You'd think that we'd have run out of things to do in the city by now, but there's still plenty to see and do across the creative West side of the city. Whether it's vintage style that you adore, or purrfect pin up style, you'll find plenty to take your fancy in the West side of London.
An area that's home to many vintage shops across Notting Hill with a few surprises along the way. It may not seem like the obvious first choice to visit, but there's plenty of hidden gems to be found across the West of London.
A good pit stop to start off is the infamous Alfies antique market just off Marylebone on Church street. A multi-storey building with an abundance of vintage and antique sellers, if you're after the perfect unique find you'll stumble upon it here.. From costume jewellery to walking canes, clothing and more, not to forget a sweet cafe on the roof of the building.
From there you'll find the rest of the city's vintage gems across Notting Hill, a good place to start would be Westbourne park, here you'll find a couple of purrfect pin up gems that are worth a visit, such as Pistol panties on Westbourne park road selling gorgeous swimwear, lingerie and vintage accessories, and What Katie Did at Portobello green, where you'll find their full range of lingerie alongside clothing and footwear.
Walking down towards Portbello road from there you'll find plenty of vintage shops to peek inside, like One of a kind and Merchant archive selling designer vintage wares (Update 2018 - Both shops have now unfortunately closed), if you want to find vintage Westwood and McQueen then these are the places to look. All along the street you'll find vintage stalls and shops to visit, it can get busy though on weekends so be sure to visit early. Then heading down onto Pembridge villas you'll find even more vintage shops to visit.
Whilst the area is very vintage heavy on finds and shops you'll find plenty to look at as you wander around the streets and market. It's a great area for little pit stops along the way with plenty of diners, pubs and independent cafes to visit.
If you fancy something different Electric diner is a great restaurant and cinema, infact it's one of the oldest cinema's in London, so a rather unique experience. You'll also find Lucky 7 an American style diner with plenty of burgers and shakes - Update 2018 - Lucky 7 has now closed.
Notting Hill is full of kitsch bars and quirky pubs for a laid back evening, from Trailer Happiness on Portobello road, a kitsch lounge bar for a tiki experience, to Mau Mau for live music in a bohemian lounge.
Even the West of the city adores it's burlesque, Supperclub hosts cabaret nights alongside offering a unique dining experience. If you fancy something a little more laid back for a late afternoon, a venture across to Betty Blythe's in Kensington is a must, for a vintage afternoon tea complete with a 1920's dress up box.
The West side of the city is certainly unique, if you love vintage there will be plenty to keep you entertained with an abundance of finds to be had.