Other London neighbourhoods have Notting on this one.
Because when you have a vibrant, multicultural community that energizes a booming creative scene and plays host to the second largest carnival on the planet, you’ve got yourself a pretty good part of the world to hang out in.
Prepare to have fun with our whirlwind, Notting Hill 24 hour tour…
MORNING
Seeing as breakfast is the most important meal of the day before lunch, it should be done properly. So get in line for the unbeatable scrambled eggs at Granger & Co. on Westbourne Grove. Bill Granger’s laid-back, antipodean approach to all-day eating has been a worldwide hit and will set you up for a seriously g’day…
After winning breakfast, walk it off with a mooch around Westbourne Grove’s swanky boutiques – including Paul Smith’s first flagship store, in a grand old townhouse. There’s also a branch of Jigsaw with a small coffee bar that does a particularly good espresso.
MIDDAY
A trip down the film-worthy setting of Portobello Road is a must. So hop between antique treasure troves like the The Portobello Print and Map Shop or Alice’s Antiques to hunt and haggle for hidden gems. There’s spots for foodies too, with La Cave a Fromage – the world’s 3rd most amazing cheese shop – and Books for Cooks, which stocks decades’ worth of recipes for every occasion.
Along the way you could revitalise at Farm Girl Café with a cold press juice and a Liquid Gold Latte made with turmeric, cinnamon, astralagus (whatever the hell that is), honey and coconut milk. And if that doesn’t make you feel better, a large gin at The Distillery will.
LUNCH
For a lighter lunch, opt for Yotam Ottolenghi’s crisp, punchy salads at his trendy, all-white deli. Sidle up to the yummy mummies at the communal table, or take away and scoff on the hoof. For another quick pit stop, head to Tonkotsu and slurp pork ramen at the countertop or instead hunker down in a banquette at Electric Diner for a French-American feast of the most comforting foods in existence… Yes, philly chilli cheese dog, we’re looking at you.
AFTERNOON
We wouldn’t advise taking up time travel regularly – there’s no future in it.
But you can make an exception to step into the ‘time tunnel’ at The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising – a kaleidoscopic world of retro design with everything from First World War Oxo Cubes to your favourite childhood cereals.
For a less taxing afternoon, sink into a sofa at the Electric Cinema or settle into The Churchill Arms for a pint of ale – a pub so cosy, it could easily end up consuming the whole of your Notting Hill 24 hour tour. But don’t get too comfortable, because we’re whisking you off to –
DINNER
For dinner, potter down to The Shed and fill your welly boots with small plates lifted straight from the West Sussex countryside. Kick things off with the ‘daily loosener’ made with foraged booze like damson vodka, before whetting the appetite with canapé-style ‘mouthfuls’ such as mushroom marmite and egg confit eclairs.
Alternatively, you could satisfy that insatiable urge for multi-award-winning haute cuisine once and for all by heading to The Ledbury to indulge in the mesmerising tasting menu.
NIGHT
Pull up a garish mid-century stool at Trailer Happiness’ uber-kitsch tiki bar where you’ll find rum-based cocktails with tiki twists. For something more lively, dive into the basement of Notting Hill Arts Club with the local creative types and rock out to indie bands or bob to house beats depending on the night.
And if unlike Cinderella you’re still at the party gone midnight, VQ has your late-night breakfast covered as it stays open to 3am. Bubble ‘n’ squeak, poached egg, crispy bacon and hollandaise is one of the many drunken pleasures on offer before your carriage awaits.
And with that, we’ve squeezed everything into one dinky, Notting Hill 24 hour nutshell.
Call us your Fairy Godmother.
Last Updated: 21st August 2019 | Main image: Granger & Co.
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