Every Saturday morning, the exuberant Portobello Market in Notting Hill will give all five of your senses a run for their money. The sights, sounds and smells of London all come alive very early and you’ll be bombarded by an almost unbelievable range of antiques, foods, clothing, and – let’s be blunt – absolute junk. It’s a great place to people watch, since people from all over the world seem to end up on that one street at that one particular time, but pay close attention to the owners of the stalls. They are wonderful people with tremendous personalities and no one knows better how to entice a tourist into buying whatever they’re selling. When you need a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Portobello Road, there are two side streets to the west which will offer you a quiet refuge while still providing you with a fascinating shopping (and eating) experience. These streets are Elgin Crescent and Blenheim Crescent.

As you turn from the Portobello Market onto Elgin Crescent, you’ll find two very successful and popular shops on the south side of the street. Neal’s Yard Remedies is a socially responsible herbal and homeopathic shop that features cosmetics and hair care products along with the expected natural medicines and aromatherapy treatments. An offshoot of their flagship Covent Garden store, Neal’s Yard’s company philosophy states, “we believe real health is generated from the inside.” You’re sure to find a treat here, from items such as the new frankincense line of products to standards like rosemary, lavender and juniper essential oils and seaweed scrubs.

The other shop is Mr. Christian’s, a bakery and delicatessen that was recently crowned the best shop in Notting Hill by the locals in the MyVillage Mini-Oscars competition. There is a wide variety of meats, cheeses, and pasta dishes, and a tremendous selection of jellies and mustards. There’s an incredible selection of breads and pastries out front, and a fully-stocked freezer of Haagen Dazs in the back. You can’t miss.

As you travel to the north side of Elgin Crescent, you’ll see two separate Graham and Greene shops. One sells furniture and home furnishings and the other features a wide variety of gifts for the home and the family. Prices range from the reasonable to the extravagant, but the selection of items is always amazing. They’ve been in business over 30 years, but some of their stock is as modern as it gets. (Seek out the brightly-colored raffa umbrellas and the gorgeous chandeliers if you want some memorable purchases from your time in Notting Hill.)

As you head northwards to the parallel Blenheim Crescent, you’ll find the now-infamous Travel Bookshop on the south side of the street. It served as the inspiration for the Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ movie “Notting Hill” and, if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll find that the real thing is shockingly similar to the movie set used. Chock full of travel guides, narratives, biographies, children’s books, maps, and even some rare antique books, the shop is open seven days a week and is usually quite crowded with tourists and locals alike on Portobello Market Saturdays.

Finally, as you cross the street, you’ll eventually discover Books for Cooks – another specialty bookstore with a surprise hidden at the back. Books for Cooks stocks literally thousands of cookbooks from around the world, beautifully displayed and organized, and can help you track down hard-to-find books and even provide worldwide mail order. Perhaps the shop is most successful because of the very small test kitchen at the back of the store, where the recipes come to life and are prepared by a variety of chefs on a daily basis. There are only a few tables, and the morning’s cakes and pastries are devoured quickly (along with espressos or strong pots of tea) – as are the lunches – so you need to show up early. At one point in the shop’s history, cooking courses were held in this small kitchen, but because of the overwhelmingly positive response and demand for more spaces, a full demonstration kitchen was built upstairs to accommodate the locals and out-of-towners who learn the basics of international cooking, vegetarian dishes, and wine tasting. Cookbook authors often make appearances to sign books and create dishes from their latest work. Books for Cooks is a home away from home for foodies from every part of the world, and an oasis from the hustle and bustle of London’s busiest weekend market. It shouldn’t be missed.