WEST

202

Restaurant|202 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill|£££|Have a look!

Attitude alert!

Generally the food is good. Quality is good. Portions are small though, this is really the place to savour a lunch and focus on the drinks and good company rather than satisfy your hungry self. I like the ambience and deco although I understand it may not be to everybody’s taste. Half of the restaurant is actually a boutique. The ‘restaurant’ part is a brasserie style space, airy and with lovely light especially in the winter. The best part are the outside tables where when the day is sunny is a pleasure to sit at and people watch. But as expected they are coveted by all of us and hard to get. The restaurant is also ‘pets friendly’ so don’t be alarmed if the chair next to yours is used by a dog.

Try: crab salad

Perfect for: week day lunches for an ‘attitude free’ experience

Daylesford Organic

Cafe|208-212 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill|££|Have a look!

This place is an organic products boutique and a restaurant so you are guaranteed that dishes will be created by the finest ingredients, straight from the organic farm in Gloucestershire.Beautiful place to relax and have brunch or late lunch. Tables are ‘communal’ but if you are dining solo this is actually quite convenient as you are guaranteed a place fairly quickly. After its recent renovation, the restaurant is much bigger but I feel it lost its unique character. Eggs benedict are the best in town!

Try: try any breakfast egg dishes – they are superior, salads, organic fresh juices but favourite is ginger,carrot and apple.

Perfect for: solo lunching

Electric Diner

Restaurant|191 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill|££|Have a look!

Following a destructive fire, old time favourite for hangovered Saturday and Sunday brunches Electric Brasserie was renovated and was turned to an american style diner, on the dark side. The dark brick room is highlighted with back and white photos and music turned from lounge style to Rock. Love the ambience although because of the dark colours this is really an evening or winter time place than a sunny day one. Service is fast and friendly. The burgers are top. But what is a drink revelation is the twist the Bloody Mary was given. I have never tried anything similar anywhere before.

Try: obviously the Beef burger but for a lighter option the lobster burger is pretty good too. Bloody Mary. You won’t be happy ordering Bloody Mary anywhere else after you tried this 

Hereford Road

British|3 Hereford Road, Bayswater|££|Have a look!

Cosy little brunch place tucked off Westbourne Grove in a residential area of Bayswater. Clean, simple deco and comfort food. Love the outside tables on a beautiful day, very peaceful.

Perfect for: week day lunches 

Lucky 7

American diner|127 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill|£|Have a look!

Places that serve ‘all day breakfast’ are highly appreciated in London, especially on a weekend! This cosy diner offers a good breakfast menu divided pretty much in 3 parts: eggs, pancakes and burgers. I love coming here for a late Sunday breakfast and blueberry buttermilk pancakes are great. They only serve filter coffee (I guess as with the American breakfast tradition but is really weak so have your caffeine shot in advance. You’ve been warned!). The earlier you come in the weekend the more likely to score a table.

Perfect for: weekend late breakfast

The Mitre

Trendy gastro pub|40 Holland Park Ave, Holland Park|££|Have a look!

I like pubs that have light. Plenty of light and plenty of space. When it is combined with a relaxed ambience, good food and unpretentious service it calls for a winner. Situated in leafy Holland Park this place is a good choice for long weekend lunches and getting away from crowded Notting Hill.

Try: the burger

Perfect for: Saturdays

Pizza East

Italian|310 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill|Have a look!

Pizza East is an airy pizzeria in the ‘other’ end of Portobello Road. Ideal for a lunch stop once you had enough wondering amongst the antique stands, street food vendors and once you passed the rather intense Flea market. The pizza is ok – for me – but it is the most decent lunch option in that area.

The Prince Bonaparte

Trendy gastro pub|80 Chepstow Rd, Notting Hill|££|Have a look!

A ‘young and trendy’ gastro pub and one amongst those that form an ‘institution’ in Notting Hill. Always busy, always lively. Food can be a bit of a hit and miss especially in the dessert domain. Personal favourite for lazy winter evenings.

Try: Sunday roast

Perfect for: Sundays

Raoul’s

Restaurant|105-107 Talbot Rd, Notting Hill|Have a look!

It’s a comfort that there are some places in London that offer the same ambience, quality of food and service throughout the years without messing with ‘forced style’ deco or menu changes. Sometimes you just don’t like change. If something really works, why spoil it? Raoul’s in Notting Hill is one of them. This is my go to place for a hearty brunch, great service and a relaxed neighbourhood atmosphere. Located in the heart of Notting Hill, this brasserie style restaurant offers dishes based on ingredients of high quality. The fresh fruit smoothies is always a winner and breakfast dishes is what most Notting Hillers are coming here for in the weekends. The place is quite hidden, it is popular amongst the locals (as you really need to know where to head to) and this provides quite a serene atmosphere. It never fails to get me in a great mood and start of the day. 9 years after my first visit, it is still going strong.

Try: full English breakfast, its healthy smoothies

Perfect for: hangovered Sundays

The Westbourne

Trendy gastro pub|101 Westbourne Park Villas, Notting Hill|££|Have a look!

Another pub, another Notting Hill ‘institution’. It all started when someone claimed that it is Madonna’s favourite pub. And then there was the crowds. Competes with Windsor Castle on a sunny day offering a very spacious outside area. I prefer the pub’s interior where equally spacious offers a great venue for Sunday brunch. The pub has big windows and its ‘horizontal’ layout guarantees that light is amble at any spot you choose. My favourite for winter Sunday brunches. Service can be a bit slow, never understood why!

Try: Sunday roast

Perfect for: Sundays

Urban Meadow

Cafe, Bistro|150 Bayswater|££|Have a look!

This is Hilton’s main restaurant but it is also operating as an ‘independent’ bistro. Located opposite Hyde Park, it has a big outside space surrounded by trees which makes it perfect for summer afternoons. Inside area is also spacious with great light.

Perfect for: breakfast, brunch

CENTRAL

Breakfast Club

Cafe|33 D’Arblay Street, Soho|££|Have a look!

All day breakfast. How does this sound? It sounds pretty perfect to me that there is a place I can have my eggs and bacon or pancakes any time of the day I feel like. This cafe very rightly claims its name as the ‘Breakfast Club’ as I haven’t seen such variety on a menu ever before. Its long queues every day, all day proves this. This is not the place to go if you are prone to guilty feeling following a rich treat. Classic English breakfast, pancakes, Huevos Rancheros are all sublime. Go without guilt,order without guilt, leave without guilt. You only live once.

Soho is the original Breakfast Club (and although very small the one with the most character) but to avoid the queue waiting you could alway pop in any of the other branches (London Bridge, Spitafields, Hoxton etc)

Caravan

Contemporary|11-13 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell|££|Have a look!

Vibrant restaurant at Exmouth Market’s pedestrian street. Perfect for brunch or dinner in a casual setting with really friendly staff! Great on a summer evening for al fresco dining.

Perfect for: large groups

 

EAST

The Culpeper

Pub|40 Commercial Street, Aldgate|££|Have a look!

Located in London’s business district The Culpepper serves the most delicious and well presented pub food I have ever had. The pub spans along 3 floors, with its roof top turned into a green house (yes you can have your summer drinks amongst the various herbs). Most importantly, the space (industrial meets country) is very unique, welcoming and gorgeous. I will most definitely return in the winter time as, I suspect, the beautiful light the place has will make for a very cosy option.

Try: fish was beautifully done

Perfect for: work lunch