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Notting Hill, once upon a time rural and home to potteries and pig farms, was developed in the early 19th century to offer smart housing, in stucco fronted villas around garden squares, to London’s well-to-do middle class. 100 years later, when WW1 changed the social structure and residents employed fewer servants, the area slid increasingly further down the social scale. The large houses were divided up into bedsits which offered cheap housing to immigrants from Ireland and the West Indies and, in time, it became a run down and even dodgy area. Around the 1980s, the heyday of the yuppies, it gradually metamorphosed into a place for those who enjoyed the edgy, colourful vibe, mainly artists and young people on the up, to buy then still affordable property. They refurbished the houses, opened cafes and shops, and the rest, as they say, is history. These days it is the home to the Camerons, the Beckhams, to models and celebrities, and the area has decidedly gone up in the world, now sporting the reputation of being super cool with real estate prices to match.
I heard that Clarke’s was an outpost of the gentrified, so I couldn’t resist a visit after my trip to Paris to check if cultured people in white table cloth restaurants in England acted the same. Hence, my visit to this institution. Clarke’s, apparently known for its agreeable food, and smooth and sublime service. No expectations there of course. I try to enter restaurants without too much baggage. It generally gets too heavy to carry, or stuck in the door or is otherwise hard to fit under the table. As I learnt through unfortunate experience, you should only go through life with carry on sized luggage.
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No telling what you will get on the night as the menu changes by the day, though the menu online will give you a general idea what to expect.
We came here based on an article in the paper when Sally Clarkes new book came out late last year. Reading the description in the article we thought it sounded to good to pass up.
We had a very enjoyable evening here. The decor and setup is a relaxed, cosy front room feel to it. The service is attentive without being too much.
The meal start off okay and definitely got better . The crab ravioli was nice but initially left us wondering if it had been more hype about the place.
That was put to rest with the main. Excellent mains, no hype here , all substance. Both the turbot and the calf's liver were filling, full of flavour and left us saying we d have more.
Desert and the cheese selection continued with holding the standard.
I'd happily go back again and again. You can see why there were so many regulars there.
£160 for two, 3 courses each, glass of white, half bottle of red and a port.
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