Two days goes quicker than you think. I’d forget about trying to “do” Mayfair. No point. Just try to have fun.
Day One: Just Start Walking
If it’s your first visit, I’d leave the schedule in the hotel room.
Get a coffee. Start walking. See what happens after that.
That sounds almost too obvious, but it works.
Mayfair isn’t really an area where you need to march from landmark to landmark. The side streets are half the fun. You’ll walk past small galleries, smart shop windows, hotels that have been there forever and restaurants you’ll probably end up saving for another visit.
You don’t need to stop everywhere.
Just don’t rush through either.
I usually end up changing plans after twenty minutes anyway. Something catches my eye and that’s the afternoon sorted.
Take Your Time Over Lunch
Finding somewhere to eat isn’t exactly difficult around Mayfair.
Some places are booked out for days. Others you’ll notice because the menu’s outside and it looks decent.
You’ll always find something. And don’t forget to linger a little.
I always think I’m going to “just stop for a coffee.”
Never seems to happen.
Next thing I know I’ve been sitting there ages, people-watching, wondering where the afternoon went. Probably healthier than staring at a screen the whole time anyway.
Leave Some Space in the Afternoon
Don’t plan every hour.
Something will come up. It usually does. Maybe you duck into a gallery because it starts raining. Maybe you spot a little shop you weren’t looking for. Or maybe nothing happens and you just keep walking.
That’s fine too.
People have a habit of filling every hour before they even arrive.
I never quite understood that.
Leave a gap.
Maybe you end up in a gallery for longer than expected. Maybe you find a bookshop and lose half an hour without noticing. Maybe you just sit in one of the nearby green spaces because the weather’s behaving itself for once.
Not every part of a trip needs a purpose.
Some of my favourite afternoons in London have been the ones where nothing particularly dramatic happened.
Day Two: See a Different Side
The second day is a good excuse to slow things down even more.
Walk streets you skipped the day before.
You’ll notice things you somehow missed.
I always do.
That’s London for you.
Stay Into the Evening
A lot of visitors head back to the hotel fairly early.
I think they’re missing something.
Mayfair changes once people finish work and restaurants begin to fill up.
If you’re still out later, you’ll notice the neighbourhood takes on another character. Give it until the evening and Mayfair changes a bit.
More people around. Dinner tables full. You catch bits of conversation as you walk past and in time, you’ll be welcomed by the Mayfair nightlife starting up.
I wouldn’t rush through it.
Don’t Worry About Seeing Everything
This is probably the hardest advice to follow.
You’ll leave with places you didn’t visit.
Restaurants you never got around to booking.
Shops you meant to pop into.
Mayfair has a way of rewarding slower trips.
Walk a little more than you planned to.
Sit down when somewhere looks inviting.
Really, just have fun.
