Based in North Kensington, not far from Notting Hill, Pollini is an Italian restaurant set in the stunning Grade II-listed Ladbroke Hall. Once an Edwardian car showroom and manufacturing plant, Ladbroke Hall’s remarkable Beaux Arts architectural style infuses even the most casual of lunches with a distinct importance.
Chef Emanuele Pollini, voted best Italian chef by Gambero Rosso magazine in 2020, runs the eponymous restaurant. As a formally trained chef with years of experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants around the world and in Italy, Pollini is now bringing his knowledge of Italian fine dining to North London.
Start off with a drink in the grand hall, below the breathtaking chandelier designed by Vincenzo de Cotiis, which looks like a contemporary interpretation of a tree climbing down from the imposingly high ceiling.
Pollini’s 20-page list of wines, overseen by head sommelier Romain Audrerie, has just about everything guests would expect from an institution which projects such prestige, and with fair pricing. For reds, don’t miss the Tuscan Brunellos nor the great choice of Burgundies.
The menu is organised in traditional Italian fashion: antipasti, primi and secondi - with some fun variations along the way such as the ‘Perche no?’ section of the menu, which translates literally to ‘Why not?’
Dishes include more modern takes on typical Italian flavours - mortadella and black truffle served on a tapioca crisp, for example - down to the classics, like a vitello tonnato, or handmade tagliatelle in a wild boar ragu.
Pollini also hosts dinner and jazz nights on Friday, with special menus on offer for those going to watch live jazz in Ladbroke Hall’s Sunbeam Theatre.