One of London’s best-known and most popular tourist attractions is Portobello market, famed for it’s antiques and second-hand bargains. The road from which it gets it’s name was itself named in commemoration of Admiral Edward Vernon’s capture of the silver-producing town of Puerto Bello in modern-day Panama in the 18th century.

The market and surrounding area, made famous in the films of Richard Curtis, has been a centre for trade since Victorian times and the local architecture is dominated by buildings from this period. As London became the metropolis we see today, Portobello Road’s businesses thrived on the custom from the surrounding affluent areas whilst other residents found work in nearby Notting Hill and Paddington.

Nowadays Portobello is as well known for it’s cosmopolitan mix of cultures and effervescent atmosphere as anything, a simple look at the range of cuisines available in it’s eateries and pubs illustrates this amply.