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It seems like forever ago now (sorry, major backlog over here) but we finally got round to staying at The Distillery, a gin hotel on Portobello Road. A gin hotel, yep, you read that right. If you read the food section of my blog a lot, you’ll know I absolutely adore gin and, coincidently, adore Nottinghill too so it really was the perfect match. I’m always in need of places to stay in London (I live in hotels whilst house hunting) and finally managed to get a night at the Distillery (it’s hard to get booked in as it’s a tiny hotel and these rooms are so sought after). I thought I'd write a full guide featuring the hotel of course, alongside my ultimate Instagram guide to visiting Nottinghill. I'm basically an adopted resident there so I thought this makes perfect sense. You can find me on Instagram: @emshelx as the photos from this blog post are from my Instagram, it only made sense with it being an Instagrammers guide to Nottinghill. Don't miss my updated best places to eat in London guide.
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I spend enough time in Nottinghill to be able to give you a low down of all the best places to eat and drink so thought I’d tie this in as a Nottinghill guide. Nottinghill is easily my favourite neighbourhood in London, with cute painted houses, the best cafes and everything you could need on your doorstep. That’s why we’re house hunting in the vicinity and that’s why I try to stay in hotels in the area too as everything is on your doorstep. It really does feel like home to me. Nottinghill is probably one of the most Instagram friendly and Instagrammed locations in London too so I thought it was a good idea to also show you my favourite places to Instagram in Nottinghill.
Hotels in Nottinghill: Let’s start with my favourite hotel in Nottinghill, well it had to be this one didn't it? The Distillery. On a prime road in Nottinghill, Portabello Road, you may mistake this hidden gem for 'just' a bar. You couldn't be more wrong. Over a number of levels, this place is actually a pub, restaurant and hotel all rolled into one. It feels like more a boutique house than a hotel though with it's charming little rooms and welcoming staff. I'll get into the restaurant later as it's one of my favourite restaurants in Nottinghill. The hotel is small but beautiful, it's such a luxurious and comfortable boutique hotel and I've never stayed anywhere quite like it. It's beautifully decorated and is definitely 'Instagram goals' but mainly, it's in a prime location for Nottinghill. You have everything you need on your doorstep. I'm a sucker for a place with Neals Yard toiletries too. One of my favourite beauty brands. The service is wonderful, the food is great and I could happily move in. I wish they had more rooms so I could stay here more frequently! You can also do a gin experience here if you have the time, a great idea if you're with friends, if you're with your partner or just for anyone who likes gin. They have a distillery inside the hotel where they make Portabello Road gin, hence the name of the hotel and, why I call it a gin hotel. If you're a gin lover, there's no better place for you to enjoy.
Best brunch/breakfast in Nottinghill:
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Farm Girl - Farm Girl cafe is an Instagram dream (if sat outside only, it’s pretty dark inside but equally as yummy) and the food is to die for. Some Instagram worthy venues lack substance and only have style, Farm Girl has both. It’s super healthy so imagine your buckwheat pancakes with a sprinkle of chia (yeh you get the message) and that's why there are always queues, you can have your pancakes and your acai bowl and your turmeric latte. These are the fluffiest and best pancakes you'll ever have (guilt free too). It's hands down my favourite place for breakfast and brunch, in London, not just in Nottinghill. If you go on a weekend, get there early because you will queue in the cold. They don’t allow bookings which is totally understandable as they'd be booked up forever. I'd be there booking them every single morning. I’ve probably been here close to 100 times now as I do all my meetings here. The good news? Word on the street is that there's now a new Farm Girl alongside Sweaty Betty (only my favourite gym wear) in Carnaby Street. I think I need to check that out too. When you head to Farm Girl, make sure you try their amazing range of drinks too. I highly rate the chai latte and the matcha latte. I love you Farm Girl. My regular order: Matcha latte with buckwheat pancakes or an acai bowl.
202 Westbourne Grove - 202 is pretty hit and miss service wise (they can be very slow) but I’m putting it on here because it’s a safe bet when Farm Girl is too full *cries*. It's beautiful in Summer if you sit outside and great for people watching too. 202 do great breakfast dishes such as eggs, full English and lovely fresh juices. For lunch, I always get their fajitas. It's definitely Instagrammable and is on the best shopping street in Nottinghill too. My regular order: Fresh carrot juice with fajitas and a side of tenderstem broccoli.
Planet Organic - Planet Organic is my favourite little grab and go, from matcha lattes, to refined sugar free chocolate (all the Ombars) and delicious, nutrient packed salads available to take away too. They do really good lunch offers. I find Nottinghill is the home of 'clean' food so perfect post-gym.
Farmacy - Farmacy is a total dream and another place I spend most of my time at, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, they have something for everyone and I've trialled it all. It’s a vegan restaurant and again, is super healthy, imagine nachos with cashew ‘cheese’ and the best juices ever. I know not everything vegan is healthy, but the Farmacy menu is full of nutritional dishes. They really play around with ingredients and I can guarantee you'll try something you've never tried before. The men in my life aren't vegan (neither am I) and they love meat but even they love Farmacy. The vegan burger is probably better than any meat burger I've ever had. They really know how to make healthy taste delicious. I’ve tried most of the menu and their baked fries with goji ketchup and the best plus their healthy waffles. I can't believe they're good for you. I must copy the recipe at home. My regular order: I always go for the guilt-free pancakes or waffles for breakfast or the pizza for dinner with fries and goji ketchup. To drink? The matcha tonic is my favourite.
Granger and Co - Another favourite breakfast, brunch and dinner spot. It's not often that places can do all three but Granger really can. I go for the acai bowl for breakfast and the courgette fritters for dinner but I have bought all the starters before and nibbled on them. They do the best olives, the best chicken wings and the best courgette fries. I basically love everything at Granger (even though the queues are crazy in the mornings). Make sure you get the coconut bread as a breakfast side, it's incredible. This Aussie cafe is basically my local and I couldn’t love it anymore. The service is either really good or really slow but the food makes up for it. I find the Kings Cross Granger and Co has much better service and it means you can try it if you're not in Nottinghill. My regular order: Courgette and halloumi fritters with a Bill's beets juice.
Best Dinner In Nottinghill:
Gintonica - For dinner, head to Gintonica, on Portobello Road. One of my absolute favourites for tapas, inside The Distillery hotel. Owned by the same people who own my favourite restaurant in Leeds, Pintura, this place is beautiful. Not to mention, it’s marble tables which are super Insta-worthy. For the best gin cocktails and delicious sharing plates, make sure you head here. It is really authentic Spanish food and I struggle to find good tapas outside of Spain. I've not really seen many people talking about this as it is teeny and tucked away upstairs in the Distillery but that almost makes it more magical. The staff are so knowledgeable and the food is so fresh, definitely the best gin cocktails I've ever had. This is the perfect date night.
Franco Manca - If you want a cheap but delicious pizza, Londoners love Franco Manca. They’re reasonably small and baked using a sourdough base with minimal cheese (I ask for extra, lolz). They are delicious healthy pizzas in a really chilled atmosphere.
Polpo - Whilst this is a chain, I’ve had such good food here the last few times I’ve been and the service is always wonderful. It’s such a cosy, little romantic Italian tapas restaurant. This is just near the tube station Nottinghill Gate so closer than the places down on Westbourne Grove. The service is always amazing and the food is freshly cooked with such high-quality ingredients. Whether it’s a long lunch meeting or a dinner date with the girls, I really love Polpo and it’s quickly becoming a fave of mine. Their mini pizzas and tomato salad are divine. Don’t forget the mozzarella and peach too. Yep, I’ve tried it all. I love tapas style food.
Best Shopping in Nottingill:
Westbourne Grove is where you want to be for your shopping, I find the shops are quieter along here and always end up buying stuff from Sandro. Portabello Road is more of a market style street with more high street shops and Nottinghill Gate is full of the high street too. I'd suggest just wondering around the colourful streets of Nottinghill. Whilst you're on Westbourne Grove, there's also Ledbury Road just along it with Matches Fashion and some really cute little indepedent stores. Don't forget Beach Blanket Babylon for dinner and cocktails too. It's such a cool late night venue.
Best Gym in Nottinghill:
David Lloyd - Lucky for me, my favourite gym, David Lloyd have the Harbour Club in Nottinghill, making it very convenient for my spin classes, my yoga and my workouts. It's a beautiful gym with a wonderful spa and pool area too. It's the perfect hangout after working out and obviously the perfect place to workout. I am deliberately organising my house move around where the best David Lloyds or Harbour Clubs are because I am emotionally invested in their epic gyms.
Bodyism - On Westbourne Grove you've got Bodyism, a beautiful little boutique fitness area. I've done their boxing class before and it was great. The classes are small with maybe a max of 10 people in each so it really does feel more like one to one training sessions. The gym feels like a luxury hotel and you can pop upstairs for a smoothie afterwards. I'd say this is more of an elite fitness club than a gym.
Best Salon In Nottinghill:
Show Beauty - This place is my go to for bouncy blow dries, not only is it absolutely stunning, but the service is great too. I sit there with a cup of green tea, popcorn and smash out my work on my laptop. It's the perfect busy girls blow dry bar as you can sit with your head down and work whilst you get pampered. You can walk in but they get booked up with regulars so I’d recommend booking in advance if you can. The service is always great and they sometimes do partnerships with Bodyism. You can bulk buy loads of blow dries too, the perfect Christmas present. They’re the best at super speedy, bouncy blow dries and I pretty much live here. I absolutely love starting or ending my day with a SHOW blow dry, you cannot beat it.
So there we have it, a cheeky little guide to Nottinghill, featuring all the best Instagram hot spots. Everything is super close and easy, just grab Google maps and aim for Portabello Road, Westbourne Grove, Ledbury Road and you'll find some lovely little places. I know it's sad, but I do enjoy looking for Instagrammable or Instagram worthy places and I hope this will help you choose where to go when you next visit Nottinghill.
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Lots of love, Em x
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