Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Notting Hill was cool – a small west London neighbourhood where those who hadn't the resources to live in Chelsea or Kensington came to lay their hats. It was cheap, it was raw and it was edgy. This was the home of the famous Carnival , now the largest in Europe , a chilli-infused hotpot of multiculturalism.
It was shabby and chic. It was a place to party, to hang out at late-night speakeasy bars, to buy music and fruit, Afghan coats and dodgy antiques from the Portobello Road and the odd illicit substance from the All Saints Road, when it was lined with bobbies, not posh bathroom shops. These days, the neighbourhood is known as London's fashionable Notting Hill.
But despite all the boutiques and high-brand shops, the new resident bankers (and the tourists searching for Hugh Grant's blue door ) you can still find the spirit of the real Notting Hill. You just have to know where to look. The best restaurants in Notting Hill.
