Fat of the land
The Fat Badger (Notting Hill)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: The first floor of The Fat Badger, which officially debuted a week ago at the north end of Portobello after being soft-opened for a couple of months, is a pub, dimly lit, wood-panelled, and renovated in the shabby-chic decor that is owner Public House Group’s stock-in-trade. Upstairs, an intimate restaurant serves a set menu of modern British fare. Like everything else PHG touches right now (see The Pelican, The Bull, The Hero), it feels like an instant hit.
The Vibe: The discreet entrance, round the side of PHG’s upmarket Italian spot Canteen, and marked only by an easily missed hanging picture of a badger, leads up the back staircase into the pub. The clandestine entry opens into a bar fit for casual debauchery — low lights, live music, the cosy space brimming with loud chatter between people who all seem to know each other, or the owners, or the chefs. The upstairs restaurant, beautifully renovated with an open kitchen, is less hectic but similarly buzzy.
The Food: Head chef George Williams — who cut his teeth at the River Cafe and Dorian before putting The Bull firmly on the map — leads the kitchen, showcasing the best of British seasonal ingredients. The cooking is simple, hearty, elegant, and confident. On the regularly changing set menu, an elegant fritto misto included red mullet and scallop punctuated by crisp slices of tart lemon and salty samphire, followed by an oyster topped with sorrel granita that went down like a dream. A beetroot-filled celeriac taco was earthy yet bright. For mains, a gloriously sticky turbot and a beef rib in bone marrow sauce were both crowd-pleasers of the highest order. For the finale, a smashing brown butter tart.
The Drink: Downstairs at the pub, the selection is modest but high class, with Portobello Pilsner and Deya on tap, and a fine selection of spirits and classic cocktails. Upstairs, the cocktails are more refined and ambitious, and the wine list, not for the faint-hearted, pairs exquisitely with the food.
The Verdict: The covert, almost members-clubby vibe may not last long once word gets out about the raucous fun, punchy drinks, and wonderful food behind that modest side entrance. But for West London locals, that’s no bad thing. With two restaurants on the site (though Canteen is strictly speaking a separate business) and a pub between them, for the first time since Pizza East closed on this site, 310 Portobello is on its way to becoming a beloved institution once again. –David Bard
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