Weekend in Notting Hill

Last weekend Kevin was attending a Canberra Grammar School alumni event near Kensington Palace so we decided to spend the weekend in London, specifically Notting Hill.

Our home for the weekend

We chose to stay in an Air BnB property - a nice little basement flat right opposite one of the area's landmark pubs, the Sun In Splendour. It was a two-minute walk to Notting Hill Gate tube station and about the same distance to the famous Portobello Road markets.

A constant stream of tourists on their way to the Portobello Road markets

Being such a popular stop on the tourist route it must be very tedious to live here, particularly in high season, and I was reminded of my life in the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly and its surrounds for a number of years. Finding a parking space on a weekend, and even trips to the supermarket, were feats of endurance. I don't envy the residents of the immediate area at all. 

Yes, folks - for the paltry sum of £11.5 million, you too could be living the Notting Hill dream...
I was in fits of laughter at the absurd prices in the local realtors' windows

As entertaining as the markets are, I enjoyed just as much strolling around the streets admiring the houses - rows of cute little terraces painted in cheery colours, sometimes just the front door but often the whole building, and the grander, more elegant large houses on quieter, wider streets. 

I marvel at the wealth in this city, yet my socialist bones are appalled by it.

The markets on Saturday have an antiques focus, but there are lots of other interesting wares and the streets are lined with boutiques, cafés and restaurants.

Ooh-ahh, how I love a good interiors boutique and Notting Hill does not disappoint on this score. Many of the stores here I've read about in interior design magazines for years - it was a treat to be able to browse their gorgeous wares, and I have to say their reputations are deserved.

And what would a weekend away be without sampling the local cuisine?

We scored a free breakfast at The Electric Cafe due to some terrible cock-ups with orders, so we won't complain too loudly. The Full Vegetarian (which is how I could be described after I managed to eat about two-thirds of it) was pretty good but then again we had waited more than 30 minutes for it. Still, their bathrooms were super gorgeous with subway tiles and vintage sanitary ware, and I was wishing I'd taken my camera in with me!

The retro diner feel of The Electric Café

How many hipsters does it take to cook a breakfast?
We had a ringside seat while we waited... and waited... and waited for our meals

On Sunday we decided to risk the 'no bookings' policy at famous Aussie chef Bill Granger's establishment. We queued for 30 minutes before eventually gaining entrance and although there were some positives we wouldn't bother again. How does such a highly-ranked eatery manage to serve food that is stone cold? It was a treat to be able to order a 'Long Black' though, and the dishes on offer reminded us of the fresh, Asian/western fusion food of home. We do tire of being offered the same dishes everywhere we go in the UK. The English 'like to know where they are' and enjoy familiarity in food.

Queuing to gain entrance at Granger & Co

Good friend Lesley in Canberra, by chance, had forwarded me an email earlier in the week about an exhibition at Sotheby's - how fortuitous! It was in relation to the upcoming auction of some of the possessions of Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire - she of the glorious Chatsworth.

How gorgeous is the promotional window for the Duchess of Devonshire exhibition at Sotheby's?

I've always had quite an interest in the Mitford Sisters, such a fascinating and famous - and infamous, in the case of Diana and Unity - family. Deborah of course was the most socially successful, becoming mistress of one of England's most renowned stately homes. But I reserve a real sense of affection for Nancy because of her very witty and engaging novels. They bring to life another age, another world with its firmly established class structure. 

1 Old Vicarage by Catriona Hall

Were were tempted to bid on some of the pictures for auction but are glad we didn't - the lovely naive piece above was estimated to fetch £600-800 but actually went for £2,750. Still, it would have been nice to be able to say, when visitors admired it, 'Oh, this little thing! Yes, we picked this up at the Duchess of Devonshire's estate auction at Sotheby's...'

A display of some of the Duchess' gowns and other outfits

From Sotheby's we strolled through Mayfair, along Bond Streets (New and Old) with their ultra-glam boutiques where only the obscenely wealthy or the incredibly bold dare venture. 

Entry to Standbrook House, Old Bond Street

At length we reached Piccadilly with the intention of visiting the Royal Academy of Arts, but it was getting on for 3pm, we had to be back in Notting Hill within a couple of hours, we hadn't eaten lunch and we were a bit footsore by this stage. So we made do with an amble through Fortnum and Mason and the Burlington Arcade, followed by a light lunch at Cafe Concerto.

I found it impossible to pass by that bastion of Parisian confectionary, Ladurée, without making a purchase. Such a tiny establishment, but with the most appealing window display that all but picks you up forcibly and drags you inside.

A rainbow of macarons, luring the weak-willed inside

Mmmm... Kevin and the anticipation of our little morsels of Paris -
the Ispahan and the Chocolate Carre

We spent our queuing time trying to decide which delectable morsels to purchase. Although I'm partial to a macaron and Ladurée's are widely acknowledged as some of the best, we ended up choosing a couple of their more elaborate offerings. I feel we were quite restrained in our selection (see above) and Kevin was under strict instruction to protect our package on the tube journey back to our lodgings.

Well worth the wait - they were sublime!

All in all, a very enjoyable weekend. It was nice to make the most of being in London, instead of just suffering the drudgery of commuting in to work and back Monday to Friday.

Must do it again soon.


Until next time,
- Maree  xo