notting hill/bayswater, london (part two)
by jessica griffin, the leader of fantastic london pop group the would-be-goods, mum to an oxford student, foodie and psychology enthusiast, among many other things. she has lived in the neighborhood for 23 years! chickfactor can attest to the super-greatness of al waha as mentioned below…
best venues: the tabernacle, powis square.
best record stores: rough trade, 130 talbot road.
best thriftstore: fara, 10 elgin crescent.
cheap eats: books for cooks (great cookery book shop with test kitchen and café at the back), 4 blenheim crescent. taqueria, 139 westbourne grove. royal china (daytime only, for dim sum). tawana (authentic, friendly thai), 3 westbourne grove.
not so cheap eats: al waha (best lebanese in london), 75 westbourne grove. hereford road, 3 hereford road.
vegetarian-friendly eats: ottolenghi, 63 ledbury road; al waha (see above).
best drinking holes: cock and bottle (splendid traditional pub), 17 artesian road.
best coffee or tea houses: during the summer and early autumn, the temporary pavilion next to the serpentine gallery, kensington gardens. a different architect or artist designs the pavilion each year.
cool cinemas: gate picturehouse, 87 notting hill gate.
best used bookstores: notting hill books, 32 palace gardens terrace.
best local bands, artists, writers, designers: simon fisher turner (film music composer and erstwhile king of luxembourg).
parks and green spaces: kensington gardens, bayswater road (or kensington gore).
unmissable highlights: artisan du chocolat (best chocolates — and hot chocolate — in london, or maybe anywhere), 81 westbourne grove. leighton house museum, 12 holland park road, kensington.
photo of jessica by gail o’hara.