123a Clarendon Road,
Notting Hill,
London,
W11 4JG
(020) 7229 1500
The ViewLondon Review
Replacing Antony Worrall Thompson’s famed restaurant The Notting Grill (see what he did there?) was always going to be a big undertaking. Luckily for Holland Park residents, what has emerged is a charmingly simple cocktail bar and gastro pub complete with a beautiful roof terrace.
The Venue
The location of The Clarendon couldn’t be better for West Londoners. Located on a beautiful leafy street lined by ornate marble buildings, a short walk from Holland Park, Ladbroke Grove or Latimer Road tube stations, sits this large corner-positioned building, resplendent with its neutral pastel exterior and large windows. It’s certainly an appealing sight, especially when you factor in the parasols peeking out from the roof above.
Stepping inwards, you’ll be met by an airy pub that takes up all the space on the ground floor. The style is simple but well thought out with exposed brick and a huge clock that stays set on 11pm surrounded by butterflies in glass display cases. The bar acts as a focal point with several large granny-style lampshades in an array of colours hanging low overhead, highlighting the deer skull that hangs from the wall behind. The furnishing is simple but comfortable with leather sofa-style seating lining the periphery of the space and wooden tables and chairs. The large windows that line two external walls let in plenty of light and make the already spacious bar appear even bigger.
Up some stairs, you’ll find the cocktail bar with a few flourishes to set it apart from the pub downstairs. A smaller bar resides up here with Amstel the only beer on draught (more are available downstairs). Behind the bar is an attractive frame with a mirror set back into the wall, displaying an array of premium spirits and whisky bottles. Black walls sit above shiny brass panelling and dark Chesterfield sofas and leather armchairs offer a lounging seating area with a velvet chair almost resembling a throne. This is all spiced up with flashes of colour courtesy of hot pink cushions and a zebra-print rug on the floor. A large, heavy banquet-style wooden table sits tucked out of the way around a corner. This room also benefits from plenty of light streaming through large windows, including a series of glass doorways leading out to the roof terrace.
The terrace is a great space with wooden fold-down chairs, large benches and heavy green parasols overhead helping to keep off inclement weather. What does stand out about this space is the attractive wooden decking, helping to bring it all together in an understated way.
The Atmosphere
As you might expect from a stylish bar and pub in the heart of Holland Park, The Clarendon attracts more than its fair share of Notting Hill trendies, beautiful girls and sporty lads drinking their trust funds dry. However, any whiff of pretension is kept at bay thanks to the simple aesthetic of the bar and the laid back, friendly nature of the staff. Sitting up on the roof terrace, overlooking the leafy, beautiful Clarendon Road has its appeal and people make the most of the space, chilling out with a bottle of wine. They’ve got the balance between gastro pub, friendly local and cocktail bar just right.
The Food
There’s an impressive menu at The Clarendon, which balances fish, meat and vegetarian dishes well with some high end options available at reasonable prices for the area.
Starters (£5-£9) include a delightful dish of pan fried jumbo prawns with aioli – and they’re not kidding when they say ‘jumbo’. A plain white dish covered in five large, plump pink prawns in their shells with a generous pot of aioli is well presented and looks fresh and appetising. Peeling the shells back reveals the prawn beneath with a meaty texture and a delicate underlying sweetness that is well complemented by the creamy aioli. Alternatively, the seared scallops with pea puree and crispy bacon with a scallop roe sauce is a little sloppily presented but delivers on flavour. The bacon may be a little too crisp for some tastes but does go well with the soft, delicate scallops. The pea puree brings out the flavours well and it’s generously portioned given the quality of the ingredients.
For mains (£10-£23) the pan fried halibut with steamed seasonal vegetables and sauce vierge is well presented with a fresh, plump piece of fish that flakes at the touch of a fork to reveal the fresh white flesh. The crisp green beans are crunchy and light but the carrots are on the hard side. It’s recommended you have this dish with a side of creamy mashed potatoes, which works well in terms of both flavour and texture. Alternatively, the vegetable risotto is one of the cheapest items on the menu (£11) but is exceptional. The risotto itself is creamy without being gloopy or tasting too much like a rice pudding, and it works extremely well with the crunch of broad beans, asparagus, peas and sweet corn, adding a light dimension to the dish. Highly recommended.
For dessert (£5-£6.50), the Eton Mess is a great example of the popular pudding with plenty of fresh strawberries, lots of crunchy meringue pieces and a fresh cream bringing it all together. However, the real selling point of the dessert menu is The Clarendon chocolate selection – a large board containing several pieces of four different types of chocolate covering all the white, dark and milk chocolate bases. Rather than being a heavy end to your meal, it is a light finish that offers the sweetness you might need without being too filling.
The Drink
There’s a great choice of well-priced drinks at The Clarendon. Upstairs in the cocktail bar there’s a simple menu covering the classics but doing them very well for the reasonable price point of £6-£8. The Watermelon Martini is well mixed and sweet but with an underlying taste of vodka. Alternatively, the Bourbon Au Pear (Pear, honey and the unusual Four Roses bourbon) has a strong bourbon taste but is sweet enough that it’s not strictly for those who like strong, alcoholic cocktails. The pear garnish is a nice touch.
If you’re enjoying dinner downstairs, there’s a large wine list covering all budgets (from £14 for the house bottle to £200 for a bottle of Segla Margaux). They also have three rose options and a couple of dessert wines (although these are only available by the bottle for £20-£28). A nice touch is their large selection of wine by the glass (£3.50-£10 for 175ml) if you want to sample a few options. Highly recommended is the bottle of Gavi di Gavi – a crisp, light wine with a pleasant mineral finish.
If beer is more your thing, there’s a choice of Amstel, Birra Moretti, Heineken and Guinness on draught with a few more options by the bottle. They also have a lengthy whisky selection including two rare selections – a Japanese and a Swedish bottle.
The Last Word
The Clarendon proves that the key to success is simplicity. Quality food and drink well packaged within an attractive venue that isn’t trying too hard ensures it will be hit with locals. It’s worth making the journey to check it out for yourself if you don’t hail from West London.
The Clarendon has been reviewed by 15 users