Caught between Kensal Green and Notting Hill, North Kensington is a compact, cosmopolitan suburb. Here, our area guide showcases its welcoming spirit. There’s an interesting mix of architecture, from double-fronted Victorian villas to reworked industrial buildings, reflecting the eclectic residential identity of the postcode. The most recognisable landmark, Ernö Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower, rises over Golborne Road, and remains an iconic example of 1960s brutalist design.
North Kensington’s high street, Golborne Road, is a colourful amalgam of cultures and businesses. You’ll find antiques shops next to zeitgeisty concept stores, and food stalls alongside fine dining haunts and artisanal delis. A large Moroccan and Portuguese population serve authentic cuisine from family-run cafés, which spill out onto the street in warmer months. Little Wormwood Scrubs is close by for family runs, which are held weekly.
Fire, wine, vinyl: three magnetic words stamped on this restaurant and bar’s inky-toned façade. Banquette seating, velvet bar stools and low lighting set an atmospheric tone, while an open grill provides the focal point – apt, as Caia is the Roman goddess of fire. Downstairs, a speakeasy-esque lounge plays funk and soul on vinyl, before a live DJ takes to the floor at night.
Worth joining the weekend queue outside, Layla Bakery is the place for sourdough, pastries and all manner of baked goods – all made using regenerative flour from Wildfarmed. By day, the café is a relaxed spot for catchups. By night, Layla transforms into a small plates and natural wines spot.
The debut restaurant from Insta-famous chef Thomas Straker lives up to the hype. Bottle-green banquette seating and a soft jazz soundtrack makes for an effortlessly cool dining setting. From the inventive butter boards and flatbreads to the more classic leaning pasta dishes, the menu is bound by high quality ingredients and culinary craftsmanship.
When the sun’s out, you’ll always find a gaggle of people, flat white in hand, outside Flying Horse Coffee. Signature, single origin blends come direct from the brand’s roastery in Hackney. Further proof of North Kensington’s close-knit community, sip Flying Horse espressos after dinner at Straker’s restaurant a few doors down.
Living up to its name, this is the place to come for the best falafel in town. Order them stuffed in pitta with homemade houmous or in a salad box, all prepared to order and best washed down with a freshly squeezed lemonade.
North Kensington’s finest delicatessen, split between two adjacent shopfronts. To one side, shelves are stacked high with bottles from all over the world and provide the backdrop for regular wine tastings and food pairings. To the other, an espresso bar and grocery store is the place to pick up artisanal goods.
Testament to North Kensington’s strong Portuguese community, Lisboa is a neighbourhood café that feels as though it’s been lifted straight from the continent. Since the 1990s, it’s become famous for its pastéis de nata – so popular that they often sell out before lunchtime. Across the road, find its accompanying delicatessen selling wine, beer and gourmet produce from Portugal.
“Golborne Road is authentic and full of life. We’re proud to be part of this nostalgic, vibrant road.”
- Tim Lang, Caia
North Kensington’s sought-after family members’ club, Jaego’s House is a welcoming community for parents and children alike. Contained within this waterside venue is a soft play area, crèche and cinema for the kids, plus an array of treatment rooms, lounge and co-working spaces for grown-ups to enjoy.
Once upon a time, this historic Beaux-Arts building was the site of 19th-century car manufacturing. Today, it’s been reimagined as a hub for the arts. Celebrating design, theatre, poetry and music, the venue welcomes creatives from across the world to host panel discussions, workshops and events.
An icon of Brutalist design, Trellick Tower is one of London’s most compelling post-war residential structures, realised by Hungarian architect Ernö Goldfinger. The monolithic concrete building broke traditions in the 1960s by embracing high-rise living and has been featured across film and literature in contentious and celebratory lights ever since. Today the 31-storey block continues to make a bold statement with horizontal walkways connecting the two towers.
The Grand Union Canal runs from central London all the way to Birmingham, and some of its most picturesque stretches are just a stone’s throw from North Kensington. Colourful barges line the water’s edge as you stroll towards Little Venice, where a range of canal-side cafés and bars offer a welcome pit stop.
A spirit of playfulness and experimentation defines The Playground Theatre. Founder and artistic director Peter Tate created the venue to be a site of inter-artist mingling – to develop projects that span different genres of theatre and performance art. In its relatively short existence, this charity-run space has showcased world-class luminaries such as Brian Cox, Stephen Berkoff and Maureen Lipman. The theatre also spearheads two community initiatives: Well Read and We Start offer a variety of theatre-focused workshops for local residents.
Europe’s biggest street festival is a colourful celebration of African-Caribbean food, music and community. Carnival is the neighbourhood’s ultimate calendar event, welcoming millions of visitors to the streets over the last weekend of August. Exuberant performers dance their way along the parade route to the sound of calypso music and steel drums.
“Golborne Road is such a melting pot of people, cultures and styles”
- Tiffany Duggan, Trove
This linen specialist is dedicated to changing mindsets about dispensable fashion. Original Fibres champions the use of linen over cotton, a material that requires enormous quantities of water and fertiliser in its production. Instead, the durability and seasonal diversity of this organic fabric is celebrated through its clothing collections. The team also offers free repairs, dispelling the notion that a worn-and-torn garment should end up thrown away.
A social enterprise and furniture design service that exemplifies the neighbourhood’s community-led character and commitment to global sustainability. Based in a workshop at the base of Trellick Tower, Goldfinger’s woodworking team create beautiful homewares using responsibly sourced timber. Workshops for young people pass on this expertise, teaching them the craft of carpentry and timeless design.
Curators of vintage furniture with a fine-tuned eye for interior space and style, Golborne 44 demonstrates the inventive possibility of antiques, specialising in 20th century furniture with playful colours, forms and textures. After browsing the studio, head to Lisboa and pull up a seat outside for coffee – the rattan Cesca chairs were sourced by Golborne 44.
Showcasing a carefully curated selection of clothing, homewares and lifestyle products, Of The Bea is for those after an eclectic retail experience. Established by Beatrice Jenkins in 2018, the store is an amalgamation of her own bohemian style and global designers. There is an enticing collection of own-brand garments (all created with high-quality patterned silk) as well as a host of independent artisans to explore.
It’s a well-known fact that North Kensington and Notting Hill are home to London’s best vintage shopping, and Rellik is a case in point. This boutique is one of W10’s best kept secrets, specialising in designer fashion and accessories. You’ll find one-off pieces with prestigious labels while sifting through the carefully curated racks.
Founded by Tiffany Duggan, who heads interior design company Studio Duggan, Trove’s showroom opened on Golborne Road after high demand from its clients. The shop’s pieces are as eye-catching as its bronze-green exterior. Expect a range of vintage items as well as examples of the brand’s made-to-order furniture.
Celebrating artisanship in all its myriad forms, Atelier 001 works alongside individual workshops and makers to handcraft one-of-a-kind light sculptures. Curated by acclaimed designer and artist Eva Menz, the exquisite collection of pendants and wall lights embraces the character, variations and small imperfections inherent within each object.
Paying tribute to the architectural legacy of its location, spectacle maker Cubitts takes inspiration from the road’s design godfather, Ernő Goldfinger. For those in the market for glasses, the store has created a series of exclusive eyewear that celebrates the area’s diversity and modernist legacy, including the Portobello – a frame with a frilled surface based on the shape of a pastel de nata.
Exploring the eclectic independent businesses that pillar this community-focused market road.
Marie Carlisle and Leslie Feeney share the mission of this multifaceted social enterprise.
