Notting Hill Guide: What To Do & Where To Eat

Notting Hill is a vibrant London community filled with quirky museums, a bustling market, and plenty in between. This guide covers all the best things to do, plus a few hidden gems that we love as local residents.

Notting Hill has a vibrant and colourful past stretching back to the 1800s when it was first developed into a fashionable area for London’s upper classes.

By the early 1900s, Notting Hill fell from grace and the rich moved to the more expensive Belgravia and Mayfair.  

Following large-scale immigration to the UK in the 1950s and a housing shortage, the grand properties in Notting Hill were converted into multi-occupancy dwellings and the area became significantly impoverished due, in no small part, to lawless landlords.

Today, as gentrification has taken hold, Notting Hill is a vibrant neighbourhood with the Beckhams up one end and a rich cultural enclave at the other.

Mark and I have lived in Notting Hill for 20 years, so we know the area well.

This post covers all the best things to do in the area and our favourite places to eat. The highlights are all included on our self-guided Notting Hill Walking Tour and our favourite places to stay are on our where to stay in London Guide.

WHAT TO DO IN NOTTING HILL LONDON

1. SEE THE COLOURFUL HOUSES

Following the gentrification of Notting Hill in the late 20^th century, the homes that were previously multi-occupancy slums have steadily been transformed into colourful residences.  

Lined up in charming rainbow-coloured rows, the pastel-hued facades of Notting Hill are today one of the area’s star attractions.

The most popular street is Lancaster Road, probably due to its proximity to Portobello Road. However, there is beautiful architecture all over Notting Hill.

Elgin Crescent, Rosmead Road, and Lansdowne Road form an excellent circuit of colourful houses that you’ll often have completely to yourself.

Another good street is Denbigh Terrace, but it’s just off Portobello Road, so it can get a little busy.

2. PORTOBELLO MARKET

Portobello Road is the heart of Notting Hill and Portobello Market runs along its length. It’s one of the most popular things to do in Notting Hill and the buzz of the crowd creates a vibrant energy.

The market is split into several sections which operate on different days:

• Vintage & Bric-a-Brac Market: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
• Fashion & Accessories: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.
• Household Goods: Friday.
• Fruit & Veg Market: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
• Antiques market: Friday, Saturday

In our opinion, the most interesting are the Vintage and Antiques Markets, making Friday and Saturday excellent times to visit. However, they are also the busiest days.

Portobello Market Opening Hours: In summer, the stalls are usually open from 9 am to 6 pm and in winter from 9:30 am to 5 pm. 

Thursday is half day, and the stalls operate from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Most of the market is closed on Sunday.

3. GRAFFIK GALLERY

The Graffik Gallery on Portobello Road is an interesting space dedicated to street and urban art.

They offer private graffiti masterclasses where you can learn the basic skills of spray paint with knowledgeable and friendly teachers. It’s a great activity for kids, and they also take groups, making it a fun team-building exercise.

You can purchase art from the store or visit one of the exhibitions throughout the year.

4. ELECTRIC CINEMA

The Electric Cinema is a stylish way to see a recent blockbuster or old-school classic movie by the people behind Soho House.

It commenced operating in 1910 as one of Britain’s first motion picture houses to be supplied with electricity. Despite a few intermittent shutdowns, it has been used almost continually as a picture theatre since.

The Edwardian Baroque interiors are decorated with sumptuous red velvet seats. You can select an armchair with a footstool, a front-row bed seat, or a back-row sofa.

The fully licenced bar makes a great selection of really good hot and cold cinema-friendly food.

5. BRUNCH

Notting Hill is our go-to destination for brunch in London. After strolling the market, there’s nothing better than sitting down to a quality breakfast and a great coffee.

Some of our brunch highlights in the Notting Hill area include Kuro for their unusual dishes, Beam for their Middle Eastern-inspired plates, and Lowry & Baker for their delightfully unpretentious brekkies.

Our full list is available on our guide: best brunch places in Notting Hill.

6. WESTBOURNE GROVE BOUTIQUES

Notting Hill is a diverse area. You can contrast the flea market feel of Portobello Road Market with the high-end boutiques on Westbourne Grove; just a few minutes walk from each other.

The section of Westbourne Grove between Colville Road and Chepstow Road is packed with great reasons to visit.

At the lower end towards Colville Road, you’ll find designer shops, including Soho Home Studio, Max Mara, Olebar Brown, Kooples, Toast, and Aesop.

There are also some great dining options, including Taquería, Wild Notting Hill, Sumi and Barbury Notting Hill.

7. NOTTING HILL’S COOL BOOKSHOPS

Notting Hill has several interesting bookshops that are well worth checking out. Here are some of our favourites.

BOOKS FOR COOKS

Books for Cooks is one of the most interesting things to do in Notting Hill. Shelves are crammed with every tasty title you could imagine, and well-worn sofas are wedged into corners for the benefit of cookbook junkies.

The highlight is the test kitchen sandwiched into the back of the store.

Cooks try out unusual experiments with a menu that changes daily based on what they can get their hands on from Portobello Market.  

NOTTING HILL BOOKSHOP

We’re sorry to say, but the bookstore located at 13 Blenheim Crescent is not the one used in the Notting Hill film, but it has been designed as a recreation of William Thackery’s bookshop.

If you can push past the crowds lining up for a photo, it’s still a lovely bookshop to visit.

DAUNT BOOKS

The well-known bookstore chain Daunt Books has recently taken over the Luytens and Rubenstine Notting Hill store.

It’s the same lovely store with a wide selection of titles including a great travel section.

8. MUSEUM OF BRANDS

The Museum of Brands is a nostalgic journey through 200 years of consumer culture.

Packed with memorabilia from Victorian times through to the modern day, the museum is stuffed with cultural markers. Find vintage prints, household products, old magazines, toys, and everything in between.

The building was once the world’s largest centre for people living with HIV. Princess Dianna regularly visited patients in the memorial garden which is now part of the cafe.

9. NOTTING HILL FILM LOCATIONS

It’s hard to know whether the area has driven the recurring interest in the movie or vice versa. Either way, it’s left its mark on Notting Hill, not to mention its house prices. Here are some spots from the movie to collect on your visit.

The Blue Door – The blue door to William’s flat is at 280 Westbourne Park Road. It’s easy to spot thanks to the throng of people out front.

Notting Hill Bookshop – As mentioned above, the bookstore located at 13 Blenheim Crescent is not the one that was used in the film. It is a faithful recreation, so there’s no harm in grabbing a selfie out front.

142 Portobello Road – This is the location of the actual shop used for filming the bookstore scenes. During filming it was an antique shop, it’s now a souvenir store with the wrong sign. (In the film, it was called “The Travel Book Co”, not “The Travel Book Store”, which is what you see today.)

Coronet Theatre – This arts venue used to be a cinema and it was used when William and Spike were watching a film.

Rosmead Gardens – This is the location of the private gardens where William and Anna climbed over the fence.

10. ACKLAM VILLAGE MARKET

Opposite the Vintage Market, which you can visit on our Notting Hill walk, you’ll find Acklam Village Market, an excellent destination for live music and street food.

The International Street Food Market on Acklam Road sells an eclectic mix of street food from around the world. You’ll find everything from noodles to falafel, plus Thai, Chinese, and of course, a decent curry. The street food market is open from Friday to Sunday.

The Acklam Village Market Bar (Saturdays only) hidden inside an old sports hall, has some of the best live music in west London. They champion locally sourced spirits and craft beer with a seasonal cocktail menu. Enjoy a beer in a cool venue while catching a live act.

Check what’s on via the Acklam Village website.

11. NOTTING HILL’S SECRET BANKSY

Hidden beside the Acklam Village food market stalls is the Banksy mural “The Painter.”

Thought to be Spanish painter Velazquez, a bow-tied artist holding an easel and brush hand paints the words BANKSY in red lettering.

It’s one of the oldest Banksys in London, first appearing in 2008. It was covered by building works for several years but reappeared in 2020.

You’ll find it on the wall of the Grand Hotel on the corner of Portobello Road and Acklam Road. However, you can only see it when the Acklam Village Market is not operating.

12. ROUGH TRADE

Rough Trade West is the oldest and smallest of the Rough Trade stores. They sell a collector’s array of vinyl, but you can also pick up books, merchandise, and stereo equipment.

It’s well worth popping in for a poke around, but they also feature regular in-store performances from talented artists. They focus on unplugged and acoustic sets, as well as talks with musicians.

See what’s on at roughtrade.com.

13. ST LUKE MEWS

A mews is a small traffic-free street behind extravagant 18^th and 19th-century mansion houses. They were used to stable horses of the wealthy and to provide accommodation for servants.

They are a common feature of Notting Hill, and today, they have been converted into charming houses.

St Luke Mews is one of the prettiest mews streets to visit in Notting Hill, and it was featured in Love Actually.

Respecting the privacy of locals – Colville Mews is often mentioned as a good mews to visit. However, this was because of a huge Union Jack artwork, which has now been removed. Colville Mews is very much a residential street, and it’s probably a good idea to give it a miss.

14. FARMERS’ MARKET

As locals, the Notting Hill Farmers’ Market is one of our favourite things to do. Even if you’re visiting the area, it’s worth popping in for a look.

They stock organic produce from local farmers, including the freshest fruit and veg, amazing wild mushrooms, the best goat’s cheese you’ll find anywhere, as well as fresh pasta, meat, fish and much more.  

Apart from the quality produce, the area is a great part of Notting Hill to visit.

Nearby, you’ll find Kuro, one of our favourite cafes in Notting Hill, as well as Greek restaurants Suzi Tros and Mazi.

The Farmer’s Market is in the Fox Primary School on Edge Street W8 7PP.

15. NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

The Notting Hill Carnival is a celebration of the Caribbean Community, taking place on the August bank holiday weekend every year.

The carnival was forged out of the Notting Hill race riots in the 1950s and by 1976 it had a distinctly Caribbean flavour.

Today, you can expect to be celebrating with around 2 million people, making it the largest street festival in Europe.

Stay up to date on the official Notting Hill Carnival website.

HOW TO GET TO NOTTING HILL

Notting Hill is in West London and easily accessible by several tube stations.

The best station to use is Notting Hill Gate on the Central, Circle and District Lines. It’s a short walk from here to many Notting Hill attractions, including the Portobello Road Market.

You could also arrive at Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Park and Royal Oak.

There are also several bus lines operating across Notting Hill. The best way to find them is via the Transport for London Journey Planner.

WHERE TO STAY

Notting Hill is a beautiful part of London that’s slightly out of the main tourist areas but easy to get to via public transport. Paddington and Bayswater are both nearby (5 to 15-minute walk to Portobello Road) and provide much better value for money.

For other options, we have a full guide about where to stay in London.

---

---

---

OUR FAVOURITE NOTTING HILL RESTAURANTS

We’ve lived in Notting Hill for a long time now and we’ve seen many restaurants come and go. Here are our current picks for the best places to eat:

Gold | ££ – The focus here is on cooking over a flame to produce tasty morsels that are ideal for sharing. The room is dark, moody and perfect for date night.

The Barbary | £££ – Even better than the originals in Covent Garden, The Barbary Notting Hill delivers punchy flavours inspired by the Mediterranean and North African coasts. The setting is glamour.

Akub | ££ – This intimate space behind a Notting Hill townhouse serves up some of the best Persian food we’ve ever had. It gets even better when you get to dessert.

The Ledbury | ££££ – We first went to the Ledbury before they received their three Michelin stars. This is fine dining in London, where the quality and creativity are hard to match.

Mazi | ££ – This is one of our favourite Greek restaurants in Notting Hill. They do punchy takes on Greek classics in a very relaxed setting.

The Shed | ££ – This completely seasonal restaurant is sourced entirely from their own farm using sustainable practices. The cooking is excellent and the space is cool and relaxed.

Aphrodite | £ – We love this place and we’ve been going for years. It’s a traditional Greek restaurant where the portions are plentiful and the service is like eating with your own Greek family.

Walmer Castle | ££ – British seasonal menu using quality ingredients from local suppliers in a cosy pub atmosphere.

MORE GUIDES FOR LONDON

• Enjoy the regal side of the city with our self-guided Royal Parks & Palaces walk.
• Save some pennies with our guide to London’s free attractions.
• Find your perfect neighbourhood with our guide to the best areas in London to stay in.
• Enjoy the colourful side of the city with our top places to visit in Notting Hill, including the best film locations.
• Get in the festive mood with our best of London Christmas.
• Take our South Bank walk for an iconic stroll along the Thames.
• Hit the best of London’s Christmas markets with this guide, updated every year.
• Breakfast in Notting Hill is always a great way to start the weekend.
• Soak up the atmosphere with our London Christmas Lights walk – updated every year.