Chelsea

Charles Saatchi's gift to contemporary art — a free gallery in a neoclassical building that was once the Duke of York's headquarters. The programme changes frequently and runs from established international artists to genuinely unknown emerging talent. The building's main hall is one of the finest gallery spaces in London, and the standard of curation is consistently higher than the admission price (nothing) would suggest.

Founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the Chelsea Physic Garden is London's oldest botanic garden and one of its best-kept secrets. Four acres behind a brick wall on the Royal Hospital Road, with 5,000 plants arranged by medicinal use, geographic origin, and botanical family. The garden of world medicine, the pharmaceutical garden, and the historical walk through 350 years of plant science make it one of the most intellectually interesting gardens in the country.

The street that launched a cultural revolution in the 1960s is now a mix of independent boutiques, established brands, and the odd remnant of its more interesting past. The western end, from Sloane Square to about World's End, is the best stretch — better independent shops, the Pheasantry (now a Pizza Express, but the grade II listed building is worth a look), and eventually the World's End boutique where Vivienne Westwood started.

The square in front of the Saatchi Gallery hosts a farmers' market on Saturdays (10am–4pm) with some of the best produce vendors in London — Brindisa charcuterie, La Fromagerie cheese, and a reliable selection of baked goods that run out by noon. The square itself is pleasant for lunch when the weather cooperates.

The former Bluebird garage — where Donald Campbell broke the land speed record in 1927 — converted into a restaurant and food store on King's Road. The restaurant upstairs serves modern European cooking with a Chelsea clientele and a menu that's reliable without being extraordinary. Worth it for the building and the market downstairs, which stocks some of the best imported provisions in this part of London.

The stretch of Thames Path running from Battersea Bridge to Vauxhall Bridge along the Chelsea waterfront is one of the finest urban riverside walks in London. Albert Bridge — pale blue and pink, illuminated with 4,000 light bulbs at night — is one of the most photographed bridges in the city for good reason. The houseboats moored along the Cheyne Walk section add a particular character that has survived development pressure.

The hotel where Oscar Wilde was arrested in 1895 — Room 118 is named after him — has been restored to a standard that matches its literary history. The bar and restaurant are genuinely good, open to non-residents, and considerably less self-important than the neighbourhood's reputation might suggest. The building, on Sloane Street, is a late-Victorian red-brick masterpiece.