Portobello Road, Portobello Road, the street where the riches of ages are told… Anything and everything a chap can unload, is sold off the barrow in Portobello Road… Ok, we’ll stop. But, seriously, even before Dave Tomlinson sung about this smorgasboard of a street in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Portobello Road has been one of the most brilliant roads in London, and here’s why we love it…
1. It is home to the second smallest museum in London dedicated entirely to gin
Throwback to their summer garden with the optional extra of rabbit cuddles…
2. It is a never-ending array of pastel-coloured bliss
3. You can pop in to one of the best Fish and Chip Shops in London
4. And you can browse goods in the world’s most beautiful antiques store, Alice’s
Or head down Vernon’s Yard for a looksy in a mews steeped in cobbles and history, with Admiral Vernon’s defeat of Porto Belo giving the Road it’s name.
5. Market stalls selling vinyl erupt with the sound of the Beatles and the Beach Boys
6. Every few steps you are introduced to a brand new busker from steel drums to a wooden bass
7. The most glorious food stalls sizzle with flavour every Saturday
You can get a whole Sea Bass for a fiver at the Moroccan Fish Stall on Golborne Road
8. And there’s the best vegetarian deli in London, The Grain Shop, with their giant takeaway portions
9. Or you can pick up a pizza out of an old orange Fiat Cinquecento at Arancina
10. And make sure you take whatever you pick up to Colville Square for a picturesque picnic
11. On Saturdays the world’s largest antiques market brings forth out-of-this world wonders
You’ll find these World War Two binoculars at Sisters Antiques, Stall No.12…
12. Nearer the railway bridge you will find a plethora of odds and ends for sale
13. Posters to decorate the damp walls of your rented cupboard
There’s a stall that sells Mars Bars at two-dozen for a pound
14. And you can delve into old army coats and vintage fur garms by the rack
15. The actual shops are worth a look too
Both inside and out
16. As is the retro Acklam Village Street Market
17. And the vendors will always surprise you with their nifty tricks of the trade
18. You can watch a movie from the comfort of a bed at the Electric
19. Or gaze at one of the few original Banksy’s left in London
20. Or find the attic flat at number 22 where George Orwell wrote his novels
It was said the attic was so cold he had to warm his hands over candlelight before penning a word
21. Maybe the best part is that you’ll meet people from all over the world
22. Come rain or shine, there’ll be crowds every weekend
23. And seriously, those colours…