As the founder of Citizen Femme, the leading digital travel publication centred around the female traveller, Sheena Bhattessa speaks to an audience of over 1 million people a month and has a knack for discovering the hidden gems and latest hot spots that make a destination truly special. 

We asked her to tell us about her favourite things to do and see in the neighbourhood in a dedicated Citizen Femme Guide to Chelsea. Here are her expert suggestions for how to spend a few days on and around Sloane Street. 

START THE DAY ON SLOANE SQUARE

I will always start the day at Colbert for coffee or breakfast. If you happen to be having a meeting or catching up with a friend, the menu is easy and delicious. But it’s the atmosphere that makes Colbert – just the right amount of hustle and bustle, yet quiet enough to have a conversation. 

WANDER UP SLOANE STREET

Sloane Street has perfected that fine balance of inviting international tourists and welcoming them to endless (window) shopping in the finest boutiques, combined with a real neighbourhood feel where residents are immaculately dressed, enjoying the coffee shops, restaurants or simply taking the dog for a walk. 

A lovely wander into Cartier or Chanel will never go amiss, Loro Piana, Emilia Wickstead and, of course, Anya Hindmarch’s Village is worth a peruse. I’m a huge fan of Rag & Bone, great jeans, basic tees and classic wardrobe staples. 

Harvey Nichols has some of the best buyers, so you’ll find so many interesting designers to add to your forever wardrobe. And no trip to Harvey Nicks is complete without heading upstairs to the Fifth Floor Food Hall, where you will undoubtedly fill a basket of beautifully packaged goodies to stock up your kitchen (or someone else’s, for gifting). Coming up to Christmas, it’s also a great place for hampers.

As for self-care, I always head to the Michaeljohn salon for one of the best and longest-lasting blow dries in town.

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

For me, outside of the food and shopping, the area actually has my favourite cultural highlights. Very often, you’ll find me at the Royal Court catching a show. The theatre has exceptional productions, always with top-class British talent on and off stage. It really shines as one of London’s best theatres. 

The Cadogan Hall has such a brilliant programme of events, including regular performances from its resident orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic. I’m not sure you could call it a hidden gem, but it doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as it should – you almost wouldn’t believe you’d find a nearly 1,000-seater concert hall tucked neatly behind Sloane Square, providing a really vibrant schedule. 

MADE FOR BUSY PARENTS

Yes, the area is great for your own time, a wander, meeting a few friends, perhaps a romantic day out, but as a busy mum my weekends are spent keeping children entertained and Chelsea really has it all.

If you’re there on a Saturday, the Duke of York Square Fine Food Market is by far one of the best in London. Open from 10am to 4pm, this is as fine dining as a market can get, with oysters and champagne – and make sure you leave space for my favourite, the empanadas.

After this, grab a hot chocolate from Knoops (70% chocolate for me, 34% for my daughter), and find something fabulous at Chelsea Physic Garden, whether its outdoor immersive theatre or storytelling. 

The National Army Museum is a fun, interactive space for all the family and its soft play is always a winner. The Saatchi Gallery, the V&A and the Science Museum a little further down the road are regular haunts for instilling some culture and soaking it up for yourself.

EATING & DRINKING

To keep yourself sustained, Raw Press is an essential stop for a grab-and-go juice, while I love stopping at Granger & Co. for pancakes or eggs served with a sunny, easygoing and generous ‘Australian’ demeanour.

Cantinetta Antinori recently opened on Harriet Street, and the Antinori wine dynasty (26 generations and counting) is the only place to have a pre-dinner glass of wine, a Tignanello, of course. Head along to Sumosan Twiga or Al Mare for dinner, both offering unforgettable dining experiences. 

You’ll want to take something home with you. I suggest Birley Bakery, another recent opening, this one on Chelsea Green. It’s a traditional boulangerie-pâtisserie where the maître pâtissier and his head baker have especially devised a selection of breads, cakes and viennoiseries. 

It’s an incredible store: the wheat flour comes from an artisanal farmer in Burgundy, the sea salt from Guérande in Brittany, the almonds from Valencia, and the thick dark honey from hives in Bermondsey. A special reserve of bitter chocolate, created specifically for Birley and mixed with cacao beans from the Philippines, forms the basis of the range of chocolates. It’s apparent in the  flavours and Birley is the best thing to lay out on the breakfast table come Sunday morning. 

YOUR NEW LATE-NIGHT DESTINATION

Now picture this: a basement bar beneath One Sloane, the stunning new hotel off Sloane Square imagined in a partnership between Cadogan and the team behind the legendary Hôtel in Costes in Paris. Through a private entrance on Holbein Place, you will find a bar designed with decadence and hedonism in mind. I can’t imagine a better way to end a day – or a stay – in Chelsea.

You can find all the latest from Sheena and Citizen Femme at citizen-femme.com and @citizenfemme.