15 Of The Best Restaurants In Notting Hill
Best For Something Classic:
CARACTÈRE
The first solo restaurant from Michel Roux Jr’s daughter Emily Roux and her husband Diego Ferrari is a relaxed neighbourhood spot. The famous surname pushed expectations sky high when Caractère launched in 2019 – and it has never disappointed. Menus are French-Italian to reflect the couple’s European heritage: dishes include the likes of seared ox tail ravioli, beef consommé, bone marrow and fresh herbs; seared mackerel, confit beetroot, black cardamom and parsley condiment; and celeriac ‘cacio e pepe’ with extra-aged balsamic vinegar.
209 Westbourne Park Road, W11 1EA
Visit CaractereRestaurant.com
Best For Modern British:
ORASAY
Jackson Boxer (Brunswick House) spent most of his childhood summers running around Scotland’s western isles. His Notting Hill restaurant Orasay channels those happy memories into something special. Seafood is usually the star of the show on his seasonal menus: imagine Three Teign River oysters with shallots and elderflower champagne; moreish fried shrimp with celery salt; and Cornish crab and pork agnolotti. But there are also dishes showcasing organic farm produce from Sussex – we can vouch for the Tamworth chop served with white beans and turnip tops. Whatever you go for, it'll be even better with one of the rare wines from Orasay’s excellent list.
31 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU
Visit Orasay.London
Best For Super Fine Dining:
THE LEDBURY
A regular on world’s best restaurant lists for many years, The Ledbury emerged from lockdown with a new look and the same dedication to greatness. Amid mirrors, marble and careful lighting, the focus is on modern luxury. That means the decadent ingredients are still here – caviar and truffle abound – but they’re even more carefully chosen to hit contemporary requirements around sustainability and seasonality. In short, it’s even better than the last time you went.
127 Ledbury Road, W11 2AQ
Visit TheLedbury.com
Best For Something Brilliantly Different:
FIEND
Giles Coren has described Chris Denney as a “chef who comes along only once or twice in a decade”. Luckily for Notting Hill, Denney has already come to Notting Hill twice this decade. First he opened the exceptional 108 Garage in 2016. Last year came Fiend. It’s just as good and Denney’s refined, innovative cooking is surely on the radar of the Michelin inspectors once more – don’t miss the 48-hour slow-cooked wagyu short rib if it’s on. And leave time for a digestif in the cellar cocktail bar.
301 Portobello Road, W10 5TD
Visit Fiend-Portobello.com
Best For Michelin-starred Magnificence:
CORE BY CLARE SMYTH
Clare Smyth was the chef who won three stars for Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Now she’s doing it for herself – winning two stars of her own at Core. Her first solo venture opened five years ago and continues to make waves. Indeed, her relaxed take on fine dining – with an emphasis on sustainable British produce – continues to hoover up awards including a 10/10 in the Good Food Guide and five AA rosettes. Smyth herself has also been named World’s Best Female Chef by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
92 Kensington Park Road, W11 2PN
Visit CoreByClareSmyth.com
Best For Sharing Dishes:
CAIA
Just off Portobello Road, this is a restaurant, wine bar and music venue from two of the team behind Fiend (see above). Caia offers a huge list of wines from interesting and young producers alongside a seasonally changing menu of dishes cooked on an open-fire grill. Head chef Jessica Donovan, who used to cook at The Pem, has gone big on moreish sharing dishes, such as garlic and sesame brioche with salted honey butter; asparagus with smoked onion and crispy chicken skin; cured seabream with tomato dashi and bottarga; and grilled artichoke with cured egg yolk. Using top-of-the-line audio kit, DJs in the basement are on hand to take you anywhere from rare jazz, funk, tropical and disco right up to current hits.
46 Golborne Road, W10 5PR
Follow @Caia.London
Best For Brunch:
SUNDAY IN BROOKLYN
A much-loved fixture on New York’s dining scene for the last few years, Sunday In Brooklyn chose Notting Hill for its first foray outside NYC. New takes on American staples, playful cocktails, natural wines – they’re all here in abundance. But look out too for some London exclusives like beef tartare with charred onions, Worcestershire egg yolk and Walkers Salt & Vinegar crisps; and chocolate s'mores – chocolate soft-serve ice-cream with toasted marshmallow and crisp wafer cookies.
98 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RU
Visit SundayInBK.co.uk
Best For Simple Chic:
SIX PORTLAND ROAD
This intimate neighbourhood restaurant is owned by Oli Barker, previously of the West End’s much-missed Terroirs. The menu changes frequently and has a strong French accent, plus there’s a decent selection of natural wines. For weekday lunches, the team offers well-priced two and three-course menus. As night falls, the à la carte menu takes centre stage, showcasing the likes of caponata, burrata, focaccia and rocket; mussels, leeks and nduja; and plaice, pernod butter and sea aster.
6 Portland Road, W11 4LA
Visit SixPortlandRoad.com
Best For Something Stylish:
GOLD
This neighbourhood restaurant and late-night bar opened on the site of the renowned Portobello Gold pub. A modern European spot, it focuses on produce-led sharing plates and minimal-process cooking in wood ovens or over open flame – think nettle ravioli with sheep’s ricotta and sorrel followed by wood-roasted whole sea bream with wild oregano and capers. Contemporary boho interiors use the original shell of the building to create an edgy look, while contemporary furniture, aged metals and indoor trees soften the space to create a warm environment. With a retractable roof and landscaped with mature trees, the garden room is an atmospheric spot for dinner.
95-97 Portobello Road, W11 2QB
Visit GoldNottingHill.com
Best For Farm-To-Fork Eating:
THE SHED
You see the phrase ‘farm to fork’ a lot these days. The Shed is the real deal. Here, the Gladwin Brothers – who also run Sussex in Soho and Battersea’s Nutbourne – bring produce from their own farm in Sussex and prep it beautifully at this shabby chic site just a couple of minutes from Notting Hill Gate. Hyper-seasonal dishes showcase wild, foraged ingredients as well as the family’s own sustainable produce – which includes award-winning wines from their vineyard. The ‘Local & Wild’ tasting menu is the best way to get to know everything they do.
122 Palace Gardens Terrace, W8 4RT
Visit TheShed-Restaurant.com
Best For Celeb Spotting:
CASA CRUZ
When it opened in 2015, Casa Cruz was an instant A-list magnet. David and Victoria Beckham (who hosted her OBE party here), Bay Garnett, Natalie Massenet and Anya Hindmarch have all passed through – and others are no doubt still to come. Channelling the success of its original site in Buenos Aires, Casa Cruz serves up Argentinian fare – all cooked over a Josper grill in clubby, glamourous surroundings that are accessed via giant copper doors. The tree-lined rooftop cigar terrace is the best spot to get a glimpse of Beckham and co.
123a Clarendon Road, W11 4JG
Visit CasaCruz.London
Best For Pub Classics:
THE PELICAN
On All Saints Road, a 150-year-old pub has recently been rejuvenated. Having opened quietly in the aftermath of you know what, The Pelican is now at full speed. Head chef Owen Kenworthy has some impressive names on his CV (Sketch and The Wolseley among them) and his talent shines through in the dining room menu. Here, the building’s history is channelled into dishes such as lobster and monkfish pie with lobster head gravy. A lighter pub menu features classics such as Welsh rarebit and spider crab toast.
45 All Saints Road, W11 1HE
Visit ThePelicanNW11.com
Best For Sushi:
SUMI
Sumi is the elegantly casual little sister to sushi master Endo Kazutoshi’s Rotunda restaurant in White City. Named after Endo’s mother, Sumi offers a menu that takes its inspiration and direction from Japanese traditions while paying homage to the many people and places that have influenced Endo throughout his journey. Head chef Yasuda Akinori (previously of Zuma) serves up refined yet approachable dishes, with must-tries including fillet of beef ‘kushi-katsu’; sesame seaweed salad; and Japanese A4 wagyu 100g striploin; alongside an excellent selection of handmade nigiri, sashimi and temaki.
157 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS
Visit SumiSushi.com
Best For Healthy Options:
FARM GIRL CAFÉ
Bringing a slice of Melbourne to London, Farm Girl’s all-day eatery serves up healthy fare including superfood smoothies, porridge made from millet flakes, chia seeds, coconut, avocado and omega mix, and the ‘Farm Girl BLT’ – all of which harness the best of nutritious, local goods. Kick things off with one of the team’s extensive selection of coffees (‘Liquid Gold Latte’ anyone?) and a fresh watermelon juice, before choosing between the likes of turmeric birchers (oats soaked with turmeric, honey, cinnamon, sesame seeds and almond milk topped with candied nuts and strawberries) or buckwheat pancakes with amber maple syrup, topped with mixed berries and coconut shavings.
59a Portobello Road, W11 3DB
Visit TheFarmGirl.co.uk
Best For Late Nights:
ZEPHYR
Right on Portobello Road, this new drinking den is not just about late nights – there’s also a Greek-influenced casual dining menu. Sustainable, seasonal dishes include the likes of fresh carpaccio of seabass with lemon-oil dashi and bottarga; otoro toast with cream and black caviar; and whole smoked aubergine with citrus yogurt and dukkah. Once you’re done eating, the early hours are best spent in the secretive basement bar downstairs, getting to know the 10-strong list of signature cocktails. The same space is also fun for an early evening aperitif. Come summer, tables are put out front for alfresco eating.
100 Portobello Road, W11 2QD
Visit Zephyr.London
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