Cookbooks galore in Notting Hill

Not only did my wife write this post she also took the photos.

A couple of fine choices

Before last week, everything I knew about Notting Hill came from watching Hugh Grant make puppy eyes at Julia Roberts. Now, I know it has its own tube station. It’s amazing how travel can open one’s eyes. The colorful neighborhood ended up being one of my favorite (err, favourite) to visit in London. And one of the things that made it so fun was a bookshop. No, not the one where Hugh Grant worked, one called Books for Cooks. Foodie Heaven. (Actually, the whole area was, but more on that later.)

No streaks on this window

The tiny shop makes use of its space. Some 8,000 books line the shelves and fill tables in the center of the store, from cookbooks to essay collections on the history of various cuisines. They also have a test kitchen in a little alcove. (On the day I went a table was right in front of the bread book section, so I staked out charcuterie and came back another day.) In any case, recipes from the cookbooks on the shelves are tested daily. Many of the ingredients are from vendors lining Portabello Road, the main drag through the Hill. The store has even compiled its own series of cookbooks, first published in 1995.

Conveniently across the street

And if all this makes you just a little hungry, take heart. The Spice Shop is just across the street and coffee shops, fish mongers, butchers and grocers abound. Happy Eating!