I’m drawn in the busiest parts of the busiest cities to look for the spots that feel hidden.  Places that offer temporary relief from crowds and noise, places that feel as if they belong only to the locals.  Mayfair isn’t a neighborhood you’d normally associate with peace and quiet, but it has its havens if you know where to look.  I always try to snatch a few minutes to walk in Mount Street Gardens or sit in Farm Street church when I’m in the area.

Shepherd Market, though it’s hardly quiet in the evenings, is another one of those tucked-away places, sandwiched between Piccadilly and Curzon Street.  London’s original May Fair was held here.  The square itself was laid out in 1735 and named after a local landowner called Edward Shepherd.  It’s always had a “colorful” reputation. Prostitutes and their clients were a feature of the neighborhood from the 18th century and it had a pretty seedy atmosphere until quite recently when a clean-up campaign was mounted by the local council and police. Now, with its historic pubs, art house cinema (one of the best in London, by the way), fancy shops, and a dozen or more restaurants, it’s become part of squeaky-clean Mayfair.

Much of its louche character may have been lost, but Shepherd Market still has one or two hidden gems.  Piccolo, an otherwise unexceptional takeaway sandwich shop, has a tiny basement cafe serving great English breakfasts, mostly to taxi drivers, police officers, and the very few visitors (like me) who know about it.  L’Artiste Muscle still occupies the same spot in the market where one of my favorite writers, Patrick Leigh Fermor, had dinner in 1938 before starting his epic walk across Europe to Constantinople.  Nearby is one of the best bookshops in London (Heywood Hill).  Even the Queen’s bookseller, Magg’s, has opened in the square, though I’m told that’s just a temporary move while it looks for a more permanent home.

Breakfast in Piccolo, followed (later in the day, of course) by a pint in The Market Tavern, a film at the Curzon Mayfair, and an hour or two browsing in the bookshops?  There are worse ways and places to spend your time.