It used to be not so long ago, that if going to the cinema around Notting Hill Gate and arriving a little early, there was absolutely nowhere to go apart from Arancina. This is still pretty much the case. A bizarre little place, it could only be run by Italians with its bright lighting and [...]

The fact that there aren’t any old people or that noone ever walks on the pavements or that they build wooden houses in heavily wooded (Eucalyptus, which emits a highly flammable vapour) areas which catch fire every summer are just a few of the strange things about LA. However the weirdest thing of all was [...]

Did you know that you can actually get falafel in kebab shops? I would never go near a kebab shop. It’s less about the disgusting slab of god knows what dead animal on a stick and more about the disgusting god knows which interior designer threw all over this pathetic excuse for a restaurant. [...]

Antique shops one after the other line the southern end of Portobello Road on a Saturday. Then come the food stalls followed by the junk and vintage clothes stalls. My advice is to take the tube to Ladbroke Grove station and walk underneath the Westway (the motorway) as this is where all the best vintage [...]

So much more than just a cheese shop although what a cheese shop it is. It only has one long large wooden communal table as every other spare inch is taken up by all kinds of delicious food. They serve everything from (proper) wine to tea and coffee. It’s one of the places where you [...]

It’s a pub although it doesn’t look like one. The scattered Louis XIV style furniture and chandeliers are more reminiscent of a posh French restaurant, but don’t let this put you off as it’s really very relaxed and the food is great. I like to come here occasionally for Sunday Lunch. Today I feel like [...]

The best kind of gastro pub is the kind that doesn’t try too hard, essentially serving up modern day comfort food just A LOT BETTER. A word of warning: the bread here is so delicious you are likely to fill up before your meal even comes. Despite being tucked away in a wholly residential area [...]

The Cow is another of Tom Conran’s (son of Terence) wonderful establishments. A fairly long standing pub and restaurant of the highest degree, the modern European food here is extremely good and plentiful with a great relaxed atmosphere. With walls lined with framed old illustrations from the Spectator, it’s small, crowded and filled with [...]

I love a good French restaurant and La Bouchée is certainly that. Small, dark and narrow with well worn floor boards, the menu briskly written on blackboards and tiny tables doused in candle light, it’s the perfect romantic setting. The food is typical French bistro leaning towards the rustic side of French cuisine but just [...]

Tucked away on Portland Place and surrounded by overpriced “my rich husband is paying for it I’ve never had a job as daddy supported me before I got married”-type shops, Julie’s is relaxed and romantic with white table cloths, old church pews and stained glass windows. It has an old wooden bar, a bright conservatory [...]

I love American diners. Nothing makes me happier than a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. It’s the one sole factor that means America will always have my heart. Easily the best American style diner in London, Lucky 7 is tiny with 6 large booths serving great burgers, skinny fries, milkshakes, and even [...]

It’s quite possible that the best Mexican restaurant in the world is located on Westbourne Park Road. I love Mexican food and over the years I’ve had my fair share. Crazy Homies serves up a contemporary spin on home-cooked Mexican food. You won’t get the usual massive plate of refried greasy beans and dried out [...]

My secret spot for finding one-off pieces super cheap. Apple Tree may not stock the highest quality clothes but it’s a small compromise for handmade clothes at a snip. It has a collection of local designers who have stalls along Ladbroke Grove but at least here you don’t have to try on clothes in front [...]

All the people who work here are idiots. I don’t think they mean to be but they have the mindset that people who work in second had book/record stores have – ie that they are superior and know far more on the subject than you ever will. They always have industrial jazz or worse, Nick [...]

Found whilst escaping the thundering rain and looking for a travel guide on Amsterdam, I overhear an American asking “Is this the bookshop from the movie Notting Hill?” (It is.) I wonder how many times they get asked that. No wonder the guy working there said no and that it was all filmed on [...]