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In the first film, Paddington sits opposite Mr Gruber, played by Jim Broadbent, in his antiques shop. “You’re just in time for elevenses”, says Gruber.
The room is crammed with bric-a-brac: a grandfather clock, old matchboxes, crates of memorabilia, crystal chandeliers, antique furniture and, famously, a model steam railway that loops around the shop and serves hot drinks. Paddington follows it, wide-eyed.
Mr Gruber’s Antiques shop features in all three Paddington films, and was filmed at Alice’s Antiques, a real-life antique shop with the same pillar box red façade.
Now, though, the shop —and maisonette which sits above it— is for sale for £4.5 million with Knight Frank.
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Located on the corner of Portobello Road, Alice’s Antiques was established in 1887 and has been in the family for three generations.
The shop is run by Douglas Carter, and his mother, the eponymous Alice, had been living in the flat above.
“She is the gatekeeper to Portobello Road,” says Arthur Lintell, head of sales at Knight Frank’s Notting Hill office.
Like Gruber’s shop, Alice’s Antiques is filled floor to ceiling with memorabilia and knick-knacks and has been a cornerstone of Portobello Road since 1952.
“It’s truly iconic, and arguably the jewel in the crown of Portobello,” says Lintell.
The 1,341 square foot shop occupies the ground floor, with additional space below, while the duplex maisonette spans the two floors above.
The one-bedroom apartment is similarly eclectic in design, with brown floor tiles, a rosy pink bathroom —including the bath itself— and, like the façade, a bright red staircase lined with a vintage carpet.
Predictably, it too is filled with antique furniture, including a dresser marked with the names of different spirits, vintage signage and an octagonal kitchen table.
A large bedroom and reception room overlook the street, while there is also a roof terrace with space for outdoor dining. In total, there is 2,349 square feet of space.
“It’s like walking into a film set – a time that people forgot,” says Lintell. “It is utterly charming.”
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Since starring in the Paddington films, the shop is frequented by fans, tourists and Paddington walking tours.
This, however, was not the building’s only film appearance: it also had a cameo in the original 1969 Italian Job.
Famous on-screen properties nearby include the apartment above Notting Hill’s The Travel Bookshop, which was listed for £2.375 million in 2022 and a house on the mews street made famous by Love Actually, which was advertised for rent last year.
Now 66, Carter is retiring and has chosen to put the property on the market. “I’ll miss the atmosphere here,” he told The Times. “It’s an amazing village — unlike anywhere in London.”
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The property will be sold with vacant possession, with the flexibility to be used as either a home or a business.
And as for Alice’s Antiques? “It’s there for anyone to buy and take on,” says Lintell.
“They would love for it to continue under Alice’s…It’s a great legacy for them, and for Notting Hill too, I think.”
Lintell says that the property has already attracted “interest from all over”, including from locals interested in acquiring it as a nostalgic collection piece and Americans who see it as “a piece of exceptional real estate”.
“They’re buying a historic building that’s been in some amazing films,” he says.
“Its corner position is very special, and I think it stands proud amongst all the other shops on the street. It’s an opportunity to own a piece of the history of this area.”
