Notting Hill Diary

Value for money: very good
Atmosphere: good
Service: excellent (although see below for one small deviation)

Quite how it gets it’s name is unknown to me, but “sequoia” is a species of tall conifer. So now you know!

Just opposite Ripe Tomato, this bar makes an ideal place to pop into for a drink after slap up a meal at the former. The fact that it’s open till 1am (which is surprisingly rare for the area) means that it’s also handy if you’ve been working late on a mix nearby and fancy a quick drink and spot of socialising with the staff of Ripe Tomato after they knock off.

Arranged over two floors, this place has been home to a variety of watering holes and eateries, but this seems to be its most successful and it’s certainly the most friendly. Best of all, despite its glamorous appearance, drinks are pretty much normal pub prices. And unusually at a place where you can buy a pint for around £3, they make great cocktails. Here barstaff (and the staff in general) take a real pride in what they do.

The ground floor houses the main bar and the restaurant, while the basement has a second bar and a dancefloor area.

The food in the restaurant section is excellent and again the staff are friendly and helpful.

The basement bar is a sight to behold, its most recent refit having given it a chocolate brown and leather feel, while each of the low coffee tables has its own mosaic design.

But I tend to spend most of my time upstairs because that’s where I bump into friends. Oh, and did I mention the friendly staff?

6-8 All Saints Road
London
W11 1HH
020 7243 6363

Oh yes, the slight deviation in service mentioned above: I made a cake for wifey’s birthday which we celebrated there last month. The cake was served still on the base of the tin in which it was made, because it was quite a soft one and hard to move. When I went back the next day to pick it up, the waitress told me she had thrown it away! But she’s lovely so I forgive her.

Value for money: Reasonable - a 10% discount card is available for free
Atmosphere: Good
Service: Friendly and getting better all the time

I’m quite well qualified to talk about this place given that it’s one of my locals.

Situated at the North Western end of the region in what used to be referred to as Notting Dale, the North Pole has been through many changes over the last decade or so, generally being smartened up for a few months before descending into a general malaise again.

Recently however, its new, younger management really seem to have turned the corner, partly it has to be said by rearranging the furniture to that the large, high backed sofas face each other across low wooden tables to create little social “islands”, but more by improving the quality of the staff and service.

On Sunday evenings they’ve introduced live acoustic acts, which are far preferable in that location than loud dj’s. Nothing against loud dj’s you understand, I am one myself from time to time, but live acts are more appropriate to that setting.

As one of the few remaining independent pubs (Notting Hill has more than its fair share), it sells Timothy Taylor, which amazingly my wife, who is American, loves. As does Madonna (follow that link to see the full story). Also on sale is London Pride, a couple of speciality “bitters of the season” and the usual range of lagers. As an aside, the ales are served at the perfect “cellar” temperature (no it’s NOT “warm, flat beer”!).

The restaurant half of the pub too has had its ups and downs, but right now it’s on an up, serving traditional, but well made “British with a twist”.

Big plans are promised by the management and I’m inclined to believe them, based on what I’ve already seen. If it sounds like I’m biased then, well, I am. I want this place to succeed because a) they’re nice people and b) it’s near where I live, so it’s in my own interests!

13-15 North Pole Rd
London W10 6QH
020 8964 9384

[Donna has also reviewed The North Pole, but more as a restaurant.

[ Inn on the Green | Inn on the Green Sunday Lunch review ]

Value for money: Good - normal pub prices
Atmosphere: Excellent
Service: Friendly and charmingly eccentric

Inn on the Green is one of my favourite bars in the Notting Hill, in fact in London. A good reflection of the area itself, it is eclectic and unpretentious, with a warm atmosphere, enhanced by the presence of its current owners and hosts, the slightly eccentric Dave and Tina, who have transformed it from being essentially a sports bar attached to the fitness centre below. Part pub, part venue, part time gallery and part community centre (by the nature of some of the events they put on), they have made it into just what this area needs and it is understandably very popular with locals.

Nestled under the Westway between Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Road, it features a balcony overlooking Portobello Green that is perfect for watching the market on summer days, or for shooting the breeze in the evening and you can evening smoke out there (not that you’d want to of course, very bad for you!). It has outdoor heaters for colder nights.

Comfortable chairs and sofas, family friendly and with a chair lift. Oh - and they do a fantastic Sunday lunch!

It is rapidly becoming known as a venue as well, with its large room behind the bar with a low stage and basic PA. Several times most weeks local acts play in the evening and it hosts a variety of events. Notably at the start of the year The Clash/BAD Mick Jones’s and Generation X/Sigue Sigue Sputnik’s Tony James’s current band Carbon Silicon hosted a series of 7 nights under the name “Carbon Casino” which are well documented elsewhere, but can’t go without mentioning that Rotten Hill Gang played at most of them

INN ON THE GREEN
3-5 Thorpe Close W10
Ladbroke Grove tube - cross over and walk under the motorway - look for a balcony and come upstairs
Buses 7, 15, 23, 52, 70, 295

Phone: 020 8962 5757
OR: Dave for booking events/hire: 07984 420 530
Tina re Gallery space
and available as DJ 07976 569 259

Value for money: good
Atmosphere: very good
Service: not bad, but not great

At around the same time that Tom Conran was giving nearby The Cow a major refit, the larger Westbourne was also bought and transformed from a rather dowdy “old man’s pub” into yet another trendy pub on Westbourne Park Road.

In fact, not unlike the Cow they didn’t do a bad job of maintaining the pub atmosphere and it is a place that I frequent from time to time.

Not as cool as the Cow with the in-the-know crowd, I nonetheless attracts a good looking crowd and the area out front gets packed on a nice day.

Staff here are maybe a little less friendly than in the Cow, but that’s probably because they are more rushed off their feet.

What both of these pubs have in common is that they are just a little off the beaten track, so they are not overrun by tourists and yes, they do have to try to impress a little. But it’s well worth the few minutes trek off Portobello Road to see some locals in their natural environment. We won’t bite!

101 Westbourne Park Villas
London W2 5ED
0207 221 1332

Value for money: preety damned good
Atmosphere: lively, friendly, trendy
Service: lively, friendly, trendy

Like all of Tom Conran’s projects (which include Lucky 7/Crazy Homies), this pub was bought and remodelled with a passion and a purpose. In this case ..

Whatever, it’s currently the trendy pub of there area, much as the Duke of Wellington (AKA Finch’s) used to be.

And with good reason to my mind. Always lively, it is both cool and friendly. The renovation that Tom gave it was sympathetic with both the area and “being a proper pub”.

Actually this place is the best of several worlds. A good honest pub that serves a great selection of beers properly, and a top class restaurant. Eating can either be done at one of the tables at the back of the bar area on the ground floor, or upstairs in the dining room. Or outside if you are lucky enough to get one of the pavement side tables (which they seem to have removed at the moment).

Unfortunately it’s so long since I’ve eaten there that I can’t remember what I had, but I do remember that it was excellent and by all accounts still is. I do know that their generous seafood platter look astonishing and according to my wife, who is not a vegetarian, tastes just as god.

Can you tell that I like this place? Not that the Conran family needs any more of your money, but highly recommended.

90 Westbourne Park Road,
Bourne Green,
London,
W2 5QH
0871 971 6486

Value: Average - prices a bit touristy
Atmosphere: good
Service: currently super friendly

For years this pub was known as “Finches” by locals, despite being called the Duke of Wellington. This was apparently a reference to its first owner (he also owned the nearby Earl of Lonsdale).

From the late 80s to the early 90s it was, for some reason, “the coolest pub around”, you couldn’t drive along road for all the musicians, club runners a media darlings. Now things have calmed down to leave us with a perfectly charming and lively pub of the kind I always imagine when I think “British pub”.

The real ale on offer is the perfectly acceptable Youngs bitter, while the usual range of lagers, spirits and average wines are offered (but who goes to a pub to drink wine?).

The pub currently has live jazz nights every Wednesday evening.

179-181 Portobello Road
London W11 2ED
020 7727 6727

Value: Excellent
Atmosphere: Great
Service: friendy

Small and friendly pub with a very “local” feel, especially given its location in the heart of Portobello Road.

Can be hard to get a seat here, but that’s hardly the point. In any case many of the seats seem to be occupied by gentlemen of a certain age who look like they haven’t so much as shifted buttock position in years. All part of the charm!

No special beers on offer and no food beyond bar snacks, but friendly staff and an authentic pub experience.

171 Portobello Road (near Westbourne Grove)
London
W11 2DY
020 7229 8016

Value: OK
Atmosphere: Very pleasant
Service: friendly and informed

Not far from the Portobello Star but a million miles away in other respects. This is a pub/restaurant that oozes atmosphere a seems to cater for regulars, but definitely caters for newcomers.

Walk through the bar to get to the restaurant and it’s as if you’ve walked into another world.

President Clinton once supped half a pint here and, if the sign on the toilet by the restaurant is to be believe, relieved himself there. Whether he used it for number 1s or number 2s is not noted on the sign, but it,s nice to think that you could share a seat with one of the most prominent posteriers of the day.

I haven’t tried the restaurant yet, but I look forward to reviewing it. I can confirm that the bar does a good line in spirits and its staff (and even one particularly enthusiastic patron) seem very knowledgeable about them, almost as if from first hand experience.

95 Portobello Road
London W11 2OB
0872 148 2028

The hotel - I asked Selina, whose blog is at: http://www.flyingsaucer.typepad.com to comment on the hotel above the Portobello Gold and this is was she had to say:

“heya!
so the portobello gold is a very laid back and chilled place, very cool and relaxing to stay at with a bohemian feel. it’s all very casual about arrival times and curfews and bills, etc. the rooms vary, we stayed in the flat which was lovely and bright, and only cost us an extra 30 to upgrade that day from a very small box room which opened out to the back of the kitchens and was extremely warm through out, but it was bareable, that we’d originally booked. it was great to just be able to go downstairs and chill out reading the paper or eating the very good food. there was a mixture of a very young student crowd and old regulars there so could suit many. i’d wouldn’t say go there if you’re into really spick and span rooms and a very formal, attentive hotel where you are one of the thousands that stay there, but i would if you want a friendly experience and a laid back, chilled out time. Hope that helps!
“.

Yes indeed it does Selina, thanks very much!

Value for money: OK
Atmosphere: great
Service: good

It shouldn’t be surprising that this pub has something of a cosy, olde worlde “yep, this is a real pub alright” charm about it, given that it was built by the same Finch who built the Duke of Wellington. For my money though the Earl beats the Duke hands down. Somehow it always retained an air of intimacy despite being spacious, but now they’ve improved on that by apparently following the original Victorian plans and building snugs using dark wood panels, turning it into something of a cross between what it was and the Windsor Castle.

Now owned by the Yorkshire brewery (not a bad thing if you’re going to be owned) Sam Smiths, the only bitters available on tap are in the Sam Smiths range (the usual lager are available). The beer garden is one of the nicer around and the move of sacrificing their conservatory has meant thateven on a busy market day afternoon it’s usually possible to find a seat.

A pleasant change to see a pub refitted in a traditional style, rather than a post 80s chrome n’ yuppie bar.

277-281 Westbourne Grove,
London,
W11 2QA
0872 148 338

Lucky 7, complete with benches for “making out, American style” on Westbourne Park Road

Food: American diner
Value for money: fair
Atomsphere: good
Service: good

Completing the trilogy of Tom Conran establishments on Westbourne Park Road (The Cow and Crazy Homies in addition to this one), Lucky 7 is right next door to Crazy Homies and indeed, connects through the back.

While burgers in London are considerably easier to find that decent Mexican, burgers of this quality aren’t quite so easy to come by.

The place has be n made to resemble an American diner, but not in a cheesy way. Nothing feels at all forced about it.

The burgers are big, the fries are plentiful and the onion rings just perfect. One thing’s for sure, you’re not going to leave lighter than you arrived, but if you feel there’s any danger of that you can always resort to one of their milkshakes which I can particularly recommend.

I suppose I’d have to mention that it’s not particularly cheap in all honesty, these after all just burgers so it’s not altogether easy to justify the prices, but when you have that craving it’s the perfect way to satisfy it. Let’s just say I’ve yet to take an American who’s left unsatisfied.

Oh – and if you want to order a marguerita, they’re happy to pop next door to pick one up for you!

127 Westbourne Park Road
London, W2 5QL
020 7727 6771