London Shopping: Portobello Road
Portobello Road in Notting Hill is a major London attraction because of its vibrant markets and shops. There is a huge range of shopping available here, from antiques, to food, to cutting-edge fashion.
Step 1: Antiques shopping
The first stretch of Portobello, as well as the neighbouring Westbourne Grove, is known for antiques shopping. Although many of the shops sell bric-a-brac aimed at the tourists, there are some high-end antiques galleries catering to serious collectors. There are also many specialist antique dealers located in arcades off of Portobello Road. Although most of the shops are open all week, the best day for antiques shopping is Saturday, when there are also many more market stalls lining the street.
Step 2: Food shopping
The second stretch of Portobello Road offers an assortment of goods, but is mainly known for its food stalls. Here you can buy fresh produce such as fruit and veg, fish, bread and flowers, and have the authentic London experience of haggling over prices with a Cockney market trader. It is also on this section of Portobello Road, at number 191, where you'll find London's oldest cinema, the Electric Cinema (www.electriccinema.co.uk), built in 1910.
Step 3: Clothes shopping
The section of the the market located underneath and around the the flyover of the A40 motorway is dedicated to clothes and jewellery. There is a mixture of cheap street fashion, pieces by up-and-coming designers, as well as second-hand clothes. The market is known as one of the best places to gauge new fashion trends in London.
Step 4: What people say about Portobello?
It is a very nice atmosphere on Saturdays. There a lot of unique stuff and people are very friendly.
Step 5: Visiting Portobello
Portobello Road is easily accessible from the tube stations of Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove, in West London. Although different parts of the market are open on different days of the week, there is always a buzz and plenty to see and do in Portobello. The main day for antiques shopping is Saturday, when the market becomes extremely busy, and for fashion shopping it's Friday or Saturday. For more information visit www.portobellomarket.org.
