Off the beaten track London; Notting Hill Gate.

West London

Notting Hill Gate is brimming with culture, art, the yummy mummies and the cool crowd. Besides the very popular Portobello Market are pleasures and treasures; On a Tuesday head on over to the Coronet Cinema and enjoy Half price Tuesday; all showings are 3 quid and change! Call the booking line or pay at the door. Made even more popular by Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, the cinema is just as charming with two screens. It has lived there since the Victorian era; 1898 so it doesn’t boast high tech screens or 3D etc but for £3.50, you get a quality experience and you can’t beat that. Its a pleasure.

Walk up towards Holland Park and come to the best kept secret in Notting Hill, Valentina, a family owned Italian restaurant and delicatessen. Go in and be charmed by the warmth. I love this place because its so familiar, and you get to meet Valentina whom the restaurant is named after. Founded in 1991 in East Sheen where the families still reside and share a love for food and wine. Originally from Monte Cassino South East of Rome, they use home-grown products for their brand of olive oil, most of their products are sourced from the italian country side and tastes divine too. You will be charmed by the touches of tradition and a feel for that italian spirit; the family picture wall where hangs pictures of every member of the family and that vespa hanging on the balcony adds another touch and you couldn’t get more italian than that. Its a lovely place ,with great food and you won’t want to leave. And that’s the treasure.