Dhruv Trivedi
The 1999 romantic comedy ‘Notting Hill’ is one of Britain’s highest-grossing films of all time and follows the story of a simple British bookstore keeper who falls in love with a famous American actress. Directed by Roger Michell and sporting Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant as the love-crossed leads, the film turns a quaint European neighborhood into the picturesque urban backdrop for the story to unfold. So ingrained is the movie in its setting, that property prices around the neighborhood where it was filmed went up after the movie came out. If you’d like to know where ‘Notting Hill’ was filmed, we’ve got your back!
Notting Hill Filming Locations
‘Notting Hill’ is based in London, in the locality it is named after. The writer of the screenplay Richard Curtis, who also lived in Notting Hill, decided to base the story there since he knew the area well. Filming commenced in a London studio on April 17, 1998, and moved on to location 3 days later, where it continued till July 1, 1998. Most of the locations used in filming are in the neighborhood of Notting Hill in London, with a few other parts of the city featuring as well. Let’s take a closer look at these locations.
London, England
The trendy neighborhood of Notting Hill in West London is widely featured as the backdrop for the transcontinental romance. Many of the quaint stores in the district went on to become recognized landmarks thronged by tourists as a result of the movie’s fame, but they were not always as they seemed. Will’s (Hugh Grant) store ‘The Travel Book Shop’ is actually a souvenir store at 142 Portobello Road, Notting Hill.
The iconic blue door, which is the entrance to the protagonist’s flat, is located at 280 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill and for a time was the home of the film’s writer Richard Curtis. Ealing Studios at Ealing Green in West London also served as the filming site for several scenes. Many other locations from the namesake neighborhood were used for filming, most notably the busy Portobello Road. The market on this street has had its popularity rise manifold after being featured in ‘Notting Hill’ with tourists flocking to the area and even embarking upon ‘Notting Hill’ tours.
The premiere of Anna’s film was staged at the Cineworld Cinema, formerly the Empire Cinema, in Leicester Square in Soho in downtown London. The Rosmead Gardens on Rosmead Road are the private gardens that the couple breaks into. The Saints Tattoo Parlour, also on Portobello Road at 201, is featured in the opening credits of the movie. Also on the northern end of Portobello Road, on 105 Golborne Road, is a gift shop called Portfolio, which was used to depict Will’s friend’s failing restaurant.
The Coronet Cinema on 103 Notting Hill Gate is where Will watches the sci-fi movie featuring Anna. The house on 91 Lansdowne Road, Notting Hill is the one where he subsequently brings her as his date and surprises everyone. Filming also took place at 303 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, at the coffee shop located there, as well as the Nobu restaurant in the Metropolitan Hotel at 19 Old Park Lane, Mayfair.
Multiple hotels in London were used as backdrops for various scenes, with the film making the most of the city’s varied architecture. The iconic Savoy Hotel on Strand is featured in the scene where Will publicly proposes to Anna during her press conference. Anna is also shown staying at The Ritz on 150 Piccadilly Street. Filming for Anna and Will’s wedding reception was done in the Zen gardens of The Hempel Hotel. The minimalist Zen-inspired luxury hotel, which is now closed, was named after its designer Anouska Hempel and located on 31-35 Craven Hill Gardens in Bayswater.
Other locations in London included the Kenwood House on Hampstead Lane in Hampstead, London. The 17th century stately home stood in for the set of the Henry James filming. Filming in most of these locations was tricky due to the crowds, especially given the fame of the actors involved, which attracted a lot of attention. A portion of the shooting also took place only outdoors at these locations, with the interior scenes of Will’s flat and book shop shot at Shepperton Studios on Studio Road, Surrey, which is located a few miles from London.
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