Chiswick is a leafy West London neighbourhood with handsome residential streets, excellent independent shops and restaurants, historic houses and a particularly lovely stretch of the Thames. Chiswick High Road is the area’s busy heart, while Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road are lined with cafés, boutiques, and specialist food shops. You can also explore Chiswick House and Gardens, visit Hogarth’s House, admire Bedford Park’s Arts and Crafts architecture, or walk along the river at Strand on the Green. This Chiswick London W4 area guide covers my favourite things to see and do, plus the best places to shop, eat, and drink.
Best Things To Do In Chiswick
Chiswick House and Gardens, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, W4 2RP, is one of the area’s main attractions. Richard Boyle, the third Earl of Burlington, commissioned the 18th-century Palladian villa, working with William Kent. Inside, you can see the Blue, Red and Green Velvet Rooms, painted ceilings, marble fireplaces, gilded furniture and classical details. Outside, 65 acres of gardens include a serpentine lake, Classical Bridge, conservatory, Italian Garden, and productive Kitchen Garden. The grounds are free to visit, while the house has an admission charge. Please note that the house is usually only open between May and October, so check before your visit
Artist and satirist William Hogarth lived in Hogarth’s House, Hogarth Lane, Great West Road, London W4 2QN from 1749 until his death in 1764. The house is now a free museum displaying prints, paintings and objects connected with Hogarth. The interiors are quite simple, and you can hear the nearby A4, but I still think it’s still worth visiting, especially because the garden is rather lovely.
For a riverside walk, head to Strand on the Green, a historic stretch of the Thames between Kew Bridge and Chiswick Bridge. Its narrow riverside path is lined with 18th-century cottages and houses, with views towards Oliver’s Island. The City Barge and The Bell & Crown are both good places to stop for a riverside drink. Parts of the walkway can flood at high tide, so check the tide times if you plan to walk the whole stretch.
Chiswick also has plenty of green space. The gardens at Chiswick House and Bedford Park are particularly beautiful. Dukes Meadows beside the Thames has playing fields, sports facilities and riverside paths, while Chiswick Common and Back Common provide smaller local green spaces. Gunnersbury Triangle is a nature reserve with woodland, ponds and wildlife.
The area has plenty of amenities, including the Chiswick Cinema on Chiswick High Road, which shows mainstream and independent films in stylish surroundings. Chiswick Library is on Duke’s Avenue, while New Chiswick Pool has a 25 metre swimming pool, gym and fitness facilities.
Best Places To Shop In Chiswick
Turnham Green Terrace has a useful mix of independent shops. Damsel Boutique, Oxana Lifestyle and Lizard Fashion are ideal for browsing clothing and accessories. Wheelers of Chiswick and Urban Tropicana are perfect for plants. Food shopping is particularly good; Natoora offers seasonal fruit and vegetables, and Bayley & Sage stocks cheese, bread, deli food, and pantry staples. Covent Garden Fishmongers specialises in fresh fish and seafood, while Macken Brothers is a trusted family butcher.
Best Places To Eat And Drink In Chiswick
Coffee and breakfast options are plentiful. Chief Coffee, Turnham Green Terrace Mews, serves speciality coffee in a relaxed setting with pinball machines. Tamp, Devonshire Road, is another good coffee spot, where you can pair your drink with Brazilian and Portuguese treats.
My Place Chiswick, Chiswick High Street, and Urban Pantry, Devonshire Road, are popular for breakfast and brunch, with dishes such as eggs, pancakes, and avocado on toast.
Chiswick is particularly good for bakeries. Mother’s Bakehouse on Devonshire Road is known for sourdough bread, focaccia sandwiches, and cinnamon buns. Debbie Jo, Chardin Road, sells freshly baked bread, pastries and sweet treats. Frankie’s on Chiswick Common Road is another popular spot, and I’ve seen queues stretch out the door, which gives you an idea of its following.
Good places for lunch or dinner on Chiswick High Road include the High Road Brasserie for European food and Villa di Geggiano for Tuscan cuisine. Devonshire Road has some great restaurants, including Napoli on the Road for Italian or La Trompette for a memorable French meal. Meanwhile, on Turnham Terrace, Mirtala, a Northern Mexican Restaurant, is an excellent dinner option. There are also plenty of pubs to check out nearby.
Helpful Information About Chiswick
Chiswick is in West London, primarily within the London Borough of Hounslow, with a smaller northern section in Ealing. Hammersmith lies to the east, Acton to the north, Brentford to the west and Kew across the Thames to the south. Turnham Green and Chiswick Park stations are on the District line, Gunnersbury is served by the District line and London Overground, and Chiswick railway station has National Rail services. The main shopping and eating areas are Chiswick High Road, Turnham Green Terrace and Devonshire Road, while Strand on the Green is the place to head for a Thames walk. If you’re visiting for the day, I’d combine the shops and cafés around Chiswick High Road with Chiswick House and Gardens, then finish with a walk along Strand on the Green.
If you want to explore the area more, this article may be of interest:
Exploring Chiswick House And Gardens
Ten Reasons To Visit Chiswick High Road
Ten Reasons To Visit Devonshire Street Chiswick
Ten Reasons To Visit Turnham Terrace Chiswick
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.