The Little Yellow Door

I wouldn’t have known about this place, if I didn’t know where to look. Friendly bar staff (moody doormen), mixed crowd with a feeling like you’re in someone’s flat. I’ll certainly head back soon as the cocktails looked great.

I had high expectations of Little Yellow Door as have heard their food is very good and the concept works well. We booked a table for 2 for Valentines brunch and were looking forward to piles of food and never ending mimosas.
If you don’t know about this place — well it’s basically kitted out like a flat and you get served food!
I must have wandered past the door sooo many times walking to Notting Hill and even walked straight past while looking for it! The bouncer let us in and we went up the steep steps and in to their ‘living room’.
We were 10 minutes early however there were tables free. We were just asked to stand there and he took our order for food and drinks. Our mimosas were brought over at reasonable speed so we just sat ourselves down on the sofas.
Just as he was showing us to our table our brunch arrived… First mistake. By the time we had sat on the little stools (uncomfy) and thrown out coats on the floor (there were hooks out in the hall but weren’t offered to us) my pancakes were pretty cold.
The presentation wasn’t the worst but wasn’t outstanding. The most disappointing thing was the size :(2 small drop scones and a piece of bacon with a few slices of banana and some blueberries. My bf who had ordered the salmon and avocado on sourdough had an equally small portion on one half of an English muffin (not sour dough).
The food although small and Luke warm was amazing! Good quality and so well seasoned and cooked (5* for food).
We took our time eating it and were served more mimosas pretty quickly but the waiter who took our plates was just so rude. Seriously, he had a face like a slapped arse. The other guy who was seating people and getting drinks was clearly trying but also didn’t really seem to know what he was doing.
After a few mimosas I was feeling a little bit happier although still a bit peckish. Included within the price was a dessert which was presented well and tasted amazing. Homemade meringue, rose cream, toasted pistachio and berries — mmmm.
To be honest at the end of the meal I wasn’t hungry, bordering content but not full like you should be after a brunch — it was 3pm and that’s all I’d eaten all day!
Perhaps this place is made for groups as the seating was shared with other couples and it would be a better experience in a group. However being advertised as a valentine brunch you’d expect them to try and create a romantic atmosphere (maybe the waiter had been recently dumped?).
Overall a real let down on service and atmosphere (did I mention they were playing Die Hard?) however food was good — there’s no denying it! I just wouldn’t return at £30 each for such small portions. P. S this place is more like ⁵⁄₁₀ than ¾!
O my gosh and I just remembered — no water or coffee offered for a full 2 hours!

Definitely a very cool experience. Hassle Yo et in but totally worth the effort. Maybe lights could be a tad darker as it feels as daylight in the middle of the night. Cocktails are great and the tropical sour particularly. Cool music, heterogeneous crowd, very special place.

So I’ve only been here for a drink, no food, no meals that they legendarily do here, just a nice drink on the couch. And for that I will say: win.
You’ll walk by this bar every time if you don’t know it’s there, despite the bright yellow door on Notting Hill Gate. But that’s the point, it’s supposed to feel just like a flat that you’ve been invited into for a drink. There’s a dining room table with checkered tablecloth, couches, bookshelves, weird pieces of art and even a little hideaway with cushions for sitting cross legged.
But they do make a delicious cocktail, which is more than my house has sadly. Even if they are seriously, SERIOUSLY overpriced at 10 pounds a pop.
Check to make sure they aren’t doing some special event that night where you aren’t able to come up before going over. But do check it out, it’s a very relaxed space for a nice drink.

My second visit to the little yellow door made for another fun evening!
The space is meant to feel like you are in someone’s flat, with charming touches and «personal» belongings are scattered about– even a fish tank. My friend and I were treated to a welcome drink of the house punch, a fruit mix served with a cucumber strip.
One we we settled into our tables, we embarked on a three course meal, South American style! The starter platter consisted of duck tostadas, cornbread and chorizo bites, and my favourite– the smoked beef!
Our next course was a fresh and slightly spicy clear soup with chicken, prawn and avocado. Finally, we had shredded slow cooked lamb on a bed of polenta with corn salsa and peppers. Everything was flavoured to perfection, succulent and well presented. Desserts were bite sized, and slightly disappointing with an overly minty pannacotta and stodgy banana popover with caramel sauce.
Service is always friendly, great atmosphere sharing a large table with a group of strangers!
The down side– incredibly overpriced cocktails (circa £10 each, plus service charge despite having to order yourself from the bar) and general overcrowding at the tables, feels a bit like they are trying to cram way too many people in!
Tables after dinner are cleared away, transforming the space into a bar. Cool vibe, but be wary if you’re a cocktail fanatic!