Jimmy Fairly Optometry Clinic in Portobello: £25 Eye Test

Jimmy Fairly's Portobello shop is at 166 Portobello Road, London W11 2EB, and it opens 10:00am to 7:00pm from Tuesday to Saturday. That makes it an easy optometry clinic to fold into a market day in Notting Hill, because the eye test happens in the same unit where you choose your frames. The brand's own store page calls it the London flagship, and it describes the test as a 30-minute check by optometrists using state-of-the-art equipment.

The store page lists the hours as follows. On Monday the shop opens from 10:00am to 1:00pm and again from 2:00pm to 7:00pm, so there is a one-hour break in the middle of the day. From Tuesday to Saturday the shop is open from 10:00am to 7:00pm without a break. On Sunday it opens from 11:00am to 5:00pm. The page also says the store offers step-free access to the ground floor, though some areas or services may have limited accessibility for wheelchair users.

That Monday gap matters if you are planning a lunchtime appointment. If you arrive at 1:15pm on a Monday you will be standing outside a closed door, so book either the morning or the first slot after 2:00pm. Saturday is the busiest day on this street, so a weekday slot between Tuesday and Friday is the calmer way to be tested and still have the whole market to yourself afterwards.

According to the brand's eye test page for the United Kingdom, the tests are complimentary if you buy a frame on the day of your test. If no frame is purchased, the eye test costs £25. That is the only price Jimmy Fairly publishes for the test, and it is a simple way to decide how to spend your morning: come in knowing whether you want new frames, and the examination costs you nothing extra.

Each store page says the test takes 30 minutes and is carried out by the shop's team of optometrists. The same page adds one limit worth knowing about, which is that the shop does not offer prism prescriptions. If your last prescription included prism, ask when you book, because that is the one case where the shop may not be the right place for your examination.

Portobello Road runs for just over a mile, and Jimmy Fairly's own description of it is that it is London's most famous street market, long home to vintage clothing stores and antique bric-a-brac. The brand chose it for its London flagship, and the shop sits among those stalls and dealers rather than in a shopping centre. That gives the visit a different rhythm from a high-street optician: you can hear the market through the door.

The brand says it has been making itself known as the coolest opticians in town since 2010. Whatever you think of the slogan, the practical promise is on the same page. Jimmy Fairly says it designs, assembles and checks its collections itself, and that it develops its own lenses. Because the company sells directly to customers, the frame you try on in the shop is the one you will later collect, and the page states that orders can be collected in the store of your choice with free delivery to home or in-store in two to three business days.

Start with the test. A half-hour examination is short enough to slot in before lunch, and doing it first means you know your prescription before you start trying frames. Wear the glasses or contact lenses you normally use, bring your most recent prescription if you have one, and think about what you actually do all day, because the optometrist will ask about screen hours, driving and reading.

Once you have the result, move to the frames. The shop's collections are listed on the website in sections for glasses and sunglasses, with ranges for small and large faces, and the shop keeps cases, chains and cleaning kits among its accessories. Trying frames on in person is the part that an online order cannot give you, and with a market outside you can see how each pair looks in daylight by stepping to the door.

Do not rush the decision on a Saturday. If the shop is full, take a coffee break on the street and come back, since you have already paid nothing for the test if you end up buying a frame. If you decide against buying, the £25 fee is the only cost, and it is a small price for an up-to-date prescription you can take elsewhere.

A good eye test starts before you arrive. Make a short list of the things your eyes struggle with: headaches late in the day, difficulty reading small print, or night driving. Tell the optometrist about any eye surgery, family history of eye disease, and any medicines you take. If you wear contact lenses, bring the case, because the optometrist may want to check your lenses as well as your eyes.

Children and teenagers are welcome to try frames, but the brand's page does not give an age range for the test, so ask the store when you book. People who need a prism correction should ask the shop before travelling across London, since the store page says plainly that it does not offer prism prescriptions.

Portobello Road is a destination in itself, and it makes the best possible reward after a morning of staring at letters on a wall. Jimmy Fairly's own page recommends thrifting for the perfect denim jacket, enjoying the best busking and the foodie options. Antique dealers, vintage clothing stalls and food stands line the street, and the brand describes it as a Notting Hill hotspot. Walk north or south from the shop and you will find something to look at every few steps.

Because your eyes will be a little tired from the examination, an unhurried stroll is easier than a tight shopping list. Pick a stall, browse, and stop when something catches your eye. If you bought a frame, ask the team in the shop when it will be ready, then use the waiting time to explore the side streets near the shop.

Shop: Jimmy Fairly Portobello, 166 Portobello Road, London W11 2EB. Hours: Monday 10:00am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 7:00pm, Tuesday to Saturday 10:00am to 7:00pm, Sunday 11:00am to 5:00pm, according to the store page on jimmyfairly.com. Eye test: complimentary with a frame purchase on the day, otherwise £25, according to the brand's UK eye test page. Length of test: 30 minutes. Not offered: prism prescriptions.

The other London shops are in Chelsea, Greenwich and Angel, so if the Portobello diary is full you have somewhere else to go. Karpo APP can help you build the rest of the day around the market once you have booked a slot.