The Ladbroke Arms
Tucked away on a quiet residential street behind Notting Hill’s main drag, the Ladbroke Arms feels more like a quaint village pub than a London boozer. You’re likely to find locals here rather than tourists, and on sunny days the flower-filled terrace swarms with regulars drinking a craft ale with their dogs in tow. Behind the bar, there’s a dining room serving gastropub-quality food and brilliant Sunday roasts – and the extensive wine list includes a handful of organic and natural bottles too.
Address: 54 Ladbroke Road, London W11 3NW
Website: ladbrokearms.com
The Hillgate
Sleepy Hillgate Village, with its rows of pretty pastel-coloured houses and narrow one-way streets, is hands-down one of Notting Hill’s loveliest enclaves. Once a fairly rowdy sports bar, The Hillgate is now a bright-eyed local pub set in an imposing Victorian townhouse on the corner – it can get quite noisy (in a good way) on a Friday and Saturday evening, but draws a particularly family-friendly crowd for Sunday lunch. The resolutely British menu feels more comfort food than fine-dining and it’s worth booking ahead for a table.
Address: 24 Hillgate Street, Notting Hill, London W8 7SR
Website: thehillgate.com
The Windsor Castle
The Windsor Castle is a pub with proper history – back when it first opened in the 1820s, farmers would stop by for a pint on their way to Hyde Park’s livestock market. There was a clear sightline of its royal namesake from one of the upstairs windows – but sadly a rather ugly block of flats now blocks the view. Today, the pub has dodged dramatic modernisation and kept its slightly scruffy village inn charm – the Victorian wooden screens originally used to separate the men’s and women’s bars still remain in place, as do the wood-panelled beams and open fireplaces. The huge beer garden out the back is a real boon, and there’s good solid pub fare on the menu too: fish and chips, steak and cheddar pie and bangers and mash.
Address: 114 Campden Hill Road, Notting Hill, London W8 7AR
Website: thewindsorcastlekensington.com
The Cow
Tom Conran’s (of Conran family fame) pub on Westbourne Park Road is legendary – and the beef and ale pies and pints of prawns are almost as celebrated as its regulars. One-time neighbour Stella McCartney has held many a party here; David Beckham and Tom Cruise have washed down oysters with Guinness – and there’s a cheerfully scruffy feel to the place, even if the upstairs restaurant’s recent makeover managed to smarten things up a tad. The bar area is always packed, and there’s a small pavement terrace that drinkers spill out onto on warmer evenings.
Address: 89 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, London W2 5QH
Website: thecowlondon.co.uk
