Since Richard Curtis did his thing with his 1999 chick flick, Notting Hill has been synonymous largely with Hugh Grant's floppy hair.
Before that, it was known as London's bohemian heart, but the last couple of years have seen W11 make a claim to being one of London's hottest foodie neighbourhoods.
With neighbours like Chelsea and Kensington, it’s hardly a surprise this area is peppered with fine dining haunts. A few cheaper places do exist too but — on the whole — restaurants here tend to plate up food served with a fair bill.
We’ve rounded our favourite places to suit any and every occasion. Read our complete guide to Notting Hill, too.
The Ledbury
Probably the most famous restaurant in the area, like Core this spot has not just one, but two Michelin stars. Since opening back in 2005 it has secured many accolades, most recently placing position 42 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Over the years, it's gained worldwide prestige making it one of the star players of the London restaurant scene. Aussie chef Brett Graham is the man behind it all, who honed his craft working under Philip Howard at The Square. Graham's culinary flare can be seen in dishes including the floral roast turbot with elderflower and fennel, and the Earl Grey tea aged wood pigeon.
127 Ledbury Rd, W11 2AQ, theledbury.com. Read our write up here.
Core by Clare Smyth
Recently, it seems everything Clare Smyth touches turns to gold. Her debut restaurant secured two Michelin stars, a little over a year after opening. It was little surprise, especially as she’s the only female chef ever to have run a three-star kitchen in the UK, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Still, the speed of which she secured the accolades is a testament to her cooking. Her menus — be it a la carte or tasting — boast deftly done plates from the land, sky and sea, with standout dishes including the buttery skate with Morecambe bay shrimps and citrussy duck with nectarine.
92 Kensington Park Rd, W11 2PN, corebyclaresmyth.com. Read our write up here.
108 Garage
Without the furniture, this place really does look like somewhere you can park your car — which makes sense for a restaurant located in a former garage. It’s known for innovative, seasonal plates that change on a regular basis. Chef Chris Denney originally trained in fine arts, but jumped career paths and worked his way up to a triple-Michelin star kitchen, Piazza Duomo in Alba. Here, his dishes are intelligent and forward-thinking, with plates like the lamb chops with fermented cabbage and liquorice. This is somewhere to fall in love with: the food is beautifully done and gorgeously presented, with a wine list that's just as fine and delicate too. Definitely one to try.
108 Golborne Rd, W10 5PS, 108garage.com. Read our write up here.
Caractère
A neighbour to the Ledbury, this corner restaurant comes from married team Diego Ferrari and Emily Roux. Given their backgrounds – Ferrari was head chef of Le Gavroche for three years, and Emily grew up there, peeling potatoes on the weekend – one might expect classical French cooking in quaint surrounds. Not so: unassuming from the outside, glamorous on the inside, Caractere offers up beguiling, imaginative dishes that feel thoroughly of the moment. The menu is split somewhat oddly, divided into sections as so (parenthesis and interpretation our own): Curious (nibbles), Subtle (starters), Delicate (fish), Robust (meat), Strong (cheese) and Greedy (pudding).
In each there are gems: the Celeriac “cacio e pepe” is a favourite of Roux and Ferrari themselves and understandably so. £18 is extraordinarily stiff for an old Shepherd's dish of cheese and pepper, but it's full of warming, comforting flavour, and beautifully presented. 'Acquarello' risotto looks a mess. Nevermind. It is not only gorgeous tasting but curious too: black crumble and almond praline make a strange pair, but give the plate its own character – distinct, eccentric, entirely lovable. The mains are where things fly: roast turbot with smoked cauliflower is an easy contender for the best dish in its postcode, while the roasted rack of lamb with aubergine is pulled together by the seasoning, spiced as it is with ras el hanout. This a clever dish, remarkable for its balance – to make the best of it, mash everything together.
They say the dress code is casual but no-one was on our night, which makes sense; a 'spontaneous' (their word) lunch is £39 a head, the tasting menu, with wine, comes in at £300 for two. You see the point. Caractere is a neighbourhood restaurant, but it is made for its very upmarket neighbourhood. For anyone coming in from less moneyed surroundings, it is somewhere to celebrate something special. To play both these roles is a difficult thing – that they pull it off just shows how damned good they are. David Ellis
209 Westbourne Park Rd, W11 1EA, caractererestaurant.com. Read our write up here.
Gold
Yes, Gold is the restaurant you’ve seen all over Instagram recently. A particularly stylish jewel in the crown of Notting Hill’s reinvigorated restaurant scene, Gold’s leafy interior melds warm, bohemian vibes with contemporary chic – unsurprising with ex-Soho House man Alex Ghalleb behind the project, and former River Cafe chef Theo Hill in charge of the food. Expect Mediterranean flavours graced with a charcoal kiss from the open wood oven: charred peaches topped with burrata, radicchio and Tuscan ham is a standout way to start, followed by chargrilled chicken cooked on top of sourdough and covered in nduja and a tomato sauce. Pasta is a must: choose either intensely meaty rabbit tortelloni, or nettle ravioli filled with sheep’s ricotta.
95-97 Portobello Road, W11 2QB, goldnottinghill.com
Orasay
Jackson Boxer has been all over London in the past few years. Following on from lauded openings Brunswick House (Vauxhall) and St Leonards (Shoreditch), the chef headed west in 2019 for Orasay, his seafood-focused third venture. There he concocts a daily changing menu in response to what his fishermen send him from their daily catch, inspired by the seafood he enjoyed in the Western Isles growing up. The Isle of Mull diver scallop is a regular, served with shiitake and vin jaune, while larger courses include egg noodles flavoured with lardo and run through with razor clams and razor clams. Do not forget to snack first: the puffed-up fried bread topped with anchovies, mustard and little slithers of pickled onion are a consistent little thrill.
31 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU, orasay.london
Tonkotsu
Taking its name from the mouthwatering creamy ramen typical in Kyushu, it’s hardly a surprise that this joint does noodles in broth exceedingly well. In fact, the ramen takes 16 hours to create and is flavour rich, a perfect winter warmer. The eponymous Tonkotsu dish is a crowd-pleaser, as is the chilli chicken ramen. Non-noodle treats include four different types of gyozas, chicken wings and prawn katsu.
7 Blenheim Cres, W11 2EE, tonkotsu.co.uk
Ottolenghi
The mention of za'atar and sumac often brings an Ottolenghi recipe to mind. This branch was the first of his restaurant family to open back in 2002 and left Londoners looking to get their aubergine-shaped Middle Eastern fix ever since. Like the other branches, it’s a sharing plate affair here, and menus are veggie-led though not exclusively meat free. While dishes change on a regular basis, roasted sweet potato salads and spiced cauliflower options are usually on the menu in some form.
63 Ledbury Rd, W11 2AD, ottolenghi.co.uk
Redemption
As the name suggests, guilt-free grub is on the menu here. The food is 100 per cent vegan, with lots of wheat and dairy-free options too. While it might sound like it's lacking on some vital ingredients, the food isn’t missing anything, and really does deliver. It’s healthy, aesthetically-pleasing food with the best intentions. Highlights include the sweet-yet-smoky barbecue jackfruit and the vibrant zucchini pesto pasta. In keeping with the healthy theme, there's no alcohol on the drinks menu; instead it boasts refreshing smoothies, juices and teas.
6 Chepstow Rd, W2 5BH, redemptionbar.co.uk
Cocotte
This cosy corner spot specialises in French food and is most famous for its rotisserie chicken, which comes in full, half and quarter portions. All the meat is free-range and marinated for 24 hours in a special blend of herbs and spices, before it's slow-roasted on the spit for maximum tenderness. Classic comfort food sides include a deliciously indulgent truffle mac and cheese as well as go-to staples like the roasted tatties, mashed potato and root vegetables.
95 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UW, mycocotte.uk
Hereford Road
Quintessentially British food is on offer here, particularly meat – which is unsurprising with former St. John chef Tom Pemberton in the kitchen. Not for the faint-hearted, the nose-to-tail-style menu offers devilled lamb’s kidney, deep fried calf’s brain and duck hearts. Taking a sweeter turn, classic British puds on offer include apple crumble, Bakewell tart and an intriguing brown bread ice cream that steals the show. This place has a real neighbourhood feel to it and is reasonably priced for the sizeable portions.
3 Hereford Rd, W2 4AB, herefordroad.org. Read our write up here.
Six Portland Road
Notting Hill’s vegetarian scene is booming and it's thanks to stars like this place. Although not all the plates are veggie, the plant-based dishes are notable and prove that good food doesn’t need any extra faff. Standout dishes include the fruit and nutty radicchio, pear, hazelnut and parsley root and the autumnal beetroot with feta and pine nuts. It offers a very reasonable set lunch menu, priced at £21 for three-courses ad £19 for two. Bargain.
6 Portland Rd, W11 4LA, sixportlandroad.com. Read our write up here.
The Shed
First opening in 2012, this was the original Gladwin Brothers restaurant, aiming to bring the delights of the Sussex countryside to London. Championing local and wild British produce, the menu features foraged ingredients and sustainable livestock and is divided up into slow and fast-cooked goods. Harmonious flavour combinations and textures ring true across the menu, with dishes like the soft pan fried goats cheese, served with the crunchy almonds, gooey honey and fragrant lemon thyme. Other highlights include the generous cheeseboard and heartwarming honeycomb pudding.
122 Palace Gardens Terrace, W8 4RT, theshed-restaurant.com
Farmacy
Offering a selection of plant-based plates from around the globe, this wholesome restaurant boasts veggie treats including the Earth Bowls, which are served brimming with grains and superfoods. It also does the London restaurant scene proud with its commitment to sustainability; founder Camilla Fayed pays close attention to minimising the amount of fruit and vegetable wastage, so all ingredients are blended to obtain juices and peels are squeezed to extract every part. Frankly, this place is never going to be for everyone and its habit of creating dishes meant to reinvent the classics is certainly irritating, but for a vegan-friendly option, it's a solid choice. Skip the 'burger', stick to the salads.
74-76 Westbourne Grove, W2 5SH, farmacylondon.com. Read our write up here.
