Three generations on one famous street
Last week I took my mum and my 12 year old daughter Darcy, to Portobello Road. The trip was partly about showing Darcy somewhere I had loved, and partly about wanting to walk back into my own youth for an afternoon.
In my twenties I studied fashion design at Kingston University, and I spent many of those days at Portobello Road. Vintage rails, antique stalls, good food (it was here that I first discovered Falafel), and the chaotic energy when the neighbourhood turns itself over to browsing. My mum used to visit Notting Hill in the sixties and seventies, so there was a fair amount of family history riding on this one visit. Darcy is massively into fashion at the moment, so I was fairly sure she would fall for the place the way I once did.
The Portobello Road market has changed, and not in the way I hoped
We went on a Friday, because Friday was always the better day as I remembered it. I am not sure what happened to that version of Portobello Road, but it was not there waiting for me.
The market stalls were wall to wall tourist souvenirs. Royal Mail letterbox keyrings, I Love London t-shirts, and all the usual tourist tat. There were a couple of vintage and antique stalls still holding their ground, but they were the exception now rather than the rule. Maybe Saturday tells a different story. Maybe I have simply been away too long and I am mourning something that moved on without me. Either way, the market I came back for was just a memory.
The permanent antique shops and centres saved the day
Here is where the afternoon turned around. The permanent antique shops and centres were packed, properly packed, with real stock. Furniture, ceramics, jewellery, glassware and quality beyond my affordability. I showed my daughter how to spot Lalique glass with its art deco forms and milky satin finish.
Some pieces were seriously expensive and I expected that. This is central London, where the rent alone must be eye watering. What mattered more to me was the feeling of being somewhere that still takes old objects seriously. That is the part I wanted Darcy to understand, and she got it in the shops rather than out on the stalls. Watching my mum and my daughter lean over the same cabinet, two versions of the same curiosity separated by fifty years, was worth the trip on its own.
Notting Hill itself still delivers
Whatever has happened to the market, the neighbourhood has lost none of its pull. The white stuccoed houses with their wide steps and pillars still stop you where you stand. Then as you come down from Notting Hill Gate you meet the pastel cottages, pale yellow, dusty pink, mint green, lined up like a pretty paint chart, reminding me of sugared almonds.
So would I go back?
Not for the market, at least not in a hurry. But the shops? Absolutely. I will return on a slow weekday with no agenda and no timetable, and will wander around while I decide which elegant coffee shop to rest in. If you are in search of serious antiques rather than affordable street fashion or vintage homewares, Portobello Road is still worth the trip.
A few honest tips if you are visiting Portobello Road for antiques
Keep your expectations for the street stalls realistic, especially if you have only seen the postcard version. Put your energy into the permanent shops and antique centres, because that is where the real stock lives. Go on a weekday if you can, when it is calmer and the dealers have time to talk. And leave room in the day for the walk itself, because Notting Hill rewards you whether or not you buy a single thing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Portobello Road market worth visiting for antiques?
The street market now leans heavily towards tourist souvenirs, with only a handful of dedicated antique stalls left among them. If antiques are your reason for going, the permanent shops and antique centres are the far stronger draw and worth planning your visit around.
What is the best day to visit Portobello Road for antiques?
Friday and Saturday are the traditional market days, but the street can be crowded and souvenir led. For the permanent antique shops and centres, a quieter weekday gives you more space to browse and more time with the dealers.
Are the antique shops on Portobello Road better than the market stalls?
For genuine stock, yes. The permanent shops and centres are full of furniture, ceramics, jewellery and more, with knowledgeable dealers who are happy to let you look without pressure. The stalls are more of a mixed picture these days.
Is Portobello Road expensive?
Some pieces are priced high, which reflects central London costs and overheads. You can still find things across a range of prices, but going in with a clear idea of what you are looking for helps.
Is Notting Hill worth visiting beyond the market?
Very much so. The white stuccoed houses near Notting Hill Gate and the pastel cottages further down make the neighbourhood a pleasure to walk even if you never step inside a shop.
If Portobello has left you wanting old things without the central London price tag, you will find ceramics, glassware, metalware and vintage art waiting over in the shop here.
Anna x
Founder of The Blue Loft
