Practical, for all the shopping that’s going to be done.
Depending on what you expect going through Portobello Road, bargain hunting, window browsing or going for priceless art, the constant crowd through Portobello Road means that you’re seldom alone during your visit. And if you’re there for business purposes, then it’s best that you make your way to the shop entrances at the moment they open for the day.
Colourful shop fronts characterise Portobello Road.
Even before I visited London the first time, more than a decade ago, I had friends who had been there tell me of the street market on Portobello. When finally there with my parents, I found the loveliest dresses and full skirts to bring back to Singapore. Then there were always accessories to complement your outfits, accessories that at the time, wasn’t to be found in Singapore, so half a day was easily clean spent just browsing through the stores.
Several pubs in corners make a cozy mid-day break.
Apart from the crowd, that lend a festive feeling of the place almost all year round, the colourful shop fronts, as portrayed in the movie Notting Hill (1999) is accurate. There are several corner pubs and restaurants along Portobello that you might like to drop into, in your mid-day break from exploring the area.
The queues to a crêpe along Portobello Road can be surprisingly long!
And if you’re too excited to sit and eat – describing my exact experience during one of my trips to Portobello – then crêpes could be the simple solution to a grab and go meal, or dessert. My favourites are the banana and nutella, or strawberry and nutella. I think it’s the Nutella that does it for me. A big cup of coffee in hand, and you’re ready to take the next half of the street!