In the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, lies a curious path called Portobello Road which leads to a visual feast of a market featuring antiques, vintage clothing, innovative designs and more food than you’ll know what to do with. Oh, the food.
Mark my words: This is not something to be missed.
When you begin making your way to the market, it becomes painfully obvious that the majority of people who are walking with you ( and believe me, there are a lot of people) are tourists from Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and Japan, among other places. This little fact might put a damper on your mood. It put one on mine, but I recovered quickly enough to sing “Is this the way to Portobello” in my head to the tune of “Is this is the way to Amarillo” sung by Tony Christie.
When you do get there, apart from the fact that you have to navigate through bodies to keep moving or get a good look at those vintage shoes you’ve been eyeing from afar, the crowd becomes secondary to all that you have laid out in front of you.
Of course, the first thing you’ll notice is the food. There’s so much of it and such variety, you wont know where to look. You’ll probably be regretting the fact that you had the audacity to eat breakfast before making your way to Portobello, rendering you unable to consume the delightful delicacies on the road once known was Green’s Lane.
Savoury quiches, mouth-watering donuts, fresh and glistening fruit. Paella to whet your appetite, Nutella crepes you wont be able to resist. You’ll almost forget that there’s more to Portobello than the food. Oh but there is. There is.
Vintage fashion from all corners of the world seem to use Portobello Market as a sort of dumping ground – but not in a bad way. There is something for everyone here, from shoes, scarves, costume jewelry, coats and hats. If recycled fashion isn’t your thing, rest assured there are plenty of stalls displaying the newest trends and local designs.
You can even buy knick knacks for your projects in a variety of sizes and shapes.
The above stalls are very dangerous because of the temptation they present. As I am currently working on developing self-control around food, I didn’t indulge in these delicacies, but you should definitely be my guest.
If you get weary during your journey through Portobello, there are a multitude of places to sit and eat. Grab some authentic Mexican cuisine or just a cappucino or latte at Santo, perhaps. Of course, there is no shortage of food on the street, so a bite on-the-go works just as well.
As always, the most important aspect of visiting anywhere, whether its Portobello Market or another such locale, is being there with someone you love.
