Nick Jones’ three-tiered Notting Hill empire is headed up by The Electric Bar and Brasserie, much loved by West London fashionistas – what is it that keeps packing them in?

The Venue
At 191 Portobello Road, The Electric Bar and Brasserie is a ten minute walk from Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove tube stations, and is easily identified by its wide frontage with access to the bar, brasserie and cinema. Once inside, there’s a bar area at the front with tall stools, followed by the brasserie at the back with simple tables and benches, straight, clean lines and a simple white and brown decor.

The Atmosphere
The Electric Bar and Brasserie really packs in a trendy, well-to-do crowd of Notting Hill-billies, including twenty-to-thirtysomethings, ladies wot lunch and the rare business meeting. It gets very busy every lunchtime and evening, and if you fail to book you should expect to spend some time waiting at the bar for a table.

Unfortunately, the staff don’t ease this inconvenience with friendly banter or polite conversation, they come across as extremely cold and unfriendly. Expect an antagonistic ‘Have you booked?’ when enquiring after a table, but persevere, the staff in the brasserie itself are far more mellow.

The Food
With breakfast, brunch and a la carte menus, there are choices galore to suit any appetite. Breakfast and brunch options include smoked haddock and poached eggs, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and eggs Benedict (yes, eggs are a staple on these two menus), with prices at £3-£8.

For lunchtime and evenings, the a la carte menu offers everything from lobster and Beluga or Sevruga caviars to burgers and a tuna sandwich. The crispy duck salad is one of the best choices, with sweet red onion and an orange flavoured vinigarette providing a great compliment to the crispy, charred-tasting duck. It comes in two sizes depending on the size of your appetite, priced at either £7.50 or £11. The whole roasted sea bream is another great choice, it’s cooked ever so lightly and tastes fresh and salty, complemented perfectly with a simple accompaniment of thyme and lemon, best of all, it costs just £13.50. Other main courses range from £8.50 for a burger up to £70 for the Beluga.

Try to save space for the wonderful white chocolate creme brulee, priced at £6. It’s really creamy, but light enough to melt on your tongue as soon as you put the spoon in your mouth. It mustn’t be missed.

The Drink
Electric Bar and Brasserie produces outstanding cocktails, priced reasonably at £7.50 each. A highlight is the Cherry Passion, a long cocktail with cherry flavoured gin, passionfruit and ginger ale, which is sweet and refreshing. The Apple Mojito is also recommended, although it packs more of a punch.

The Last Word
Electric Bar and Brasserie shouldn’t be anything special: the staff border on arrogant, it’s always packed and hard to get a table, and it’s not cheap. However, it pulls in a great crowd of loyal fans because of the great cocktails and well-executed, varied food menu. Try it once, and maybe you’ll become a regular, too.

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