Cuisine: Modern European
Price: ££££
Go for: Late night dinner and cocktails
Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate
Location: Portobello Road
Portobello Road’s Gold certainly struck a seam when they opened back in 2019, meeting glowing reviews for their take on great ingredients, prepared simply. Entering at street level, through an ambient bar area, you are met with lush greenery, pale wood furniture, cushioned banquettes and zinc-topped tables. The herringbone brick floor and pale pink plaster walls feel warm and natural with an informal sense of style.
Headed up by ex-River Cafe chef, Theo Hill, dishes are listed in five categories: Raw, Cheese & Charcuterie, Salads, Vegetables and Plates. Diners are encouraged to mix and match, sharing a few plates between many. The dishes are generous and bold – which is not always the case with sharing plates – and the menu changes seasonally, so there’s always the opportunity to return. Oh, and make sure to check out the roof terrace in the summer.
Read the full review of Gold here
Caia
Cuisine: Wood fired
Price: ££
Go for: Late night dinner and cocktails
Nearest Tube: Westbourne Park
Location: Golborne Road
Limewashed walls, punchily patterned banquette seating and plush velvet bar stools line the walls of Caia’s earthy and comfortable space. It’s nestled right at the end of Golborne Road, a perma-haven for creatives, artists and designers alike. The concept at Caia is to eat simply but well. It’s about good wine, open fire cooking and well curated music. The menu is designed to be shared and the offering changes frequently, but on an ad hoc basis. For theatrics and a bit of a spectacle, sit at the bar.
This is one of those interesting restaurants where the thread connecting every dish does not run through the ingredients or food, but the cooking style. Desserts range from Maida Vale chutney and lavash crackers, to fresh lemon granita and verbena tea, and a chocolate eclair served with tonka bean chantilly and créme de cassis cherries. Naturally, we opt for the latter.
The second most important attraction here is the listening bar. Descend the stairs and you’ll find a space that feels at once contemporary and nostalgic. One wall is lined by a dark wood display that plays host to hundreds of records, a Kuzma R record player and Auditorium R-25 speakers (fear not, you won’t be asked to repeat those names later). Choose something from their extensive wine menu (or ask for a classic cocktail) and you’ll while away the evening listening to a curated selection of funk, jazz and soul. Caia is a true multi-hyphenate space but the distinction between its twin pillars is clean cut: food might be king upstairs, but music is king down here.
