Cock & Bottle

Came here on a week night. Seating was a bit tight, but the atmosphere was comfy. Has a local feel to it in a traditional pub setting. Had a good selection of ales and several real ales on tap I had leg of lamb, and it was delicious.

I can’t believe I’ve never been to thi pub before, and it’s staggering distance from where I live.
Friends who live in Notting Hill told me about this place a few months ago, saying it’s actually better than some of the more widely known pubs in the area. Whe I triend to pay it a visit, the pub was closed for a refurbishment. It looked like a major one too. I thought it was going to be changed into a trendy gastropub. When I came back yesterday, I was amazed at what a good job they had done in creating a true old fashioned looking pub, with the atmosphere that has a local neighbourhood feel to it.
Situated just one street away from the trendy Ledbury Road, the beauty of this pub, is that you have to look for it. This is why it must be so popular with the locals. It’s furnished in good old solid wood, and just about everything a real pub should have. It has a wide selection of craft beers as well as the usual tap beers. They have a nice selection of food on the menu. They also now have a seperate dining room upstairs. They staff are pleasant. I don’t think I saw any TV’s or background music (bliss).
All in all, this place has everything a tourist to London looks for when They want to find a real London pub. The beauty is though, they have to do a bit of work to find it (and it’s so close to Portobello Road too!).

We stumbled upon the Cock and Bottle while walking nearby. The pub is beautifully renovated, and now appears Victorian without being kitschy. It is a comfortable, welcoming, functional space.
Their outdoor area is also great. Sturdy picnic tables and shaded in the early afternoon. Since it’s in a quiet, residential area, it’s a very peaceful spot.
On the day we visited, fairly close to opening, the staff were first-​rate. They were happy to talk about the building, themselves, and showed genuine interest in us as people, not just as customers.
Probably around 4 – 5 cask ales on tap. Didn’t try the menu but I imagine it’s lovely.
This place is worth going out of your way for.

I wasn’t the only one holding her breath for the last few months; a sign had gone up that the Cock & Bottle was under new management and undergoing refurbishment. Shock, horror, the last «real» pub in Notting Hill was threatened by gentrification!
Compliments to the new owners — City Pub’s Company according to the extremely knowledgeable and helpful member of staff, who apparently own a small number of bespoke pubs in London and the UK — for striking just the right balance.
The Cock & Bottle still feels like the traditional local it has always been, but with a bit of a gentle facelift. I personally don’t miss the TV screens and was happy to see the old bar still in its place. As I’m not the world’s greatest beer drinker I am also very happy with the addition of a more extensive wine list (I think there was a rather poor choice of either red or white before — possibly from a carton …) and will never complain about hotel-​standard toilets (cute doggie wallpaper in the ladies, apparently plain walls only in the gents).
Not sure what used to be upstairs, but a dining room is always welcome, even though we preferred to have our meal at one of the pub tables downstairs. The old Cock & Bottle didn’t serve any food and again the new owners have struck a good balance by not opting for yet another variation of the pulled-​pork-​burgers and pies variety. Mind you, we did opt for the closest we got to fish and chips by ordering a small portion of breaded plaice form the starter menu plus a side of chips. The latter were delicious — where many pubs fail on the simplest of foods. Definitely no refried frozen fries here.
A board on the wall promises the return of the famous pub quiz. Happiness all around!
PS: Happy to see the Banksy stencil still in its place — one of the last survivors!

By far my favorite pub in London– one of the only independent pubs left. It’s very cozy inside– old wingback chairs and wood tables– great paintings on the walls and victorian wallpaper– the bartenders were very friendly and happy to help– tip them well!

Alter Pub, etwas teurer als der Durchschnitt. Am Dienstag gibt es einen pub quiz.

I had always found it hard to find an «authentic» pub in London. This one is slightly off the beaten path of Westbourne Grove, with cheap drinks, old timeys décor and lots of people with cockney accents. if there was a British version of the show Cheers, I’m pretty sure this pub was it.

As family unfriendly as the name would suggest, this pub very clearly states that children are unwelcome. Bad news if you want to take the sprogs out for Sunday lunch, not so bad news if you’re looking for an escape from all the happy families that are warmly welcomed elsewhere in the Notting Hill area. A real bare-​bones, old man’s pub, a comfortable walking distance from Notting Hill Gate tube yet just far enough away that even on a Saturday it’s peacefully quiet. Plenty of space, good for groups, and an outside seating area for those days that it’s tolerable to be outside for extended periods. Drinks are slightly above average in price, but nothing crazy. Also, rumoured to be a regular haunt of Banksy’s (his rats are painted on the pub) and Sienna Miller was causing a stir the night I was in.

More than just a non-​gastro pub (though that is a blessing) this is a class operation run by Ulsterman Richard and his family. I once bumped into Richard at Belfast City Airport after what looked an exhausting golfing weekend and I can confirm that in or out of the Cock he is a true friend and a gent. For reasons best left unexplained I once had to spend several weeks in the bar there and I have rarely been happier. A great pint of Guinness too.