The 20 best things to do in Chiswick

Five screens, a cafe-bar, a lounge and an illuminating terrace make up the movie magic of Chiswick Cinema, right on the High Road, which was opened by film producer David Puttnam in 2021. The cinema is home to a variety of special screenings, informative panels and Q&A sessions for film-fanatics, with actors like Ben Kingsley and Colin Firth stopping by for some film-loving banter. You can find all the latest releases on screen, as well as an extensive selection of classics and your occasional filmed theatre productions like David Tenant’s Macbeth. No time for a movie? No problem. Chiswick Cinema is a great pitstop for a coffee and some remote working or a cheeky drink on the cinema’s terrace.

Blending in with residential homes on Cranbrook Road, Sipsmith Gin Distillery was founded by three men who were mad about martinis, Jared Brown, Sam Galsworthy and Fairfax Hall. The three united for a common cause – to create an impeccable London dry gin. They originally opened in Hammersmith, but as their business grew, they moved shop to Chiswick in 2014 and it’s been home ever since. 

Now, you can stop by for distillery tours where you’re welcomed with a smile and ‘ginny tipple’. Enjoy a tutored tasting of Sipsmith’s selection while your tour guide will breaks everything down, from how their three copper stills, Prudence, Verity and Constance create their ‘gincredible’ drink, to that one time Sipsmith history where they managed to change an almost 200-year-old law to open their distillery.

With Kew Gardens and Richmond Park to the west, and Kensington Gardens and Regent’s Park to the east, Chiswick House and Gardens is often overlooked. That only makes this 65-acre green space even better, with more personal space for the locals who need time away from the infernal buzzing city. 

Inspired by the Grand Tours of Italy, Richard Boyle, the third Earl of Burlington, built the Chiswick House Villa as a nod to Rome between 1727 and 1729. It’s currently the finest remaining example of Neo-Palladian architecture in London, and sits among a gorgeous garden that was designed by famous landscape architect, William Kent.

If the history isn’t enough to convince you for a visit, then maybe Duck Pond Market will change your mind. On the first Sunday of every month, arts and crafts, jewellery, home decor and food vendors set up shop for local, ethically sourced goodies near the Chiswick House Cafe which also sells snacks and hot drinks to wandering visitors.

The Roebuck ticks all the boxes of what we want in a pub. It’s idyllically located minutes away from Turnham Green Terrace station. The interior is a cosy, coral-coloured mix between casual pub and classy dining room. There’s a glorious outdoor garden and the food is well above par, too, with a juicy raclette burger that pairs well with any pint. 

Best part? You can enjoy it all while watching your favourite sport. The Roebuck plays  football, cricket and darts on its limited TV screens, but they do the job well – especially when bar managers pull out the beer garden’s projection screen for important matches. However, the pub’s favourite sport is rugby.  Don’t be surprised when heaps of rugby fanatics crowd the bar during the World Rugby Nations Championship.

Whether it’s people watching and playing tennis in Chiswick’s Back Common or wandering the wet woodland of Gunnersbury Triangle, Chiswick has a handful of lush little green spaces for some nature appreciation and a breath of fresh air. Families can venture to the Homefield Recreation Ground for some playground action with the kids while adults visit the Upper Mall Open Space by the Thames to stop by their own version of a playground, the boozy Black Lion pub (technically Hammersmith, but it’s right on the border so we’ll count it). There’s also the Chiswick New Cemetery for peaceful walks and some wistful nostalgia, Dukes Meadows for great workouts and outdoor recreation and Turnham Green, which hosts a variety of markets and seasonal events and is a lovely space for a picnic and watching trains zoom by.

The Hound is the latest pub to open in the neighbourhood and it’s been well received by all the locals, with even some casual visits from London food influencers. One of its most Instagrammable dishes is its wagyu hot dog with sauerkraut, charcuterie sauce and hot melty slice of Ogleshield cheese. The pub is right on the corner of Chiswick High Road and Windmill Road, but don’t worry, you'll easily be able to find it by its pretty-in-pink facade.

Right around the corner from Turnham Green Station, the Tabard pub hosts a variety of productions on its upstairs stage, run by Take Note Theatre. Simon and Sarah Reilly run things, in recent years putting on shows like The Importance of Being Earnest and Sherlock Holmes. The theatre also welcomes stand-up comedy and spoken word, cabaret shows and a lot of family-friendly entertainment for the kiddos, but if you stay after dark, Late Night at the Tabard offers all the adult comedy you’ve been waiting for, and it’s even more fun after throwing back a few pints.

Fuller, Smith & Turner has been-a-brewin’ since 1845, offering a plethora of ales. Sample their selection while enjoying a tour of the British institution, where you’ll learn about its brewing process from ‘mash to cask’ how the London institution was passed on for generations until it landed on John Fuller, who teamed up with John Bird Smith, who invested big bucks in the brewery on behalf of his son, Henry Smith and son-in-law, John Turner to create this pinnacle London ale. Tours run from Tuesday to Saturday, with a couple of Sunday slots available in the afternoon. The brewery is right by the Thames, too, which makes for a great post-Fuller’s stroll.

In a neighbourhood with an endless supply of coffee shops, Arcane soars above them all - not because of the coffee – though yes, the coffee is very, very good – but because it’s so much more than that. By day, this cafe serves some bangin’ focaccia sandwiches like The Social, a basic but brilliant combination of mozzarella, basil, marinara sauce and the plumpest and crispiest piece of crispy chicken that’s ever been slapped between focaccias. By night, this Devonshire Road establishment becomes a chill wine and cocktail bar with a small, but mighty menu of sharing plates, pastas and focaccia pies. It’s even known to throw the occasional paint-and-sip session if you follow them on Instagram.

On the first four Sundays of every month, you’ll find Chiswick High Road set up with dozens of outdoor tents and vendors for its rotating Sunday markets. First up is Chiswick’s Flower Market, where you can find all your favourite floral arrangements and gardening supplies – rain or shine. Chiswick’s Vintage Market is on the second Sunday and is stocked with antiques and home decor, funky framed paintings and racks on racks on racks of vintage clothes for all. 

Cheese lovers unite on the third Sunday for Chiswick’s Cheese Market, where a cornucopia of fromages from across the world are laid out before our very eyes and taste buds. Taste everything from local cheddars to Italian blues, Spanish manchegos and French comtes. Even Borough Market’s Drunk Cheese makes an appearance with a boozy selection of beer and wine-infused cheeses to pair with a baguette from The French Lady from a few stalls away. 

The fourth Sunday and final market is reserved for more munching at the Street Food Market, the newest addition to the Sunday rota. You can find dumplings from XX, tacos from, pizza, burgers, gyros – the whole shabang, but if you see Suya Boiz on your hungry hunt, stop and order the jollof box.

London artist Carrie Reichardt turned her Chiswick home into a public work of art. She started in 2000 with the original plan of mosaicing only her patio. In her free time, she started writing to US death row inmate Luis Ramirez, who was convicted of murder, but claimed he was innocent. 

When he was executed in 2005, Reichardt created a mosaic tribute for him in the back wall of her house with the help of other artists, activists and volunteers, along with tributes for the Angola Three and Black Panther Kenny “Zulu” Whitmore. The back wall was finished in 2007, and it wasn’t until a decade later that she put out a call for artists to help complete the front of her house. With the help of artist friend, Isidora Paz López, and 30 artists from 12 different countries, Reichardt completed her vibrant, multi-themed mosaic home in 2018 and called it ‘The Treatment Rooms’.

Get your creative juices flowing and your hands dirty at Chiswick Art School within Pavillion Studios in Dukes Meadows. The school has one-day classes for those dipping their feet into their hobby, as well as 10-week courses if you really want to get deep into your craft. Choose from pottery, oil and acrylic painting, watercolours, sculpture, raku, drawing, portraiture, printmaking and more, as well as classes for littles ones – all taught by professional artists. Prices are... a bit pricey, but seeing your hand-made pottery after it’s been tossed in the kiln is worth it.

Non-vegans needn’t skip this all-vegan cafe and bakery. Parle Pantry has a delicious selection of healthy bowls, baked goods and beverages to suit anyone, whether vegan or not. The spinach or potato borek is an excellent entryway, with a savoury, flaky pastry and creamy fillings. The coffee is good and their smoothies hit the spot on a hot summer day – especially when sipping in the outdoor seating, people watching and admiring Chiswick’s leafy streets.

A little slice of the Nashville yee-hawed its way across the pond to Chiswick’s discreet Barley Mow Passage in January, and brought Southern cuisine and country music with it. Lil’ Nashville captures the essence of the American South’s ‘honky tonk’ bars, where you can chow down on buttermilk fried chicken, smoked brisket or smoked pulled pork by day, then burn off the calories with a lil’ line dancing by night. 

The newly opened venue also plays host to some rowdy country events like the Big Nash Bash, a recurring celebration that promotes upcoming UK country artists like Ollie Hawkins, Jake O’Neill and Mikkala Fredriksson, or Appalachia On Tour, with Kentucky country artists Hunter Flynn, Daniel Cain and Lance Rogers performing their hits and breaking down the stories behind them. Giddy up!

Don’t be fooled by Chiswick’s residential facade – the area is filled with dozens of good eats with a couple that even have that famous little Michelin star posted outside. Treat yourself to some French fare at La Trompette off Devonshire Road, or Le Vacherin just north on South Parade (ironically). There’s also the Michelin-recommended and AA Rosette-winning Silver Birch on the High Road, where chef Nathan Cornwell whips up flavourful and seasonal British cuisine, as well as the highly reviewed Villa di Geggiano, for a taste of Tuscany and one of the most notable pizza joints by one of the best pizza chefs in the world, chef Michele Pascarella’s Napoli on the Road.

While Chiswick’s art scene is a little limited, it’s still alive and kickin’ thanks to galleries, Hyde and Lemongrove at the west end of the high road. Hyde collects contemporary work and puts on stunning nature-focused exhibitions while also offering art courses for kids and adults. Lemongrove offers more genre variety and abstract pieces from artists across the globe and throws ‘meet the artist’ events for aficionados to get the stories behind the paintings. Visitors are always welcome to wander in, but if you’re a buyer, Lemongrove has some serious perks. You can get a custom framework, ask about flexible payment plans and even take the art to ‘preview’ it, hung for a few days at home.

Stop by The Whistling Oyster on Devonshire Road to succumb to any shellfish temptations. This fishmonger and seafood bar shucks about 1500 oysters every week to serve hungry locals who flock to the restaurant like a gaggle of starving seagulls, eventually spilling out onto the road. Lucky for us, the owners bust out the outdoor tables if the sun is feeling generous.

For rainy days, there’s the ground floor that consists of two high-top tables and a countertop that wraps around the space and floor-to-ceiling windows. Upstairs is the dining room, reserved for large parties or large orders where you can enjoy main plates like hand-dived scallops or lobster with chili butter, salad and fries. Gather a seafood-loving team and order the The Whistler’, served with crabs, lobster, langoustine, prawns and oysters – the whole sea on a plate!

It’s not a proper Chiswick visit without a meander along the Thames Path. Admire the view of the river, or the student rowers as they grunt and heave their way along the river. You can even learn to row yourself by booking a slot at Tideway Scullers School. If rowing doesn’t float your boat, there’s also paddle boarding sessions with Active360 or simple (but so effective) sunbathing on a bench or outside one of the many pubs and cafes near the Strand on the Green like The Bell & Crown or The Steam Packet.

English painter, engraver, social critic and editorial cartoonist William Hogarth is known as the ‘Father of British Painting’ who spoke against injustice and political corruption. His Chiswick home-turned-museum has been open to the public since 1904 and depicts the history of Hogarth’s life and work, as well as life and society in London in the mid 1700s. Hogarth House is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5pm, and is a lovely little piece of history that shows critical analysis of Hogarth’s era.

A Chiswick guide can’t be complete without Foubert’s. Luciano and Maria Lo Dico first opened up shop on Soho’s Carnaby Street, but moved to West London shortly after and have been running the local establishment for over 40 years on the corner of Chiswick High Road and Turnham Green Terrace. The small, but incredibly warm bar, hotel, cafe and gelateria are a big hit among locals and sweet-toothed visitors on a warm day. Choose from 24 flavours with fan favourites like mango, rose, lemon and classic vanilla, while chatting with the friendly couple who moved from Sicily to England on a whim after meeting an English couple abroad. Since then, they’ve expanded with locations in Fulham and Kensington, but the OG spot remains and is a Chiswick staple.