Wimbledon is synonymous with tennis, or if you are of a certain age, you will remember the Wombles. The Wombles were a family of ‘animals’ that lived on Wimbledon Common, and as a young girl, I spent many a day searching for a Womble or two! Now, Wimbledon, in this gorgeous part of South West London is known most famously for the tennis which runs for 2 weeks every year, and attracts over 16,000 visitors over those two weeks. However all year long, this is a little pocket of London that is exquisite and makes for a perfect day out if you are spending a day at the tennis. If the tennis isn’t your thing, then there is so much lovely open space to enjoy, from the Common to the golf course, Cannizaro Park, theatre and of course the Windmill.

Wimbledon has evolved so much over the last 20 years, that Liz & I went to update ourselves, with a little guidance from a few local eyes, I hope we have given you some up-to-date tips to enjoy a day out. Most of the places we feature are up in the Village, unless we’ve stated otherwise.

Eating out in Wimbledon

There were so many places, that we needed a little extra help to guide us in the right direction, so this is an edited version of the Eating out blog we’ve done to run alongside the day out.

Breakfast in Wimbledon

Maison St Cassian for a good cooked breakfast. Best scrambled eggs. A favourite with the tennis crowd. It also has some outside space. Very French cafe style.
The Ivy SW19. An all day eatery, so could you start or end your day here.. choices I like to have!
Juice it otherwise with Joe & the Juice. I love their juices, always refreshing, and they make good coffee too.

Coffee stops in Wimbledon

Gails, Pain Quotidien (organic), Light Cafe & Brew. These are our highlighted places.

Lunch in Wimbledon

San Lorenzo : Delicious Italian food, including pizza. There is also an area outside for eating, which is perfect on a beautiful day.
Maison St Cassian for a Mezze plates lunch
The Light Cafe: Features a bit on this page. There are two, one cafe & one is dining. Both excellent, the cafe does very good salads & highly recommended for lunch.
Cannizaro House is worth mentioning. It sits in a glorious park, and has a conservatory at the back that overlooks it. We’ve had breakfast here, which was delightful and good, and is probably a good stop for lunch if you need easy access to parking.

Afternoon Tea

As I am trying to cut down on sugar this is the hardest post to write, because I love a little cake, and these three places have all been recommended with a sweet tooth in mind!
Brew – in the village opposite Knight Frank, and has exceptional cakes.
Light Cafe – just around the corner from the common is this delightful cafe, that serves up scrumptious cakes.
Windmill cafe: If a flapjack and a good cuppa is your thing, this is the place to go ahead or after a lovely long walk.

Pubs & bars in Wimbledon

Hemingways for cocktails on the Village High St
The Crooked Billet just off Wimbledon Common. Known not only for their excellent Sunday lunches, but sundowners. It’s a local favourite.

Dinner in Wimbledon

Patara for good Thai food with an outdoor garden
The White Onion – French Bistro
The Light House – Run by the same people as the cafe. A good neighbourhood restaurant for supper.
Black Raddish – Brand new restaurant on the Ridgeway, young chef and very good food. Only open for supper.
Sticks n Sushi : Great Japanese restaurant on Wimbledon Hill
Wahaca : If Mexican is your wave, down in the town

Shopping in Wimbledon

Aside from the town, where you have all the High St shops you could want, in the village there are a few more independent shops that we loved.
Orlebar Brown for boys summer wear is a winner all the way – their Wimbledon swimmers are the best!
Matches : Opened 30 years ago & still going strong. Worth checking out.
Evie Loves Toast for the little card or gift you never know you need until you see it. We loved this shop.
Wimbledon Books – I love a good book shop, and this one ticked the box.
Neom – We love this natural lifestyle shop.
Caroline Randal – Great beachwear on sale right now for some beautiful holiday shopping.
Iris – Full of gorgeous clothes for women, including a small selection of kids clothing, but honestly go for yourself!
Sugarpova Pop-Up – Maria Sharapova has her sweet treat pop-up installed until July 15th. It all about the lips!

Culture in Wimbledon

Wimbledon Museum is good probably at anytime other than Wimbledon fortnight, with lots of tennis memorabilia, it’s a wonderful walk down memory lane.
Wimbledon Windmill : Open March to October 2018 A distinctive landmark in Wimbledon since 1817, and only became a museum in 1976. Museum is open for free, runs on charity donations, so if you do visit for a walk or a tour, please don’t forget to donate.
Wimbledon Theatre : Showcases some wonderful productions on tour, before & sometimes after they’ve been in the West End. They have some great shows coming up.
Polka Dot Theatre : Heavenly shows for children.

Verdict:

She said: Lovely shopping and places to wander – who needs the tennis. Having said that, love coming here after the tennis for supper & a walk.
He said: Tennis all the way, walk up the hill, and earn a good pint at the pub afterwards, but equally happy with a good breakfast and a wander!
Teen said: Did you really take us on the ponies to look for Wombles? Well, I’d rather be in Hemingway’s now!