My Fulham Area Guide gives you an overview of this fabulous part of West London. Although Fulham is predominantly associated with the SW6 postcode, parts of the wider area also use W14 and W6. Highlights include historic Fulham Palace, Bishops Park, riverside walks, Fulham Pier, football stadiums, excellent restaurants, independent cafés and an impressive selection of interiors and lifestyle shops. There’s also the fabulous village vibe of pretty Parsons Green, so let’s dive in and see what Fulham has to offer.
Best Things To Do In Fulham
One of Fulham’s most interesting attractions is Fulham Palace, the former residence of the Bishops of London for more than 1,300 years. The house, museum and beautiful botanic garden are free to visit. Wander through the historic rooms before exploring the grounds, where you’ll find lawns, magnificent trees and a lovely walled garden.
Finish your visit at the Drawing Room Café, where you can enjoy coffee, cake or lunch with seating overlooking the grounds. (One thing to mention is that The Palace acknowledges its historical connections with colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade).
Next door, Bishops Park stretches alongside the River Thames and is one of the best green spaces in Fulham. Along with lawns and gardens, you’ll find tennis courts, playgrounds, a skate bowl, basketball courts, table tennis and a seasonal splash pad. The park also joins the Thames Path, so you can combine your visit with a riverside walk.
Other green spaces worth knowing include Eelbrook Common, close to Fulham Broadway; there’s South Park, with its sports facilities; and the exclusive Hurlingham Club, which requires membership.
Fulham Pier beside Craven Cottage has transformed this stretch of the river into a destination in its own right. Riverside Market brings together a collection of food and drink traders, and the development also includes a food hall concept with restaurants, bars, entertainment spaces, the Fulham Pier Hotel and the exclusive membership-only Sael Spa.
Football is a big part of Fulham life. Fulham FC plays at Craven Cottage, its historic riverside home beside Bishops Park. Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge is also actually located in Fulham despite the club being named after its neighbouring district, meaning SW6 is home to two major London football grounds.
Best Places To Shop In Fulham
Fulham is particularly good for interiors and home improvements, with an impressive concentration of furniture, kitchen, bathroom, paint and interior design showrooms. Fulham Road is one of the key stretches to explore.
A few of my favourite interior stores include OneWorld, with a huge showroom filled with furniture, lighting, mirrors, and decorative accessories, and the Darlings of Chelsea sofa showroom, both near Parsons Green station. Abode by Bayley & Sage is also close by with a beautiful selection of tableware and adorable gifts.
For lifestyle shopping, Lark on New Kings Road is packed with gifts, jewellery, accessories, candles and colourful pieces for the home. Indian Summer on Fulham Road is another lovely independent boutique for clothing, jewellery, accessories, gifts and homeware. There’s also Oliver Bonas at Parsons Green Lane.
Fulham is also particularly good for food shopping. Bayley & Sage has two shops in the area, on New Kings Road (a very large store) and Fulham Road, with beautiful displays of fruit and vegetables, cheese, bread, deli produce, store cupboard ingredients, and prepared food. For cost-effective fruit and veg, you can check out North End Road Market.
Best Places To Eat And Drink In Fulham
In the morning, try places like District in Parsons Green, Blue Door Coffee on Fulham Road, and Nice Sip on Munster Road for coffee and croissants.
If you’re feeling hungry, head to Hally’s for a Californian brunch, Mabelle’s for protein dishes or Ove for Med flavours. For healthy options, check out Acai Girls for açai bowls, smoothies, and brunch. There are so many choices that this list is just a snapshot.
For a quick lunchtime bite, I can recommend the Ta’mini Lebanese Bakery for savoury pastries or flatbreads. Stubby’s is the place for interesting sandwiches. Or head to Fulham Pier for street food stalls at the Riverside Market.
Then you have some dependable all-day neighbourhood eateries that will see you through from brunch to lunch and dinner, like Manuka Kitchen and Maria G’s.
For a memorable dinner, The Harwood Arms is Fulham’s Michelin-starred gastropub, while Josephine is excellent for classic French cooking. If you’re meeting friends, try one of the pubs like The White Horse, which overlooks Parsons Green.
Parsons Green In Fulham
Parsons Green is a particularly pretty and affluent part of Fulham centred around its small triangular green. It has a village-like atmosphere, with independent cafés, excellent pubs, restaurants, food shops, lifestyle boutiques and interior stores concentrated around Parsons Green Lane, Fulham Road and New Kings Road. There’s plenty to discover in this part of Fulham, so I’ve covered it separately in my Parsons Green London SW6 Helpful Area Guide.
Helpful Information About Fulham
Fulham sits in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, with the River Thames forming its southern boundary. Chelsea is to the east and Hammersmith to the west, with West Kensington and Earl’s Court to the north. Most of Fulham is in SW6, although parts of the wider area fall within W6 and W14.
The main roads worth exploring are Fulham Road, New Kings Road, Fulham Palace Road, North End Road and Wandsworth Bridge Road. Fulham Road is particularly good for restaurants and interior showrooms; New Kings Road leads towards the independent shops and cafés of Parsons Green; North End Road is quite lively with more chain businesses, while Fulham Palace Road takes you towards Fulham Palace, Bishops Park and the river.
Fulham Broadway and Parsons Green Underground stations are both on the District line. Putney Bridge station is convenient for Fulham Palace, Bishops Park and Craven Cottage, while West Brompton has District line and London Overground services and Imperial Wharf is served by the London Overground. With plenty of attractions close together and the Thames Path running along the river, Fulham is also an enjoyable neighbourhood to explore on foot.
If you want to explore the area, you may find this article of interest:
Ten Best Things To Do In Parsons Green London SW6
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. To avoid disappointment, please check that the places I referenced in this article are still in business before you visit.