Notting Hill Street Food Night Crawl Planner: Golborne Road

Most visitors see the pastel houses and antique stalls at the southern end of Portobello Road and turn back. The more interesting food story lies further north. Walk up the road as the market winds down and you reach the stalls under the Westway flyover, then Golborne Road, where Moroccan and Portuguese communities have shaped the shops and cafés for decades. This street food night crawl planner is written for a solo walker or a curious pair who want to follow Portobello to its quieter, tastier end as day turns to evening.

The southern stretch of Portobello is famous, photogenic and crowded. It is where the film locations, the bright terraces and the souvenir shops are. The northern stretch is less polished and far more local. Here the market sells fruit, vegetables, second-hand clothes and everyday goods, and the food reflects the families who live nearby. For anyone interested in how London really eats, the north end is the reason to come.

Walking north also suits the timing of an evening crawl. The antiques and tourist stalls pack away first, while the food stalls and cafés near the Westway and on Golborne Road keep the area lively a little longer. By following the road north as the afternoon fades, you move with the energy of the market rather than against it, and you arrive at the best food just as you get hungry.

The Westway is the elevated motorway that cuts across North Kensington, and the space beneath it has become a market area with food stalls, vintage clothes and music. It is a strange and memorable setting, with traffic rumbling overhead while cooks serve food below. Look for stalls cooking fresh dishes from around the world, perhaps a Caribbean jerk grill, a falafel wrap or a paella pan, and buy one thing to eat on the spot.

This first stop works best as a snack. Eat standing, watch the market, and let the place sink in. The Westway area has a long history of community projects, festivals and protests, and it remains a gathering point for the neighbourhood. If the stalls are already closing, do not worry. Golborne Road is only a few minutes away, and its cafés and grills are the main event.

Turn onto Golborne Road and you enter a different world. The street has been home to a Moroccan community for decades, and you see it in the cafés, butchers and grocery shops. Some places grill meat and fish on the pavement, filling the air with smoke and spices. Order a plate of grilled lamb or chicken, a bowl of harira soup, or a tagine if you have time to sit down. Mint tea in a small glass is the natural accompaniment.

An honest tip for this stop: the grills and cafés on Golborne Road are simple and unfussy, and that is part of the appeal. Do not expect a polished restaurant experience. Expect plastic tables, friendly staff, hearty plates and a crowd of locals who have been coming for years. If one place is full, look at the next one. The street is short, and there are several options within a few steps of each other.

Golborne Road is also home to a Portuguese community, and its cafés are known for pastéis de nata, the custard tarts with flaky pastry and a caramelised top. Finish the crawl with one or two tarts and a coffee or a glass of port. The Portuguese cafés also serve savoury snacks like grilled sardines, salt cod fritters and bifanas, so you can choose savoury or sweet depending on how hungry you still are.

Sitting in a Portuguese café at the end of a market crawl is one of the quiet pleasures of West London. The regulars chat in Portuguese, the television shows football, and the tarts come warm from the oven. It feels a world away from the tourist end of Portobello, even though it is only a short walk. Take your time here before heading home.

At the far end of Golborne Road stands Trellick Tower, the tall concrete block of flats designed by the architect Ernő Goldfinger. It is one of London's most famous examples of brutalist architecture, and it looks dramatic against the evening sky. Take a moment to look up before you leave. For architecture lovers, it is as much a reason to come as the food.

From Golborne Road, Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove stations are both within a short walk, connecting you to the Hammersmith and City and Circle lines. Buses along Ladbroke Grove also run back toward Notting Hill Gate. If you still have energy, the pubs along Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park Road offer a drink to end the evening, but most people find the café is the perfect final stop.

The best time for this crawl is a busy market day at the weekend, when the northern end of Portobello is in full swing and the Westway stalls draw the biggest crowds. On other days the market is smaller, but Golborne Road's cafés and grills still serve locals. Come in the late afternoon and walk north as the light fades. In winter that means an earlier start, while in summer you can linger longer.

Bring cash as well as a card, because some smaller cafés and stalls prefer cash. Solo walkers will feel comfortable on this route, as the cafés are welcoming and there is no pressure to order much. Vegetarians can enjoy falafel, vegetable tagines, harira and pastries. The pavements can be crowded on market days, so keep your belongings close and allow extra time if you are walking with others.

Use the Karpo APP to plan ahead. Search for Moroccan cafés, Portuguese bakeries and market stalls near Golborne Road, save a few, and check which ones suit your taste. The app helps you map out a route along Portobello Road and choose a backup if a café is full. With a plan in your pocket, the walk north becomes a relaxed journey from the famous end of Notting Hill to its most delicious corner.