The London Wellness Guide

@goop
 on 2022.02.03
46 Places
@goop
Photo courtesy of Granger and Co. The wellness industry in London has found its feet—its soft, beautiful, callus-free feet—with a host of entrepreneurial women taking the lead. Experts like nutritional therapist Amelia Freer, meditation guru Vanessa Kandiyoti, and spiralizing queens Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley are writing books, hosting workshops, and opening businesses faster than you can say “turmeric latte and acai bowl, please.” And there are new collaborative havens dedicated to wellness, including the Bamford Haybarn Spa in Brompton Cross, Bodyism in Notting Hill, and Yogarise in South London, that are also springing up across town. We spend a lot of time in the UK capital these days, thanks to our own well-being mecca—the now-permanent London goop store. We’ve compiled a comprehensive wellness black book for your next visit, whether you’re looking for a medical-grade facial or the chicest cryotherapy chambers in Europe or just craving a perfect smoothie and a plate of organic veggies. London, in other words, is basically Southern California with a lilt.

26 Grains

Restaurant · St Giles

"It can be surprisingly hard to find a healthy breakfast or lunch to go in London, which is why places like 26 Grains are a godsend. The concept is pretty simple—choose a grain (of which there are twenty-six, duh), a few spices, and a couple of toppings, and you are good to go. Plus, you sit for a meal at the communal table, which is a lovely experience, complete with beautiful, handmade ceramic dishes. At breakfast, you'll find porridge and bircher muesli and at lunch, it's more like quinoa, rice, and the like. Don't miss the turmeric almond milk latte."

The Good Life Eatery

Restaurant · St. John's Wood

"Green juices, superfood salads, acai bowls, and the like are the health-infused, light, protein-packed goodies offered at this all-day café. The concept is further improved by the fact that if you go to the café (and manage to snag a spot), it's Wi-Fi-free and meant for "real" conversation or reading, though if you'd rather take away, you can also have it delivered. This is the original—thanks to huge lines, a second location has opened in Belgravia—but with better-quality food in such high demand, it's bound to keep growing."

Farm Girl Notting Hill

Australian restaurant · Notting Hill

"This is one of those incredibly versatile cafés that there aren't enough of: The Wi-Fi flows freely; the space is gorgeous, decked out in sea-green tiles and elegant line drawings; and there are matcha lattes (with every kind of milk, from almond to coconut and beyond) on tap. And then there's the actual food, which ticks every box: There are açai bowls and a fantastic vegan BLT for lunch, plus the fluffiest pancakes or the hard-core rump steak sandwich with harissa for the indulgent. Farm Girl is an all-rounder. "

ChromaYoga

Temporarily Closed

"This is how we imagine people will be practicing yoga when humans live in space. Inspired by the work of James Turrell, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Veronica Ann Janssens, Nina Ryner’s studio uses color, sound, and aromatherapy to enhance asana and meditation. (It’s also kind of like doing yoga inside the set from Drake’s “Hotline Bling” video.) Select the type of class you want—restorative, energizing, detoxifying—and there’s a corresponding light and scent experience to accompany each fifty-minute session. The Chromatic class, which cycles through different colors to encourage the body’s natural circadian rhythm (it ends with a burst of energizing blue light in the morning and relaxing red in the evening), is especially cool."

South Kensington Club

Permanently Closed

"In a city full of stuffy clubs for the elite, the SKC (as it's called) comes as a welcome relief. It's tapped into the wellness scene and created a cozy, comfortable, classy home away from home for the health-obsessed. Here members can drop in for a whirl around the world-class Russian baths, have a quality massage or facial, sup on avocado toast and green juice, and hit the gym after with some of the best trainers in town. (The sessions with Paola of Paola's Body Barre are our favorites.) In the evening, you can check in upstairs for a lecture on some remote part of the world, given by the Voyager Club—and you can also book trips through them to, say, the Arctic—and then head to the DJ booth for late-night drinks and dancing. It pretty much ticks all the boxes for the cool and well-to-do down in Chelsea, South Ken, Holland Park, and beyond."

"Yoga is big in London (as it is everywhere), but there are few places we have enjoyed practicing more than Yogarise. Held on an upper floor of a South London warehouse, classes are large, but the experience feels incredibly intimate. This is no run-of-the-mill Ashtanga. Classes are taught to music that stretches from classical and instrumental to traditional Indian. The yin class, taught by Emma Peel, not only focuses on stretching out the hips and lower back but is a meditative experience unlike any we’ve had. Peel recites poetry, the music seems to ebb and flow with the stretches (which you hold for up to five minutes), and the room smells comfortingly—never overwhelmingly—of incense. Mats, blocks, and blankets are freely provided, and the relaxation area, filled with art house magazines, herbal teas, and works by local artists, is a space you could spend hours in."

Bodyism

Wellness center · Notting Hill

"The positive affirmations emblazoned on the windows catch your eye first. Then the fluttering pieces of paper taped to the doorframe with words like “gratitude,” “love,” and “forgiveness” (pull off what you need—the equivalent of a wellness fortune cookie, without the cookie) lure you in. Through the Aussie-style café (an amazing spot for a turmeric latte or to plow through emails), down the stairs is Bodyism, a wellness-mecca-meets-private-members’-club. Unlike other private gyms, there isn’t a treadmill in sight; instead, Bodyism is focused on personal training and classes, teaching clients to be kind to themselves with a more low-impact routine than the often punishing cardio regimes found elsewhere. The ballet, yoga, Pilates, and boxing are taught—for the most part—by former athletes and everyone here remembers your name. "

Granger and Co. Notting Hill

Australian restaurant · Notting Hill

"Known for his relaxed approach to cooking, Bill Granger has fronted major culinary hits in Australia and Asia. This bright, airy, and generally packed place on Westbourne Grove is his first London restaurant, and like its predecessors, it offers casual all-day dining with a comfort-food slant (awesome mash) and a fantastic weekend brunch. Look for simple dishes, like the signature ricotta hotcakes or the full Aussie breakfast. The no-reservation policy means you'll probably have to wait, but it's totally worth it. For the North Londoners reading, there's a second location in King's Cross, plus two more in Clerkenwell and Chelsea."

Linda Meredith Beauty Skincare

Beauty salon · Knightsbridge

"OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more. "

Vaishaly

Beauty salon · Marylebone

"This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven."

Raw Press

Cafe · Belgravia

"The cold-pressed juices at this Dover Street café fly off the shelves every morning, fueling the days for the art gallerists, fashion buyers, and hedge fund managers who work nearby. While they're out the door within a matter of minutes, others tend to stay and enjoy their almond milk lattes (quite possibly the best in town) at the communal table at this cheery, healthy hideaway. There's also Wi-Fi, which means the whole place is often abuzz with business meetings."

The Lanesborough Club & Spa

Spa and health club · Belgravia

"Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home. Best of all, she incorporates goop by Juice Beauty products into various treatments, which you can often catch at In goop Health summits in the US."

The Lanesborough Club & Spa

Spa and health club · Belgravia

"Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home. Best of all, she incorporates goop by Juice Beauty products into various treatments, which you can often catch at In goop Health summits in the US."

Hemsley + Hemsley

Permanently Closed

"Having published two bestselling cookbooks and made the spiralizer a household tool, it was only natural that sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley would set their sights on opening up a café. Of course, it's not just any café: They've opened in the department store's brand new Body Studio—a major part of the shop dedicated to wellness—and serving up their grain-, gluten-, and refined sugar-free food from morning till night. Expect flaxseed muffins and green juices; bone broths; chicory lattes; colorful, spiralized salads; and many other Hemsley hits."

triyoga Camden

Yoga studio · Camden Town

"We were sad to see Triyoga's beautiful, Primrose Hill location go but are more than satisfied with its new airy, Camden replacement. Beyond the well-known yoga and Pilates classes—by far, some of the best the city has to offer—it's also worth checking out the infrared sauna sessions, craniosacral massage, intuitive readings, and nutritional, EFT, and CBT therapy (depending on what you're after). Additional services are offered at Triyoga locations in Covent Garden, Soho, and Chelsea."

Grace Belgravia

Spa and health club · Belgravia

"The Grace is a boon to womankind as far as we're concerned: A private, women-only club in one of London's upper-crust neighborhoods, it's as great to hit for a business meeting as it is for a spa break, a green juice, a healthy lunch, or any number of holistic treatments with some of the city's most renowned healers. It's a one-stop shop for everything from colonics to IV infusions, and those who have the spare cash might consider the three- to five-day Intensive Cleanse, which includes a nutritional plan and everything from lymphatic drainage to Acqua Calda hammam treatments. It's a pretty great place to kick-start a health and wellness regimen."

The Joshi Clinic

Medical clinic · Marylebone

"Dr. Joshi's clinic is one of our first ports of (detox) call in London. In addition to colonics, Dr. Joshi also offers a pretty in-depth list of other wellness-centric services including personal training, massage, Endermologie, and his signature twenty-one-day nutritional plan, which are all designed to help detox. The clinic also offers a spectacular Moroccan riad retreat for the weary."

The Joshi Clinic

Medical clinic · Marylebone

"Dr. Joshi's clinic is one of our first ports of (detox) call in London. In addition to colonics, Dr. Joshi also offers a pretty in-depth list of other wellness-centric services including personal training, massage, Endermologie, and his signature twenty-one-day nutritional plan, which are all designed to help detox. The clinic also offers a spectacular Moroccan riad retreat for the weary."

KX | Private Members' Club

Gym · Knightsbridge

"While the gym and restaurant are open to members only, the spa at Chelsea's KX is open to the (well-heeled) public who might visit for a wax or face sculpting. We would recommend heading there for a functional medicine consultation with Dr. Georges Mouton. If colonics are your thing, see Michelle Laud. Not looking for a membership? KXU, a pay-as-you-go (and wallet-friendlier) model, opened on Pavilion Road; it may not have all bells and whistles that KX Life does but features an infrared sauna, a cryotherapy chamber, massages, and rose-gold-hued changing rooms. The easy-to-use app makes it easy to book on the fly, too."

The Life Centre Islington

Permanently Closed

"A haven for serious and amateur yogis alike—just check into the packed Islington Saturday morning Jivamukti classes for a taste—both Life Centre locations are also hubs for some of London's best alternative therapies: craniosacral therapy, lymphatic drainage, reflexology, Reiki, and more. While the therapy rooms are not what you get at a glitzy hotel spa, the therapists are incredible healers. The Islington location also opened up a yoga therapy clinic, where personalized yoga sessions look to address a suite of maladies from digestive to emotional. There's an additional location in Notting Hill."

Gazelli House

Wellness center · Knightsbridge

"While Gazelli is already known for its skin-care range developed by Dr. Zarifa Hamzayeva, you can expect the therapies offered at the sumptuous new HQ to go way beyond the surface. Membership to the beautiful townhouse on Walton Street comes with two signature diagnostic treatments. Whether you go for a facial or a body treatment, each session is completely bespoke and could include anything from microdermabrasion to radio frequency. After that, Gazelli also offers introductions to a variety of other practitioners, from life coaches to hypnotists, to get you glowing from the inside out."

Akasha

Spa and health club · Soho

"Though the hotel is located right in the center of the city overlooking Piccadilly, its subterranean spa feels miles away from the bustling streets above. The space itself is gorgeous, and spending a couple of hours between the sleek and modern gym, pool, and hammam facilities makes for a pretty spectacular spa day. When you book in with some of the expert healers—a resident Reiki master, nutritionist, etc.—the spa also doubles as the most luxurious practitioner's office ever."

The Light Salon - Harvey Nichols

Beauty salon · Belgravia

"The ExpressLED facial is the draw here, a fantastically efficient fifteen minutes of collagen- and elastin-supporting light therapy. Most treatments consist of a combination of yellow and near-infrared light (longer wavelengths that penetrate skin more deeply and are shown to help stimulate healing and ease pain), but for clients with congestion, courses of bacteria-eliminating blue light are most effective. It's worth making a habit—results are said to be cumulative—and it doesn't hurt that the salon is located inside Harvey Nichols."

Andrea Hurst Reflexology

Reflexologist · Mayfair

"Andrea Hurst, aka the foot guru, is a specialist in the ancient Egyptian healing art of reflexology. She's been practicing reflexology for twenty-five years and has been based in Mayfair for the past seventeen years. Hurst also practices at UME Diagnostics in Harley Street, does home visits, and travels extensively. Her treatments help reset and restore body, mind, and spirit, and a session with her provides a framework for optimizing your well-being."

Highgate Holistic Clinic

Alternative medicine practitioner · Crouch End

"Trained as a traditional obstetrician, Dr. Gowri became frustrated with conventional birth methods and has developed her own technique called "The Gentle Birth Method" which incorporates traditional Ayurveda among other modalities. She insists the entire process needn't be as painful and fraught with stress as it has become for many women. Her method is all-encompassing: Through a mix of private consultations and group sessions she helps women with infertility issues to become pregnant, and assists pregnant women through the process into birth and care-giving."

Beeja Meditation

Meditation center · Hoxton

"Will Williams and Jess Cook took a two and a half year hiatus and traveled to India (and then the world) to learn everything they could about Vedic Meditation, only to return to London to bring it to the masses. Learning the technique takes place over three consecutive sessions: they'll give you a personal mantra in the first session, followed by two sessions of meditation training after that. Then, you're ready to practice on your own and reap the benefits—better sleep, less anxiety, focus, the works—or join their popular group sessions in Victoria (no lotus position required)."

K J W Osteopathy

Osteopath · Notting Hill

"When it comes to bodily aches and pains, there's often more to it than meets the eye, which is exactly what osteopath Kristian Wood addresses. He's well versed in fixing injuries, but his healing practice takes his appointments much further than that. Part of a session with Wood might involve physical touch to release a trapped muscle or nerve, and the rest is a mix of energy healing and therapy, so that aches caused by emotional stresses and blockages can be dislodged for good."

Chantal Freegard

Permanently Closed

"The trek out to Barnet to see reflexologist Chantal Freegard (she makes North London home visits upon request) is a worthwhile exercise for anyone dealing with stress, insomnia, back problems, and infertility. Some say the energy changes in a room the minute she walks in. Part of her success comes from her long-standing practice in reflexology, and part comes from her foray into crystal healing. At the end of each session, she incorporates sound therapy using vibrating crystals from her personal collection, which she chooses intuitively for each client."

The Light Technique

Holistic medicine practitioner · Knightsbridge

"Trained in both the ancient art of Reiki and the modern science of neurolinguistic programming, Light combined the two to create her own approach, aptly named the Light Technique. Light generally sees patients for a course of four to six appointments and combines talk therapy with Reiki, the idea being that the Reiki relieves pain and helps you relax, while the NLP helps to change our own deeply held habits and beliefs—that's when the real breakthroughs happen. Each session is tailored to the client and Light regularly helps people with everything from stress and anxiety to weight gain, hormonal imbalance, grief, and fatigue. Her massages in and of themselves are a treat."

Ottolenghi

Mediterranean restaurant · Notting Hill

"Mediterranean-inspired Ottolenghi sort of defies categorization: The four locations differ slightly in their offerings, but they all feature some level of sit-down dining, a deli with premade takeout, and excellent catering. Don't be surprised to find a line no matter what time you arrive but know that it's worth the wait for the near-perfect pastries, quiches, and salads. If you don't have time to cook before a dinner party, it's an excellent choice for a meal that you can pick up and bring home."

Sai Nutrition Centre Limited

Alternative medicine practitioner · Northwood Hills

"It's a trek all the way to Harrow to see Raj Bhachu at his practice, Sai Nutrition, but there are converts, including cookbook authors and spiralizing advocates Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley, who are willing to make the trip. Bhachu practices integrative medicine, meaning that he tests for parasites, heavy-metal toxicity, and everything else conventional MDs might not immediately (or ever) jump to. So if you have a health issue that you can't get to the bottom of, a trip to the outskirts of London may be in the cards."

The Food Doctor

Nutritionist · Fitzrovia

"Founded over fifteen years ago by nutritionists Ian Marber and Vicki Edgson, the Food Doctor is to this day an excellent first port of call when it comes to nutrition. All of the practitioners here provide solid nutritional advice, whether you're looking to shed a few pounds or cope with illnesses such as diabetes. You'll leave your first appointment armed with easy-to-follow worksheets, charts, and suggestions for meal plans."

Pfeffer Sal

Facial spa · Fitzrovia

"Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. They started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets Pfeffer apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session."

EF MEDISPA

Medical spa · Kensington Palace Gardens

"Esther Fieldgrass has a few clinics around London in neighborhoods including Chelsea, Kensington, and St. John’s Wood. The clinics specialize in invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, and the services and beautiful offices make them a favorite of ours for peels, laser procedures, and microneedling, as well as more-intense treatments. "

Emma Cannon

Acupuncture clinic · Belgravia

"Fertility expert Emma Cannon specializes in helping soon-to-be and new mothers at her offices in Chelsea and the West End. A registered acupuncturist and an expert in women’s health, her techniques sit between Eastern and Western healing traditions. The Fertility Rooms are her center of gravity, where she provides nutritional advice, acupuncture, and full-body diagnostics to support couples trying to get pregnant or women recovering from postpartum depression. She also runs an IVF support clinic. "

Cloud Twelve

Spa and health club · Notting Hill

"This place is incredible for parents. The idea is that of a members' club, but for families. The kids take over the ground floor (with supervised activities, soft play, and a plant-based café to feed them), while the grown-ups have their own spa-restaurant-tearoom oasis upstairs. The top floor is the treatment sanctuary with acupuncture, colonics, a nutritionist, and cryotherapy chambers at the ready. Refreshingly, membership is completely nonexclusive. Anyone can join (for a yearly fee), and having children is not a prerequisite."

FACEGYM Notting Hill

Beauty salon · Notting Hill

"Former Spa Junkie columnist at the Financial Times Inge Theron is the founder of this enterprise. Which makes sense, as only someone who has experienced hundreds of spas, treatments, and Eastern and Western wellness philosophies could have come up with something so smart. FaceGym is not a facial; it’s a workout for the muscles, fascia, and lymph glands that make up your face. And it’s completely noninvasive. A therapist will knead, press, and gently slap your face for thirty minutes, and the result is kind of incredible. Your cheekbones look lifted, your eyes are less puffy, and the rush of blood to the face gives your complexion a healthy glow. The shorter appointment times and convenient locations mean you can squeeze this facial workout into a lunch break. We like the flagship on the King's Road, but the counter at Selfridges is just as good, as is the location across the pond at Saks in NYC."

Fabi@West End Osteopathy

Osteopath · King's Cross

"Fabi Waisbort's West End practice is a go-to for the London theatre crowd.  Using a mix of osteopathy, acupuncture, and massage, Fabi and his team will cure just about any pain or ailment whether you're performing or not."

J. Vara

Osteopath · Marylebone

"While Dr. Vara can treat just about any musculoskeletal injury, it's his abilities when it comes to pain management—everything from treating back pain to recurring headaches—that make him so popular. He's also great with (and qualified to treat) children. With two clinics in Sussex, he's a busy guy, but he does make it to his London clinic every Monday."

Lanserhof at The Arts Club

Wellness center · Mayfair

"Several goop staffers are longtime fans of the Lanserhof’s clinic in Austria. So we were delighted when they opened their first UK clinic, across the street from the Arts Club in Mayfair. The custom-tailored programs at this medical spa and gym marry time-honored holistic treatments with modern medicine. Arts Club members and Lanserhof patients can avail themselves of the top-notch facilities that include Britain’s first cryotherapy chambers, treatment rooms for sports injuries, diagnostics with the clinic’s doctors, and a thoughtfully crafted menu of healthy food to tuck into post-treatment. "

Sea Containers London

Hotel · Bankside

"A new discovery for us, Agua Spa is located under the hypermodern Sea Containers hotel (formerly the Mondrian) and designed by Tom Dixon. It’s the antithesis of a normal spa. There are no hard corners, only undulating surfaces that curve into corridors and communal spaces, and the color scheme is white, grey, and silver. The whole vibe is more akin to a spaceship or a futuristic cocoon than the usual wood/cotton/natural-light mix. The manicures and pedicures are both indulgent and blessedly efficient, but of all the treatments, the Soveral Signature Facial is one we come back to again and again. If you’re into lymphatic massage, aromatherapy, and nontoxic beauty, you won’t be disappointed. We also found ourselves in the womblike relaxation area sipping herbal tea and reading newspapers (thoughtfully left by each bed) long after our appointment ended. "

Alexandra Soveral Limited

Cosmetics store · St. John's Wood

"After a long, dehydrating flight or an intense week at work or really any other time, come to think of it, there are few things we love more than a massage at Aqua Spa in the Sea Containers hotel (formerly the Mondrian). Skin specialist Alexandra Soveral’s Signature Treatment is manna to your visage. A deep clean is followed by an intense lymphatic-drainage massage. Hot and cold stones are dipped in fragrant oils and rolled over the face, taking care of puffiness and smoothing out fatigue lines. Soveral’s organic, nontoxic products are made from botanicals grown on her family farm in Portugal—and they smell heavenly. Pick up a jar of Angel Balm, a miracle in a jar that you can cleanse with or smear on as a hydrating mask while up in the air or overnight in bed. "

The Organic Pharmacy

Permanently Closed

"The Organic Pharmacy specializes in herbal and homeopathic treatments and supplements and is a place where you can get a custom mix made according to your specific needs. You'll also find a great range of beauty and skincare products that you can buy on goop. There are locations throughout the city in Chelsea, Covent Garden, Kensington, Soho, and Hampstead. "

Space NK Duke of York

Cosmetics store · Chelsea

"Nicky Kinnaird's beauty emporium has launched more than one of the best skin-care brands known today. Lines like Tata Harper, Laura Mercier, and Eve Lom were virtually unknown before winning shelf space here. If you're looking for some skin-care advice, Space NK is a good place to mix up your beauty regimen. There are locations throughout the city. "

London Wellness Centre - Canary Wharf

Chiropractor · Canary Wharf

"With a chiropractor, psychotherapist, gynecologist, and even a sports therapist and podiatrist all in the same place, the London Wellness Centre is focused on prevention above all else. With all these services available, it's also taking a completely integrative approach to health care. Co-owner and lead chiropractor Joanna Lowry-Corry is an incredibly thoughtful practitioner who takes the time to get to know her patients and is a font of knowledge when it comes to overall wellness. With locations in Canary Wharf and right near the Shard, it's hitting London's nerve center when it comes to stress-related issues. "

Farmacy

Permanently Closed

"For the health-conscious West London audience it attracts, this restaurant is a dream come true. Here, food that's free of refined flour, sugars, dairy, and other common no-nos is presented in a beautiful, tastefully decorated space full of plants and unusual ceramics. In other words, it's health food minus the hippie digs. Plus, everything from the millet bean burger to the take on Caesar salad is just as good as the "real" thing. "