Portobello Market
Portobello Road has to be one of the most recognisable road names in the whole of the city of London. It is this road that is home to one of the largest street markets in the world, attracting locals and tourists alike to its many colourful stalls, all looking for a bargain to take home. This road runs right through the heart of Notting Hill, which is in itself a tourist draw, so as you can imagine this is a busy and bustling part of the city. The market itself stretches out along the road for approximately two miles and when busy can take a long time to get around completely.
The Antiques Section
The antiques section is probably the most famous part of Portobello Market and is frequented by amateur enthusiasts and professional dealers alike, all looking for something incredible to complete their collections. Saturday is the day to get the most from this section of the market as this is when all of the street based sellers are in place. The best bit of advice you can have for getting the most out of your visit here is to make sure that you arrive early as by around 11am the place can be quite crowded. The antique stalls start packing up their stock at around 4pm so try not to leave your arrival too late.
The Fresh Produce Section
Once past the antique section of the market you get to the fruit and vegetable section. This is one part of the market that is incredibly popular with locals, due to the quality and price of the produce on sale here. Other than the traditional fruits and vegetable stalls you should also find some bakery stalls selling unbelievable fresh bread and croissants, cheese stalls, fishmonger stalls and the occasional cake stall. This is perhaps the most traditional part of the market where the hawkers will shout out to the crowds to try their wares, and the traditional market barrows are overflowing with fresh produce.
The Fashion Section
In recent years the fashion scene has ballooned in Notting Hill, and the fashion and clothing section of Portobello Market has grown to accommodate it. It seems that rather than just staying in their own section of the market the odd fashion and clothing stall is dotted up and down its length, so if you really are a die hard bargain hunter you will have to put in some distance to make sure you visit all of the stalls. As well as new fashion you will also find vintage clothing, lace and bags, jewellery and even a fur coat or two. Rails and rails of vintage fashion are lined up on the corner of Elgin Crescent just waiting to be bought. Further along you will find stalls where the clothing is unique; this is where young designers are trying to get their work noticed by the public. You may find that you can pick up a little something here that could be worth a fortune in years to come.
