Notting Hill is one of my absolute favourite areas to explore in London! It’s full of colour, beautiful streets and plenty of gorgeous facades to capture and I’m pretty sure you’ll have seen it come up on your Instagram feed at least once! I have to admit I think I may head back to Notting Hill every time I’m in London because I’ve found a new corner or I want to visit in a new season (or maybe just different outfit 🙈). I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve visited this part of London as well as the number of steps I must have walked through Notting Hill’s streets so I can assure you I’ve added all of my best spots to this list! PLUS I’ve added a handy map of them all so that you can work out your route to tick as many as you can off 💜
If you want quiet, empty photos like most of these are, then make sure you head to Notting Hill before the crowds do which means early morning! I promise it’s worth it. If you visit again later in the day you’ll see the difference it makes!
1. Alice’s
Alice’s is an absolute icon of the Portobello Road and whilst this list is not an actual ranking of places, Alice’s would be number one if it was! If you don’t recognise it from Instagram then maybe you recognise it from film. The antiques shop features in both the classic musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the more recent beloved children’s classic Paddington.
2. Farm Place
Most people visiting Notting Hill will head straight for the bustling Portobello Road Market & shops by turning to the north when they exit the underground. For some quieter streets which are painted in all shades of pastel then turn to the south and you’ll find Farm Place (amongst others, see 15 & 16) which is delightful and nearly always has some perfectly places bikes along it too 🚲
3. Amoret Coffee
I recently bought a book about London Shop Fronts and I discovered so many wonderful new photography spots. One of which had been under my nose for years. I mean literally, it’s a coffee shop so I probably did smell it on many Notting Hill visits! Amoret Coffee is located on Pembridge Road (about opposite 10 The Blue House) and has the most beautifully characterful facade with all the lovely cats on it!
4. Westbourne Park Road
Around Notting Hill you’ll see quite a number of colourful houses. From brightly coloured vibrant rainbows (see 11, Lancaster Road) to more refined black & white designs (see 7, Biscuiteers) and there are plenty of pastel colours in between as well! My favourite set of pastel townhouses is at Westbourne Park Road because the pink perfection of Casa Rosa just makes it for me!
Keep in mind my PSA (at the bottom of this post) when taking photos on this street.
5. Portobello Road Cottages
Portobello Road must be the most famous street in Notting Hill and that’s because it’s home to the Portobello Road Market (see 1 & 9) but before you reach the market you’ll pass some absolutely lovely terraced ‘cottages’. There’s often a cottage for every blooming season as some homes are drenched in wisteria, others framed by roses and some have gorgeous cherry blossom trees in their front gardens so do visit in Spring / Summer for even more colour! You might even be lucky enough to get a vintage car outside too 🚙
Keep in mind my PSA (at the bottom of this post) when taking photos on this street.
6. Churchill Arms
The Churchill Arms is one of the prettiest pubs in London as its always bedecked in a glorious amount of flowers that reflect the season! Think tiny Christmas trees everywhere in winter, roses in summer and tulips in spring 🌷It really is a sight to behold and a super popular spot for Instagram. Check out this video I took in Spring 2022!
7. Biscuiteers
Have you ever heard of an icing cafe?! Probably not, but this is exactly what Biscuiteers is! This shop / cafe on Kensington Park Road is a popular refreshment or gift stop whether that’s to ice your own biscuits whilst enjoying a pot of tea or finding some to take home. From an Instagrammer’s point of view it has a super fun facade. With its iconic black & white design, the Biscuiteers in Notting Hill looks like it’s ready to be coloured in itself!
8. Pink Flat Iron Building
Did you know that Notting Hill has its own flat iron building? So its tip may be rounded rather than flat but it’s still a lovely spot, especially since its painted a pretty pink colour. This spot is a bit quieter as its further away from the Portobello Road Market but as it’s become more popular on Instagram it may be a bit busier than it has been previously.
9. Portobello Road Shops
The reason most people come to Notting Hill is for the Portobello Road Market and shops. The street is shut to cars and antiques stalls line the road as visitors and shoppers alike browse for a hidden gem to take home. Come early and you can see just how pretty some of the shops and the buildings are here. I particularly like this little row of shops with the darker colours, hanging teapot and classic lamppost.
10. The Blue House on Pembridge Road
You can easily walk right past this one as you’re making your way up to Portobello Road so keep your eyes peeled. As you walk up Pembridge Road from Notting Hill Gate underground station, look out on your right for a rather out of place blue cottage! This house looks like it would be much more at home around a village green instead of in busy London.
11. Lancaster Road
Lancaster Road is a well known Instagram spot and you’ll see plenty of people taking photos here. Down the north side in particular is the rainbow of townhouses that you’ll have seen many times! I need to get back and take a better photo here but the lighting seems to never have been in my favour 😆
Keep in mind my PSA (at the bottom of this post) when taking photos on this street.
12. St Luke’s Mews
If you’ve ever watched Love Actually then you’ll recognise St Luke’s Mews straight away. In particular the pink mews house which featured as Juliet & Peter’s house and that scene. There are a few lovely houses along this street and of course the cobble stones add an extra charm to it as well.
Keep in mind my PSA (at the bottom of this post) when taking photos on this street.
13. Stanley Crescent
In London’s blossom season, Stanley Crescent is right at the top of everyone’s lists! There are two large blossom trees here that envelope its home in a cloud of pretty pale pink petals. I thiiiink that these are cherry blossom trees but I could be wrong (do let me know and comment if you think they might be something else!). Unfortunately on my 2022 London visit I came at just the wrong time 🙃 a week of warm weather was followed by a stormy blast and most of the early blossom trees flowered and blew off by the time I got there. Check out what Stanley Crescent in blossom season should look like here 😆🌸
14. Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart florists is another one that I discovered in my London Shop Fronts booked and photographed on my most recent visit to Notting Hill. The shop is known as the Turquoise Island and was designed by the man that created London’s National Portrait Gallery, Piers Gough. The Island is listed and looks even more vibrant when it’s open and surrounded by buckets of flowers and bouquets.
15. Hillgate Place
I once read a blog post that said this was one of the most photographed and busy spots in Notting Hill and I’m going to be completely honest with you. I have no idea what they’re talking about. I’ve been here multiple times at varying times of day and I’ve perhaps seen ONE other person taking photos so I’m not entirely sure what they mean by that… If you do visit and it’s heaving then I do apologise but 3/4 visits to Hillgate Place has told me that it isn’t 😝 The terraced townhouses along this residential Notting Hill street are like looking at an ice cream counter, a whole rainbow of tasty pastels!
16. Jameson Street
Last but not least is another pastel hued street in the set of lovely linked streets just south of Notting Hill Gate underground station (so could be a perfect spot to finish and jump back on the tube). A house on this street actually made the news recently because people were being, let’s be honest, unbelievably inconsiderate and climbing up the steps to one of these homes. Remember people do live in these houses!
PSA: A little reminder when photographing houses to make sure you’re doing so respectfully and not disturbing the people that live in them. This means, there’s no need to pretend to knock on or open doors, climb up someone’s stairs or look in someone’s postbox (all things I have genuinely seen people do).
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Cat x
Hello Cat, Many thanks for your lovely post. The photos are as excellent as always and the captions are most informative and entertaining. Please keep the photos coming!
Thanks! Glad to hear it!