It’s a small patch of London that summons visitors from far and wide. Be it film buffs seeking ‘that blue door’, antique hunters chasing a bargain, or the two million revellers who descend in August for a Caribbean carnival, Notting Hill calls – and the world answers.
Yet this iconic neighbourhood is a tale of two halves: upmarket Notting Hill Gate, all glitz and glamour, and working-class Ladbroke Grove, rich in spirit and home to a thriving community sprung from the Windrush generation. What unites them? A food scene blazing with diversity and talent.
Alight at Notting Hill Gate station for The Windsor Castle Pub. Built in 1826, its namesake is the royal residence. A charismatic Grade II-listed building, even the bar snacks are staunchly British. Grab a homemade scotch egg with golden beetroot piccalilli.
If it’s too early for a pint (is it ever?), head to Eggbreak. This casual café has a creative all-day egg menu with great house-brewed coffee. Around the corner is Akub, where contemporary Palestinian cookery satisfies within a Victorian townhouse, lush with olive trees, exposed beams, and golden lighting.
With six seats, Juno is London’s most intimate omakase restaurant. Infusing Japanese tradition with a Mexican kick, Leo Tanyag’s (ex-Nobu/Zuma) menu demands attention. Think Wagyu nigiri with agave worm salt, dripped with blow-torched bone marrow. Nearby Mazi reinvents classic Greek flavours through a modern lens, with brilliant Greek wines to match.
Head past pastel-coloured houses towards Kensington Park Road to find Core by Clare Smyth. In an elegant room buzzing with regulars, Smyth serves up a special kind of storytelling with exceptional produce, sealing her status among the culinary elite.
It’s a skip and two jumps to Portobello Road and the striking façade of Gold, a three-floor restaurant and bar where wood-fired plates shine and an achingly cool vibe draws a crowd. For a different kind of cool – great tunes, convivial spirit, and an excellent rum menu – get to Trailer Happiness, a Polynesian bar slinging cocktails and Caribbean snacks. A few steps away is Holy Carrot where Daniel Watkins (ex-Acme Fire Cult) crafts a plant-based menu centred on fire and fermentation. The natural wine list complements inventive cookery like coal-roasted leeks with corn, almond, and aji chilli.
Nearby The Spice Shop lures you closer with heady aromas of over 2500 spices from around the world, most sourced from independent producers. Books for Cooks, a snug store bursting with recipe books is unmissable. Owner Eric Treuillé doubles as chef; cooking a set menu from his tiny kitchen at a ridiculously low price. Beloved by locals, there’s often a queue before midday.
Around the corner is Jackson Boxer’s Dove (formerly Orasay). He describes the new menu as ‘elevated comfort food with seasonal British ingredients’ and his deep-fried squares of taleggio and Wiltshire truffle lasagna are exactly that. Swedish bakery Fabrique is one of the best in this corner of London. The aroma of freshly baked cardamom and vanilla buns is intoxicating, and the sourdough loaves are equally delicious.
Left onto Westbourne Park Road is family affair Jay Dee’s Caribbean serving no-frills, bona fide jerk chicken and curried goat. Or pivot to Caractère with Emily Roux (daughter of Michel Roux Jnr) front-of-house and Diego Ferrari (ex-Le Gavroche) in the kitchen, for modern French done well. A few doors down, Dorian sells itself as a ‘rowdy local bistro’, but with Max Coen (ex-Ikoyi/Kitchen Table) leading the kitchen, it’s nothing like your nearest Côte. For a taste of Tokyo, head over the road to tiny sibling restaurant Eel Sushi, which goes against the grain with an excellent omakase experience at a reasonable price point.
For those with deep pockets there’s The Ledbury. Chef Brett Graham's tasting menu is as exceptional as it is memorable. His current take on chocolate cake—85% Hacienda Victoria chocolate, blood orange, olive oil, anise and cherrywood lapsang—will play on your mind for days.
If all that rattles the bank balance too much, race back towards Ladbroke Grove to local gems: Fez Mangal for Turkish-style meats over the flame, or Makan, Malaysian street food in an easy, relaxed café. Both serve fresh, authentic fare that’s ace value for money.
Past the vintage clothes stalls and Acklam Village (buzzing with food trucks) is Canteen. A hip Italian helmed by ex-River Cafe alumnus Jessica Filbey and Harry Hills. The menu changes daily, just ensure you get the pasta. Whatever lands on your plate – maybe rigatoni with vodka/tomato or fettucine with sausage ragu – you’ll be smug.
It would be remiss not to add a snapshot of Golborne Road, which intersects the end of Portobello Road and is firmly woven into Notting Hill’s tapestry. Recent years have seen this cultural hub flourish with innovative dining while respecting long-standing neighbourhood classics.
Cockney's Pie & Mash Shop, family-run for nearly 40 years, makes proper pies and mash – add liquor (parsley sauce) by the cup. Straker’s offers modern European small plates with potent cocktails. For unrivalled value, follow your nose to Hassan Morocco Fish, where seafood is grilled on an outdoor flame. At Lisboa Patisserie nab some of the best pastéis de nata outside of Lisbon, while hip bar/restaurant Caia lives by its mantra of 'fire, wine, vinyl'. Come for the plates, stay for the tunes.
Beneath Trellick Tower (a Brutalist paragon) is Panella, where couple Giuseppe and Caterina Di Matteo share authentic – and utterly delicious – food from their homeland, Palermo. Each month they run a People’s Kitchen cooking fresh, organic meals for locals who need support. It’s also free of charge, a stellar reflection of community spirit at its best.
