WHY I LOVE ST. JOHN’S WOOD
WHY I LOVE ST. JOHN’S WOOD
Rudolph Diesel is the head of London interior design company Rudolph Diesel Interiors. In this article, he describes areas of London and the Home Counties that have earned a special place in his heart.
Love to look at
St. John’s Wood and The Beatles will forever be entwined and the Fab Four have left an indelible mark on NW8. Perhaps the most famous is the Abbey Road zebra crossing – chosen as the cover location for the band’s album of the same road name. It is reported that photographer Ian Macmillan had just 10 minutes to capture the shot, taking six frames before the traffic resumed. In 2010, the crossing – together with Abbey Road Studios – was declared a Grade II listed site for its cultural significance. You can visit the crossing to recreate the famous album cover and while there, you may spot music royalty heading into the Abbey Road Studios, which has been used by Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and Adele. If it’s sport, and not 60s music, that floats your boat, St. John’s Wood is also home to Lord’s Cricket Ground – one of the finest sporting venues in the country.
Love to shop
No visit to St. John’s Wood is complete without a stop at Panzers Delicatessen. It has been providing the local community with fresh bread, meats, cheeses and store-cupboard staples, including London’s finest selection of kosher ingredients, for more than 75 years. Resistance is futile, so my next stop will be Leonidas – a fine chocolatier on St. John’s Wood High Street. A small box of Bretagnes – dark chocolates with caramel cream and sea salt from Guérande – will no doubt find their way home with me. If I’m putting the finishing touches to a high end interior design, I’ll pop into Lords at Home, where I can buy the latest Le Creuset stoneware and Riedel wine glasses.
Love to eat
If you like brasserie-style dining accompanied by a side of luxurious interiors, book a table at St. John’s Wood’s branch of The Ivy. Bold colours, Art Deco mirrors and vibrant paintings of birds certainly catch the eye. Taking French dining up a notch is Soutine, where the classics take pride of place. Choose from steak tartare or coq au Riesling, followed by tarte au citron or a crème brûlée. The interior design is also magnifique. Led by Jeremy King and Shayne Brady of BradyWilliams, there’s lashing of Parisian-inspired art, custom tiling and a marble-topped bar.If your visit to St. John’s Wood is outside of lunch or dinner, head to AT Feast. There’s a food or drink offering whatever time of day, from breakfast, brunch and supper-time sharing boards to juices, cocktails and take-out coffees. Don’t grab and go, however, as the venue has an amazing biophilic design, decorated in the most gorgeous shades of green with a generous display of house plants.