The Academy is far more than a backstreet boozer, with a smart interior, gastropub menu and regular live music. Is it worth searching out though?

The Venue
Tucked away behind the bustling Holland Park Avenue thoroughfare on Princedale Road, the Academy is a gleaming silver and white building sat discreetly between some of W11’s traditional townhouses. It’s a very short walk from Holland Park tube station, and once inside you’ll be welcomed by a roaring fire during the cold winter months. There’s a bar to the front and conservatory dining room beyond, as well as an outdoor terrace and seating for the summer. The venue is very much geared to diners, with the tables covered in tablecloths and laid out with cutlery and glasses even in the bar area, and private parties are well catered-for with a separate function room. The pub features regularly-changing artwork from young local artists, which keeps the place interesting.

The Atmosphere
The Academy keeps things lively with regular Latin and jazz music nights, and occasional art exhibitions. Combined with their friendly staff, this helps create a convivial and enjoyable atmosphere that’s well-suited to local professionals with disposable incomes, Notting Hill artists, and young families (who make the most of an abundance of high chairs and a cheap kids’ menu). Despite the relaxed vibe, the venue is rarely busy because of its backstreet location, and that can make things feel a little flat in the afternoons or early evenings. The upside of that, of course, is that you’re almost always guaranteed a nice table.

The Food
The food at The Academy is well-presented and confidently-executed. Lunch options never cost more than £7.50 (including Irish lamb and carrot stew, beef goulash and fish pie), and the evening menu offers more elaborate fare such as sea bass with anchovies and capers, and confit of duck with red wine and juniper berries. Main course cost £10-£16, and starters and desserts are about a fiver each. One of the most enduring items on the menu is the pub’s famous homemade burger, which is served with a floury bun and tastes tender and rich. The food is always freshly prepared with quality ingredients sourced from local suppliers, which helps the venue mark itself apart from a number of pubs nearby.

The Drink
The Academy offers a terrific wine list that really stands out from the offerings of most pubs. There’s wines by the glass with your usual pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc at around £4-£4.50 for a medium glass, and then a more refined choice of bottles including a ripe and fruity cabernet sauvignon from the Wakefield Estate that costs £27 a bottle. There are bottles at all price points, from £16 to £60, and three bottles of champagnes under £50. There are also lagers on tap including Staropramen and Grolsch, which cost a fairly typical £3.50 a pint.

The Last Word
Despite an occasionally flat atmosphere, the Academy is a good place to spend time if you enjoy good food and wine, an informal atmosphere, and a real local feel.

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