You might assume top-notch cooking in a glamorous setting in one of London’s perennially trendy enclaves was bound to cost you an arm and a leg. Head to First Floor in the heart of happening Notting Hill and it will barely set you back a couple of fingers.

The Venue
Eating at First Floor becomes an event even as you ascend the shabby-chic staircase next to the buzzy ground floor bar. At the top, turn right and prepare to go ‘wow!’ at your first site of the burnt orange dining room where full-on, camp glamour collides with French chateau elegance with just a pinch of knowing shabbiness (the well-used, vinyl-tiled floor, for instance). It’s a perfect reflection of W11’s mix of super-rich, Bohemian intelligentsia; working classes and cool-but-dodgy wheeler-dealers.

The gloriously high ceiling boasts a statement chandelier. In place of the usual single stem in a tasteful bud vase, First Floor adorns its tables with big bowls of blowsy roses. Similarly, the anticipated cliche of solitary tea light in minimal holder becomes a tear-drop bejewelled candelabra trailing artfully melted wax.

Sit by one of the huge sash windows and you almost expect to see tongue-tied Hugh Grant encounter Julia Roberts on famous Portabello Road. Saturday brunch here, when the market stallholders are in full cry directly below, must be quite something.

The Atmosphere
Relaxed, confident, well-heeled 40- and 50-somethings plus younger glamour pusses (of both genders) pack out this 55 cover establishment. On the second floor, the same set colonises two private dining rooms with capacities of 28 and 40. Conversation is animated but stops short of raucous. The black-clad waiting staff, some of whom resemble models or arty students, are chatty, interested and never less than wholly professional. Service is impeccably paced.

The Food
The enticing, modern European menu of approximately a dozen starters, dozen mains and half dozen desserts features current must-haves like crayfish, roast beetroot, sea bass, pork belly and grilled haloumi. Two courses cost £15, and three are £20. A few dishes carry a £2 supplement whilst steak is an extra £4 but even then, prices are astonishingly reasonable for the location, ambience, service and, it turns out, food.

Calamari fritti has been simply but accurately pan-fried and stands up well to intensely flavoured roast cherry tomatoes, frisee, chilli and garlic. Its straightforward, robust yumminess contrasts with the complexity, elegance and modishness of a trio of seared scallops (£2 supplement) atop a puree of salsify and vanilla, with micro fennel leaves and a rich and salty beurre blanc. The scallops have been whipped out of the pan at the optimum moment whilst the tiny leaves add far more than decoration, providing texture and packing a powerful aniseed punch. The strong vanilla note in the puree will either make or break the dish, depending on personal taste.

The main courses are no less impressive. A vast rib-eye steak (£4 supplement) is full of flavour, meltingly tender (not always so with this cut) and cooked precisely to order. The fat chips are crisp without and floury within, whilst a tangle of spaghetti-like fried onions is nothing short of ambrosial. A perfect Hollandaise complete a stunning plateful. Meanwhile, a gigot lamb steak with garlic roast new potatoes, French beans and minted yoghurt is like that homecooking you always dream of but never quite pull off. The meat is tender and tasty, the beans crisp, and the baby potatoes properly roasted with a satisfying, garlicky crunch. The squiggles of minty yoghurt work a treat.

So generous are the portions (First Floor could easily trim many dishes by, say, 20 per cent, and no one would complain), you might struggle to fit in dessert. The trio of sorbets might therefore be your best bet, and the big scoops of mango, lemon and raspberry, in individual ramekins, are all spot-on. Some might think the chocolate fondant needs a tad more liquid centre and a bigger dollop of creme Anglaise but it’s still unquestionably a quality pud with deep chocolate flavour.

The Drink
There’s a global list of nine sparklers, a trio of roses, 18 whites and 22 reds with a reasonable selection by the glass or half bottle. Only Champagne breaks the £50 barrier, and there are plenty of tempting options under £20. Opal Ridge Semillon/Chardonnay (£3.80/£14.50) is rich yet crisp and arrives properly chilled. Finca Los Prados Cabernet/Malbec (£3.70/£15.50) has vanilla on the nose, and blackcurrants and spice on the palate, whilst Saddle Creek Shiraz/Cabernet (£3.80?/£15.95) is well-rounded and warmly spiced. All three represent decent value for money.

The Last Word
First Floor has been going strong for nearly 15 years and it’s easy to see why: Notting Hillbillies might be a generally well-heeled bunch but that doesn’t stop them appreciating a bargain just like the rest of us, and First Floor is more than a bargain, it’s a steal. Three more-than-generous courses of near faultless food plus half a bottle of modest wine comes in at about £30. Add first-rate service, a groovy ambience, a jaw-dropping interior and location-location-location into the mix and the cry must surely be “Go west!”

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