The Sun in Splendour

The Sun In Splendour boasts an enviable location – at the Notting Hill Gate end of the Portobello Road tourist trail. Not that it’s without local patronage: the garden at the back is a delightful place to while away a hot summer afternoon over strawberry Fruli, Wadworth 6X, Kirin Ichiban or a chilled Pouilly Fume for around £20 from a 30-strong range. The main arc-shaped bar, with its windows open onto the Portobello passeggiata, is a pleasing space decked out in salvaged furniture & market-stall bohemiana. A seasonal menu might typically include lamb kofte, crayfish cocktail in anchovy mayo, pork loin, egg & chips, or cottage pie. There’s a pinball machine (a rare sight hereabouts) & on our last visit a DJ whose sounds might have been audible at the far end of Portobello Road.