Pedlars Notting Hill offered a welcome coffee break from Portobello Road Market in this 2016 visit. A short turn into Talbot Road led to a general store that mixed vintage finds and gifts with a café at the back. I ordered a black Americano and settled in for a quieter moment.
From the Roberts London archive: the original film was published on 20 September 2016. This article describes Pedlars and the surrounding streets as they appeared during that visit.
From Portobello Road to Talbot Road
The film begins outside the Electric Cinema. I had visited before and remembered how special the interior was, along with the neighbouring Electric Diner. On this walk, however, I was carrying on through the market in search of coffee.
There was plenty to distract me along the way: fruit and vegetables, a bakery and tempting street food. I already had my heart set on a burger for later, so the immediate plan was simple. Turn off Portobello Road, find Pedlars beside Rough Trade Records and get a coffee.
Inside Pedlars Notting Hill
Pedlars brought two interests together. At the front were gifts, stationery and an assortment of vintage and antique pieces. Further back was somewhere to sit, eat and drink. That combination gave me a reason to linger as well as browse.
The café had plenty of character. Coloured boards lined the walls, pictures hung around the room and a brightly decorated bicycle sat above the tables. Small plants and glass bottles added detail without making it feel formal.
For me, the contrast with the market was the main attraction. Portobello Road was only a few metres away, yet sitting inside felt like stepping out of its bustle. In the film I called it a little oasis.
A black Americano and a pause
I ordered my usual black Americano. The menu also offered sandwiches, snacks and cold drinks, but this was a coffee stop for me. After a taste, my verdict was straightforward: good coffee.
What I liked was how the café supported the shop. Coffee and food gave people another reason to come in, while the objects around them made the space interesting. It combined browsing and a break from the market in one small stop.
Back to the market
Before leaving, I took another look around the café and the displays near the front window. Then it was back outside onto Talbot Road, close to the market once again. With the coffee finished, the next task was finding that burger.
For more coffee from the same year, see my visits to Rough Trade East near Brick Lane and 10 Shepherd Street in Mayfair.
Watch the Pedlars film
The original Pedlars Notting Hill video follows the walk from Portobello Road, the coffee order and a look around the shop and café.
