April 2023 - Aston Chase

St. John’s Wood is a charming residential area in northwest London, known for its beautiful Victorian and Edwardian architecture and proximity to Regent’s Park. It’s also home to various great restaurants, bars and shops. Whether you’re just visiting or looking to move to the area, here’s a guide to the best spots in St. John’s Wood.

Restaurants:

1. The Ivy – This upscale eatery is a must-visit for its sophisticated atmosphere and delicious modern European cuisine. The Ivy is also known for its celebrity clientele, so keep your eyes peeled!

2. Soutine – The restaurant has a stylish and elegant interior, with vintage French posters and chandeliers, and the atmosphere is lively and convivial. Whether you are looking for a romantic night out or a fun dinner with friends, Soutine is definitely worth a visit.

3. Cinder – This contemporary restaurant offers globally inspired dishes featuring grilled and smoked dishes. Its chic décor makes it a popular choice for both casual and special occasions.

4. Maido – Associated with exceptional quality, having supplied sushi London’s top Michelin-starred restaurants, this flagship location offers fine dining in a casual setting and food-to-go concepts aiming to make premium, authentic Japanese-inspired cuisine accessible to all in a modern and relaxed atmosphere.

5. AT Feast – This family-friendly culinary hub promotes healthy eating habits and sustainable all-day dining offering a cookery school, ethical shop, and cocktail bar. Their menu features nutritious seasonal dishes, locally sourced light bites, and deli offerings.

Bars:

1. The Duke of York – This classic English pub has been serving pints since the 1820s. Its cosy interior and friendly staff make it the perfect spot for a casual night out.

2. The Lord’s Tavern – Located near the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground, this sports bar is a popular spot for cricket fans and offers a great selection of beers and pub fare.

3. Crocker’s Folly – This historic pub is known for its stunning architecture and interior design, featuring elaborate carvings and stained-glass windows. They offer a wide selection of beers, cocktails, and classic British pub food.

4. The Ordnance – This trendy gastropub offers a great selection of craft beers and cocktails, as well as delicious pub fares like burgers and fish and chips.

Shops:

1. Laurents Deli – This French and Italian delicatessen and café is a family-run business that prides itself in bringing you the finest seasonal produce, offering a selection of gourmet foods.

2. Panzer’s Delicatessen – Since 1944, Panzer’s has curated and created delicious epicurean treats for cooking, eating, and entertaining while also providing excellent shopping and a coffee bar experience. Their team of food experts source products from over 80 countries, from Italian producers to New Zealand’s Manuka honey suppliers.

3. Bruno – Focusing on Italian-designed menswear made with the finest yarns available, customers choose Bruno for quality and fit rather than labels. The store has its own tailor on-site to ensure the clothing is adaptable to suit its clientele to ensure it looks as good as it feels.

4. Square One – With two branches located on St. John’s Wood High Street, this fashion retail store offers a wide range of contemporary casual wear options perfect for the young and fashion-forward crowd.

5. Tara Jarmon – This brand is known for its modern and feminine collection with playful colours, prints, and architectural shapes. Their exclusive prints are made in-house and first assembled in calico using an artisanal approach.

6. Unico Gelato and Caffe – This artisanal gelato shop offers authentic Italian gelato, cookies, custom cakes, milkshakes and more made with the highest quality products.

7. Kent & Sons – With a legacy dating back to 1919, this traditional family-run butcher shop believes in supplying the finest British produce and beyond, insisting on the best only when available.

Overall, St. John’s Wood is an excellent destination for anyone looking for great food, drinks, and shopping in a beautiful and historic neighbourhood. Whether you’re in the mood for traditional English pub fare or cutting-edge Japanese cuisine, there’s something for everyone in St. John’s Wood.

PRIMERESI ORIGINAL LINK

Marlborough Place family home, sold by Aston Chase to an American buyer

Another top-end property broker has trumpeted an “influx” of American buyers, driven by – amongst other things – the strength of the dollar and the weakness of the pound, which is providing a chunky currency discount for many overseas buyers.

North London estate agency Aston Chase recently handled a near-£50mn run of luxury property deals to American buyers, selling six family homes in the St John’s Wood area to dollar-toting house-hunters.

This is not a new trend. Luxury brokers including Daniel Daggers and Berkshire Hathaway’s Kay & Co heralded the return of American buyers to Prime Central London back in 2019. But international deals paused during the pandemic, before coming back with some vim in 2022 – then being turbo-charged by sterling’s currency rollercoaster following Theresa May’s mini-Budget.

Research by Hamptons tells us that the proportion of PCL deals involving US buyers surged to 7% last year, up from just 5% in pre-pandemic 2019. And data from Beauchamp Estates and LonRes indicate record amounts were spent by American billionaires in London through 2022. More anecdotally, Nest Seekers saw a 50% jump in enquiries from US buyers at the end of last year, while some trophy homes were re-launched to the market to specifically target America’s super-rich.

Back to this year in St John’s Wood.

Aston Chase has handled six big-ticket family home sales in the last few months, all to American buyers. The estate agency suggests these buyers enjoyed a currency discount of nearly 30% on their London property purchases.

But it’s not all about the money. At least one of the sales was driven expressly by the buyer’s need to be close to the American School in London (ASL), in Regent’s Park.

The buyer of this “toothbrush ready” four-bedroom, 2,098 sq ft home on Hamilton Gardens moved from San Francisco to be near the ASL – agreeing the deal over the phone on the day the pound dropped to 1.08 against the dollar thanks to the Kwarteng/Truss Mini Budget.

Marlborough Place, St Johns Wood homes near The ASL

Aston Chase recently agreed two big deals with American buyers on Marlborough Place: one 4,336 sq ft house was purchased for £6.75mn, by an American family also looking to be close to The ASL. Another 4,758 sq ft five-bed house (pictured above) went for nearly £10mn, having been immaculately refurbished to designs by Marek Wojciechowski in 2015/16 and launched to market at the end of 2022.

There’s still some goos family-size stock around in the area, says Aston Chase – including this Regency-style new-build townhouse in the Hamilton Drive development, which is asking £12.5mn.

Mark Pollack, Co-Founding Director of Aston Chase: “St John’s Wood has always been a popular area due to its beautiful homes and sense of community. It is particularly appealing to families relocating from America wishing to keep their children’s curriculum as consistent as possible which they are able to do thanks to The ASL. We have recently seen a further influx of American buyers encouraged to buy due to the strength of the dollar against the pound. We are delighted to be able to offer buyers a wide variety of St John’s Wood homes all within walking distance of The ASL from ‘toothbrush ready’ accommodation to renovation projects.”

For further information about living in St John’s Wood contact Aston Chase on Tel: +44 (0)20 7724 4724 Email: Aston Chase or visit: 192.168.24.42/astonnewly

Aston Chase | 020 7724 4724

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