The 20 best restaurants in Notting Hill

This is the Notting Hill sibling of The Barbary in Covent Garden and shares the same approach as the original, although in a much larger setting. Coming from the same people behind The Palomar and Evelyn's Table, the menu takes its inspiration from Southern Europe to Northern Africa. It still features counter dining like their Seven Dials restaurant, but there are also lots of booths if a stool at the counter isn't your thing. Dishes range from breads and dips to larger grilled fish dishes and make sure to leave room for their excellent hashcake dessert.

The Electric is the second outpost of Luke Farrell’s fiery Thai hit Speedboat Bar. This West London version features interiors inspired by an engine room, complete with a real Thai speedboat engine so it certainly looks the part. But while the look’s a little slicker than the Soho original, the menu sticks to the winning formula: bold Thai curries, noodles, and cocktails that all pack a punch. They describe the cooking as having "bold, unapologetic flavours" meaning you'll really feel some of these dishes, but they're more than worth it.

Permit Room is an offshoot of Dishoom, set in a slightly more casual cafe setting, but still featuring some of Dishoom's signature dishes. So you will find their house black dahl and bacon naans here, alongside curries, biryanis and small plates. This Permit Room even has rooms upstairs if you fancy staying over (the breakfasts are certainly worth getting up for).

After making waves in Lima’s elite Nikkei scene, Fan quietly landed in Notting Hill, quickly becoming one of the best restaurants in the area. Run by Romania Parra, Jorge Sasaki and Santiago Wong, the menu fuses Japanese technique with Peruvian, Chinese and global influences. Expect an 11-course omakase or à la carte options like scallops with squash butter or ceviche with coconut tiger milk.

Sino's kitchen is led by chef Eugene Korolev, who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe. Here at Sino, his menu is a contemporary take on classic Ukrainian dishes with modern takes on dumplings, banosh and more. The chicken Kyiv is a must, with the bonus of added truffle and make sure to finish with the honey cake.

Hidden away at the back of Los Mochis in Notting Hill (which is worth visiting too), you'll find this tiny omakase bar that fits just six diners every sitting. The menu here, which changes daily, takes inspiration from both Japanese and Mexican cuisines, so it's notably different to London's other omakase offerings. A cosy, intimate affair, it's right up there among London's very best omakase restaurants.

The Fat Badger comes from the same team behind The Pelican, also in Notting Hill, and it continues the theme set by that pub, namely a great pub which also has a fantastic menu. Set on the first and second floors (it's above Canteen restaurant), the food is hearty and it's also a place for great live music. Hidden away from the streets as it is, you're very likely to see an odd local celeb or two in here.

This small 12-seater sushi bar comes from the team behind Dorian, and it's only just across the road from that restaurant. A walk-in-only affair, it's a casual sushi bar, albeit one with perhaps the highest quality sushi in the area. The wine list is also impressive, mainly as it's the same one as Dorian itself.

Originally the seafood-centric Orasay, Jackson Boxer reinvented this restaurant as Dove, a neighbourhood restaurant that serves what he describes as "elevated comfort food". The look and feel is similar to its previous guise and the cooking remains on top form as ever. The menu changes regularly and it's probably become best known for an off-menu dish, its amazing burger. They only make ten of them every day, so order early if you want one.

This Italian restaurant in Notting Hill comes from the same team behind pub hits The Pelican and The Hero. Here, they brought in two ex-River Cafe chefs to create a classic Italian menu that's going down very well with the locals. Part of that is because it offers such quality Italian cooking at fantastic prices. Note that it's walk-in only, but that means your chances of getting a table are pretty good at off-peak times.

Clare Smyth once led Gordon Ramsay's flagship London restaurant before going onto even bigger things and earning three Michelin stars here at Core. Expect fine dining (but in a relaxed atmosphere) with signature dishes like the Potato and Roe or the Core Apple not to be missed. If you can't get a reservation, the bar Whiskey and Seaweed (which also has bar snacks) is well worth a visit in itself.

Notting Hill's Dorian has become one of the most popular restaurants in the area and much of that is down to a menu developed by their (original and now departed) head chef, Max Coen. Owned by Chris D'Sylva (Notting Hill Fish + Meat Shop), and billed as a "bistro for locals" they have a seasonal British/European menu on offer and a notably great wine list. It's a bit of a local celeb magnet and note that the prices here are some of the punchiest in the area.

One of London's legendary restaurants and one that's often raved about by foodies as among the very best in town. Fronted by Brett Graham, it had a complete revamp in 2022, returning with a glammed-up redesign and perhaps something of a more high-end feel than before. That change was certainly for the better as it earned the restaurant its third Michelin star.

Billed as a combo wine bar, restaurant and music venue, Caia quickly earned a reputation as one of the more vibey places in Notting Hill. Billed as a European bistro with Asian ingredients (John Javier is now behind the menu), that translates into dishes like tagliolini with smoked eel & yuzu kosho. The counter is the place to be, particularly if you're mainly here for the food (although cocktails are excellent too).

This comes from sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, the man behind Endo at the Rotunda. While that's a full omakase affair, this sushi bar in Notting Hill is a slightly more casual affair, which has gone down extremely well with West London folk. It remains easily one of the best sushi spots in town.

Akub is top Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan's restaurant in London that's billed as being a progressive take on Palestinian cuisine. The menu uses a combination of fair-trade Palestinian produce as well as local produce. Expect Middle Eastern flavours and lots of sharing dishes. The Bukjet Mousakhan, a "bread parcel" filled with chicken, onion and sumac, is a must-order.

This Notting Hill pub is highly rated by locals, having been a success for over 25 years. The ethos is "Eat heartily and give the house a good name'" which has given London this lovely, modern gastropub, with a strong selection of oysters and shellfish. The seafood platters are a particular draw here - and even if you're just popping in for a drink, a plate of oysters is strongly recommended.

Emily Roux is the latest member of the Roux family with a successful restaurant. She joined up with her husband, Diego Ferrari - former Head Chef at Le Gavroche - to run this restaurant that's part French, part Italian. The menu has a fine dining feel, but presented in a more laid-back setting, with courses split into sections like "curious", "robust" and "greedy" (which, yes, is the dessert section).

Six Portland Road comes from Oli Barker (who used to head up Terroirs alongside Ed Wilson). It's a small 40 seater restaurant with an ever-changing European-influenced menu, always with five choices for starters, main and dessert. The wine list is well worth a look, with a focused list of around 50 and primarily small growers.

With two of Greece's top chefs enlisted to create the menu Athinagoras Kostakos, executive head chef at Bill, Coo Mykonos and George Venieris, executive head chef at the roof garden restaurant at the Electra Palace Hotel in Athens, this modern Greek restaurant aims to "reinterpret old time classic recipes with a modern twist."