London Notting Hill Restaurant Guide

“The best restaurant in London” – Clare Symth’s “supreme” Notting Hill five-year-old once again topped our diners’ poll as the capital’s No. 1 gastronomic experience: “a real triumph”. And yet, while “it’s a special place, the experience is not over-wrought”: “it deftly straddles that line between fine dining but not being stuffy”. “Clare and head chef Jonny Bone run a great kitchen”, but they achieve “the finest cooking without it being up-your-arse mucked around, just with the beautiful presentation of seasonal ingredients” all “served with flair and precision in a fine dining room”. “The friendly and very efficient front of house team is led by Rob Rose. And when it comes to wine we always rely on sommelier Gareth’s recommendations. He has never let us down yet and works within a sensible budget”. “Clare and Jonny always greet you: in fact, everyone says hi and has time to chat. Save up your money and spend it here!”

“Youthful, hip and bursting at the seams”, this “great W11 hang out” is a famous old pub once visited by Bill Clinton, now converted into a nightclubby setting by Nick House of Mahiki and Whisky Mist fame. The “tapas-style” food from ex-River Café chef Theo Hill “is hit and miss, with some great and some disappointing dishes” – “but that doesn’t seem to bother the crowd, who are there mostly to drink, see and be seen” and soak up the “exciting”, “Tel Aviv-style rustic ambience”. It has a “beautiful courtyard” too, complete with palm trees and a glass ceiling.

This attractive modern Notting Hill café is inspired by visits to Tel Aviv, and the “energetic kitchen produces a small range of well thought-out dishes”. Staff are “really friendly” too.

“The real Italian deal, just off Portobello Road”, this “plain and simple” trattoria has “been going for ages and seems to be just as popular and noisy as ever” – and “always delivers solid good value”. Founded 25 years ago, it has two sister restaurants in the same street, Essenza and Osteria Basilico.

“Friendly, neighbourhood Italian”, now in its 31st year, that serves “good” if fairly standard food, and – following the lockdown puppy explosion – can appear to “welcome almost as many dogs as human customers”. The only real problem is its popularity, which means it “can be a bit crowded as tables are very close to each other”. If you can’t squeeze in, its two younger siblings in the same street, Essenza and Mediterraneo, are worth a try.

“Every dish screams eat me!” – “Jackson Boxer is delivering some seriously bold cooking” – in particular “incredibly delicious seafood” (but also “wonderful wood-fired meats”) – at his Notting Hill three-year-old, named for the Hebridean island where he spent many childhood summers. Top Menu Tip – “the Mull scallop in vin jaune is a highlight amongst many, many brilliantly executed dishes”.

“Really loved discovering Buvette in Paris so was excited to see them opening in London… but while the food was good, the interior lacks the heart of its Paris neighbour” – this cute ‘gastrothèque’ in Notting Hill is part of an NYC-based group and hasn’t made too many waves since it opened in 2020. The extensive drinks offering is a lot longer than its menu of brunch-friendly fare (Les Croques, Salades, Les Oeufs Vapeur) alongside one or two slightly more substantial options (e.g. Steak Tartare or Salmon Rillettes).

“Still fab 20 years on” – Will Ricker’s Notting Hill stalwart has proved amazingly enduring since its days as one of Madonna’s fave raves: “it can be a bit hit and miss with its long-lasting Asian-fusion offering, but overall remains some of the tastiest food in Notting Hill” (“although they might change the menu occasionally”). There’s a terrace with “excellent outdoor seating and heaters”.

This “slurpy Japanese noodles” outfit has grown from a 2011 pop-up to a fledgling national chain (14 branches in London, plus Brighton and Brum). These days it “feels formulaic, but the ramen does the business – the tonkotsu (pork broth, from which the place gets its name) is satisfyingly porky and the chilli chicken has a spicy hum”. Critics are not so sure, pointing to “very disappointing noodles” and “drab stock”.

The food at the quartet of London cafés supplied by Lady Bamford’s organic farm in the Cotswolds suffered a mauling from some reporters this year. The Daylesford brand does have some “huge fans”, who praise its venues as “very pleasant for a good-quality snack”. But critics – citing “long waits”, “clueless staff” and “poor-quality, ropey ingredients” – feel they “may be a place to be seen but are overpriced and uninteresting”.

This Holland Park hotspot from the Seventies is making a comeback next year under a new owner – Tara MacBain, a former regular who lives nearby and trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Expect French brasserie-style cooking from an all-day menu featuring seafood towers – and, in a nod to its louche past – a Martini trolley to save on trips to the bar.

With its flower-bedecked exterior and “relaxed neighbourhood vibe”, this Ladbroke Grove local is “certainly one of the better pubs” in the capital, serving “delicious food that’s definitely more restaurant than pub grub” alongside “good beer”. It’s close to Holland Park, and attracts a good Sunday lunch crowd.

A “delightful neighbourhood Greek restaurant, where real Greeks eat!” opened two years ago in Portobello by chef Harris Mavropoulos, with a straightforward menu of classic taverna dishes. It’s a cosy place, with a downstairs bar, ‘Mykonos’.

“Tasty Turkish food” including “classic kebabs” combine with a “BYO policy and a mixed crowd to make for a fun and affordable meal out” at this Ladbroke Grove standby. For several years now it has been “full both at lunchtime and dinner”.

Still “a gold standard”, with their “lovely, beautifully displayed food” – this small group of deli-cafés has expanded slowly since the first one opened in Notting Hill 21 years ago; the latest arrived in Pavilion Road, Chelsea, in January 2022. Hugely influential Israeli-born chef and writer Yotam Ottolenghi has transformed the way much of the world sees Middle Eastern cuisine – and vegetables. “I’m not a vegetarian, but I love eating the veg dishes here and I find I don’t need to order any meat”. (See also the chef’s two grander restaurants, Nopi and Rovi).

A perpetual hit with the minted ne’er-do-wells of Notting Hill, this chichi old boozer changed hands in early 2022. Previously a plaything of Guy Ritchie and David Beckham, its new owner is posh nightclub owner, Piers Adam, owner of Prince Harry’s old favourite, Mahiki. Nowadays billed as ‘in collaboration with The Craigellachie Hotel’ (also owned by Adam), the website promises that ‘The Walmer brings the essence of Speyside to London’ although – cue cynical laughter – this apparently includes such Caledonian specialities as Crispy Monkfish Tacos, Truffled Lobster Macaroni, and Salmon Ceviche. Whether the trustafarians who cram the place will notice anything other than the fun new refurb and more single malts at the bar is debatable.

“Best brunch in London!” is an oft-repeated claim for Aussie celeb chef Bill Granger’s chain of “pleasant light and airy” spaces, which its army of fans see as “perfect breakfast venues, with great food, strong coffee, and a buzzy atmosphere”. The “varied” menu has the “Antipodean slant” you’d expect, but arguably “the food doesn’t quite live up to its style” and “it pays to be adventurous with your ordering: be bold and try something new! – the safe options are very… safe”. In August 2022, the group adds a fifth Marylebone site in what older readers will remember as ‘Maison Sagne’.

“Brett is indeed finally back!” at this Notting Hill luminary, which has often topped our annual diners’ poll as London’s top gastronomic destination, but which closed for the duration of the Covid pandemic. Virtually all feedback is ecstatic: “it’s just so good to see it re-open!”. “The dining room has had a thorough refresh” and the “slight reduction in the number of tables has significantly improved the ambience” (“you still feel you’re in the same place, just with a more spacious feel”); and “service was top-notch even after just a couple of weeks of re-opening”. When it comes to gastronomy, many fans feel that “while it didn’t seem possible, if anything, Brett has raised his game even higher” since ditching the pre-pandemic à la carte menu format to focus on “a modern-style tasting menu”, featuring 8 courses (and also at lunch with a cut-down option of 6 courses). A minority of reporters, though, are more cautious in their praise. The new “eye-watering level of prices” is the most widespread concern. But one or two deeper sceptics – while acknowledging “technically exquisite” or “knockout” cooking – think “it’s not bad or disappointing, just not quite as good as it once was”. So, as a result, The Ledbury food rating has not yet quite regained its customary level of 5/5. What’s not in doubt, though, is that owner Nigel Platts-Martin’s celebrated operation has survived its state of suspended animation to compete successfully once again at the highest level.