To anyone wandering down South Lambeth Road, the main road between Stockwell and Vauxhall, it may not immediately be obvious that you're right in the heart of Little Portugal.
A fairly residential area bordered by a few cafés, restaurants and corner shops, it may not look anything special (and certainly nothing like the Algarve or Lisbon) but if you actually look at the shop fronts you'll start to notice a recurring red and green colour scheme - the colours of the Portuguese flag.
Many families from Portugal first settled in the area during the 1960s and 1970s. Families mainly worked in the catering and hospitality trade, with women in the community gaining a reputation as efficient and courteous domestic servants.
Later, others, with their savings, started to open restaurants on South Lambeth Road.
Despite being one of London's lesser-known gems, there are an estimated 27,000 Portuguese in this part of the city.
In fact, when I spoke to a local council worker he didn't even realise he was in Little Portugal.
When asked for his thoughts on the area, Terry Rendall said: "This area is called Little Portugal? I didn't know that. I guess there are quite a lot of Portuguese in the area."
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'London is our home now'
It's not all restaurants, though - a specialist Portuguese jewellers', Ourivesaria Portugal, is also tucked away on Wilcox Road.
Oscar Carvalho and his wife Solana Martins moved to the area in 2008 to open their shop.
"We moved because we were told there is a large Portuguese community here," he said. "Gold is different in Portugal. It's the only country in the world that makes 19.2 carat gold.
"We also have different designs, models, we focus on the quality of gold, not precious stones.
"We moved to London from Portugal 14 years ago as we knew there are lots of people looking for this type of business. We are the only one."
The couple moved to London after they took a fancy to the city's atmosphere.
"It's a nice lifestyle," Oscar said. "A cosmopolitan city that never sleeps. Our children can study, they have good opportunities."
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Their three girls, aged 22, 19 and 11, know London better than they do Portugal, and the eldest is now studying at university here.
The family are certain they will never go back to Portugal - London is their home now.
'I miss the weather - that's it though'
Marco Pranto, a 24-year-old waiter, moved from Lisbon to Little Portugal almost 10 years ago and plans to stay.
"I miss the weather, but that's it," he said. "I was looking for better opportunities, a better job.
"The best thing is how cheap everything is - shoes, cars. Maybe not eating out, though."
A waitress at another Portuguese café, who gave her name just as Nadia, agreed that the reason most people come to London is for better opportunities.
"I moved here for employment, I prefer Madeira but it's not easy [living there]," she said. "It definitely feels like Portugal here - I have lots of friends.
7 of Little Portugal's little gems
Here's some of the Portuguese bars, restaurants and businesses you'll find in Little Portugal.
- Grelha D'Ouro, Lambeth Road. Great for authentic homemade Portuguese cooking, in a casual restaurant setting.
- O Cantinho De Portugal, Stockwell Road. Classic dishes and tapas with a laid back café feel.
- A Toca Restaurant, Wandsworth Road. A classy restaurant featuring a huge selection of typical Portuguese food and drink.
- Madeira Patisserie London, Stockwell Road. A great place to stop for a coffee and pastry - offering much more then just the famous pastel de nata.
- Casa Madeira, Albert Embankment. A great place if you're not 100% committed to Portuguese food, serving pizza and pasta as well as Portuguese dishes.
- Estrela Bar, South Lambeth Road. If you want to get a feel for what it's like to watch the football in Portugal go here - let's just say it's lively.
- Taste of Portugal, Wilcox Road. If you fancy making some Portuguese food at home buy your supplies from this little supermarket.
"We go to a Brazilian disco in Clapham, NaBrasa."
There are more than 35,000 Portuguese speakers living in Lambeth alone, making it the second-most spoken language in the borough.
However, sadly, the future of Little Portugal is uncertain.
Property developers are rumoured to be eyeing up the area, and high-end apartment blocks are springing up all over the place. Everywhere you look there is construction work going on.
So if you fancy a taste of Lisbon in London, you know where to head - but you had better visit soon.
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