A Love Letter (and Guide) to Notting Hill

As our stores reopen for spring, owners Val and Vanda pen a heartfelt letter to welcome you back to our store and neighbourhood of 20 years. We share our tips for experiencing Notting Hill — like a seasoned local.

IMG_5385.jpg

It's special to be independent shopkeepers for so long — and in one of London's most charming and cultural corners. We've made some of our closest friends here, eaten some of our favourite meals, and built the Aimé community of customers we simply adore. We are excited to share our recommendations of Notting Hill, details you might miss as a traveller visitor, but you return to again and again as a proud local.

buns-from-home-aime-notting-hill-bakery-2.jpg

The Coffee and Pastry Fix

Buns From Home is the place. Order their classic cardamon bun and an oatmilk latte.
Buns from Home, 128 Talbot Road, Notting Hill, London W11 1JA

calluna-flowers-florist-notting-hill.jpeg

The Go-to Florist

Calluna is our favourite shop for stems, her art is that the bouquets die beautifully. Even when wilted, you'll want to keep them.
Calluna, 28 Powis Terrace, London, W11 1JH

barkow-leibinger-photo-c-iwan-baan-3_0-1780x1001.jpg

The Cultural Fix

The Serpentine Gallery is a must, their summer pavilion is always a spectacle, and the walk through Hyde Park from Ledbury Road is a welcome moment to reconnect with nature.
Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA

jusu-brothers-notting-hill-japanese.jpg

The Lunch Spot

Jusu Brothers is perfect for a delicious but healthy break. We love to order the Avo Don with a Tokyo Sunset juice.
JUSU Brothers, 147-149 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS London

bioderma-shower-oil-hill-crest-pharmacy.jpg

The Pharmacy (for French Beauty Products)

A good pharmacy is very Parisian, and Hillcrest Pharmacy is the best for all things bathroom cabinet related. We regularly stock up on our French favourites including the Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil.
Hillcrest Pharmacy, Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UA

The-Cloth-Shop-Portabello.jpg

The Iconic Portobello Market

Friday morning is the best time to go! Get olives from the Spanish stall, walk up Portobello road to the zero waste grocery store Liberté Chérie to stock up on condiments, chocolate chips and pasta, and take a final stop at The Cloth Shop before continuing to Golborne Road.
The Cloth Shop, 290 Portobello Road, London, W10 5TE

19586629549_dc0e71164a_b.jpg

The Best Cinema for a Rainy Afternoon

The Electric is an institution. Designed by architect Gerald Seymour Valentin on the site of a timber yard, the Electric Cinema Theatre opened its doors in 1911 (!) and survived both world wars. Lovingly restored today, it's a historic place to experience film and the seats are the most comfortable town.
The Electric Cinema, 191 Portobello Road, London W11 2ED

Notting+Hill-julia-roberts-hugh-ddgrant.png

The Thing Only Locals Know...

The bookshop that dozens of tourists photograph on Blenheim Crescent (thinking it is the one from Notting Hill the film), is not! The actual door from the film is at 142 Portobello Road and was never a book shop. Locals can tell as soon as Hugh Grant comes out of the door.