Street · London
Portobello Road
Come on a Saturday morning, arrive before 10:00 and walk north from Notting Hill Gate through the antiques stalls to the food and vintage stalls under the Westway; on other days it is a pleasant street of shops, but the big market happens only on Saturday.Come on a Saturday morning, arrive before 10:00 AM and walk north from Notting Hill Gate through the antiques stalls to the food and vintage stalls under the Westway; on other days it is a pleasant street of shops, but the big market happens only on Saturday.
Map to the start
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Length
1.8 km1.1 mi
approximate
Walk end to end
26 min
without stops
Traffic
Car-free at set times
Best time
Saturday 08:00–11:00 for antiques before the crowds; Friday for vintage clothingSaturday 8:00 AM–11:00 AM for antiques before the crowds; Friday for vintage clothing
At a glance
- Area
- Notting Hill
- Length
- 1.8 km1.1 mi
- Start
- South end at Pembridge Road, near Notting Hill Gate
- End
- North end at Golborne Road
- Traffic
- Car-free at set times
- Currency
- GBP
Decide
What the street is for, and when to be there
At a glance
West London's market street: a long, curving road through Notting Hill with pastel-painted houses, antiques arcades, fruit and vegetable stalls, street food and secondhand clothing, busiest on Saturdays.
Getting there
Notting Hill Gate (Central, Circle and District lines) is 5 minutes from the south end. Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) is near the Westway section in the north. Westbourne Park station is about 10 minutes from the north end.
Traffic and walking hours
Car-free at set times. The market section is closed to traffic during Saturday market hours and partly on other market days (check). The road is fully closed during Notting Hill Carnival on the August bank holiday weekend.
Hours change for events and holidays: check locally.
Morning, afternoon, night
Best time: Saturday 08:00–11:00 for antiques before the crowds; Friday for vintage clothing
05:00–11:005:00 AM–11:00 AM local time
Saturdays, antiques dealers set up from about 07:00–08:00 and serious buyers come early. Other days, shops open around 10:00 and fruit and vegetable stalls run Monday to Saturday (check).
Best time: Saturday 08:00–11:00 for antiques before the crowds; Friday for vintage clothing
See & do
The stops in walking order, then where to shop and what to eat
Walk this street
↓ about 6 min · 420 m0.3 mi
↓ about 7 min · 510 m0.3 mi
↓ about 7 min · 520 m0.3 mi
↓ about 6 min · 450 m0.3 mi
Minutes are walking time at an easy 5 km/h3 mph with a margin for crowds; add time for shops. The GPX opens in Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google My Maps.
Where to shop and what it costs
- Antiques arcades and stallsSilverware, jewelry, clocks, maps and collectibles, busiest on Saturday£5–2,000 (≈ US$7–3,000) / itemPrice check →
- Vintage and secondhand clothing stallsMostly under the Westway flyover, strongest on Friday and Saturday£10–150 (≈ US$14–200) / itemPrice check →
- Fruit and vegetable stallsEveryday market stalls in the middle section, Monday to Saturday£1–5 (≈ US$2–7) / bowlPrice check →
- Bookshops and independent shopsSecondhand books, homeware and gifts on the road and nearby streets£3–50 (≈ US$4–70) / itemPrice check →
Typical buys
- Coffee from a café or stall£3–5 (≈ US$4–7) / cupPrice check →
- Street-food lunch£8–15 (≈ US$11–20) / portionPrice check →
- Small antique or collectible (silver spoon, old print)Polite bargaining is normal with antiques dealers£5–60 (≈ US$7–80) / itemPrice check →
- Vintage jacket£25–120 (≈ US$35–160) / itemPrice check →
Ranges, not quotes: prices move with season and exchange rates; the equivalent in your currency is approximate. Checked Sep 2026.
Eat on or near it
- Street-food stallsSaturday stalls in the middle and northern sections sell hot food from many cuisines; eat standing or on nearby benches.
- Golborne Road cafésAt the north end: Portuguese and Moroccan cafés and bakeries, calmer than the main market.
Sights on the street
- Pastel-painted housesThe colored terraces between Chepstow Villas and Westbourne Grove, the classic Notting Hill view.
- Alice'sRed-fronted antiques shop at no. 86, a well-known photo stop.
- Electric CinemaOne of Britain's oldest working cinemas, opened in 1910, on the road at no. 191.
Practical
Getting a ride there, what goes wrong, and access
Show the driver
Show the driver
Please drop me at the Notting Hill Gate end of Portobello Road, at the corner of Pembridge Road.
Please drop me at the Notting Hill Gate end of Portobello Road, at the corner of Pembridge Road.
On Saturdays the road is closed to traffic in market hours; drivers will stop on Pembridge Road.
Safety, traffic and scams
Pickpockets in Saturday crowds medium
Crowd crush around the tube at busy times low
Scams and traps
- Reproductions sold as genuine antiques: ask the dealer to write the description, age and price on a receipt, and use established arcade dealers for anything expensive.
- Card-only and cash-only stalls: check payment before choosing, and count your change.
Accessibility
- Paved and mostly flat with a gentle slope, but Saturday crowds make it very hard going for wheelchairs and strollers.
- Notting Hill Gate station has no step-free access; check Transport for London's step-free guide for alternatives.
Photo tips
- Shoot the pastel houses early Saturday, before 09:30, or on a weekday when the street is empty.Shoot the pastel houses early Saturday, before 9:30 AM, or on a weekday when the street is empty.
- Ask stallholders before photographing their goods up close.
A line of history
The road takes its name from Portobello Farm, itself named after the British capture of Porto Bello in Panama in 1739. A market grew up here in the late 19th century, and antiques dealers arrived in the 1940s and 1950s.
Combine with
- Golborne RoadContinue past the north end for more flea stalls, cafés and the view of Trellick Tower.
- Holland ParkKyoto Garden and woodland about 15 minutes' walk south-west of Notting Hill Gate.
More streets in London: Carnaby Street
Questions people ask
Which day is best?
Saturday for the full market with antiques, food and vintage; Friday for a calmer mix of vintage and general stalls. Sunday most stalls are closed (check).
Do stalls take cards?
Most do, but some antiques and secondhand stalls still prefer cash, so carry a little.
Deep dive
Sources; hours, rules and prices change, so check before you go
Sources
- officialVisit London (official London tourism site)
- secondaryWikivoyage: London