Our Swiss Cottage Area Guide is here to assist you discover the local highlights of Swiss Cottage, a pretty area with spacious Victorian homes suitable for families.

Swiss Cottage, an area often conflated with nearby South Hampstead, is a lovely residential area of North West London that was named for an early 19th century inn built in the style of a Swiss chalet. This area is well-preserved and mainly has attractive red-brick Victorian terraces and semi-detached houses, as well as attractive, leafy streets. Many of the roomy homes here have both front and back gardens, and those without private rear gardens often have access to a communal garden. There is a mix of young professionals and families in this appealing suburb, drawn to everything from the good transport links to the excellent schools.

Living in Swiss Cottage

Swiss Cottage is home to many neighbourhood and community facilities, including a large leisure centre. There is a local farmer’s market twice per week. The cafes along West End Lane are local hangouts.

While there are somewhat fewer children living in this area than in London overall, it is a great place to raise a family. Much of the housing in this safe and pretty area are spacious Victorian homes, suitable for families. This area has a lot of green space, including a lot of private rear gardens or communal gardens between terraces. Families are also drawn to the area for its excellent schools. There is a large leisure centre with facilities ranging from indoor swimming pools to a cafeteria.

Schools

Swiss Cottage School provides specialist education for children aged two to 19 with complex learning difficulties, emotional, behavioural and communication difficulties

Private education predominates in this pocket of North West London, with The Phoenix School, Trevor Roberts, Sarum Hall, Hereward House and the Hall School offering feeder education to many of the well-regarded independent secondaries nearby. These include South Hampstead High School for girls and UCS. The UCL Academy is the first school in the country to be wholly sponsored by a university and is a non-selective academy which received an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ at the last inspection in 2016.

Going Out

Best for a browse…Twice a week the Swiss Cottage Farmers’ Market attracts food stalls serving everything from Thai to Portuguese, French and Moroccan fare, with an excellent array of fresh bread, olives and cheeses available from the artisan stalls also huddled around the square outside Hampstead Theatre, itself a favourite destination for afternoon coffee sippers.

As you walk down Finchley Road it seems there is a coffee shop every few yards, but you can’t talk about eating out in Swiss Cottage without highlighting Bradleys on Winchester Road, one of the best restaurants in north London, with its reputation for fine dining under head chef Simon Bradley extending far beyond these parts.

Best for a coffee…Remon is among those helping to set a high standard not just for coffee but for delicious light bites to accompany the caffeine. Barista and The Garden Cafe are just around the corner, too.

Commuting from Swiss Cottage

South Hampstead station is in Zone 2 and offers Overground services, as does West Hampstead and Finchley Road & Frognal. West Hampstead station also offers Thameslink connections, and the Jubilee Line. Finchley Road is on the Jubilee Line and the Metropolitan Line. Swiss Cottage is on the Jubilee Line. Belsize Park is on the Northern Line. There are excellent bus connections in this area, including night buses, and the area is conveniently located on the A41 for travel by car.

Swiss Cottage Leisure

The Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre is a fantastic local amenity with a fully equipped gym, 25-metre, eight-lane swimming pool and more than 100 classes on offer through the week, as well as a climbing wall, squash courts, outdoor football pitches and sauna and steam rooms. There is also a spa, offering reasonably priced treatments and day packages.

Best for bibliophiles…In the same complex, Swiss Cottage Central Library is housed in a 1960s architectural landmark designed by Sir Basil Spence. It runs art exhibitions alongside its book lending service.

Best for culture…The Hampstead Theatre is a well-regarded fringe theatre located opposite the Central School of Speech and Drama. The theatre prides itself on developing new writers and playwrights who have had early work produced there include Harold Pinter, Michael Frayn and Hanif Kureishi. Best for the big-screen…the Odeon cinema is housed in a 78-year-old Art Deco building and boasts an IMAX 3D screen.

Properties for sale

Properties for rent

Things to do in and around Swiss Cottage