The Cow - Westbourne Park Road

In 2015, Tom Conran celebrated 20 years at The Cow by giving the place a makeover – well, the upstairs dining rooms at least. The ground-floor pub and terrace remain pleasantly scruffy, while the restaurant has been enlarged and smartened up with red leather banquettes, a matching colourful floor and quirky modern art. Thankfully there’s been no consequent hike in prices and the menu remains reassuringly unaltered wherever you eat: pâté with piccalilli, fresh soups, sausages and mash and so on. Shellfish and crustacea are the perennial stars (don’t miss the oysters and dressed crab), while daily specials ring the changes – from a trendy plate of smoked trout with fennel, samphire, orange and tarragon salad to stonking rib of beef with perky green peppercorn butter. You can order ales and Guinness in the pub, and there’s a refined wine list to choose from too.