Best Notting Hill restaurants

Clean eaters will go mad for this highly fashionable restaurant in Holland Park – there are a lot of raw dishes, which champion vegetables, as well as organic fish, chicken and meat on the menu. Quality is everything, both in terms of design (burnished copper and a handsome cocktail bar make for a glamorous setting) and cooking (a plate of sea bream carpaccio with chilli and lime is astonishing while still being healthy).   

This Vietnamese barbecue restaurant has a fairly simple set-up, one of perhaps a more home-spun character, but this is completely deceiving. The food that’s produced here is right up there – the deeply flavoured short rib with rice and runny egg yolk, for instance, was gobbled up by us, and the beef skewer, wrapped up in a sheet of steamed rice vermicelli and dunked in fresh herbs and fish sauce, was another highlight. A real hidden W11 gem, we’d say.  

We admit that the culinary fusion of Japanese, Korean and Scandinavian influences isn’t an easy sell, but we promise you, it’s worth it. ‘Original’ describes the cooking the best, but it is also mightily tasy – Wagyu short-rib with mallow and oyster sauce is as indulgent as you would have hoped; Finnish Runeberg cake with cherries and ice cream is sharp, yet rich; and smoked tofu with nasturtium is a delight. It’s all there on the tasting menu.  

Who would have thought that this large corner pub on the Portobello Road would be disguising an astonishingly good Japanese restaurant at the back of it? The top-notch cooking paired with a buzzy atmosphere and live music at the weekends draw the crowds, which range from keen-eyed tourists to locals and regulars. Peruvian touches are added to the Japanese food, so expect Japanese tapas dishes such as gyoza, shrimp tempura and salmon tartare with mango, as well as an ambitious range of sushi, steamed buns and to-die-for lamb chops.  

Renowned chef Jackson Boxer opened this restaurant in the beginning of 2019 and has already received high praise for his Italian-inspired cooking. Using British ingredients, though, the atmosphere and approach to the food is casual and relaxed, something that makes the grub taste even better. Seafood is a must when you visit, but vegetable dishes made with produce from Boxer’s West Sussex farm deserve your attention, too. Visit for a culinary experience that will stay with you.

Emily Roux (yes, daughter of Michael Roux Jr) and husband Diego Ferrari are the couple behind this absolute stunner of a restaurant in Notting Hill. Dusty pink chairs, marble-topped tables and bare brick walls make the dining room instantly Insta-worthy, whereas the food is what knocks the experience out of the park. Big flavours are delivered with dishes such as roast wild duck with fondant chervil root and blackberries, while more subtle notes are apparent in equally delicious roast scallops with salsify puree, mustard and beurre blanc.   

One of London’s best vegan restaurants, the shrub-clad yummy mummy hot-spot that is Farmacy is a decent place to go for dinner. Plant-based food is very much on-trend, but it’s done well at this Westbourne Grove sanctuary. Burgers are made from millet, beans and mushrooms rather than meat, 'ice cream' is in fact made from the naturally sweet African tiger nut, and the ‘cheese’ is made up of macadamia nuts. Dishes that don’t try to replicate non-vegan ones include quinoa with avocado, seaweed, sauerkraut, greens, sweet potato and sesame ginger dressing. It’s all very yummy stuff.

There are so many reasons to visit Core by Clare Smyth. One, it’s the first restaurant by the only female chef to have headed up a three Michelin-starred kitchen. Two, it’s a ‘cor-blimey’ brilliant culinary experience, rather than a hard-core, haute-cuisine ordeal. And three, the interiors are casual-luxe, yet high-end enough to make your visit feel like a special occasion. But the food is the main act: ‘potato and roe’ (skin-on Charlotte potato topped with herring and trout roe and a slick of seaweed beurre blanc), for instance, is simple, but simply divine.

Asaggi has been serving top-notch Italian food to the hungry people of W2 for more than 20 years, despite a lease hiccup in 2015. The wood-fired pizzas are divine and so are the steaks, salads and pastries on offer here. Traditional methods and Italian ingredients result in seriously tasty and authentic food. The head chef’s Sicilian childhood also influences the cooking with dishes such as calamari stew or crab with celery, olive oil and thyme on the menu.  

This Notting Hill landmark used to be a paparazzi hot-spot back in the day, and although it’s not as blitz-heavy as it used to be, a well-healed crowd is still drawn to this pan-Asian restaurant. Will Ricker’s concept of fashionable food comes in the form of dim sum – expect scallop with lemongrass or black cod gow gee. Sushi is also available with tasty sashimi being a highlight and why not try the exclusive Wagyu strip-loin?

This friendly Lebanese restaurant has a neighbourhood vibe and delicious food. It’s been knocking about in Westbourne Grove since the early 90’s, serving up hot and cold mezze to a returning crowd. Hummus kawarmah topped with diced lamb and pine nuts is a dish to look out for, and the kibbeh nayeh is exceptional – raw lamb with crushed wheat, spices and garnish with onion. Top tip: grab one of the window seats for the best atmosphere.

Honest cooking is the forte of this laid-back eatery. The fact that it’s sensibly priced, it’s got a modern look and the service is cheerful are further pluses, of course. From the open kitchen, you can see chef Nye Smith dishing up the likes of crab mayonnaise, rabbit and pork terrine or mackerel with romesco sauce and watercress on toast. Seafood is a forte, and is often served with beautiful, salty sea veg.   

Appealing to old hippies and new money alike, this Notting Hill institution is almost part of the area's DNA. The neighbourhood restaurant, headed up by chef Tom Pemberton, serves British food that excites. Quail with medlar jelly is a perfect example, so is duck liver cooked with capers, tarragon and green beans. Old-fashioned desserts such as treacle tart or fruit crumbles with custard feel familiar, like a warm hug, which is probably why guests are always returning.

As the name might suggest, we’re in Scandinavian territory here. More specifically, Danish territory, which explains why authentic smørrebrød (open sandwiches on rye bread) are the mainstays, with home-cured herring and salmon providing some of the indulgent toppings. More supper-leaning dishes such as frikadeller (veal meatballs), fishcakes and mackerel with pickled beetroot are also available, and you can grab one of the sweet Danish pastries for brekkie. The funky café also doubles as a shop, where Scandi design and artefacts can be bought to spruce up your home.

Opened in the summer of 2019, Gold has already made itself a popular spot in this West London neighbourhood. Here the ingredients are the most important element, with the chefs paying homage to them through simple preparation and delicious wood-fired cooking. Expect sharing-style European plates, with plenty of fresh seasonal veg at the heart of the menu. A tomato salad used four varieties of sweet, summer fruits with basil and salted ricotta to season, while a chargrilled squid dish served over a garlicky potato dip was addictive. The interiors are worth going for alone, try and bag a spot in the plant-filled courtyard that has a retractable roof for sunny days.