingredients. The founders are from Argentina, so if the dulce de leche flavour is available (they change with the seasons) you definitely should. But anything is good. Say ‘chau’ and walk towards Sloane Square, cone in hand.
Duke of York Square
As you get to the square, you’ll want to head right towards Duke of York Square. Pass Peter Jones on your right, and you want to make sure you enter the correct arcade. It’s between Boggi and Jacques flowers. Once through the flower tunnel, make a right and potter around the different boutiques there. There’s a huge choice of really nice shops, but we think you’ll love Soho Home Studio- all the way out past Vardo, near the Saatchi Gallery.
If you’re not familiar with Soho House, it’s a huge group of private members clubs across the world. So the pieces you see here have either been designed for the clubs, or carefully curated to fit into the clubs- it’s basically a nice collection of beautiful things.
Sloane Avenue
Leave Soho Home and go directly left onto King’s Road, towards Chelsea and away from Sloane Square. Then take the next one on your right- Anderson Street- which then becomes Sloane Avenue. Walk up for just under 10 minutes until you hit Fulham Road- another Mecca of Sloane Rangerdom.
Les Parfums de Nicolaï
As you reach Fulham Road, take a left and stay on it for a minute or so. After that, on your left hand side, you’ll see a tiny little boutique in the corner, right across the Ralph Lauren shop. It’s ‘Les Parfums de Nicolaï’, founded by Patricia de Nicolaï in 1989.
Patricia was actually born into the Guerlain family. After studying chemistry at university, she entered and studied at ISIPCA- the renowned school of perfumery in Versailles- of which she would years later become the first female president.
Except guess what- after graduation, instead of joining the family business, she went on to work with Sophia Grojsman and together, they developed Trésor de Lancôme.
See a pattern here? Yes- a rebel. So her shop is full of unique scents that are crafted to perfection. You’re guaranteed to find your signature scent here.
Petrossian
See that cute little teal shop across the street? Go to it.
This is Petrossian- the legendary caviar merchants founded in Paris in 1920, and with outposts in Brussels, Dubai, New York, LA, and Las Vegas.
This is their first London shop, where you can find, besides different varieties of super-premium caviars, smoked fish, spices, vodkas and other awesome goodies.
We recommend you have a flute of champagne, and maybe a few grams of caviar on some blinis. And of course, load up on tinnies to take to your loved ones!
Claude Bosi at Bibendum
See that eccentric, majestic, bohemian-looking building across the street? Go to it.
This is your dinner spot for the evening- Claude Bosi at Bibendum.
Now, there’s many ways to do this. The ground floor is an oyster bar, and the first floor houses the restaurant proper. We’re very much a ‘have your cake and eat it too’ kind of guy. So here’s what we’ve done- we’ve booked you into the ground floor for oysters and champagne, and as the evening gets chilly (and you get hungrier) you’ll pop up the stairs, where a table will be waiting for you in the restaurant. Sound good? Well let’s go!
RECIPE: Buck’s Fizz; Chicken Marbella
EDITOR: Mauro Buzzurro