When a bar has a theme, you are quite entitled to expect a large amount of tackiness. The Butterfly Bar, however, is a sophisticated, fun place, that pulls off the butterfly effect with ease.

The Venue
The Butterfly Bar is situated above Itsu in the heart of Notting Hill, and is surrounded by an array eateries and drinking establishments. You’ll find the glowing neon pink venue opposite the Coronet cinema, so it’s quite easy to find. From the street you can see a model of a butterfly suspended above, and that alone arouses curiosity and makes you want to investigate.

Walk past the chirpy maitre d’ and ascend the long, but fun, mirror-ball walled stairs. Upon entering another terribly friendly waiter greets you and finds you a table. Looking around, to say that the Butterfly Bar is simply pretty would be a gross understatement. On the walls are posters like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Muhammad Ali’s famous expression ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’. There are framed pictures of multicoloured fabric butterflies. Even the cushions have butterflies on them. They have clearly gone to a lot of effort with the theme.

The most adorable feature is the large pink birdcage containing two budgie ‘love birds’ called Tom and Weezy. They match the colours of the venue and will occasionally tweet at you, which is simply lovely.

The Atmosphere
The Butterfly Bar is quite special as it maintains an unbelievably chilled atmosphere. Table service aids this, as does its comfortable leather banquettes and supremely relaxing chairs. The nuzzling lovebirds are also a wonderful calm-inducing feature. You’ll find couples and locals here who want to enjoy some Japanese nibbles and drink sublime cocktails. Staff are faultless.

The Food
As it's part of Itsu, you can get a selection of plates that you would find on the conveyer belt downstairs. They are presented to you on a metal cake stand and are really indulgent. The salmon sashimi (£4.75) is particularly stunning as is the Vietnamese chilli prawn with a soothing coriander dip. If you want more of a meal, as opposed to mini bites, their boxes are a real treat. Choose from eel (£5.95), chicken (£7.95) and beef (£9.95), all of which are served with a sticky and intensely rich teriyaki sauce. As the tables are quite low, don’t be afraid to pick up your ornate shiny black box as it makes your eating process a lot easier, unless you are highly skilled at manipulating chopsticks.

The Drink
The focus at the Butterfly Bar is on their fruit-infused cocktails. Priced at £8.50, including the champagne ones, they are fabulous. For fans of all things spicy, the Fireball will not disappoint. The chilli-infused vodka smacks you hard on first sip and it’s a drink not to be messed with. A more delicate tipple, but still laden with booze, is the Kiwimanjaro - a deeply refreshing drink that’s a fun lime green colour. If you want to save a few pennies on your cocktails, come down for happy hour (between 6pm-8pm). On Thursdays, the deal is on all night, which is a great way to kick-start your weekend.

The Last Word
For a bar that’s above a restaurant, the Butterfly Bar is a cut above. Its personalised service, interesting cocktails, fantastic food and resident budgies make it a fantastic place to chill out or party any day of the week.

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