Notting Hill oozes with character. Take a Saturday morning walk through Portobello Market or go antique hunting along Golborne Road if you need convincing.
Whether venturing into one of CF’s favourite cutting-edge wellness outposts – like holistic fitness studio Bodyism – or popping by TROVE for some interiors inspo, we’re never short of something to do in NH.
Tiffany Duggan – of TROVE and interior design firm Studio Duggan – agrees. With her studio and store based on Golborne Road, Duggan’s a long-time pavement stomper of these parts – “my first studio was in a shared creative space in Westbourne Studios and since then we have always worked locally.”
Marrying the old with the new is very much Duggan’s vibe (and general approach to interiors), so who better then to explore the burb’s blend of old hat and new wave with than someone who has walked its streets, sampled its best falafel, and frequented its much-cherished fabric shops umpteen times.
Notting Hill is, in a word…
Vibrant.
Your connection to the area…
My first studio was in a shared creative space in Westbourne Studios and since then we have always worked locally. When it came to deciding on a location for the TROVE shop, Golborne Road was top of the list. It’s still a bit grittier than some of Notting Hill, but it’s full of life and has a real sense of community.
Your favourite thing about the neighbourhood…
Is that it is such a melting pot of people and cultures. Whilst some areas are now more gentrified, it has still managed to retain a heart and soul. It is full of life and the essence of multicultural London life. Expensive vintage boutiques sit happily alongside the old school market traders on Portobello and Golborne Road – there is something for everyone in Notting Hill.
Where to stay/ check-in in Notting Hill…
The Portobello Hotel.
Where to eat breakfast…
Golborne Deli – the devilled eggs are legendary.
For a quick bite try…
Falafel King – a Notting Hill institution. We were thrilled that this finally re-opened two doors down from the TROVE shop on Golborne Road.
And a languorous lunch?
Gold… sit on the terrace where there is a retractable glass roof.
For dinner with friends head to…
Laylow.
For great shopping, scope out…
Rellik, Karen Vintage, Couverture & The Garbstore, Sezane, Goop, Pippa Small and Wild at Heart for flowers.
Notable antique and vintage shops include…
Les Couilles du Chien, Arbon Interiors, Retrouvious (a bit off the beaten track but well worth a visit) but also all the market traders on Portobello and Golborne Road.
For fabrics and upholsteries head to…
The Cloth Shop and Warris and Viani.
A list of the best interiors shops in the area reads as follows…
TROVE (of course) also the Universal Providers, The Hub, Jensen & Ballantine and the vintage shops and markets as listed above.
Aside from Trove, must-visit spots on Golborne Road include…
Golborne Deli, Les Couilles du Chien, Laylow and Lisboa for their famous Portuguese custard tarts.
Galleries worthy of a gander…
Serena Morton and Maddox Gallery.
For a taste of nature head to…
Take a stroll down Kensington Park Gardens in the spring to see its famous blossom trees, and finish with a picnic in Holland Park – look out for the park’s peacocks.
Spots to destress and detoxify…
Cowshed Spa, Privet Body and Aveda on Westbourne Grove.
Best studios/ workout classes in the area…
Bodyism.
And finally, what’s your Notting Hill secret…
My secret spot for a moment’s peace and quiet away from the hubbub is Meanwhile Gardens – a small but magical community garden squeezed between the Trellik Tower and the Grand Union canal at the bottom of Golborne Road.
Any Questions or Tips to add?