Gaeles is a gastro chippy with all the glamour of Notting Hill and the full drama of seafood: fresh, superbly cooked and just delicious, the food matches the simple yet elegant décor of this great fish restaurant.

The Venue
Gaeles has an enviable position, in the quiet, quaint and colourful Farmer Street - less than a minute away from Notting Hill Gate. This peaceful side street still displays with pride the pastel-hued houses without the fuss of Portobello, or the many other streets north of the tube station. The décor is simple yet refined - the gingham blue and white tablecloths are a welcome nod to the simplicity of the traditional fish and chip shop, and the overall feel is one of elegance, without any unnecessary frills.

The Atmosphere
Scores of well-to-do Notting Hill residents (mostly in their forties, it seems) have made of Gaeles their favourite retreat, with tables being full on most nights of the week. There is no mystery in the reasons why: neither intimate nor loud, the atmosphere is genuinely relaxing and conducive to conversation. You can expect couples on a don’t-feel-like-cooking night out, boyfriend-meets-parents tables as well as laid-back business conversations charged on expenses. The rich variety of people and occasions is balanced by the uniform look of the poised customers - they're all demurely elegant, as you might expect in Notting Hill.

The Food
The Geales menu is almost entirely populated with fish and seafood, from the light bites (taramasalata and pickled herring, anchovies - £1-£3) through starters (fish soup, moules marinières, large prawns, hot smoked salmon, deep fried whitebait, oysters - £5.50-£11) and onto mains (fish pie, scampi, lobster spaghetti or fish and chips - £8-£27). There are some meatier options too though, for the real carnivores.

The dressed Cornish crab is a delight. Glamorously presented inside a shell and accompanied with toasted bread strips, the dressing is just divine. To taste Gaeles varied selection in full glory, though, save space and money for the seafood platter (£22.50). The whole lobster is excellent and the tiger prawns are incredibly fresh but it is the visual impact of the long curly antennae and whole feet that strikes the most. The pleasures of dissection are to be exercised on the mussels too, while the squid is conveniently ready to eat, cooked to perfection so as to avoid any chewiness. And if you haven’t filled all your space with seafood, the desserts (£5.50) are a celebration of British favourites, beautifully presented and decadently indulgent.

The Drink
White wine is predictably the drink of choice and Gaeles offers an excellent selection counting on nearly two dozen bottles (£15.50-£145, glasses £5-£8). Reds (£17.50-£30) are kept to a minimum (with five bottles) and there are also three rosés on offer (£17.50-£36.50). There is pretty much everything else available too, including organic soft drinks (£3.75) and beer (London Pride, Peroni and Kronenburg - £3.70-£4.75) are all excellent matches for your fish and chips.

The Last Word
Chippy? Call it what you want but ultimately (with all good intentions towards those great British establishments) Gaeles deserves the name of restaurant. The variety, quality and décor are all great, combining to easiily explain why this is the favourite dining spot for so many locals.

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