The Ultimate Guide to Portobello Road Market (2023)

FAQs

What is the best day to go to Portobello Market? ›

The Portobello Road Market is open every day of the week, so you can visit just about anytime you wish. However, it should be noted that some shops such as the antiques and bric-a-brac stalls are only open on Saturdays. This is arguably the best day of the week to visit as the market is in full swing.

Recommended visiting time is around three hours, but if you plan on visiting Portobello Market on a Saturday, then you might want to reserve an entire day to stroll around the many stalls.

Portobello Road Market is the famous antique market in London that you need to visit. Filled with everything from vintage trinkets and pre-loved games, to fresh fruit and flowers, it's no wonder that this market is adored by locals and tourists alike.

To get to Portobello Road Market, the best option is to take the tube. The closest stations are Notting Hill Gate (to the south) and Ladbroke Grove (to the north). We recommend you start in Notting Hill and finish in Ladbroke Grove.

KidRated's Portobello Road Market Top Tips:

Bring cash as there aren't many ATMs around and lots of the stalls don't take card. Head there very early on a Saturday morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. The market is outdoors so it's best to visit on a sunny day.

Portobello is really several markets in one, Saturday being the day when all are in full swing. Then you can experience a mile of hustle, haggle, colour and energy. The feature of Saturdays is the opening of hundreds of antique and specialist shops and stalls.

If you want to avoid the crowds but still want to see the Borough Market in its entirety, try to visit on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon, or as soon as it opens on a Saturday. If you happen to be visiting London during the Christmas holidays, be sure to try some eggnog and mulled wine at the market as well.

The west London site is most famous for having one of the world's largest antique, bric-a-brac and vintage clothing markets. It's a location that attracts tourists, locals and celebrities from all walks of life.

It is very busy on a Saturday and, while there are some nice stalls, there is also a lot of over-priced tat. The second hand clothes shops that line the market are astoundingly expensive for clothes you could get in a normal charity shop for under £20-30. 345 Portobello Road is a fab vegetarian cafe that's not on here.

5. Re: London markets: Camden or Portobello? Portobello is a more traditional 'street market' - antiques in the first section, then moving to food, bric a brac, clothing etc... Camden is more of a structured market - not in the street - with converted buildings housing vendors, and stalls set up in areas off the road.

What time does Portobello Market finish? ›

We are open Monday - Saturday from 8 am to 7 pm, with traders usually operate from 8:30 am to 6pm. During the summer months, most stalls on Portobello Road set up from 8am-9am and close between 5pm-6pm.

The logical beginning of the market is Notting Hill Gate, from here you can browse the Antiques and Bric-a-Brac area first, which is really what has made Portobello famous. If you want to bypass Antiques and go straight to 2nd hand fashion and street food then use Ladbroke Grove tube to save yourself some walking.

While the gills of a portobello mushroom are edible, most people prefer removing them. This preference might be because the mushrooms' dark brown gills often transfer their muddy color to your dish and give it an unappetizing look. Others also claim that dark gills have a bitter taste.

The stems of large portabella, while technically edible, can be woody and fibrous and are usually discarded (or used to flavor stock). Likewise, the dark black gills can be eaten, but they'll turn your food a nasty, murky, scuzzy brown, so it's best to scrape'em out.

Notting Hill Gate is the main Tube station in the area, and it's served by the Central line, the District line and the Circle line. Alternatively, use Westbourne Park station or Ladbroke Grove station on the Hammersmith and City line and Circle line and then walk along Portobello Road towards Notting Hill Gate.

Set in Notting Hill, Portobello Road Market's nearest Tube station is Ladbrooke Grove on the Hammersmith and City line. Notting Hill Gate Tube station is a 20-minute walk from the market, and is on the Central, Circle and District lines.

For those wanting to avoid the hustle and bustle of Saturday, Sunday is a great day to visit Portobello. At the Portobello Sunday Flea Market you'll find a range of vintage fashion stalls under the canopy as well as antiques and flea market stalls on Portobello Road.

Although the Camden Market is open 7 days a week you should consider carefully which day you choose for your visit. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days where a lot of stalls and shops are usually open. If you like to experience the lively hustle and bustle among like-minded people, you should choose the weekend.

Don't lowball.

While (almost) everything is negotiable, and you are allowed a lot more “give” in expensive items, overzealous haggling will turn off the seller. A good rule of thumb is any offer below 25 percent of the ticket price is a slap in the face.

How do you haggle Is this the best price? ›

There are some tables, but it's mainky street food although there is restaurant/cafe on the first floor. Credit cards in some places but for the market stalls it's cash.

Getting to Borough Market

If you're near a Jubilee (grey) line tube station, take it to London Bridge station for easy access to the market. Or if you're travelling from outside London, London Bridge train station is only 5 minutes away. Alternatively, you can reach London's Borough Market by bus.

The market is open Monday to Friday on Wentworth Street; on Sunday it extends over many of the surrounding streets, with over a thousand stalls. It is closed on Saturday, and on Sunday closes at about 2 pm. The markets are well signed from local stations.

Notting Hill is a great place to go out, even as family

I've also had some really delicious meals at pubs, which makes them perfectly suitable for family outings. Some popular choices include The Elgin, The Westbourne, and The Pelican.

The name Portobello is unusual as it has a fairly modern derivation. It comes from the name of a house, called Portobello Hut, which had been built in 1742 by a sailor called George Hamilton.

The most famous of the stalls, shops and arcades are The Portobello Antique Store, Alice's, Judy Fox Antiques London and The Portobello Print & Map Shop.

PORTOBELLO MARKET

The market is famous for its antique and bric-a-brac stalls and shops but it also features a superb selection of fashion, food, crafts, books and music. Hundreds of traders sell all sorts of everything, old and new, and there's plenty of delicious street food from all around the world.

This area in north west London offers some of the city's most interesting shopping and browsing. The Shops of Notting Hill range from Westbourne Grove's upscale boutiques to colorful vintage and antique shops on Portobello Road. Bookshops and record shops, cafes and bars, there is something for everyone.

Why is Camden Town so popular? ›

Camden Town is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in London, best known for shopping and entertainment. It is artsy, creative, and buzzing with live music and famous markets. All this makes Camden one of the city's most popular boroughs to visit, in addition to the most famous sights and attractions in London.

Camden has been home to many famous people including John Keats, Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw and JB Priestley and continues to be the home for many celebrities. Camden today is a multi-cultural area at the heart of London and will no doubt continue to evolve and change over the next 2,000 years.

Portobello Road Market. If you love antiques, you'll love Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill. It's a little-known fact that the market itself is officially the largest in the world.

Yes, you can eat raw mushrooms in a salad. However, some varieties of mushrooms are better suited for eating raw than others. For example, portobello mushrooms are great for eating raw because they have a firm texture and a mild flavor.

"As you know now, mushrooms have a ton of water in them. When you cook them in a pan, the water will seep out. If you keep the heat low, the mushrooms will just simmer in their liquid. Medium high or high heat will get rid of all that liquid, and will give the mushrooms a nice brown color.

The gills inside the cap of the Portobello Mushrooms do not pose any risk to one's health. However, removing it makes your dish look more colorful and bursting with taste. Removing the gills also makes the mushrooms last longer.

Their cell walls contain chitin, a quite different polymer to the cellulose of plant cell walls, which accounts for their strange texture. Chitin is remarkably heat-stable, which is why it is practically impossible to overcook mushrooms – they remain firm yet tender even after prolonged cooking.

Which is the better day at Carnival? If you're after a more chilled NHC experience, go for family day on Sunday, or if you like the sound of a hard-partying parade, make sure to go on Carnival Monday. The festivities kick off with an opening ceremony on Sunday morning, with the parade starting at 10am.

Portobello Road is a street in the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London. It runs almost the length of Notting Hill from South to North, roughly parallel with Ladbroke Grove.

What is the best day to go to Notting Hill Carnival? ›

Which is the better day at Carnival? If you're after a more chilled NHC experience, go for family day on Sunday, or if you like the sound of a hard-partying parade, make sure to go on Carnival Monday. The festivities kick off with an opening ceremony on Sunday morning, with the parade starting at 10am.

Many shops along Portobello Road and Goldborne Road are open for business 7 days a week. Shops normally open at around 10 am Monday to Saturday, later on, Sundays.

Traditionally the main emphasis is on an array of varied Caribbean foods. 'Jamaican Jerk Chicken' is King , and the smell of a jerk pit is the immediate 'scent of Notting Hill Carnival'. Look out for that, also Trinidadian 'Roti', and Guyanese 'Pepper Pot' are a must try.

Take plenty of cash, apart from the refreshments you'll want to buy—you may need to barter with a friendly local for the use of their bathroom as portaloo queues can take a long time. You can bring your own food and drinks—just no glass!

Though neon brights are the order of the day for most Notting Hill Carnival attendees, don't feel discouraged if your personal style is more colour-averse; you can still party as hard as the rest in an all-black ensemble.

The name Portobello is unusual as it has a fairly modern derivation. It comes from the name of a house, called Portobello Hut, which had been built in 1742 by a sailor called George Hamilton.