The Local List 03. Alyssa and Lily’s Notting Hill
The cofounders of ROVE London share their go-to neighborhood spots — for coffee, drinks, vintage, and everything in between.
The Local List is a series exploring places through the eyes of those who know them best. I love talking about people’s favorite places as much as I love talking about peoples favorite things. Now, I have an excuse to have these conversations, save them, and share them with you. x
Last month, I wrote about a trip to London and Paris — and one of the highlights was stumbling into a small, thoughtfully curated boutique at the top of Portobello Road. It’s called ROVE, and the cofounders, Alyssa Iaquinto and Lily Quenneville, couldn’t have been lovelier. Not only did we leave with a great dress, but also a list of local spots for drinks and dinner that we ended up loving.
After the trip, I reached out to see if they would be up for sharing the places they love most in their neighborhood — the pubs, wine bars, restaurants, and shops that make Notting Hill feel like home. I love discovering a neighborhood through the eyes of someone who lives there — because living in a city and visiting a city will never be the same, but it’s fun to pretend.
First, they share the local spots they frequent most: the best low key sushi, their go-to pubs and wine bars, where they shop for vintage and homeware. Then, in our Q&A, they talk about how they ended up opening a shop together in a foreign country, what brands and designers they’re most excited about, and their favorite London neighborhoods beyond Notting Hill.
Golborne Wine & Deli The perfect place to grab a class of a wine and cheese board. The staff are super friendly and very knowledgeable about their wines offer. Insider tip: they have free wine tasting on Wednesdays!
Layla Bakery This is a hot spot on our street! The queues are long, but definitely worth it. The pastries are delicious and be sure to get your hands on the sandwiches when available.
Canteen The new kids on the block, but they’ve already made a name for themselves with their other beloved pub, The Pelican, which is less than a ten-minute walk away. They change their menu daily so you won’t be sick of the dishes, and they have a hidden pub located upstairs.
Gold Located on the other end of Portobello, but is a must in Notting Hill! It has a buzzy atmosphere and great share plates available. My favourite is the chicken and the House on Fire cocktail.
Okasan If you want a really lowkey family run sushi spot, then this is it! My fiancé and I go here almost every Friday night where they know our order by heart. My go-to is the Duck & Cucumber Roll.
Sumi If you’re feeling like treating yourself, this is another sushi must! The interiors have a great modern feel and they offer the freshest fish. I love to go during the summer where they open up the front patio.
Tappo Enoteca Another fabulous wine bar with a modern feel and vibey atmosphere. They have great nibbles and offer the best Italian wines. Massimo, the owner, is amazing and treats his guests like family!
Bluebelles A coffee shop located right across from ROVE! It’s a great brunch spot or place to grab a quick coffee. Their staff is very attentive and super friendly.
Nushka One of our favourite homeware stores in the area. They have incredible cushions, lamps, tableware and other accessories primarily made from vintage textiles. The pieces are very eclectic and timeless - we wish we could decorate our entire home with pieces from her store.
The Pelican Our go-to pub in Notting Hill. Whether for an afternoon grabbing drinks, an evening with friends, or an upscale pub dining experience this pub has it all. Go early in the day or make a reservation because it gets very busy!
Rellik Arguably one of the coolest vintage stores in Notting Hill. The curation is so fun and different from other places in the area. There is a mix of low and high end vintage and you are bound to find something unique.
Tell me about your background — how did you end up opening ROVE together?
People are often surprised to hear that, even though we’re both American, we didn’t actually grow up together — we met in London about four years ago through mutual friends! Both of us come from fashion backgrounds: Alyssa worked in Merchandising and Buying, and Lily worked in Wholesale.
After graduating university in the US, Alyssa started her career in fashion in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to London five and a half years ago. Meanwhile, Lily moved to Sydney, Australia, where she worked in the industry and met her now-fiancé, who’s British — which ultimately brought her to London around four years ago.
As we spent more time together, we realised that the London shopping scene was missing something: there was a real lack of Australian and US brands in boutiques.
When we were introduced, we immediately clicked — we had so much in common, especially our shared love for fashion and discovering independent brands. As we spent more time together, we realised that the London shopping scene was missing something: there was a real lack of Australian and US brands in boutiques. We could see a clear gap in the market for a multi-brand boutique that focused on showcasing those harder-to-find, up-and-coming international labels.
With our different backgrounds across the fashion industry, we knew we had the perfect combination of skills to turn our idea into reality — and we couldn't wait to get started! The journey took about a year of planning: from securing our dream location on the iconic Portobello Road in Notting Hill, to bringing our favourite brands on board, and renovating the space to create exactly the atmosphere we envisioned. It was a huge amount of work, but absolutely worth every moment.
Our boutique, ROVE London, is all about the discovery of international brands and finding unique pieces that complements or spice up your existing wardrobe. We opened our doors in June 2023 and it has been the most incredible two years growing our brand and building relationships within the community.
What are your favorite London neighborhoods outside of your own?
We love going to Farringdon and spending an afternoon or evening at Exmouth Market. Especially when the weather is nice, this area is so lively and filled with tons of great pubs and bars the streets are always filled with people having drinks and catching up with friends. One of our favourite restaurants located there is Morchella — it’s one of the best places we’ve been to in awhile!
Chelsea is amazing if you’re looking for that quintessential London feel. It’s great for shopping and people watching. We love roaming the street and checking out all of the old London townhouses — they are beautiful. Our favorite pubs in the neighborhood are The Cadogan Arms or The Surprise.
Peckham in South East London is also one of our favourite neighborhoods. The food scene in this neighbourhood is unbelievable and new places are always popping up. Our favourites are Forza Wine, an amazing rooftop serving up natural wines and small plates, or Levan, a modern European restaurant. We love going on Sunday as they do the best steak frites special for £19.
Where are you discovering new brands/designers or finding inspiration today?
We absolutely love discovering new brands and designers when we travel! One of our favorite things to do in a new city is to dedicate an entire day to shopping at local independent boutiques, small brands, and vintage stores. It’s such a fun way to explore the local style — and we’ve actually found a lot of our favorite brands this way, even picking up a few new designers for ROVE.
Shopping local is the best because the styles are always so unique and less mainstream — you end up coming home with pieces no one else has. It makes everything you find feel extra special. We also find tons of inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest. We don't necessarily look there to discover new brands, but more for fresh ideas on styling and accessorizing in fun, creative ways.
Have your bestsellers (brands or items) changed over the years?
Definitely! Our boutique is constantly evolving — we love introducing new brands each season based on what we think our customers will love. The more we get to know the customer the better our assortment gets because we can cater directly to them.
Our best selling jewellery brand is Heaven Mayhem — they went viral on Instagram and we have not been able to keep the products in stock! Their signature “Knot” earrings come in 3 different colours and sizes and are perfect for so many different occasions.
Dôen is another best selling brand — they’re US based and a little harder to find in the UK so our customers were so excited when we finally started stocking it. They adore their effortless dresses and everyday tops for a more relaxed style.
What brands or designers are you most excited about at the moment?
We actually have a really exciting new French brand called Tressé, which will be arriving in store later this week. We'll be the first stockists in the UK — it’s so nice to be able to bring a new brand to the market. Their styles are really unique, not like anything we currently have, especially with their fresh take on everyday denim and shirts. It’s definitely a brand to watch — I think our customers are going to love discovering them.
What’s the last thing you bought that you feel really good about, and how did you find out about it?
Alyssa: I am currently obsessed with my new denim barn jacket from one of our brands, DÔEN! Now that the weather is warmer in London it is the perfect spring jacket. It’s an incredible oversized fit with a vintage looking denim wash — I have not stopped wearing it!
Lily: I recently went on my bachelorette trip to Barcelona and a cool vintage store, Le Swing, was recommended by one of our Spanish customers. They had so many amazing pieces and a pair of Prada sandals with a kitten heel caught my eye and I absolutely had to have them! They were a great price and I can’t wait to style them for spring and summer!
Thank you, Lily and Alyssa! I cannot wait to get back to London to try out all of these spots and you have me obsessing over these dresses from Tressé 😍
Follow @rove_london for more from Alyssa and Lily.
What are your favorite London spots? Whether you live there or just love to visit, I’d love to know the places you always come back to — in Notting Hill and beyond.
The Essential List is paywall-free and available to everyone. You can support this newsletter by liking this post, leaving a comment and sharing it with anyone who you think would enjoy it. Thanks for being here! ❣️
Take me back!!!