Christmas in Notting Hill is quieter than you might expect, and I mean that as a compliment.
There is no single switch-on or winter village here. What it has instead is shops: bookshops, food shops and the kind of small places where you can finish a present list in an afternoon without going near Oxford Street.
Every date below comes from the council or the venue's own site, checked on 14 October 2026. Where something has not been announced yet, I say so, and I will update this page when it is.
Quick verdict
- 1Notting Hill does Christmas through its shops, not a big event. Plan a shopping day around Blenheim Crescent and Portobello Road.
- 2The council's road-closure notices list Portobello Road street markets on Sundays 6, 13 and 20 December, though the dates have not been formally announced yet.
- 3The Churchill Arms' restaurant takes no bookings over Christmas, so do not waste time trying to book.
- 4For a proper warm-up, The Windsor Castle's snugs beat anywhere on the main drag.
Portobello Road in December
The street market trades Monday to Saturday through December, apart from the bank holidays, with the whole market out on Fridays and Saturdays. Saturday is the busy one, so for presents I would go on a Friday.
Sundays are the open question. The council's works bulletins list Portobello Road closed for a street market on Sundays 6, 13 and 20 December 2026, between Westbourne Grove and Oxford Gardens. That matches the extra December Sundays the market ran in previous years, but nothing has been formally announced yet, so treat those dates as expected rather than confirmed.
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A Christmas shopping afternoon
Blenheim Crescent, just off Portobello Road, is where I would spend most of the budget. Books for Cooks and The Notting Hill Bookshop are a few doors apart, The Spice Shop at number 1 is for the cooks in your life, and Ceramica Blue covers anyone who needs a nice bowl.
Daunt Books on Kensington Park Road is round the corner, Rough Trade West on Talbot Road handles the music people, and Jeroboams on Elgin Crescent will sort the wine and cheese. If you have one more stop in you, Summerill & Bishop on Portland Road is a 10 to 15-minute walk south.
Food for the table
Ottolenghi on Ledbury Road is the place for the dishes you do not have time to make. For the bread and pastries over the holiday, GAIL's on Portobello Road is the dependable one, and Layla Bakery at the top of the road is better if you get there before its sourdough sells out.
Lisboa Patisserie on Golborne Road is my answer to anyone who says they do not want a Christmas pudding.
What else is on nearby
The council has appointed an operator for a Holland Park winter event of up to 30 days between November and January, but no name or dates are public yet.
If you want the full fairground, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It is a short Tube ride from Notting Hill Gate rather than anything local, so I would treat it as a separate trip.
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Where to warm up afterwards
The Windsor Castle on Campden Hill Road has the snugs, and in December that is the whole argument. The Churchill Arms is a couple of minutes away on Kensington Church Street; its restaurant is walk-in only over Christmas, so arrive early rather than trying to book.
Closer to Portobello, The Sun in Splendour is the oldest pub in the area and has a garden for the brave. The Hillgate, by Notting Hill Gate, is the one for a Sunday roast.
What I would skip
I would skip Portobello Road on the last Saturday before Christmas unless you enjoy queuing behind people filming each other. Go on a Friday instead.
I would also skip looking for a big Notting Hill lights switch-on. I could not find an official one for the main streets, and the area is better at small shops than big spectacles.