The Parade is the main street and the social spine of Leamington Spa. Wide, tree-lined, and flanked by stucco-fronted Regency buildings, it has an air that is slightly grander than most English high streets. The architecture is the attraction as much as the shops — the uniform white Georgian facades were built quickly in the 1810s and 1820s as wealthy visitors flooded in to take the waters.
Today the street mixes independent shops, cafes, and restaurants with the usual chains, and it holds up reasonably well. The Royal Pump Rooms anchor the southern end, and the town hall marks a natural midpoint. On weekday mornings it is quietly pleasant; on summer weekends it fills up considerably. The best of the independent restaurants cluster in the streets just off The Parade to the east.