Notting Hill is one of London’s most iconic neighbourhoods; a picture-perfect enclave of leafy streets, cobbled mews, colourful houses and classic cars. But for all of its polished concept stores and groomed dogs (with their equally coiffured owners), the soul of the area still remains. You may have taken a dive into the swell of nipple tassel-wearing crowds that flood its street during carnival, or visited on a Saturday when Portobello Market swings into action selling every semi-broken antique imaginable. Walking its streets, you’ll find stylish locals, buskers, food stalls, steel drum players and fragrant spice shops.

From some angles, Notting Hill looks the same as it did in the 90s when Hugh Grant and his puppy-dog eyes made it a tourist hot spot, but it’s also a place overflowing with young people, buzzy bars, contemporary art and some great cooking. The food scene isn’t the most talked about in the city, but scratch the surface and you’ll find a bellyful of cutting-edge eateries run by ambitious chefs, alongside traditional caffs that have been serving the same full English and bowls of tea since the 60s. Like the world-famous market itself, all you have to do is a little digging.