Portobello, Notting Hill

Portobello is one of the best places in London to shop for vintage and second-hand, but it’s also awash with history, antiques, stories of immigrants and the Notting Hill Carnival and so much more, including great restaurants. Its surrounding streets are also rich in contemporary fashion from independent shops. So you mix it all together and you get a completely unique experience set amid 18th-century pastel buildings buzzing with an atmosphere that’s always changing.

Fridays are when the sensational vintage clothes market is held, when the brilliant traders lay out their wares for everyone to drool over. Yet every weekday there’s more than enough retro, vintage and second-hand to keep anyone busy who’s mad for bargains or keen on finding just one incredible belt buckle from the 1970s. The variety is outstanding. We take you to the out-of-the way shops and down the back streets and walk your feet off in search of the gorgeous or quirky, and along the way we walk you back in time, so you can feel like your quest for pieces from the past connects you with the past itself, which is never that far away. The romance of it all is everywhere.

You can combine your second-hand finds with some chunky boots, chic Italian dresses, and all-year linen shirts from shops devoted to selling as sustainably as they can. Indeed, all the basics of a wardrobe for men and women are here, along with captivatingly new and antique jewellery to liven anything up. You won’t fail to turn up some treasure in this colourful little world that never ceases to surprise and enchant.