The most colourful places in London, UK

London’s neighbourhoods are awash with a kaleidoscope of colour, sometimes in the most unexpected of places. From a warehouse in Walthamstow packed full of neon nostalgia through to the multicoloured murals of east London (plus the most colourful pub in London), here is our menu of the most colourful places to visit in London for your Instagram feed:

Colourful places in London

Wingate Street, West London

We start with Wingate Street, as it is likely the least well known on this list. We only know it as we actually used to live on the very end of Wingate Street, so we used to gaze at the pastel colours of the houses from our bathroom window! 

The terraced houses on one side here are as colourful as anything you’d see in Notting Hill, plus the Anglesea Pub on the corner is divine (keep an eye out for their neighbour’s cat, who often just strolls into the bar). Whilst nearby, check out all the delis and cafes on Askew Road.

God’s Own Junkyard, Walthamstow

A neon nirvana located on an unassuming industrial estate in Walthamstow, God’s Own Junkyard is a weird and wonderful warehouse chock full of bright lights, neon nostalgia and retro signs.

As seen in loads of fashion magazine shoots (as well as producing neon signs seen in such movies as Batman and Judge Dredd), this is a totally unique place to visit, which is rare to say in London – read our full guide to God’s Own Junkyard >

Camden

The streets in Camden are full of colour and the quiet residential Hartland Road boasts some sublime street art that spills over from nearby Hawley Mews. It also has a row of multicoloured terrace houses, that gives Lancaster Road in Notting Hill a run for its money in terms of being competition for London’s most colourful street.

Camden’s High Street also has some massive colourful murals and bright oversized objects / artwork. Make sure you also check out the ‘sea of umbrellas’ just across the road in Camden Market – it feels like being back in South East Asia.

Mayfield Lavender Field

Looking lovely in lavender – we couldn’t leave out a lavender field from our guide of London’s most colourful areas. Although more frequent in number outside of the capital, there are a few that are just a short train ride from London, including Mayfield Lavender Field near West Croydon station (get the No. 166 bus).

With attractions including a lavender shop, small cafe and traditional red phone box placed within the field, you can see whilst Mayfield attracts lavender lovers from all over the world.

Shoreditch Street Art

Some of the best street art in the world can be found in and amongst the alleyways and lanes of Shoreditch in East London. Any spare space is used creatively to craft beautiful street art, particularly around the Shoreditch station area – make a morning of exploring all of the best street art in Shoreditch >

Churchill Arms, West London

Kensington’s Churchill Arms is a fine Fullers inn that is one of London’s most famous (and colourful!) pubs, mainly due to the exterior being festooned with flowers during the summer months – they also continue the trend at Christmas, bedecking the outside of the pubs with hundreds of Christmas trees and fairy lights.

Read our full guide to Churchill Arms > 

Peggy Porschen, Belgravia

A ‘porschen’… sorry, portion of pink in Belgravia, Peggy Porschen is a super famous and super cute cafe  – although getting through all the people posing by the flowers in the doorway to place your order can sometimes pose a problem. Whilst there, try some of their legendary cupcakes – our favourite flavours were strawberry and champagne (yeah!), salted caramel and banoffee pie.

Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden

A colourful corner of Covent Garden with its wildly painted walls and shockingly bright shutters (basically, all the exterior fixtures they could get their hands on), Neal’s Yard is home to several cafes and restaurants and organic shops, all committed to towards their environmental cause.

Visit at any time of the day and the courtyard is full with people dining or browsing, and generally enjoying their kaleidoscopic surroundings. 

YOU MIGHT LIKE: Best things to do in Covent Garden >

Fulham Palace Walled Garden

The second oldest botanical garden in London (after Chelsea Psychic Garden) and one of London’s most colourful gardens when in full bloom – it was also the first place ever in Europe where wisteria was grown, introduced by Bishop Compton in the 17th century.

Fulham Palace is the former home of the Bishops’ of London, with some form of residence on the site since 704AD. Arrive in style via the restored Tudor Courtyard entrance and browse the new museum detailing Fulham Palace’s history – free admission. Read more in our Fulham Palace guide >

Carnaby Street

One of London’s most popular and well known fashion streets (especially in the swinging sixties), Carnaby to this day continues to be a hive of activity and is renowned for its riot of colour, particularly during festivals and special events when colourful banners are hung across the street. The colour continues in Kingly Court, home to Cahoots, Dishoom and several other worthy food and drink joints.

Bywater Street, Chelsea

Just off classy King’s Road lies Bywater Street, another terrace of brightly coloured houses and very popular with Instagram wannabes. The smallest residential street on this list by a country mile, this means it can be quite cosy when you arrive so try not to linger too long and upset the residents – this can also be combined with a walk to the aforementioned Peggy Porschen cupcake shop in Belgravia (15 mins walk away) or the nearby Chelsea cupcake branch on Kings Road.

Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road is a cute side street filled with cafes, bakeries and craft shops during the week, but on Sundays, it bursts into a sea of colour with a massive ensemble of flower market stalls. This is London’s largest public flower market and is open between 8am and 3pm every Sunday, located between Bethnal Green and Shoreditch. Read our complete guide to Columbia Road flower market here >

Lancaster Road, Notting Hill

Dropping by Notting Hill for Portobello Road Market, or to  savour the tasty street food stalls at Acklam Village Market? Whilst there, visit Lancaster Road, home to a terrace of multicoloured painted homes – they must have all agreed beforehand about the collaborative paintwork so it is nice to see such community spirit in the area.

And obviously it becomes even more colourful and vibrant during Notting Hill carnival, welcoming over 1 million visitors to watch the parades and floats, and generally party. Read more about Notting Hill in our area guide >

Frank’s Cafe, Peckham

Although a car-park roof in Peckham may not sound like the most picturesque of places, Frank’s Cafe is a hip hangout and perfect for an alfresco summer’s evening with one of the best views in London. The reason we’ve included is because of the bright pink stairway that leads up to the rooftop – definitely pack your sunglasses! Once you’ve accustomed your eyes to the staircase, grab a drink from the bar and enjoy the views of London (dreamy at sunset).

Other London blog posts

• Top things to do in Shoreditch, east London
• Borough Market guide – London’s most famous food market
• Maltby Street Market in London
• Top things to do in Greenwich, London
• South Bank walk guide – one of the best walks around London (with map)
• Top things to do in Camden, North London
• Guide to the best markets in London
• Queen Elizabeth 2012 Olympic Park in London

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