The Because Guide To: Westbourne Grove

Brains : Love

24 July 2020

In the busy lives we lived – before we were forced to slow down ‘cause of Corona – spending time in your local area was often limited to weekends or days off. Even since lockdown has lightened, the temptation to travel far has quickly been shot down with the thought of germ-ridden public transport and spending hours with our mouths and noses covered. With that in mind, and because the team have revelled in spending time in their neighbourhoods as opposed to our central London headquarters, we thought we’d create a mini guide to each location we reside in.

First to show what’s going on in her ends, and to inspire those of you within the residing areas to shop local, is our Publishing Assistant, Delia Wagner, as she shares her hotspots around Westbourne Grove.

For all the years I have lived in London now (4 and counting) I have never lived in a place for longer than 6 months. As stressful as it might seem, one good thing that's come of this is that I have seen/lived in many different corners of the city – and the Westbourne Grove area is one of my all time favourites. Westbourne Grove itself runs from Bayswater all the way to Notting Hill, crossing Portobello Road and is full of wonderful things to explore. I frequent the street and nearby neighbourhood weekly, if not daily, so allow me to share with you some of my personal favourite bits. There's so much to do and see in the West End that I strictly kept myself to the Westbourne area, but if you happen to be out here on a Saturday morning, walk along Westbourne Grove until you reach the end of the rainbow, aka. Portobello Road and take a stroll through the market. Make sure to keep an eye out for the giant teapot and I guarantee you'll find your pot of gold.

I live in Bayswater on the fringes of Hyde Park so I usually start my journey from there. A quick walk from the Park the first thing you'll encounter is my all time favourite grocery store Ben's Fruits and Vegetables.

Ben's Fruits and Vegetables is located at 80 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RT.

I am a huge fan of fresh fruits, which I think we can all agree those can be hard to find in London. Well, look no further: Ben's has everything your heart desires and more, so dig in.

Just a short while further and we get to another one of my favourite guilt-free eateries in London: Farmacy. It's gorgeously overgrown outsides match the cute interior as well the well thought out menu. Farmacy is known as the "friendly face of plant-based eating" and I couldn't agree more. My ideal Farmacy date: catching up with the girls over some deliciously healthy comfort food (yes, that exists).

Farmacy is located at 74-76 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH.

Just at the intersection to Chepstow Road is Design Vintage, a beautifully curated interior store that will give you inspiration for days. Further down along is another one of my most beloved brunch spots, Jusu Brothers. I recommend their Acai bowl and fresh juices – perfect for a fuel up between shopping.

Design Vintage is located at 110 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RU.

On the far end of Westbourne Grove you'll find Westbourne Church and the more famous end of the street. A short walk off Westbourne Grove on Ledbury Road you can find the best (in my humble opinion) beach and swimwear brand in town. Paolita was founded by my dear friend Anna Paola Papaconstantinou, a Mexican Greek designer and entrepreneur. If you think that this is the best possible combination of genetics to create the most gorgeous swimwear you would be spot on.

Paolita is located at 18 New Quebec St, Marylebone, London W1H 7RX.

As a final hurrah, I will usually sit outside of 202 with a cappuccino and watch the crowds walk by before I treat myself to a fresh flower bunch from Wild at Heart – arguably the most instagrammable flower shop in all of London.