London Notting Hill Restaurant Guide

This “wonderful, buzzy” Greek in Hillgate Village, near Notting Hill Gate, “goes from strength to strength” in its reinterpretation of the traditional taverna as a “modern neighbourhood restaurant”. The “fresh, delicious menu is perfect for sharing”, but “you need to pick wisely otherwise it’s expensive”.

“A great addition to the Notting Hill scene”, this three-year-old Vietnamese BBQ grill serves a “limited menu which one could eat pretty well every day: fresh, zingy and delicious – what more could you want?”. Owner Colin Tu (of the Salvation in Noodles pho joints) serves his mother’s recipe for fermented dipping sauce – MAM is pronounced ‘mum’ in Vietnamese.

There’s “clear blue water between Patty & Bun and other wannabe mass burger offerings” – the only drawback is “you have to queue all the time”. Having started out as a pop-up, the small chain has grown to eight branches and two spin-offs: Smash Patty and Jefferies, a chicken specialist. The core of the offer is “burgers dripping in all the good stuff, loud tunes, friendly vibes and lots of napkins”. Top Tip – the “legendary lamb burger always makes me smile”.

“Simple, honest Italian fare done well” – with “fresh ingredients and great service” – is a combination that has served Notting HIll well for almost 30 years at this local trattoria: the senior in a group of three siblings in the same street (see also Mediterraneo and Essenza).

“Still vibrant and alive after all these years” – Will Ricker’s Notting Hill haunt survived its heady A-list celebrity of the early noughties, and even though critics say “you go here to show off your body, or your new friends, to whoever’s around”, its ethos has actually remained surprisingly un-snooty over the years. Foodwise, it’s “no longer breaking new ground with its pan-Asian tastes and mixtures”, but remains a “very fun” option for a superior cocktail with some “eclectic”, SE Asian fusion bites. In mid-2019, its King’s Road sibling, Eight Over Eight – already something of a chip off the old block – was refurbed and relaunched as E&O Chelsea.

At the posher end of Ladbroke Grove, this smarter-than-usual local is a “comfortable” and “friendly” spot drawing a crowd of regulars – Jeremy Clarkson among them – as well as tourists. It’s “always a great place to go for Sunday lunch, or indeed any other time”, to sample the “small menu of modern British dishes” – even if some find it hard to accept the “high prices for what is gastropub food”.

Just off Notting Hill Gate, this “splendid staple” wins solid marks for “great pizza, pasta and more” – including a decent array of fish showcased in a chiller-cabinet. “Authentically Italian in its chaos and delicious food”, it’s also “fun and child-friendly”. The best seats are outside on the glorious terrace in summer (which is also very effectively covered in winter and bad weather).

“Lovely food and a great casual atmosphere” draw a buzzy crowd to this quirky, small Notting Hill site (which old-timers recall as The Ark). It was the first of the Gladwin bros’ shabby-chic venues in London (see also Rabbit and Nutbourne) and their Sussex-farm-to-metropolitan-fork concept provides an “interesting English variation on the tapas theme”; on the downside, some find the rustic furniture “very uncomfortable”.