Notting Hill is one of the most charming neighborhoods in London. Buildings are painted in the most beautiful shades of pastels, pinks, lilacs, and butter yellow. The eclectic Portobello Road winds through, full of vibrant storefronts and lovely facades. And if you wander Notting Hill long enough, you will find that some of London’s best mews are tucked away in this neighborhood. It is no surprise that photo opportunities in Notting Hill are plentiful. Each street beacons to be explored, and each home photographed. Yet, some spots stand above the rest. This guide highlights the best photo spots in Notting Hill. Bookmark this page, or save these locations on your Google Maps because you will not want to miss these spots while exploring Notting Hill.
Before delving into this guide, I have one piece of advice. Come with an empty memory card or space on your camera because you will be sure to take a lot of photos in Notting Hill. I probably have hundreds of photos of each of these Instagrammable streets in Notting Hill.
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The Best Photo Spots in Notting Hill
This list encompasses the top Notting Hill photo spots, yet keep your eyes peeled for unique spots and colorful streets. Notting Hill is so inspiring that you are sure to find a unique way to photograph this lovely London neighborhood.
Portobello Road
Portobello Road is the most famous street in Notting Hill. This street has many shops and restaurants and is where you will find the Portobello Road Market. The colorful buildings and unique storefronts make this road so appealing. There are various photo opportunities along Portobello Road, including Alice’s, an antique shop.
Other must-see Notting Hill photo spots on Portobello Road include Portobello Road Gin Distillery. The exterior of this distillery is designed to look like the spine of an open book, and it is quite an unusual and photogenic building.
The Sun in Splendor pub at the corner of Portobello Road is perhaps one of the most charming pubs in London. The sunny yellow color and adorable name make this Notting Hill pub a great photo spot. The Sun in Splendor pub isn’t a widely popular photo spot in Notting Hill, so it’s a great spot to bookmark if you want a unique photo to share on the ‘gram.
Portobello Road is home to where the travel book store in the movie “Notting Hill” is located, so this is definitely worth a photo stop for movie fans.
Alice’s
Alice’s is an antique shop located on Portobello Road. While mentioned above, this shop deserves a section of its own as Alice’s is one of the most Instagrammable spots in Notting Hill. This shop is a staple to Portobello Road and has been selling antiques since 1887.
The deep red color of Alice’s and the antiques sprawling out onto the sidewalk create such an eclectic backdrop that is perfect for photos. This shop sells various teacups and Alice and Wonderland signs, which makes this shop even more curious.
Lancaster Road
Lancaster Road is home to some of the most colorful homes in London. The houses on this street are much deeper, saturated colors than many of the pastel-hued streets in Notting Hill. Lancaster Road is a relatively long street, and the colorful houses only make up one block of this street. The section of Lancaster Road you will focus on is the block between the crossroads of Bassing Street and All Saints Road.
Be mindful when visiting this popular street for photos in Notting Hill. Lancaster Road is a residential street; many homes have ropes across their front steps so no one sits on them. However, no one should have to put a rope on their steps, so people don’t trespass. Take all your photos from the sidewalk unless you are permitted to go on their steps. You can get wonderful photos of the colorful line of homes, even from the sidewalk.
The purple facade is the most Instagram-famous of the homes on Lancaster Road, yet you cannot go wrong with taking photos in front of any of them. The yellow one particularly grabbed my attention.
St Luke’s Mews
This mews street tucked away in Notting Hill is just a couple blocks away from Portobello Road. St. Luke’s Mews is one of the top photo spots in Notting Hill, as it is where you will find the pretty pink house featured in “Love Actually.” 24 St. Luke’s Mew is the address of the pink house, yet the street is very short, so you will have no trouble finding it. The pink facade and cobblestone street make this house so photogenic and worth visiting, even if you are not a “Love Actually” fan.
There are other adorable homes on St. Luke’s Mews that are worth taking photos of while you are here.
READ MORE: St.Luke’s Mews: Home to the “Love Actually” Pink Home
Denbigh Terrace
Denbigh Terrace is a small street off of Portobello Road with a row of colorful houses. The most notable of these houses are the pink and blue houses alongside each other. Even with its proximity to Portobello Road, this street is relatively quiet.
During my visit, there were a lot of cars parked along the road, making it difficult to take great photos on this street, and it was not possible to get a front-on photo of the pink and blue houses. However, Denbigh Terrace is an easy detour from Portobello Road and well worth a visit. Perhaps try a wide-angle lens to take a creative shot if the street is full of cars.
Colville Houses
Colville Houses is a dead-end street with eight pastel-colored houses. While this street is no more than half a city block, it has some of the most charming and Instagrammable houses in Notting Hill.
This pastel street is located off Colville Square and is only a quick detour from Portobello Road. Due to the fact that it’s a dead-end street, Colville Houses tends to be a bit quieter than some surrounding streets. Aside from other people taking photos of these Notting Hill homes, you won’t have to wait for crowds to disperse.
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Pink Flat Iron
The unofficially named Pink Flat Iron building makes for a great photo spot in Notting Hill if you’re looking for some pastel pink to add to your Instagram feed. This building is found at the junction of Penzance Place and Pottery Lane. This pink building is unique as it curves around the corner of these two streets.
The Pink Flat Iron is a bit away from Portobello Road and the touristy spots of Notting Hill, so that is something to be mindful of if you want to take photos here. You will have to walk through quiet, residential streets to get here. Yet, it is worth walking a bit out of your way if you want to get a photo at one of the cutest pink houses in Notting Hill.
Stanley Crescent and Stanley Gardens
Stanley Crescent and Stanley Gardens are unique to Notting Hill as the buildings are shades of white and cream. These white facades starkly contrast the pastel-hued streets throughout this neighborhood.
The building on Stanley Gardens has colorful doors that pop against the white. The colorful doors make taking photos here really fun, as they add an extra element that feels very Notting Hill.
The homes along Stanley Crescent have more traditional, natural wood doors (for the most part). Yet, this street is still highly photogenic. The buildings have a more classic look, which is very elegant for photos. And in the spring, cherry blossoms bloom on Stanley Crescent; the pink flowers look beautiful against the white backdrop of these homes.
Biscuiteers on Kensington Park Road
Biscuiteers on Kensington Park Road is a biscuit shop and icing cafe. Its black and white facade makes Biscuiteers a unique addition to the photo spots in Notting Hill. Order tea and some treats from Biscuiteers and grab a table in front of the shop for a fun photo op. You can take some pictures of the exterior of Biscuiteers before delving into your treats.
If you continue down Kensington Park Road, you will pass Harper and Tom’s Flower with a pink awning and plenty of Georgian-style homes. These also make great spots to take photos.
Hillgate Place
Hillgate Place is one of the most popular spots to take photos in Notting Hill. Along with Framer Street, Callcott Street, Jameson Street, and Kensington Place, there are endless photo opportunities. These streets are a rainbow of pastel colors; each house is painted a different hue. It is a lovely residential neighborhood to stroll through and take photos of. This area is nice, as it’s quite expansive, so there are a lot of different houses you can choose to take pictures in front of.
This area is highly photogenic, so be sure to plan for some time taking photos here. Wander around the neighborhood and take pictures of whichever houses you like the best.
As this neighborhood is popular for Instagram photos in Notting Hill, you probably will not be the only person taking photos here. Yet, if you’re patient, you can get some great photos in front of these pretty pastel houses.
Churchill Arms
Churchill Arms is one of the prettiest pubs in London and certainly one of the most Instagrammable spots in Notting Hill. Depending on the time of the year you visit, the pub’s exterior is decorated in a variety of ways. In summer, Churchill Arms is adorned with colorful flowers, and baskets fill up almost the entire exterior of the building. In winter, Christmas trees and festive lights decorate this pub.
This is one of the most spectacular floral displays in London and is a great spot to take photos. And after you’ve finished photographing the exterior of Churchill Arms, head inside for a well-deserved pint after a day full of photography.
The Notting Hill Bookshop
The famous blue door at the Notting Hill Bookshop is a great spot to take a photo in Notting Hill. This bookshop is in the well-known movie “Notting Hill” and makes a great spot to snap a photo for movie buffs, bookstore lovers, or anyone who loves an adorable facade.
The Notting Hill Bookshop is located at 13 Blenheim Crescent, not to be confused with The Travel Bookshop on Portobello Road, which is now a gift shop.
Photography Tips for Notting Hill
I wanted to leave you with some top tips for getting great photos in Notting Hill. These are a few things I learned while taking photos in Notting Hill.
1. Bring a Wide Angle Lens
A wide-angle lens is especially helpful when photographing some of these colorful homes in Notting Hill. Sometimes to get a great photo, you will want to take the photos from the sidewalk to cut off the cars in the street. However, if you’re taking your photos from close up, you will want a wide-angle lens so you do not lose the buildings.
2. Have Plenty of Space on your Memory Card
I cannot stress this enough! Make sure you have enough storage on your memory card or phone for plenty of photos. There are so many photo opportunities in Notting Hill, and you will not want to have to skip taking photos of a single pastel house simply because you ran out of storage.
3. Visit in the Early Morning to Avoid Crowds
While a lot of the smaller streets are fairly quiet all day, some areas, such as Portobello Road, get quite crowded in the afternoons. And even if these photo spots are not crowded, you will tend to see at least a couple of people taking photos at each spot. Arriving early in the day will ensure you don’t have to wait your turn to take photos at each spot.
4. Be Flexible with the Shots you Want
You should be aware of this wherever you travel, but you’re just not going to get every shot just as you imagined. Prepare for harsh shadows on a sunny day or blah grey skies at other times. There may be scaffolding on a building or an unflattering car parked in front of the house you wanted a photo of.
5. Keep your Eyes Peeled for New Photo Opportunities in Notting Hill
I loved finding the top Instagram spots in Notting Hill, yet I also sought out new spots as well. For instance, I’ve never seen photos of The Sun is Splendor pub or these colors coordinated yellow and black and white buildings, shown below.
6. Hire a Photographer
If you want to be sure to get amazing photos in Notting Hill, ones that will bring your Instagram game to the next level and will be a fun experience that you will remember forever, consider booking a photography tour! You can book this Notting Hill Photography Session for your group (up to 10 people). This is such a unique way to capture your trip to London.
Notting Hill Photo Spots: Wrap-up
I hope you enjoyed this guide to the most Instagrammable places in Notting Hill. Notting Hill is one of the best spots to take photos in London. There are plenty of colorful buildings and picturesque streets to take photos of, and many iconic spots from popular movies filmed in Notting Hill. This guide will help you discover the best spots to take photos of Notting Hill, yet I also recommend wandering around and discovering other streets in the neighborhood.
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