Upper and Lower Grosvenor Gardens

London is a surprisingly noisy town. If you are lucky enough to have an open urban oasis in which to sit, things are more civilized. The big parks are not accessible enough. These little parks give you nice greenery, some trees, and a chance to see a flower or two while still being in the bustle. Balls Brothers is nearby for glass of wine. And the Classic Café or Starbucks at Victoria offer reliable coffee service.

Right amidst the noise and activity between Victoria Station and near Buckingham Palace are two islands of green. Not much tranquility, but lots of peace. The Gardens (there are two) are a public space open during daylight hours.
Generally filled with office workers eating lunch, you’ll also find people just lounging about. Sitting on the grass or the benches.
Take a moment out of your busy day and vege here!

I doubt that many of the hundreds of thousands of people who flow in and out of Victoria each week-​day are aware of these two small public gardens, right next to the station. Although bounded by busy roads, they are oases of green — especially the more secluded Upper Grosvenor Gardens.
The Grosvenor Gardens estate dates back to the 1860s, when the Victoria area was being developed. Two triangular gardens were enclosed by four grand terraces in the French Renaissance style, designed by Thomas Candy. Although Lower Grosvenor Gardens have always been open to the public, Upper Grosvenor Gardens were only opened to the public in 2000. An unusual, life-​sized sculpture of a Lioness chasing a Lesser Kudu was commissioned by the Duke of Westminster for the centre of the Upper Gardens, by the sculptor Jonathan Kenworthy.
Lower Grosvenor Gardens also has an equestrian statue of the First World War French Military Commander, Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851 – 1929). Unveiled in 1930, it is the work of the French sculptor, Georges Malissard, and is a replica of that erected at Cassel in France.
The site was chosen so that it could be seen French visitors arriving at Victoria! At the time, there was much debate as to whether an English sculptor should have been employed, but Malissard won out in the end. Later, in 1952, the gardens were redesigned in the formal French style.