7 Best Shopping in Notting Hill, London

It may seem odd to describe a bookshop as delicious smelling, but on several days you can't help but notice the aromas wafting out of the tiny café in the back of this cookbook shop, where the resident chef cooks a three-course set lunch for only £7, served from noon on Tuesday through Friday (it's first come, first served, so get there early). The dishes are drawn from recipes in the 8,000 cookbooks on the shelves. Just about every world cuisine is represented, along with a complete lineup of works by celebrity chefs. Before you come to London, visit the shop's website to sign up for a specialized cooking workshop in the upstairs demonstration kitchen.

French-Cambodian sisters Val and Vanda Heng-Vong arrived in London in their early twenties and launched this shop to showcase the best of French clothing and designer housewares. Expect to find cult French labels like Isabel Marant and Gigi Clozeau, along with gorgeous housewares. Aimé also has its own in-house label, with the accent on everyday style with a French twist.

This is the place for adorable yet understated clothes for children six months and up. You'll find everything from 100% cotton baby romper suits to a fab selection of floral dresses, gingham shirts, and handcrafted alpaca and merino jerseys, as well as twill, corduroy, and cotton pants. Kids’ accessories range from charming mittens and beanies to cool sunglasses and superchic hair bands and clips. A sister shop farther along Ledbury Road (No. 38b) offers moms the chance to buy clothing in a similar vein. Caramel also sells a small selection of children's books as well as decorative functional items like sleeping bags, lamps, and quilts. Prices aren’t cheap, but the quality is superb. Every Tuesday and Saturday, the shop offers a hair salon for little customers. There are also outlets in Selfridges and Harrods.

This store is a music collector's treasure trove, with a constantly changing stock refreshed by customers selling and exchanging as well as buying. The ground floor focuses on rock, pop, indie, and punk, both mainstream and obscure, in a variety of formats ranging from vinyl to CD, cassette, and even minidisk. Don't miss the classical music in the basement and the soul, jazz, house, techno, reggae, and more upstairs. Like movies? There's a wide variety of Blu-ray and DVD box sets, as well as bargain classic and cult films. Keep an eye out for rarities—including first pressings and one-offs—in all departments. Similar exchanges for comics (No. 32) and books (No. 30) are on nearby Pembridge Road (also a destination for vintage clothing for men [No. 28] and women [Nos. 16 and 20]). Just keep in mind that stock depends on what customers bring in to exchange, so you’ll surely find many more DVDs with European (PAL) formatting than the North American--friendly NTSC format, but the store does get the latter occasionally.

Still considered the best all-around market in town by many fans, and certainly the most famous, Portobello Market stretches almost 2 miles, from fashionable Notting Hill to the lively cultural melting pot of North Kensington, changing character as it goes. The southern end, starting at Chepstow Villas and going to Elgin Crescent, is lined with shops and stalls, and, on Saturday, arcades selling antiques, silver, and bric-a-brac. The middle, from Elgin Crescent to Talbot, is devoted to fruit and vegetables, interspersed with excellent hot food stalls. On Friday and Saturday, the area between Talbot Road and the elevated highway (called the Westway) becomes more of a flea market, specializing in new household and mass-produced goods sold at a discount. North of the Westway up to Goldborne Road are more stalls selling even cheaper secondhand household goods and bric-a-brac. Scattered throughout but mostly concentrated under the Westway are clothing stalls selling vintage pieces and items from emerging designers, custom T-shirts, and supercool baby clothes, plus jewelry. New and established designers are also found in the boutiques of the Portobello Green Arcade.

Some say Portobello Road has become a tourist trap, but if you acknowledge that it's a circus and get into the spirit, it's a lot of fun. Perhaps you won't find many bargains, but this is such a fascinating part of town that just hanging out is a good enough excuse to come. There are some food and flower stalls throughout the week (try the Hummingbird Bakery for delicious cupcakes), but Saturday is when the market in full swing. Serious shoppers avoid the crowds and go on Friday morning. Bring cash—several vendors don't take credit cards—but also be sure to keep an eye on it.

Now in the modernist landmark known as the Trellick Tower and favored by the likes of Kate Moss, Rellik began as a stall in Portobello Road Market. Vintage hunters looking to splurge can find a selection of YSL, Dior, Vivienne Westwood, and Ossie Clark as well as items from lesser-known designers.

Exquisitely situated on a corner of Portland Road, this west London gem was one of the city's first “lifestyle boutiques” and is still one of the best. The shop carries luxury casual fashion from the likes of Forte Forte and Velvet, plus housewares, accessories, and jewelry. The accent here is on feminine, quirky boho chic.