Notting Hill Bookshop, London — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Notting Hill Bookshop is a small, welcoming independent bookstore on Blenheim Crescent that became world-famous after its interior was used as the model for the bookshop in the 1999 film "Notting Hill," starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.

The shop opened in 1979, originally specializing exclusively in travel books. For two decades, it was a beloved neighbourhood institution known to travellers and book lovers. That changed dramatically after the film's release, when thousands of fans began making pilgrimages to see the real shop behind the movie.

In 2011, the shop broadened its stock to include fiction, children's books, and a wider range of subjects, while keeping a strong travel section. It remains an independent shop, run with care and personality.

One charming detail: the shop has a kitchen where customers can try out recipes from cookbooks sold in the store. The shelves are well curated, the staff are knowledgeable, and the atmosphere feels worlds away from the chain bookstores on the high street.

The shop sits in the heart of Notting Hill, just around the corner from Portobello Road with its famous antiques and street market. The area is one of London's most photogenic neighbourhoods, with colourful houses, independent cafes, and a village-within-a-city feel.

If you're on a Questo quest through Notting Hill, the bookshop is a stop where fiction and reality share the same shelf, and you might find your next read while you solve your next clue.