Latest opening: The Barbary Notting Hill
What: A bigger, brighter follow up to Covent Garden’s Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant The Barbary. As with the Neal’s Yard original, The Barbary Notting Hill takes its culinary cues from the vast landscape of the cuisines and countries of the Barbary Coast, from Southern Europe to Northern Africa.
Who: The Barbary Notting Hill is the latest and one of the largest openings to date for sibling operators Zoë and Layo Paskin. Since launching their Studio Paskin group back in 1995, the pair have built an impressive London-based portfolio that now includes The Palomar, Evelyn’s Table, The Mulwray, The Blue Posts, and The Barbary Next Door. They also operate a restaurant at Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh, which is run in collaboration with hotel giant Ennismore. Daniel Alt, who has previously led the kitchen at The Palomar and The Barbary, is running the kitchen at The Barbary Notting Hill in partnership with group development chef Aika Levins.
The food: As with the Covent Garden restaurant, the emphasis here is on sharing plates with many of the dishes incorporating elements of open fire cooking. Making use of the larger kitchen space, Alt and Levins’s menu is certainly broader, split better small and large plates. New dishes include a punchy coffee rub organic chicken (£26, pictured below); a range of wood fired flatbreads (£6 - £7.50); and house-made merguez (£16). Signatures from the original restaurant includes the Moroccan cigars (£12); crispy saffron rice (£9.50); and the pistachio hashcake dessert (£10).
To drink: The focus here is on the wine – although that’s not to downplay the wide-ranging cocktail offering. Featuring around 250 bins, the wine list features an ‘extensive and diverse’ selection from both classic and emerging regions, and sustainable producers. It includes an exclusive reserve selection showcasing iconic and sought-after wines such as rare bottles of Krug, Salon, DRC, and first growth Bordeaux such as Latour, Petrus, and Y’Quem.
The vibe: While the original Barbary is a tight and intimate kitchen counter experience with just 24 seats available, The Barbary Notting Hill is a vast space with room for 75 covers in total. Housed in an impressive Grade II-listed building on the corner of Westbourne Grove and Chepstow Road, the restaurant features an open-plan dining room and cocktail bar. In a nod to the Covent Garden original, it also has a counter section overlooking the open kitchen. Designed by Archer Humphryes, it’s a relaxing, romantic space that’s flooded by natural light during the day and exudes a ‘honey glow’ by night through its natural finishes, rich textures and warm lighting. The storm blue Boffi banquettes mirror the Art Nouveau curves of the building and are complemented by patterned textile surfaces, bamboo pendants, dark wood furniture and woven willow ceiling panels.
And another thing: The Barbary Notting Hill is being billed as the Paskin’s new flagship restaurant – a nod to the significance of the brand within the Studio Paskin portfolio. “[It’s] a chance for us to bring some of our bigger ideas – an expanded dining space and a wider menu offering – to life,” says Layo, discussing the restaurant. “Mirroring that same familiarity and warmth we know The Barbary (Neal’s Yard) guests have come to expect from us, we really want to embed ourselves as a neighbourhood haven in West London.”
112 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RU
thebarbary.co.uk/notting-hill
