The Ladbroke Arms
The Ladbroke Arms
54 Ladbroke Road
London W11
England
Tel: +44 (0)20 7727 6648
Serves lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday; bookings accepted; children welcome; terrace.
Situated in Notting Hill, an area where restaurants seem to come and go and standards are inconsistent, The Ladbroke Arms is a safe bet for a really good meal. The place is elegant but unfussy, with an old-fashioned bar dominated by a magnificent mirror bearing the pub’s name. The cooking is deft and the waiting times for certain dishes (indicated on the menu – and you’ll think it’s worth it for the chocolate fondant) signal that this is a serious kitchen.
The food, which changes daily, is European mainstream – pea and mint risotto, linguini with tomato and basil, duck confit, fishcakes with aioli. They do excellent hearty braises, very good tarts, such as Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin and taleggio, with perfect, crisp pastry, and the odd more unusual dish such as tuna with a soft boiled egg and bottarga. Sorbets and ice-creams are ace and the clientele is young, cool and solvent.