Straddling the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to its west and the City of Westminster to its east, Westbourne Grove was once named the ‘Bond Street of the West’, owing to its expansive, entrepreneurial spirit.
The late 19th and early 20th century saw the road experience something of a fall from grace, with failed business ventures and boarded up shops earning Westbourne Grove the nickname ‘Bankruptcy Row’.
Fast forward to 2021, and Westbourne Grove has been rejuvenated, with boutique shops, luxury antiques dealers and even Notting Hill Carnival all gracing the ‘Grove’.
Though AJ Tracey may not have penned a paean to it, there’s still plenty of praises to be sung about Westbourne Grove. For one thing, it’s perhaps the epicentre of eating in this part of town, with several excellent eateries found on the road. With that in mind, here are the best restaurants on Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill.
SUMI
We had to start here, at one of Westbourne Grove’s newest additions and, since the Ledbury closed, arguably Notting Hill’s best restaurant.
We’re not alone in this view; earlier this year the Michelin Guide UK took the highly unusual step of adding SUMI to its restaurant listings, mid-season and without the official release of a new book. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if the restaurant was awarded a star come January.
SUMI is the informal, laid back sister restaurant to sushi master Endo Kazutoshi’s Michelin-starred Endo at the Rotunda, which is a fifteen minute Uber ride (if you can bloody get one) west in White City.
Let’s be honest here; eponymous fine dining restaurants often phone it in when it comes to their more ‘casual’ siblings. But at SUMI, it’s immediately clear that just as much care and attention has gone into the place as its kin up the road.
‘Sumi’ is chef Endo’s mother’s name, and this sense of reverence goes far beyond that nod to maternal affection. There’s love and respect in every morsel found on this clear, precise menu, primarily composed of nigiri, sashimi and temaki, the latter a technique developed by the family of Endo Kazutoshi.
There’s also comfort food of sorts here, done the Endo way in the form of A4 Wagyu sirloin grilled over coals (the chefs have several compact Konro grills lined up on the counter). It’s served with charred broccoli and a meat jus (‘SUMI meat sauce’) which has dextrously been lifted by the merest splash of rice vinegar. The effect is akin to the lightest yet most luxurious Sunday lunch you could dream of.
But really, it’s all about the fish here, which is top, top quality. Otoro sashimi is so buttery it verges on the obscene, and Ikura salmon roe nigiri pops with piquancy. The highlight of the whole meal, however, is a bite of Hotate Temaki – diced scallop and perilla leaf flower nestled on rice all cupped in a sheet of nori – which arrives looking so pretty that you’re not sure whether to eat it or wear it as a piece of jewellery. We’re glad we chose the former option…it’s an incredible mouthful.
It’s a bite we plan to repeat over and over again. SUMI has already settled into Westbourne Grove and we can’t wait to see what the future brings for this poised, precise restaurant.
Address: 157 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS
GRANGER & CO.
From Westbourne Grove’s newest addition to a Notting Hill stalwart; Granger & Co has been packing them in for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner for the best part of a decade in this little corner of London.
Aussie chef Bill Granger, who arrived in London in 2011, must be doing something right; the all day dining restaurant is full to bursting at every service, and there are now three more Granger & Cos in the capital, in Chelsea, Clerkenwell and King’s Cross. The self taught chef and TV personality also runs restaurants in Sydney (where it all began), Seoul and Tokyo.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, for a place of such conviviality, where it feels like every family with a reference point in Notting Hill has decided to have a reunion, the food is genuinely great; fresh, vibrant and well seasoned. No amount of buzz or bustle can put this kitchen off their stride, with service prompt, and globetrotting but simple plates reliably delicious.
Many head to Granger & Co specifically for the breakfast, and it’s easy to see why. One, it’s walk-in only and the easiest time to bag a table. Two, those Aussies certainly know how to do a proper breakfast; hearty plates are full of sustenance and pay a commendable attention to sourcing (not always the case in such a packed, all day affair).
Our brekky order? A plate of soft shell crab, chorizo and kimchi fried rice might sound a lot for breakfast – in fact, it is – a lot for breakfast, but it’s superb and will keep you going until dinnertime.
If that dinner were to happen here, too (warning; they won’t let you keep the table that long, we’ve tried), then you can expect a menu that takes cues from East and South East Asia as much as it does from Australia. We return regularly for the shrimp burger with lemongrass dressing; a bonzer little sarnie, make no mistake.
Address: 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SB
TAQUERIA
*Following this curious move, we can no longer recommend Taqueria*
Long before a taco revolution had somewhat belatedly gripped London between a soft corn tortilla; Long before Breddos and El Pastor were specialising in ‘Mexican food with British ingredients’; Long before KOL had refined this approach, and long before Sonora Taqueria had bested them all in London, came Taqueria.
Since 2005, Westbourne Grove’s Taqueria has been slinging the good stuff – traditional fillings on soft corn tortillas, mezcal, tres leche cake…you name it – and the quality here is still more than a match for some of the newer Mexican joints in town.
The restaurant is part of the Cool Chile Company, a wholesaler operation which was originally conceived to import Mexican dried chillies, corn and other ingredients integral to the cuisine into the UK. This respect for heritage and origin is evident in the superb food served at Taqueria in its sparse, minimalist space, particularly the tacos.
The taco menu here is extensive but true to tradition; the prosaically named ‘fish taco’ is top notch and the veggie options abundant (7 different, delectable vegetarian versions on our last visit). Their pico de gallo packs a fierce punch and is all the better for it.
A second outpost has now opened in Exmouth Market. Hurray!
Address: 141-145 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS
Read: 6 IDEAL places to eat great Mexican food in London
COCOTTE
For those gripped by the paradox of choice when perusing a menu, we admit that our list thus far hasn’t been too accommodating. Choices of nigiri, sashimi or temaki; of breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner; of a sprawling taco selection…it’s enough to bring the indecisive among us out in a cold sweat.
Something more straightforward, then, to finish with, where the decision making has largely been made once you’ve settled on the venue. Because Cocotte is all about one thing; chicken.
Specifically, free range, ‘farm to table’ rotisserie chicken, available in quarter, half or full bird portions, at £8, £12 and £22 respectively. The birds, sourced from the premium poultry producing region Pays de la Loire in Western France, are marinated overnight in a secret spice blend before being slowly grilled on the spit, the skin gradually blistering under the heat. Fabulous.
Throw in a few homemade sauces (the Cocotte’s gravy is basically a jug of umami), a couple of well thought out, healthy-feeling salads, and you’re good to go.
Come to think of it, ‘good to go’ is an apt phrase; although they have tables, Cocotte is perhaps best enjoyed as a takeaway; their boxes are ideal for a nourishing picnic lunch in nearby Powis Square park.
Address: 95 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UW
Heading east? Check out our guide to the best restaurants near King’s Cross station.