Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is a street market that runs for about a mile along Portobello Road and into Golborne Road. Go on a Saturday for the famous antiques, on a Friday for vintage clothing with fewer crowds, and expect mostly fruit, vegetables and everyday goods from Monday to Thursday.
The market has traded here for around 160 years, according to its official site, and it is really several markets in one. The southern end is given over to antiques dealers, the middle section to food, fashion and household goods, the area under the Westway flyover to vintage clothes and street food, and Golborne Road at the top to bric-a-brac, furniture and hot food. Hundreds of traders take part on the busiest days.
It is free to walk around, and you do not need to buy anything to enjoy it. Many visitors come simply to see the colourful houses, the shopfronts and the film locations, then browse for an hour. The crucial thing is to choose your day, because the market on a Tuesday and the market on a Saturday are completely different experiences.
Portobello Road Market at a glance
- Full market days
- Friday and Saturday
- Antiques arcades
- Saturdays only, most from about 7am to about 4pm
- Stall hours
- Traders usually work from about 8:30am to 6pm; earlier finish in winter
- Sunday
- No street market on most Sundays; some stalls and shops near the Westway open
- Bank holidays
- Open on Good Friday until 5pm; closed on other bank holidays
- Entry
- Free
- Nearest stations
- Ladbroke Grove (about 5 minutes) and Notting Hill Gate (about 10 minutes)
How the market is laid out, from south to north
Portobello Road runs roughly north from Notting Hill Gate towards Ladbroke Grove. Most visitors arrive from Notting Hill Gate station and walk north through the market, which is a sensible way to see it in order.
The antiques end. The first stretch, between Chepstow Villas and Westbourne Grove, is lined with antiques arcades: indoor galleries of small stands where dealers sell silverware, jewellery, clocks, prints, ceramics and collectables. On Saturdays extra antique stalls also stand along Westbourne Grove between Portobello Road and Kensington Park Road.
The middle. North of Westbourne Grove and past Elgin Crescent, the market changes character. Here you find fruit and vegetable stalls, street food, new fashion, accessories and household goods. This section trades on most days of the week.
Under the Westway. Where the raised Westway road crosses Portobello Road, a canopy covers Portobello Green Market, which specialises in vintage clothing and street food. More stalls sit along Thorpe Close. This is the part to head for if clothes are your main interest.
Golborne Road. At the northern end the market turns right into Golborne Road, a more local street with bric-a-brac, second-hand furniture, fruit and vegetables and hot food. The market's site says Friday is Golborne Road's busiest day.
What is on each day of the week
This table is based on the official market guide, checked in September 2026. Individual traders set their own hours, and the weather makes a difference, so treat it as a pattern rather than a promise.
| Day | What trades | Worth a visit for |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | Portobello Road between Elgin Crescent and the Westway: fruit and vegetables, household goods, a few clothing stalls, sometimes casual vintage or bric-a-brac stalls. Golborne Road: fruit, vegetables and hot food | A quiet walk, the shops and cafés, photographs without crowds |
| Friday | The second busiest day. Antiques at the southern end, food and fashion in the middle, vintage clothing and collectables at Portobello Green, bric-a-brac and furniture on Golborne Road | Vintage clothing and a calmer look at the whole market |
| Saturday | The full market, including the antiques arcades and the Westbourne Grove antique stalls; Portobello Green has more new fashion and less vintage than on Friday | Antiques and the classic Portobello atmosphere |
| Sunday | No street market on Portobello or Golborne Roads outside special dates, but some vintage and bric-a-brac stalls and shops near Portobello Green open, and many cafés and shops trade | Brunch and a stroll; not for serious shopping |
In some years the market has added special Sunday markets in summer and in the weeks before Christmas. These dates are announced on the market's own website and social media, so check there if you can only visit on a Sunday.
A Tuesday visit will not show you the Portobello from the films. From Monday to Thursday most of the road has only a short run of fruit, vegetable and household stalls. If you have one chance to see the antiques and the crowds, make it Saturday; if you want vintage clothes without the crush, make it Friday.
Saturday antiques: arriving early and buying well
Saturday is what made Portobello Road famous. The antiques arcades between Chepstow Villas and Westbourne Grove open only on Saturdays, most from about 7am until about 4pm, and serious buyers arrive early, when the best pieces are still on the stands and the pavements are passable.
By late morning the southern end fills up, and by lunchtime it can be slow going. If you want to look properly, aim to arrive between 8am and 9am, work through the arcades first, and then continue north as the crowds build behind you.
The quality ranges from inexpensive curiosities to pieces worth thousands of pounds. Established arcade dealers are generally happy to explain an item's age, origin and condition. For anything valuable, ask for a written receipt with a description, the dealer's name and a contact address. That helps if you later need to prove what you bought, for insurance or for customs in your home country.
If Saturday does not fit your plans, London has other antiques options. Old Spitalfields Market in the East End holds a weekly antiques and vintage market every Thursday; our guide to Old Spitalfields and the Brick Lane markets has the details, and Greenwich Market is another choice in south-east London.
Friday, vintage clothing and Golborne Road
Friday is the insiders' day at Portobello. Most of the market is trading, but there are fewer visitors than on Saturday. The vintage clothing stalls at Portobello Green, under the Westway, are at their fullest, and the market's own guide notes that Portobello Green carries more vintage on Friday than on Saturday.
Expect coats, dresses, denim, leather jackets, hats and costume jewellery from the 1960s to the 1990s, along with collectables and bric-a-brac. Nearby streets have independent vintage and second-hand shops that open through the week as well. Our wider guide to vintage and second-hand shopping in London compares Portobello with Brick Lane, Camden and the big vintage stores.
Golborne Road is worth the extra few minutes' walk. It feels less polished than the southern end, with second-hand furniture, lamps, mirrors and odd bits of house clearance spread out on the pavement, and on Friday it is at its busiest.
Eating and drinking along Portobello Road
Street food is part of the market on busy days, particularly in the middle section and under the Westway, with dishes from many countries. Golborne Road has hot food stalls too, and several long-established cafés and bakeries serve the local community.
On Saturdays the Ladbroke Grove Farmers' Market adds fresh produce from 9am until 2pm, according to the market's site. The cafés along the road generally open earlier than the shops, many from around 7am, which makes breakfast before the arcades an easy plan.
If food markets are your main interest, compare Portobello with the options in our guide to London's best food markets. Shops along the road usually open at around 10am from Monday to Saturday and later on Sundays.
Bargaining, paying and what you can take home
Haggling is normal at Portobello, but it is done politely. Ask "Is that your best price?" or "Could you do a little better if I take both?" rather than offering half. Dealers expect some negotiation on antiques and higher-value items; on a £10 scarf or a punnet of strawberries, the price on the label is usually the price.
A few practical habits help:
- Walk the whole section before you buy. The same kind of item often appears on several stands at different prices.
- Check condition carefully: chips, repairs, missing parts and replaced stones on jewellery all affect value.
- Carry some cash. Many traders take cards, but a small trader may prefer cash, and a shop or stall is free to choose which payments it accepts. Our guide to money and cards in London explains the details.
- Think about how you will carry it home. Fragile or bulky pieces may need shipping, and some dealers can arrange it.
Shipping an antique abroad is the only way to avoid VAT on it. Great Britain ended tax-free shopping for visitors in 2021, so items you carry home in your luggage include VAT. If a dealer sends the goods straight to an address outside the UK, VAT may not be charged. Our guide to tax-free shopping in the UK sets out the current rules.
Getting to Portobello Road
The market's site gives two main Tube stations. Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) is about a 5-minute walk from the northern half of the market and only about 2 minutes from Portobello Green. Notting Hill Gate (Central, District and Circle lines) is about 10 minutes' walk from the southern, antiques end. Westbourne Park, one stop east of Ladbroke Grove, is also within walking distance of the middle section.
Notting Hill Gate is in Zone 1. A pay as you go journey within Zone 1, for example from Oxford Circus, costs £3.10 at peak times and £3.00 off-peak, and the daily cap for Zones 1-2 is £8.90 (September 2026). Our guide to Oyster and contactless fares explains how capping works.
Buses are a good alternative: the market lists route 7 from Oxford Street and route 52 from Westminster, among others. A bus fare is £1.75, rising to £1.85 on 1 November 2026; see our guide to London buses. According to TfL's station data, neither Ladbroke Grove nor Notting Hill Gate has lifts, so wheelchair users may find a bus easier; our guide to step-free transport covers the options.
Crowds, bank holidays and Carnival weekend
Saturday from late morning is the most crowded time, especially in summer. The pavements are narrow, and at the southern end you may shuffle rather than walk. Crowds attract pickpockets, so keep your phone and wallet in a closed pocket or bag; our guide to staying safe in London explains the common tricks.
The street market is open on Good Friday until 5pm but closed on the other bank holidays, according to its official site. Check our guide to bank holidays and opening hours for the dates.
The late-August bank holiday weekend belongs to Notting Hill Carnival, which passes through these streets. In 2027 the Carnival parades are on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August. Do not plan a shopping trip for that weekend; plan a Carnival visit instead, with the help of our Notting Hill Carnival guide.
Making a day of it in Notting Hill
The market is only part of the neighbourhood. The streets either side of Portobello Road are lined with painted houses, garden squares, independent shops and pubs, and the market's free digital walking trail (1.1 miles, 20 stops from Pembridge Road to the top of Golborne Road) points out traders, blue plaques and film locations. Our Notting Hill neighbourhood guide covers the area in more detail.
From Notting Hill Gate it is a short walk south-east to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, and on to Kensington Palace, whose Queen's State Apartments are closed until spring 2027. A morning at the market followed by a picnic in the park is a very good London Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
What day is best to visit Portobello Road Market?
Saturday is the best day to see the full market, including the antiques arcades, which open only on Saturdays. Friday is the best choice for vintage clothing and for a calmer visit, because most of the market trades but there are fewer people.
Is Portobello Road Market open on Sundays?
Not as a full street market. On most Sundays there is no street market on Portobello or Golborne Roads, although some vintage and bric-a-brac stalls and shops near Portobello Green open, and many cafés trade. Special Sunday markets are sometimes held; check the official site.
What time does Portobello Road Market open?
Traders usually work from about 8:30am to 6pm, setting up earlier and finishing later in summer and packing up earlier in winter. The Saturday antiques arcades mostly open from about 7am until about 4pm.
Which Tube station is closest to Portobello Road Market?
Ladbroke Grove, on the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines, is closest to the northern half and the vintage stalls. Notting Hill Gate, on the Central, District and Circle lines, is about 10 minutes' walk from the antiques at the southern end.
Can you haggle at Portobello Road Market?
Yes, especially with antiques dealers and for higher-priced items. Ask politely whether the trader can offer a better price, particularly if you buy more than one thing. For cheap everyday goods and food, prices are normally fixed.
Sources
- Portobello Road Market - When to visit and how to get here (checked September 2026)
- Portobello Road Market - Our story (checked September 2026)
- Portobello Road Market - Free walking tour (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Ladbroke Grove station data (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Tax-free shopping (checked September 2026)
- Notting Hill Carnival - official site (checked September 2026)