Food fiend's review of The Oak

I wasnt hugely impressed with The Oak and was surprisd it was considered one of the best restaurants in the Notting Hill area. My partner and i went there for Sunday lunch and it was heaving with Notting Hill wealthy types + lots of young yummy mummies! I started with an overly salty chicken liver pate (so salty that it seemed like it was sliced with a salt covered knife!). This just didnt appeal. My partner had deef fried chilli squid which he really loved.

For my main, i had a really nice meal of lamb cutlets but this was accompanied by ravioli stuffed with beetroot which was al dente but warm/cool so tasted like it had been left out a while. My partner had wild mushroom risotto but said he felt like there was nothing special about it, just the same as we could make at home.

Puddings were so so, browies and double cream etc – so we didnt opt for anything. Overall for two courses each and two drinks, it came to £60, which was quite hefty. Service was extremely slow but then it was packed out so we understood – when it came, it was good.

I feel there are better places – even Lucky Seven next door if you like roughing it a bit, or Bumpkin a few metres away – if you prefer a more similar environment to The Oak – but this just was so so, and certainly not one of the best places in the area…