Best restaurants in Notting Hill

Looking for Notting Hill restaurants? Check out our ideas for eating and drinking locations in Notting Hill, from Portobello Road to Westbourne Grove and Golborne Road...

For more like this, check out our picks of the best restaurants in Chelsea, best restaurants in Mayfair or the best restaurants near Oxford Street.

Meet the local

"The area I grew up in, and still live near, has really blossomed food-wise. A stroll down Portobello Road now offers all sorts of brilliant places to eat – modern British cooking tucked away upstairs at The Fat Badger and some of the best Italian food I’ve had at the canteen below, and then my family’s favourite Indian spot, Dishoom Permit Room – where, if you get the right table upstairs, you can see my childhood bedroom window," Barney Desmazery, olive team member

Meet the expert

"Our family favourite is The Cow for Guinness and pints of prawns, plus hearty stews and a fab chicken kyiv. I also love Akub for Palestinian plates (the lamb shank is fabulous) in a chic, homely setting tucked away from the hustle and bustle," Alex Crossley, olive team member

Best places to eat and drink in Notting Hill

Trogolo, Westbourne Grove – for Tuscan sharing plates

Trogolo, from the family behind Petersham Nurseries, brings an authentic taste of Tuscany to Notting Hill. The narrow restaurant is set with low lighting, rustic stools and cosy tables for two, plus a tiny terrace that will be the tables to nab in summer.

Begin with snacks from the bancone menu. Salamis and cheeses go with warm fluffy schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread) and mini buns are filled with herby slow-cooked pork. The crostini topped with melted pecorino and crispy pancetta drizzled in Petersham honey was a standout.

Follow with pasta and secondi. Butter chicken is impeccably juicy, both marinated and cooked in fragrant butter. Even when we were full, we made sure to finish the generous portion of crispy roast potatoes (cooked in impressive quantities of butter). Liberal use of rosemary adds fragrance throughout, from the cannellini bean dip at the start to elegant cocktails. The classic tiramisu is made with homemade mascarpone for an extra rich, creamy finish.

Wine is core to the experience too – co-founder Giovanni Mazzei comes from the historic Mazzei wine family and the wine list offers plenty of discoveries. After giving our usual preferences, the friendly and knowledgeable sommelier matched us perfectly to new glasses of red. trogolo.uk

Acre, Golborne Road – for simple food using quality, in-season ingredients

Acre is the little sister to Thomas Straker’s flagship restaurant just a few doors away on the lively Golborne Road. It’s an inviting, corner spot – we emerged through heavy velvet curtains into a warmly lit room that felt a little bit like a snug Paris bistro.

You may know Straker from his Insta fame and some of the dishes are already viral hits (like the chilli cheese smashburger, which is on and off the menu). Aside from that, the concise menu is a beautiful balance of top-notch ingredients and spot-on cooking. Deep-fried crunchy bites of pork belly came with a punchy herb and za’atar sauce for dipping. A main of pearly, fall-apart cod cooked with white beans and winter tomatoes was comfort heaven.

The drinks are also on point – try the sweet/sour yuzu drop cocktail or a glass of complex, savoury nebbiolo. A nostalgic pudding of vanilla-spiked, creamy custard topped with poached pink rhubarb was a deliciously simple end to the meal. acre-london.com

Empire Empire, All Saints Road — for contemporary Indian

Empire Empire plays out like a Punjabi disco party in the middle of Notting Hill. Harneet Baweja (of Gunpowder) has built it as both curry house and soundtrack-led hangout: murals on the walls, a jukebox playing Indian hits and a photo booth to capture memories of a great experience in this bustling space.

Crisp tiger prawn Amritsari pakoras come with dill and caper chutney that cuts neatly through the batter. Kale patta chaat is a loud tangle of fried kale with yogurt, tamarind and sev. The chicken malai kalimirch tikka, marinated in hung yogurt, was as soft as marshmallow, bathed in a smoky, creamy sauce.

Curries were well-balanced but overshadowed by what preceded them. King prawns kadhai masala with roasted peppers delivered a punch. And no Indian restaurant would be complete without its take on butter chicken. Here tandoori meat is slow-cooked then pulled and folded through a creamy tomato and fenugreek sauce. Choose saffron rice and a laccha paratha – you’ll need them to mop up the sauce.

Saffron milk cake, soaked and fragrant, topped with cream, was a light end to the meal.

A Pataka margarita kept things bright, and a can of Disco lager from 40ft Brewery did the job alongside the spice. empire-empire.restaurant

SINO, All Saints Road – for contemporary Ukrainian fine-dining

At their chic fine-dining restaurant on All Saints Road, Ukrainian partners Polina Sychova and Eugene Korolev pay homage to their homeland. Minimal, contemporary interiors include a striking piece made from hay (translating to ‘sino’ in Ukrainian), brushed clay walls and sweeping banquettes.

Chef Eugene gives traditional Ukrainian dishes a contemporary stamp, kicking off with the likes of bitesize sorrel potato waffles topped with soured cream and smoked pike roe, and marinated aubergine alongside Kyyrma smoked cheese flatbread and spiced adjika dip. Mains include glazed chicken and beef cheek dumplings in a spiced, fragrant oxtail and lemon verbena broth, while pickled beetroot ribbons with sliced plums doused in walnut oil makes a vibrant side. For dessert, the elevated honey cake layers are crowned with buckwheat chocolate in a moat of whipped walnut sauce. Eastern European wines hail from Kyiv, Georgia’s Kakheti region and the Black Sea, and Ana Reznik plays with nostalgic flavours in clever cocktails. sinorestaurant.co.uk

Canal, Westbourne Park – for modern European on the water's edge

Find this canal-side spot tucked down a cobbled mews between Notting Hill and Maida Vale and built into the new Mason & Fifth hotel-apartment complex. Its towpath perch on the Grand Union Canal sets a modern, urban stage for food that’s both precise and packed with flavour.

Provenance is proudly front and centre – sourdough comes from Layla, while charcuterie like jamón and Mangalitza sausages arrive from Coombeshead Farm. The menu is cleverly pitched so there’s something for everyone. A fat diner-style cheeseburger bucks the smashburger trend and feels all the better for it, while scallops arrive plump and caramelised, served in their shells with ’nduja butter begging to be mopped up with that sourdough. Crab on toast is so fresh it tastes like it’s just left the boat, and chicken with sweetcorn and girolles might be the most impressive chicken breast you’ll eat this year. Desserts are just as memorable – a tiramisu that’s unapologetically boozy, and a brown butter almond cake with sour cherries that’s indulgent yet balanced. mason-fifth.com

Ria's, All Saints Road – for deep-dish Detroit pizza

Ria’s is a cosy neighbourhood spot selling deep-dish Detroit-style pizza and natural wines. It is a spot for all occasions, full of charm and character, with a light upstairs for lunches with your friends, and a cosy downstairs, perfect for a date.

Ria’s ferments its dough for up to 72 hours, which gives it a deeper flavour and a deliciously chewy crust. Deep-dish pizza is filling but the pies at Ria’s never feel too much. It offers a range of whole pies and slices to suit your appetite. Our favourite flavours were the Dave’s Hot Pep and the garlic wild mushroom. The first has a red sauce base, laden with pepperoni, soppressata, chillies, stracciatella and hot honey. The latter has a white sauce base with wild mushrooms and a burnt onion jam – perfectly cheesy and tangy.

There is a great range of wine to sip alongside your slice at Ria’s, as well as on-tap cocktails from Black Lines and a good range of soft drinks: we enjoyed the ginger Rapscallion Soda for its spicy kick.

Treat yourself to a deep-fried Mars bar with soft serve vanilla ice cream to finish. Sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt, it is the ultimate treat. rias.world

The Pelican, All Saints Road – for gastro pub classics done properly

The Pelican brings old-school British pub dining into modern focus, with confident cooking and a deep-rooted commitment to sustainability. It works with regenerative farms and sources vegetables from its own market garden at Bruern Farms. Menus shift with the seasons but dishes stay generous and gutsy. Snow crab on toast is brightly bound with a lemony mayonnaise, while welsh rarebit arrives thick and bubbling over sourdough. We try two mains: a pan-fried seabass fillet with a sharp salsa verde and sauce vierge, and crisp-edged lamb sweetbreads with braised lettuce and peas – all spot on, and the golden chicken pie to share looks like one to return for. A dark, deeply treacly sticky toffee pudding rounds things off. The Pelican doesn’t overdo it – good produce, cooked with care and a nod to gastro pub classics done properly, something so many other pubs just can’t seem get right. thepelicanw11.com

Dishoom Permit Room, Portobello Road – for casual Indian-inspired dishes

Dishoom’s latest all-day pub-café brings the vibes of Mumbai to Notting Hill. Set on a bustling corner of Portobello Road, the space is bright, art-filled and fizzing with energy. By day, it teems with families, tourists and local workers; by night, a vintage jukebox hums in the background; and at weekends DJs spin vinyl.

The menu is a playful mash-up of Dishoom classics and new bar-friendly bites. Crispy spinach chaat arrives as a tower of crunch, spice and tang. Chicken Pick-Me-Ups –drumsticks with Indo-Chinese seasoning – are sticky, fiery and impossible to eat quietly. Chakli, the coiled, spiced snack, is crisp and moreish. Prawn moilee is delicately sweet, lifted by turmeric and curry leaf, while the legendary house black daal remains the warm hug you hope it will be. Mattar paneer delivers soft cubes of cheese and bright green peas in a richly spiced tomato gravy.

Drinks are as key to the experience as the food (this is a pub, after all). The old fashioned is coconut-washed and smooth as silk, while the Sober Summer negroni is bright and herbal. Dishoom IPA makes a bold, hoppy companion to the food, along with local beers and thoughtful soft drinks. permitroom.co.uk

akub, Uxbridge Street – for Palestinian cooking

Tucked away in a quiet street behind Notting Hill Gate, Akub is Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan's first UK restaurant (after Fawda in Bethlehem). The contemporary space is split over three levels including an inner courtyard with retractable roof, adorned with olive trees, floral wall hangings and chic lamps. Palestinian ingredients are peppered through the cocktail list, from a red shatta-infused tequila margarita to za'atar-laced martinis. Wines are sourced from Palestine, Galilee Highlands, Lebanon and beyond.

Start with a variety of breads to dip into handmade ramekins of shatta (made from the likes of fermented jalapeño and coriander) and moutabal (red lentil-style hummus), plus a trio of labneh balls rolled in spices such as za’atar and turmeric. Small plates include arak-cured seabass and roast aubergine laden with pine nuts, tahini, herbs and pomegranate seeds. A highlight from the larger plates is lamb shank, its juices melting into an aromatic mahlab and mastika sauce, best accompanied with mint and pine nut flecked courgettes on garlic yogurt. To finish, try fenugreek and cardamom baba or Dead Sea chocolate cake with tahini ice cream, paired with a special arak aged in black oak that you can only get here due to Fadi’s connections in Palestine. akub-restaurant.com

Dove, Kensington Park Road– for chic neighbourhood comforts

Jackson Boxer's latest venture is a revamp on seafood restaurant Orasay – a place the chef wants to be accessible but still feel special. This is evident in the menu, where comforting classics are peppered with pops of intrigue, such as octopus gildas alongside fino sherry and tonic. The springy potato pizzette comes laden with folds of mortadella and a burrata ball, while the yuzu-laced tuna tostada makes a lighter option.

Next, helmeted grilled Atlantic prawns in a zippy smoked garlic and black lime butter and Iberiko tomatoes drizzled in spicy chilli oil and soured cream. The must-order (if you can, only 10 are made for each service) is an umami-rich hunk of a burger formed from 50-day, dry-aged beef rib cap, brisket and chuck, flame-grilled with gorgonzola dolce and champagne-braised Lyonnaise onions so caramelised and melded together in a glazed potato roll… best accompanied with crunchy duck fat chips.

Those too late are rewarded instead with sharing cuts such as wood-roast chicken in Café de Paris butter, 30-day Tamworth pork double loin chop and 50-day Highland beef sirloin chop.

Finish with a fior di latte soft serve doused in peppery olive oil alongside chewy oat cookies. This next iteration takes Dove into neighbourhood haunt territory. dove.london

Zephyr, Portobello Road – for Greek-fusion

Simple ingredients are lifted with a breath of smoke and herbs at Zēphyr, a cool and clamorous Greek-fusion restaurant by Portobello Market in Notting Hill. The tone is set from the bread basket featuring charred sourdough with oregano, as well pittas for scooping up silky, saline taramasalata, tzatziki or smoky aubergine dip. Opt for the meat-based tasting menu and you’ll still be treated to melt-in-mouth tuna ceviche (dressed with olive oil and yuzu), then prawns grilled with a splash of ouzo. But the star of the show remains the lamb cutlets; lightly spiced then crusted by the barbecue, and blushingly pink in the middle – eat with your hands for an even more satisfying experience. A side of crispy potato terrine topped with a metsovone (smoked cheese) custard adds an air of sophistication but there are no formalities here. To finish, the ‘burned’ olive oil cheesecake hits Olympian peaks of decadence. zephyr.london

The Blue Stoops, Kensington Church Street – for a lively gourmet pub

Allsopp’s has opened a lively pub near Notting Hill Gate, named for its original site in Burton on Trent. Overseeing the food is Lorcan Spiteri, whose menu is hale and hearty – chicken, leek and mushroom pie; Old Spot pork chop; chips and mash – punctuated with more trend-aware choices like anchovy toast, pressed potatoes with mussel velouté and pistachio tart. Along with cask ales, a short aperitif list includes artisan British drinks like Artemis red vermouth, Smith Hayne cider and Hepple gin. Décor is classic pub, which vintage beer signs and a blackboard of daily specials. thebluestoops.com

Belvedere, Holland Park – for smart Italian

Belvedere, a west London institution with its picture-perfect home in leafy Holland Park has had a glow-up thanks to new chef Lello Favuzzi. Now the menu matches the majestic surroundings with turbot, langoustine and caviar all making a play for your attention. Taking influences from his Italian roots and using carefully sourced ingredients from Italy and the UK, this is food to be savoured slowly, either on the terrace overlooking the park or inside the grand dining room. But stuffy it isn’t – go for pappardelle or a pizza, too, albeit topped with truffle. Highlights are Welsh lamb, lobster linguine for two and Lello’s tiramasu. Wines offered by the glass and carafe encourage experimentation, with English and orange wines joining Italian and French classics. belvedererestaurant.co.uk

The Barbary, Westbourne Grove – for counter-dining with a Southern Europe and North African flavour

At night this welcoming corner site on Westbourne Grove literally glows, as much due to its warm colour scheme and clever lighting as its lively open kitchen where chefs cook over fire. Grab a counter seat to watch heat-packed dishes prepared: Kapia pepper and feta brulée; house-made merguez; whole chilli cauliflower. More Southern Europe to North Africa (Barbary Coast) influences are seen in scallop aquachile; coffee-rub chicken; pata negra pork chop and crispy saffron rice. Cocktails – smoked pineapple paloma; saffron negroni – show imagination and match up to the menu’s punchy flavours. thebarbary.co.uk/notting-hill

Julie's, Portland Road – for brasserie classics

Iconic is a word often used to describe this west London institution, with its history of celebrity visitors and intrigue. Now chef patron Owen Kenworthy is at the helm, its well-executed brasserie classics has earned it a reputation for its menu, too. Highlights include clever snacks such as spider crab toast; tuna tartare served with house-made crisps from the raw bar; grills and salads including a luxurious lobster caesar. While the menu has a French flavour, ingredients sourced closer to home from suppliers, such as Shropshire’s Linley Farm, underline the kitchen’s commitment to regenerative agriculture. A martini trolley and potent cocktails ensure the balance between virtuous and decadent. juliesrestaurant.com

Viajante 87, Notting Hill Gate – for cocktails

An ambitious, continent-spanning menu and a chilled-out yet buzzy feel set the tone for this plush, Latin American inspired bar.

Viajante means traveller in Spanish and the team’s globe-trotting approach to flavours is reflected in a lively menu that takes you from familiar classics (palomas, spicy margaritas) to drinks made with lesser-known ingredients you may not have come across before. Groups can order carafes of agave spirits or caipirinhas, and you can even create your own custom cocktail.

The Mole Manhattan is a tribute to Mexico’s national food, mole, using fig leaves and Criollo de Oaxaca mezcal infused with cacao and sesame along with vegetal Cynar for an evocatively earthy and nutty cocktail – a must order. The Charanda Old Fashioned is another star, made with Mexican Uruapan rum, Patrón reposado and amburana seed, the latter adds vanilla and toffee notes for a sumptuous drink.

Martini fans should delve into the Martini Malcriado (herbaceous from brown butter sage mezcal) and the bracingly icy Glacier Martini. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Leche de Bichos made with floral raicilla spirit, anise hyssop and jocoque, a Mexican fermented yogurt. Creamy with gentle anise notes, it’s an intriguing note to round off your visit. viajantebar.com

Walmer Castle, Ledbury Road — for British-inspired pub dining

Notting Hill’s Walmer Castle pub has had an excellent do-over by publican Jack Greenall (also of The Surprise in Chelsea). References to the area, pre-loved furniture and locally made fittings makes for the ideal décor for an area that includes Portobello Road. The ground floor is a proper pubby bar with a fire in the grate, art worth a closer look on the walls and a welcoming vibe. The menu gives you what you want from a modern pub including pork and fennel sausage rolls, braised ox cheek, halibut with smoked tomato and corn risotto, and a dry-aged beef burger. Vegetarian dishes such as celeriac schnitzel and gnocchi with hazelnut pesto are a cut above, and puddings include the crumble, and, of course, sticky toffee pudding. walmercastle-nottinghill.co.uk

Los Mochis, Farmer Street — for Baja-Nihon cuisine

Pioneering Baja-Nihon cuisine (a blend of Mexican and Japanese) expect a mix of ceviche, sashimi and tiraditos on offer. The taco menu is a great place to experiment, with 18 variations including the signature miso cod, and pato carnitas with teriyaki duck. Add a tequila or mezcal flight from the huge selection. losmochis.co.uk

SUMI, Westbourne Grove — for top-quality sushi

The bright and airy space, with pale wood panelling, large windows and outdoor decking, perfectly suits the calm practice of SUMI’s sushi chefs. Watch them prepare stunning courses of fresh nigiri on bouncy and neat rice mounds, and wrap wafer-thin sheets of nori seaweed round the likes of minced red tuna and fermented mooli, or diced scallop with delicate purple hanahojiso flowers to make signature temaki rolls. Menu highlights are the seaweed salad coated in a creamy tahini dressing with toasted almonds, and a ceviche showcasing seasonal sustainable fish among a picture-perfect plate of peppers, corianders, marigold and a zingy yuzu dressing. Superb seared Japanese A4 wagyu is served with charred puntarelle and a jug of yuzu onion sauce. Finish by gliding a bespoke wooden spoon through the matcha mille cake’s thin layers of vibrant green, matcha-infused double cream and ultra-fine crepes. Don’t skip cocktails — the popular kawaii ne is a delicate mix of sake, local Portobello gin, lychee and yuzu, while the smoky boulevardier offers a much punchier blend of peaty whisky, umeshu plum sake, Antica Formula and Campari. sushisumi.com

Gold, Portobello Road – for neighbourhood vibes

Gold is a buzzing restaurant and late-night bar on London’s Portobello Road which puts cooking over coals at its heart.
Split into raw, charcuterie and cheese, salads, vegetables and plates, all the dishes are designed to share. Portions are hearty though, so start off steady and see how things go.

Charred pears with burrata welcome the salty tang of Tuscan ham, while a bouncy farro salad with sweet peas, broad beans and Berkswell cheese steals the show with its fresh flavours.

The dessert menu is worth bringing a crowd for so you can unashamedly order them all. Honey rum babas arrive as boozy as they should be, with plenty of lemon verbena cream, while buttery sable biscuits layered with raspberry and mascarpone are lifted further with the crunch of praline. goldnottinghill.com

Core by Clare Smyth, Kensington Park Road – for fine-dining

The tablecloths might be missing at Clare Smyth’s debut but the tone is undeniably formal. Don’t let that be confused with stuffy, though – Britain’s most lauded female chef has made her first solo mark thoroughly modern.

Décor is stripped back and contemporary – via a small bar (where you can eat, too), you’re led to a dramatic chef’s table in front of the glass-fronted kitchen, and through to the bright dining room.

Colchester crab royale to start comes in three parts – a bowl of sweet white meat surrounded by a moat of brown meat, a crab doughnut and a flute of shellfish broth. A single Isle of Mull scallop is cooked over wood fire and delivered under a cloche of smoke. A brackish, buttery sauce is lifted by herbs and chopped coral pearls of roe. corebyclaresmyth.com

Caractère, Westbourne Park Road – for date night

The debut modern French/Italian restaurant from married culinary couple Emily Roux and Diego Ferrari, in the heart of London’s fine-dining territory. There are influences from both their ’hoods, namely France and Italy, and an unconventional approach to menu writing, grouping sections as character traits, ‘curious’, ‘subtle’, ‘delicate’, ‘robust’, ‘strong’ and ‘greedy’.

It’s some of the more veg-centric dishes that wow the most. Celeriac cacio e pepe with aged (25 years, no less) balsamic vinegar steals the night early on. Ticking multiple trend boxes without being gimmicky – the al dente root added an earthiness we didn’t know such a classic needed. caractererestaurant.com

Words by Barney Desmazery, Alex Crossley, Keith Kendrick, Charlotte Morgan, Ellie Edwards, Hannah Guinness, Laura Rowe

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