Your Ultimate Guide to Portobello Market: Tips from a Londoner!

Looking to visit Portobello Market? Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your time at London’s most iconic market — from a Londoner!

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To some it’s just that ‘market in Notting Hill’ to others a bucket list London destination, and to many, the backdrop to Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts Notting Hill love story.

Read More: A Visit to the Notting Hill Bookshop

I visited Portobello Market for the first time in 2017 when I moved to London and it’s still one of my favourite things to do in West London and one of my favourite markets in the city.

If endless streams of independents, antiques, bric-a-brac, colourful houses and West London charm are your thing, then it’s time to get to Portobello Road Market.

Here’s absolutely everything you need to know for your visit—from a Londoner!

About the Author

Hi, I’m Candace — a London-based travel writer and content creator who traded the East Coast of the US for the charm of the UK back in 2016. London’s been my home ever since.

On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtfully crafted London, UK, Europe and Worldwide travel guides alongside lots of insider London tips, honest hotel and restaurant reviews and advice for content creators.

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🗞️📺As featured on the BBC, USA Today & Recipe.TV.

P.S. – Explore London’s neighbourhoods to the fullest with my London Explorer Guides 🏡🇬🇧

Designed to create your best local days out in London yet!

Portobello Market Visitor Tips

What is Portobello Market?

🛍️ Portobello Market Quick Overview

🕗 Opening Times: Monday to Wednesday: 9:00AM to 6:00PM, Friday to Saturday 9:00AM to 7:00PM

⌛ Time to Spend: 3-4 hours (minimum 2)

💷 Entry: Free to visit

Before it became London (and the world’s) most iconic street market, Portobello Market, also known as Portobello Road Market, was no more then a humble country path called Green Lane, connecting Notting Hill and Kensal Green.

Golborne Raod nearby used to be a farm called ‘Porto Bello’ named after the town the British captured from the Spanish, and the name was borrowed as the market began to be a spillover shopping zone for the wealthy Londoners of Paddington looking to get more of their shopping fix, mainly for food and essentials at the time.

From the 1940s it became a bit run down, and more ‘rag-and-bone’ like traders joined the scene selling ‘bric-a-bracs’ and everything inbetween. Until it became trendy to do so!

Today, it’s quite similar to its old market days—with a huge emphasis on local traders and a people-zone for Londoners and visitors alike.

How to Make the Most of Portobello Market

The first thing you’ll realise when you visit Portobello Market is just how much there is to do. Which includes…

• Shopping at antique markets
• Eating Portobello Market Street Food
• Visiting the Notting Hill Bookshop
• Vintage Shopping
• Visiting cute Notting Hill cafes
• Admiring Georgian architecture and mews
• Visiting Portobello Market Road Bars & Pubs

The best way to break up your day of exploring is to go by sections throughout the day.

PORTOBELLO MARKET SECTIONS

Portobello Market Sections from portobelloroad.co.uk

This will help you make the most of your time in the market and get to see it all without being overwhelmed.

How to Get to Portobello Market

Portobello Market’s convenient West London location means there’s several ways to get here in a breeze.

Portobello Market’s closest tube station is Notting Hill Gate Underground Station which you can reach via the District, Central or Circle Line.

You can also take bus 52, 328, 452, 27, 28, N27, N28, or N31 depending on where you’re coming from.

Don’t forget to use Citymapper or Google Maps for live directions to Portobello Market and to see if it may just be easier to walk it in the end too!

Tips for Visiting Portobello Market

☀️ Get there early on a Saturday

Portobello Road Market opens at 8am and the best day to go to Portobello Market is early on Saturday.

This is the main market day when all the street stalls will be set up (vs. limited stalls the rest of the week) so it’s truly the best time to experience the market in its full glory.

However it does get busy. Like busy busy.

To avoid *some* of the crowds I advise getting to Portobello Road Market between 8-9:30am to get first dibs at many of the shops, stalls and vendors.

💷 Bring cash to get discounts

Nowadays (like most places in London) you can pay with card for everything, including Portobello Road Market.

Although all the shop owners will have card machines, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring cash.

Because this is how you haggle!

Although not always the case, many shop and street stall owners are still up for bargaining if you have cash on hand.

I spoke to one of the stall owners to confirm, and it’s still very much a thing at Portobello Road Market—so time to get some pounds!

I suggest going to the ATM outside Notting Hill Gate Station and taking out a few £20s for the day if you plan to do some serious shopping.

💡 Here’s a 🛍️ Portobello Market shops list for your visit!

📚 Don’t go to the wrong Notting Hill Bookshop

Of course, you’ll probably be deliriously excited to visit the Notting Hill Bookshop while you’re exploring Portobello Market, but make sure you go to the right one!

On Portobello Road there’s a fake ‘Notting Hill’ market that really is just a tourist trap in full form with cheap souvenirs.

Instead you’ll want to visit the real Notting Hill Bookshop where the interiors of the bookshop were inspired at 13 Blenheim Cres, London W11 2EE.

P.S. – Check out my full guide on how to visit the Notting Hill Bookshop before you go!

🧥  Visit Portobello Green Arcade, Portobello Vintage Market, and Acklam Village Market

A big mistake people make when visiting Portobello Market is only sticking to the main Portobello Road bit, but there’s so much more to discover if you just venture a further bit down.

Like the Portobello Green Arcade and the Portobello Vintage Market at the end of Portobello Road with permanent funky stalls and pop-ups from London locals, beautiful pre-loved vintage practically spilling onto the streets and local street food from Acklam Village Market on Saturdays (the jerk chicken stall here is amazing!).

🏠 Explore more of Notting Hill

A visit to Portobello Market puts you smack in the middle of Notting Hill, which means exploring the neighbourhood is a must.

Enjoy some of my top picks for the best things to do in Notting Hill and explore beautiful local mews and streets like:

• Colville Terrace
• Lancaster Road
• Elgin Crescent
• St. Luke’s Mews
• Westbourne Park Road

Portobello Road Market Map

To make your visit easier the Shop Portobello team made this handy map to navigate your visit, easy peasy!

Final Thoughts on Visiting Portobello Road Market

Overall Portobello Market is a fantastic place to spend a day in London, and is well worth the visit.

I hope this post helps you make the most of your trip! Cheers 🇬🇧

Thanks for reading my Portobello Market Guide. If you enjoyed it, let me know on Instagram!

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• The Best Brunch & Breakfast Spots in Notting Hill
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Happy Londoning,