Best restaurants in Notting Hill

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 roasted wild sea bass with sauce vierge is astonishing while still being healthy).   

One of our favourite restaurant openings of 2022, Dorian assembles an all-star front and back of house cast to great effect, delivering incredible cocktails and brilliant, precise cooking in a buzzy Notting Hill dining room. Like Straker's, bookings for Dorian are pretty thin on the ground at times, but this is a restaurant worth making time for. 

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 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: simple, but simply divine contemporary British cuisine.

Despite its two Michelin stars, this old-school powerhouse actually feels more like a neighbourhood destination. Exquisite design matches exquisite food. The interiors are spearheaded by London-based design studio These White Wall, while chef patron Brett Graham's inventive, ever-changing eight-course tasting menu makes use of the finest British produce, with the Jersey beef and Iberian pork for the charcuterie coming from Brett’s own farm.

Blending grilled meats and live music, Caia is the sort of place you come for dinner and stay for the rest of the night. The team has invested serious money into an audio set up that does justice to live jazz and house DJs alike, and the food is brilliant too. Grab a seat at the counter for a glorious view of the grill in action. 

If you love classic British pubs, get yourself a table in front of the fire at The Pelican and dive into some refined Brit-grub like ham hock with egg mayo, beer batter scallop, raw beef with Gentleman’s relish, and rib eye steak. The focus here is on the local residents, as The Pelican strives to be a community hub as well as somewhere to eat and drink.

Emily Roux (yes, daughter of Michael Roux Jr) and husband Diego Ferrari are the couple behind this stunner of a restaurant. Dusty pink chairs, marble-topped tables and bare brick walls make an Insta-worthy dining room, but the food is what knocks the experience out of the park. Big flavours are delivered in dishes like roast dry aged duck with pickled beetroot and wild garlic, alongside more subtle garlic and chilli oil ravioli with blue lobster and English peas.

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 meshwieh is exceptional – ground lamb with crushed wheatstuffed with pine nuts and grilled on skewers. Top tip: grab one of the window seats for the best atmosphere.

SUMI is one of London’s most stylish understated Japanese restaurants. With perfectly paired back Japandi décor, warm lighting and a buzzing atmosphere, it’s almost impossible not to be drawn in while walking down Westbourne Grove. Brainchild of sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, Sumi is sister restaurant to the Michelin-starred Endo at the Rotunda, and you can also expect to find elevated Japanese cuisine here - don't miss out on the Japanese A4 Wagyu striploin. 

Reincarnated once again, this iteration of Julie's brings back all the glamour of yesteryear for this celeb-magnet restaurant in Holland Park. The food is top class too thanks to chef patron Owen Kenworthy, who delivers a menu full of bold brush stroke cooking, including a lobster souffle and a duck liver schnitzel. Or, stop by for a glass of fizz and some snacks from the raw seafood counter.

Fadi Kattan's gorgeous Palestinian restaurant fits Notting Hill's pastel shaded chic rather beautifully, with its cool green front and limewash walls. The food is exquisite too, reinterpreting traditional Palestinian dishes with elegance. Akub is worth a visit for brunch on the weekends too!

Gorgeous, puffy Detroit-style pizzas are done due justice at this cosy spot, which provides a great deal of interior design inspiration with it's baby blue dining room and slouchable sofas. The natural wine list is also sueprb, with loads of drinkable bottles at reasonable prices. 

Granger & Co was the first of many London outposts for Australian restauranteur Bill Granger, bringing his signature relaxed style to Notting Hill. Fun is the vibe here and the menu offers up fresh salads, sandwiches, small plates and mains. Granger & Co elevates European dishes, using ingredients such as miso, quinoa, tahini and kimchi. Be sure not to miss out on their legendary Australian breakfasts.  

Fun and glamorous Zephyr fits Notting Hill like a glove, but this contemporary taverna isn’t just a pretty face - there’s some nifty cooking going on behind the scenes too. Traditional it is not, but Zephyr is still worth a visit for its delicious, innovative spin on Greek food, including luxurious bites like crispy potato terrine with cheesy truffle custard, and a juicy chicken breast in lemon butter sauce.

Bringing the vibrant atmosphere of a true boozer, The Blue Stoops blends elevated pub grub with traditional decor, bringing you the best of both worlds. Indulge in unapologetically rich cuisine, with bitters and ales pulled from classic ‘swan neck’ taps, for the complete experience.

Insta-star Thomas Straker raised a few eyebrows when he announced that he was going to be opening his own bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Notting Hill, but the results have been sensational. Straker's doesn't do anything revolutionary, but it does deliver classic British cooking with aplomb. Tables have been hard to come by since it opened, and not just because of Straker's star power - this restaurant has been a bona fide hit.

Here to show that vegetable-focused cooking need never be boring, Holy Carrot is reimagining plant-based food for the better with its bold and sustainable dishes. Fire and ferments chef Daniel Watkins (Acme Fire Cult) heads up the kitchen, producing game-changing dishes like koji bread with chilli ragu and smoked mushrooms. 

Mazi is the very definition of rustic-chic. Serving up intensely-favoured and progressive Greek food in a whitewashed taverna-esque location, Mazi truly is the Hellenic hero of Notting Hill. Mazi means ‘together’ in Greek, and the restaurant places emphasis on the Greek sharing culinary tradition. Treat yourself with a choice of wine from the meticulously compiled 100% Greek wine list. 

Who would have thought that this large corner pub on Portobello Road would hold 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. Peruvian touches are added to Japanese food, so expect Japanese tapas dishes such as gyoza, shrimp tempura and salmon tartare with mango, as well as a range of sushi, steamed buns and to-die-for lamb chops.  

Sat just along from Holland Park station, Vori Greek kitchen brings a sophisticated slice of Greece to the area. Boasting generous portion sizes, and rich, authentic dishes, this restaurant is more than just an aesthetically pleasing exterior. Expect plates of prawn saganaki, beef shin sat atop cheesy aubergine mash and the classic sweet treat portokalopita. Lending itself to any occasion, the flavours at Vori are rustic, whilst the vibe is anything but. 

Opened in the summer of 2019, Gold has already made itself a popular spot in this West London neighbourhood. Here chefs pay homage to top quality ingredients 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. 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. 

The much-loved Mediterranean-North African restaurant steps away from its counter dining trademark to a more traditional set-up, complete with an additional dedicated dining area and cocktail bar. Flatbreads, dips, grills and cocktails are all superb, too. 

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 chefs dishing up the likes of venison carpaccio, broadbean and pea tartlets or mackerel with roast tomato ratatouille. Seafood is a forte, and is often served with beautiful, salty sea veg.   

Serving up a menu inspired by diverse Mediterranean cooking styles combined with seasonal British produce, The Princess Royal promises some new twists on classic cuisine. Choose between small plates, raw, oysters, salads, and large plates - the Old Spot pork chop with salt roasted beets is not to be missed. Fancy staying a while longer? Book in overnight at one of the cosy individually-designed bedrooms.

Suzi Tros is a laid-back Greek bistro where diners can enjoy raw dishes as well as plenty of meat, fish and veg cooked over charcoal. As with many Greek restaurants, Suzi Tros is great for groups and sharing. Don't miss the Greek coffee profiteroles - we're slightly obsessed with them.

Assaggi has been serving top-notch Italian food to the hungry people of W2 for more than 20 years. 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 influences the cooking with dishes such as chargrilled sea bass or raw beef carpaccio with parmesan shavings and wild rocket on the menu.  

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

Uli specialises in the food of the Chinese diaspora, all carefully cooked, well-presented and delicious. Familiar dishes such as crispy duck pancakes and sweet and sour battered chicken grace the menu, but also be prepared to expect the unexpected with dishes like Malay lamb curry with grated coconut and galangal, or chu chee red curry salmon with straw mushrooms. Top it all off with wine, beer, cocktails or sake chosen from the impressive drinks menu.

Mexico meets Japan at this slick, contemporary fusion experience. Fusion is so often used negatively but the combination really works here, both in the bold, sleek, colourful decor, and also in the menu which features top quality seafood and sashimi alongside vibrant tacos and ceviche.

This New York import is, naturally, a fantastic brunch spot where you can expect a hefty maple praline and brown butter pancake stack among other things. It's also a brilliant place to grab dinner, serving some genuinely interesting and tasty international plates. If you're stuck for choice, the crispy chicken sandwich with sweet and sour hot honey and pickles is absolutely delicious.