Lonsdale

Bar in Notting Hill
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9 / 10 from 1 review
Address
Lonsdale House
44-48 Lonsdale Road
Notting Hill
London
W11 2DE
Map
Telephone
020 7228 1517
Region
Notting Hill
Nearest Station
Westbourne Park
0.41 miles
Category
Bars
Other Branches
Lonsdale House
Opening Times
Monday Closed
Tuesday Open 17:30 - Closes 00:00
Wednesday Open 17:30 - Closes 00:00
Thursday Open 17:30 - Closes 00:00
Friday Open 17:30 - Closes 01:00
Saturday Open 17:30 - Closes 01:00
Sunday Open 17:30 - Closes 00:00

Located 2 floors above Genevieve, and with its welcoming atmosphere, Lonsdale is a popular and funky venue for both friends and couples. Staff are friendly and very attentive. Dishes are popular with a host of dishes including pumpkin risotto, duck and various light snacks. They also have a DJ playing a range of tunes.

All In London Review

The ultimate in posh pub grub

After a glittering launch party and with the addition of a new chef who has previously worked at steakhouse Hawksmoor, it is with great excitement that I traipse to W11 to sample The Londsdale’s food.

It’s a drizzly rainy night, and at 7pm there is no sign of the hoards of people that packed the floor at the re-opening night. We have the dining area and its gold-coloured walls pretty much to ourselves for the time being.

Whilst perusing the menu I sip a classic Vesper martini so smooth it can only have been made with the best gin. Friend has a Polish martini, a very pleasing drink consisting of Zubrowska vodka and honey.

As expected, steaks are given pride of place on the menu, with a choice of rump steak, sirloin, rib eye or fillet. All the meat is free range and has been sourced from Britain’s oldest butcher; it is also hung for at least 28 days.

But it’s not all about the steaks. My starter of seared scallops with grilled chorizo over a drizzle of butternut squash puree (£8) is divine. The delicate flavour of the scallops, spiciness of the sausage, and subtle sweetness of the puree are a perfect combination.

Friend’s oysters with tangy shallot vinegar (£9.50) are equally delightful. We’re feeling very decadent indeed with such good seafood, and quaffing a bottle of a fruity Italian white, the Gavi di Gavi (£37), certainly helps.

I feel it would be surly not to try their steak, and the sirloin (£25.50), cooked medium rare is delicious. Brown on the outside but tender on the inside, with a serving of blue cheese sauce, and crispy triple-cooked chips, it’s the ultimate in posh pub grub.

Friend has the seared salmon with Niçoise salad (£12.50), a large portion which is also cooked to perfection. It seems the chef can do no wrong, at least tonight.

Heavy indulgence continues with dessert – we order the crème caramel with rhubarb & stem ginger compote (£5.50) and the chocolate fondue with marshmallows and fruits (£5.50). The latter is particularly extravagant and possibly best suited to sharing; a large pot of thick, velvety chocolate and a variety of fruits ready to be dipped in with skewers finishes us off.

For all the hype that surrounds it, The Lonsdale’s food is definitely worthy of praise. Whilst it is not a cheap eatery, ingredients have been selected carefully and the kitchen has gone to great lengths to ensure quality pervades their dishes. Well worth the treat.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jul 27, 2010


W11 pub re-launches with new management and former steakhouse chef

The Lonsdale has re-launched under new management, and with the former chef of Hawksmoor in charge of the kitchen, expect the steaks to be a definite highlight.

This lavish-looking bar in the heart of W11 features a menu with prices that average those of any gastro-pub, with starters ranging from £6 and mains starting at £8.50 (admittedly that is for a salad). The steaks start at £15.50 for a rump steak and go up to £25.50 for a sirloin. The set menus are cheap but limited, with a choice of three starters and two mains, and nothing for ‘real’ vegetarians who don’t eat fish.

A venue of this ilk is likely to host the odd party, as such there is a canapé menu on offer which guests were able to sample at the re-launch party. Mini-beef wellingtons and gravadlax with cream cheese sauntered past on trays giving us a taste of what is to come, as well as copious flutes of Moet carried by beautiful staff catering to the beautiful attendees.

But back to the venue itself. The bar has bright, gilded walls and an area at the back with red leather seating. There is a DJ booth should attendees feel brave enough to strike a few poses (there isn’t really anywhere to dance), and it’s almost par for the course that there is a member’s room upstairs which can also be hired for private use throughout the day.

However the main draw are surely the cocktails. With a list emphasizing British creations from pre-19th century to the present day, cocktail fans will be delighted to order a ‘Pharmaceutical Stimulant’, known everywhere else as an Espresso Martini. According to blurb on the menu it was created in 1984 in a Soho bar for a well known supermodel, who had requested a drink that would, in her own words “wake me up, and then f*** me up”.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jun 24, 2010


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Something to help the drink go down...

This swish cocktail bar is a Notting Hill favourite, plus over the last decade they’vewon several awards for drinks and food. The kitchen’s speciality are the steaks; all meat is free range and sourced from small farms in the north of England.

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