The Pelican
The Notting Hill pub that takes its kitchen seriously without abandoning the pub part. The bar snacks are the reason to arrive early; the main menu is the reason to stay late.
The Pelican on All Saints Road is the pub that other pub restaurants aspire to be. Gabriel Pryce's kitchen has the kind of uncomplicated confidence that is harder to achieve than it looks: seasonal, well-sourced modern British food in a room that feels genuinely lived-in and warm. It succeeds as a pub — you can come for a pint — and it succeeds as a restaurant, which is a rarer combination in London than the number of gastro-pubs would suggest.
The bar snacks alone justify an early arrival. The main menu is the argument for staying for dinner. The wine list is short and good. The whole thing is very Notting Hill in the best way — relaxed, knowledgeable, slightly self-aware but not insufferably so.
Modern British pub cooking at a genuinely high level — good sourcing, confident technique, seasonal. The bar snacks are essential; the main courses are worth the table.
A proper Notting Hill pub room — warm, comfortable, full of the right people. Not a restaurant pretending to be a pub; a pub with a serious kitchen.
BAR SNACKS · WHATEVER'S SEASONAL ON THE MAIN MENU · A PINT FIRST
The Pelican is the perfect local for the night when you want good food and a proper pub atmosphere in the same room. All Saints Road has been waiting for a place like this.
Book ahead — reservations are essential on weekends and for prime dinner times.
Aim for an earlier seating if you want a calmer room; later tables run louder and longer.