A Taste of Notting Hill
Let’s get the obvious over with first. Notting Hill’s international fame comes thanks mostly to its spectacular annual Carnival. Oh, and Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
The multicultural street festival sees up to 1.5 million people gather every August Bank holiday for a feast of music, dance and food. Meanwhile, the smash hit rom-com Notting Hill will still come top of any Google search.
But there’s so much more to this vibrant, fashionable and affluent area, which brims with artists and trend-setters.
Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian architectural styles dominate, with white stucco porches (and not a few Porsches) filling the streets, fronting large family homes with gardens and spacious conversions.
Portobello Road’s pastel hues are home to the world’s largest antiques market, with over 1,000 stalls taking over at weekends, while weekdays host fruit, veg and household goods.
Westbourne Grove is the destination for fashion in the area, home to Paul Smith’s Westbourne House along with the likes of Joseph, Max Mara and Heidi Klein to name but a few.
Entertainment is never in short supply. Cinema-goers can choose from the Coronet, which is rumoured to be haunted, The Gate and the Electric, which is one of the oldest picture houses in the Capital.
The Ledbury’s two Michelin stars ensure that it’s always buzzing, so be sure to book in advance, while the eccentric Beach Blanket Babylon is worth exploring and Soho House members can enjoy the bar, terrace and restaurant at Electric House.
Built around landscaped squares and gardens Notting Hill is certainly green, while the wider open spaces of Holland Park and Hyde Park are conveniently close by.
Notting Hill Highlights
- Pay homage to your music heroes at Rough Trade Records
- Suit yourself with something bespoke at Paul Smith
- Go ghostbusting at the Coronet cinema
- Hunt for antiques at Portobello Road market
- Head for chocoholic heaven at Melt