Thomas Straker, who has previously worked at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Casa Cruz, Isabel and Elystan Street, now has an eponymous Notting Hill restaurant. Straker's, which was originally going to be called Acre, offers up Straker's signature style of simple dishes lovingly prepared with excellent ingredients. Straker rose to Insta-stardom after a gig cooking for a billionaire on their superyacht fell through - he ended up locked down in Connecticut, cooking for a family of five, with long afternoons completely free, he started posting recipe videos on Instagram. Soon, his videos had gone viral and he realised he had thousands of followers eager for more.
The buzzy open kitchen at Straker's is the star of the show. Here, diners can watch as exciting dishes are prepared by the team. The Gozney oven is a notable addition, as Straker is an ambassador for the pizza oven company. You can see videos of him using the oven to make incredible pizzas on Instagram.
Straker's focuses on the best of the best when it comes to suppliers, and Thomas and the team let the ingredients speak for themselves. Elegant small plates here include clams with 'nduja and fresh basil, whipped cod's roe with radish or gnoccho fritto with guanciale. Sharing is encouraged here, with grilled flatbreads emerging from the Gozney oven piping hot, topped with Vesuvio tomato and anchovy. Pasta dishes feature Straker's homemade gnocchi with burnt butter, lemon and parmesan, as well as fresh crab ravioli. Larger plates of fish and meat include whole grilled sea bass with white peach and almonds, wood-roasted Dover sole with courgette fritti and slow-cooked lamb shoulder with broad beans and salsa verde.
Wines here come from Alex at The Modest Merchant, focusing on small, low-intervention wineries. Aperitifs and cocktails are also available, so be sure to grab a negroni made with house vermouth or a clarified margarita.