This Is My Neighbourhood. Notting Hill with Meike B.

Meet Yelp Elite and street market lover, Meike B. Notting Hill/Dale, London.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Meike moved to London originally for just 6 months but found that she just couldn’t return as her love for London and it’s street markets was just too strong. Now Meike, one of our longest standing Yelp Elites (nearly hitting 1000 reviews), has found home in Notting Hill/Dale (Notting Dale is the lower end/downtown Notting Hill, previously a slum area) which to her is “the dream of what London should be”.

Here’s what Meike has to say about the neighbourhood she loves:

“For me, it almost doesn’t matter where I am as long as I have a street market nearby. I can become jealous of other areas but then I come back home and realise that Notting Hill/Dale is just so close to nature and has such a sense of community and multiculturalism that the jealousy goes away”. 

“Notting Hill the film made such a unique stamp on the town that in some ways it has almost prevented the area from becoming conventionalised. I’ve actually lived here longer than the film which has meant I have seen the changes. But for me, it is still very much a street market town that isn’t influenced by the generic world and remains old standing with plenty of independent shops.”

“Yelp has made me more aware of the places around me than before and has definitely heightened my sense of change and curiosity”.

3 of Meike’s favourite Notting Hill/Dale spots:

1. Lowry & Baker.

“I love this end of Portobello Road. The area at the junction with Golborne Road has an almost villlage-y feel to it and Lowry & Baker fits right in. When a friend suggested to meet for a coffee today I was glad to know just the place – we loved it so much we stayed for a piece of delicious homemade cake… Everything is served on crockery borrowed from Grandma’s kitchen – love it…” 

2. Book And Kitchen.

“This is my first ever Yelp review …  and I’d like to dedicate it to my current favourite neighbourhood cafe. We were talking about Book and Kitchen only this evening and how happy we (that’s long-standing West London locals who have seen some amazing places come and go over the years) are to have a good reason again to make the trip down All Saints Road. Book and Kitchen does exactly what it says on the blackboard outside…it is a book shop with a downstairs kitchen…“

3. Fabrique Bakery.

“What do they put in their cinnamon buns to make them so highly addictive?!  I have also tried the vanilla and cardamom varieties, but it’s the cinnamon ones I’m absolutely hooked on.  At £2.50 each they are a proper treat but this level of juicy deliciousness just comes at a price…The rye and cranberry is hardcore and just amazing with cheese.  And if you don’t want to commit to a massive chunk you can now also buy rolls of most varieties…”

Looking to re-discover your neighbourhood and have your say on your favourite local spots? Download the Yelp App and start your adventure today.