A walk down Portobello Road Market, a photo essay
Posted on 14. Jun, 2012 by Marie in Destinations, Europe Travel, Photo Posts, United Kingdom
Popular with the tourists and locals alike, Portobello Road Market is a bit of an institution in London. Held every Saturday, rain or shine, it holds everything from vintage jewelry to quirky memorabilia and cheesy London souvenirs. No matter what you are looking for, you are guaranteed to find it at Portobello Road Market.
Once you have walked by the beautiful series of colorful homes, icons of the Notting Hill neighborhood, you will be entering the absolute chaos that is the market on a Saturday morning. If you are not a fan of crowds, it might be best to save your visit for another day!
The beauty of the market is that you can find anything and everything there. From quirky souvenirs to incredible vintage treasures to tasty treats. Further North, there is a good dozen food stalls from which you can taste the veggies of the day followed by a French crêpe and amazing wines. The perfect way to end a somewhat exhausting morning spent haggling and navigating through the crowds!
If you have the courage to go through this stack to find the perfect piece for you…
Another British classic
I like visiting the market even when I have no intention of buying anything. It’s a very entertaining place and a photographer’s heaven!
Quick facts:
- The market has been opened for almost 150 years now.
- The busiest day is Saturday because of the antiques market, but the shops are open every day of the week except Sunday.
- Closest tube stations: Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove
- Countless movies have been shot in or inspired by the market, starting with the famous Notting Hill.
- The market is split in three sections: antiques, food and secondhand/vintage clothing.
Have you been to Portobello Road Market? What’s your favorite kind of item to buy? Are you a good haggler?
17 Responses to “A walk down Portobello Road Market, a photo essay”
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April 13, 2012
[...] déjeuner sur l’herbe and Cézanne’s Apples and Oranges.Portobello MarketBecause Portobello Market is full of little treasures.The Olympic Clock in Trafalgar Square, LondonDo you like the chiming clocks when you visit a new [...]
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June 18, 2012
[...] and for many reasons. Not only had I just spent a lovely morning exploring the market on the iconic Portobello Road, I also happened to get the surprise of my life in the form of an engagement ring in Hyde Park. [...]
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October 28, 2012
[...] Portobello Market is, sadly, the victim of its own reputation: it has amazing finds, yes, but it’s so overcrowded that it’s almost impossible to navigate. Instead, for some serious thrifting, head to Spitalfieds, a market filled with authenticity, hipsterisms, funky architecture and vintage treasures. It is a bit more expensive than Portobello, yes, but it offers an entirely different experience! Shoreditch pubs [...]
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Hi there! I'm Marie, a 20-something Canadian who moved to Europe to follow her dreams (and handsome husband). Tag along to follow my adventures through the Old Continent and get inspired to travel too!Popular Posts
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Going to Montreal?
Italian Notes
27. Mar, 2012
Love your photos and esp. the record collection.
Laura
27. Mar, 2012
Lovely photos. I especially like the one with the old cameras.
Caro from Passport and a Toothbrush
27. Mar, 2012
J’adore!! I also love the cameras AND spotted some nice purses in the background in the 2nd shot … me going there could be dangerous! Belle job!
Francy R
27. Mar, 2012
Love Portobello Market, When I lived in London I used to go there every saturday morning to pick up different amazing stuff! Ypur shots reflect exactly the “soul” of this market. I love the lasrt one in black and white
Laurence
27. Mar, 2012
Ah, Portobello Road. Forever seared in my memory by multiple childhood watchings of Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Less disney like in real life 
Andrea
28. Mar, 2012
I’m definitely checking this out next time I’m in London - I still haven’t had a chance to check out Notting Hill!
Ayngelina
31. Mar, 2012
This was one of my favourite neighborhoods in London, nice photos.
Erin
01. Apr, 2012
In all my trips to London, I’ve never been to Portobello Road Market…next time, next time.
Andrew
01. Apr, 2012
I so wanted to go a few years ago when I visited a friend of mine in London for Christmas, but the timing just didn’t work.
Jeff Titelius
04. Apr, 2012
I’ll take some French crêpes please! Great photography my friend…such vibrant close-up shots really convey the “market” atmosphere! Thanks for this stroll through the market!
cheryl
29. Apr, 2012
I have never been outside of the airport in London as of yet and my god, I’ve love to visit this market. I have a feeling that I’d part with a lot of my hard earned cash.
Really pretty photos!
Marie
14. May, 2012
I feel like you’d have a lot of fun at the market, and if you haggle a little bit, you could probably get away with pretty sweet deals too
Savannah
10. May, 2012
Love these photos! I haven’t visited this market - but really looking forward to the day I do!
Sofie
02. Nov, 2012
Notting Hill and Portobello Road in particular are great. I remember lookign at all those small colourful houses and thinking: “That’s where I want to live”.
I had a delicious cupcake from The Hummingbird Bakery at Portobello road, but that’s about the only thing I bought when we were there. Maybe a good thing, since I’m not a very good haggler (learned a new word here! :-)).
We also had lunch at this nice Italian place in a street parallel to Portobello Road, but I’m afraid I’ve forgotten the name…