When Roger Michell's Notting Hill was released in 1999 — with Hugh Grant as bumbling travel bookseller William Thacker and Julia Roberts as the world's biggest movie star — it turned a quietly fashionable London neighbourhood into a global destination. More than 25 years later, visitors still arrive in the borough clutching maps to the film's locations. Here is a comprehensive guide to where they were filmed, what you'll find there today, and how to do the walk in a single afternoon.
The Blue Door: 280 Westbourne Park Road
The most pilgrimage-worthy location of all. William Thacker's house — with its distinctive cobalt blue front door — was filmed at 280 Westbourne Park Road, W11. The door became so famous that when Richard Curtis sold the property after the film, the new owners painted it black to deter the constant stream of fans posing on the step. The house subsequently changed hands again, and the door has at various times been blue or black since.
The terrace of houses here is a good example of the Victorian stucco architecture that makes Notting Hill so photogenic. Whether or not the door is blue when you visit, the house and street are worth seeing.
Getting there: Walk north from Notting Hill Gate station along Pembridge Road, then left on Westbourne Park Road. About 15 minutes on foot.
The Travel Bookshop: 142 Portobello Road / 13–15 Blenheim Crescent
The film's fictional Travel Book Co was not filmed at a single real shop. The production used a purpose-built set designed to evoke the character of Notting Hill's independent bookshops, but the shop that most inspired Richard Curtis was the original Travel Bookshop at 13–15 Blenheim Crescent — now trading as a different shop since the original Travel Bookshop closed in 2011.
The Notting Hill Bookshop at 13 Blenheim Crescent is now a general independent bookshop that fully leans into the film connection, selling Notting Hill memorabilia alongside a good selection of books. It's worth going in — the shop is charming and the owners know the film's history well.
Getting there: Walk down Portobello Road from Notting Hill Gate, then turn right on Blenheim Crescent.
Portobello Road Market
The film opens with William threading through the Saturday market on Portobello Road, encountering a Spanish woman, a chef, a student, and assorted market-day chaos. The sequence was shot along the central section of Portobello Road around the Westway flyover — the busiest part of the Saturday market.
Come on a Saturday to see Portobello Road as it appears in the film. The antique dealers set up from the Notting Hill Gate end; street food and general market stalls cluster under and around the Westway. The atmosphere is largely unchanged since 1999, though the vintage clothing and global street food stalls have expanded significantly.
The Rosmead Garden: Private Communal Garden
One of the film's most memorable scenes takes place in a private communal garden belonging to the residents of the surrounding streets, where William takes Anna after the orange juice incident. This was filmed in the private communal gardens of Rosmead Road, W11 — one of many such walled gardens in this part of Notting Hill.
The gardens are private and cannot be entered, but you can see them from the surrounding streets. Many of Notting Hill's garden squares have similar gardens — Ladbroke Square Garden and Stanley Gardens are nearby examples.
The Restaurant Scene: Westbourne Park Road
The anniversary dinner scene, where Anna and William join his friends at a crowded local restaurant, was filmed at a house on Westbourne Park Road that was dressed as a restaurant interior. The actual restaurant used was not a real establishment — the interiors were all sets.
William's Favourite Walk: Kensington Gardens
The film's montage sequence showing William walking through the changing seasons was filmed across Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, moving from autumn leaves to snow to spring blossom. The park looks exactly as it does in the film — it's one of the least-changed locations in a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood.
Enter the park from the Notting Hill Gate end at Bayswater Road for the same experience.
The Savoy Hotel: Not Quite Notting Hill
The hotel where Anna is staying — and where William memorably bluffs his way in as a journalist for Horse & Hound — is the Savoy Hotel in the Strand. It's not in Notting Hill at all, but it's a 20-minute Tube ride away if you want to complete the set.
The Full Walking Route
Starting at Notting Hill Gate Underground station:
- Walk north up Pembridge Road → turn left on Westbourne Park Road → 280 Westbourne Park Road (blue door, 15 min)
- Continue to Portobello Road → turn south → walk the full length of the market to Elgin Crescent
- Turn left on Elgin Crescent → right on Blenheim Crescent → The Notting Hill Bookshop (13 Blenheim Crescent)
- Continue to Ladbroke Grove → walk north to the Westway (market street food area)
- Return south on Portobello Road to Notting Hill Gate
The full route takes about 90 minutes at a relaxed walking pace. Do it on a Saturday when the market is in full swing for the most atmospheric experience.
When to Go
- Saturday is the only day when the full Portobello Road market operates. This is the day to visit for film location purposes and for the market experience.
- Weekdays are much quieter and better for photographs of the streets and houses without crowds.
- The antiques section (southern end of Portobello Road) operates from the early morning on Saturdays; arrive before noon for the best atmosphere.
Notting Hill was criticised at the time for depicting an implausibly wealthy, ethnically homogeneous version of a neighbourhood with a much more complex character. The real Notting Hill in 1999 — and today — is more diverse and more interesting than the film suggests. The film's enduring appeal, however, has undeniably helped preserve the neighbourhood's eclectic, photogenic character that made it worth filming in the first place.