The standard for a London pub is high these days. There’s lots of boxes to tick: interiors that could fill the pages of a magazine, seasonal menus that only use the best, usually British ingredients, and then, an atmosphere that’s actually befitting of a boozer. Reach too low, and Londoners aren’t impressed. Reach too high, and is it really a pub? But, Walmer Castle is the goldilocks of Notting Hill’s pub scene – it’s just right.
While this freehouse has stood since 1845, the beginning of 2024 saw a new dawn for the building after undergoing a re-design by Isabella Worsley, known for her rich, quirky take on heritage interiors. This feels especially important to mention when describing Walmer Castle because the experience of eating and drinking here really does feel framed by the presence of moody panelled walls, huge artworks, textured wallpapers and a sumptuous colour scheme – from the downstairs dining room to the beautiful private spaces. The space is designed to be universal – hipsters will be happy to hang-out here, as will West London stalwarts and local families, which is all reflected in the un-fussy yet happily trendy menu.
The kitchen is helmed by Chef Luaan van der Watt who puts a lot of stock into suppliers, prioritising British, award-winning, sustainable partners. We noticed that the same efforts have been put into finding interesting and independent drinks suppliers, too, with the wine list showing several English vineyards as well as better alcohol-free options than you’ll find in most places, highlighting small brands from the UK making new products in this market.
Food wise, we started with the Puglian burrata with heirloom tomatoes, a dish that’s really about simplicity. The burrata was certainly up to scratch, exploding with creamy goodness and accentuated by crunchy focaccia croutons and basil pesto. There's a soft and succulent herb crusted cod, falling apart just as you’d hope. Served with peas, broad beans, pork lardons and asparagus fricassee, as well as new potatoes, this is the kind of dish you’d expect to find in a contemporary gastropub – well balanced, tasty but not overly wild.
The website advises leaving a corner for pudding and we have to agree, this actually being our favourite course of the three. For us, the creamy lemon posset was light and moreish and worked really well with the lavender biscuit, which created a little playfulness to remember it by.