Bayswater, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“A bit of an oddball” – this “quirky little place with a fun atmosphere” off Notting Hill serves a selection of creative dishes using sustainably sourced produce that’s foraged or from the Gladwin family’s farm in Sussex and is one of their better-rated venues. The Gladwins have now opened six restaurants under their ‘Local & Wild’ brand across west and central London, with more expected to follow.

Jeremy King is back! (with a vengeance?) at this big, bold newcomer in a landmark new development opposite Kensington Gardens and on the corner of Queensway. Apparently it will be “very much within the ‘Grand Cafés & Brasseries’ mould that [he] love[s] so much but it is however very much of the early 21st Century rather than 20th". Perhaps that means less of the Edwardian (Ivy, Wolseley, Delaunay) or Victorian (Sheekeys) style that has characterised his earlier openings.

Regular DJs feature on the entertainment programme at this May 2022 newcomer in Bayswater (which opened too late for feedback in our annual diners’ poll). Extensive wood panelling is the most eye-catching feature of the cosy interior, while the short dinner menu (earlier in the day there’s one dedicated to brunch) looks more aimed at good-value sustenance than foodie fireworks.

It briefly traded as The Commander and then Pomona’s (both RIP), but this attractive Notting Hill tavern (nowadays part of the upscale Cubitt House group) returned in February 2022 to being essentially the same pub it had been since the late 1800s. Despite punchy prices, reports are upbeat on its posh-for-a-pub menu, which includes a selection of oysters and dishes from the ‘Raw Bar’.