The Lonsdale, 48 Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill www.thelonsdale.co.uk
Lonsdale Road is relatively tucked away, but full of fine old houses and only a short walk from the tube. The Lonsdale itself is handsome old building, the exterior has been given a simple but attractive refurbishment, with a small seating area to the front. It’s clearly inside though where a lot of thought and money has gone: at the front of the building is a smart but cosy area, ideal for maybe eight people to have to themselves. Along the room, a smart bar with some very bling lighting leads to the dining area. We were tempted to linger at the bar, but knew that if we did, the rest of the evening would probably be lost in a cocktail-induced haze. The dining area is very dramatic, with red banquettes around the room, subtle gold walls, and a glorious chandelier in the recessed ceiling, it had a feel of the 1930s, but with modern touches keeping this contemporary.
For starters, A opted for the scallops with chorizo and butternut squash puree; he was very chuffed with his dish of four fat scallops, particularly as they had the coral attached, which is how he (and I, for that matter) prefer them to be served. They were perfectly cooked, working well with the spicy chorizo and sweetness of the puree. I had the spicy crayfish, fennel and bitter leaf salad, which was another good dish: generous with the crayfish, which were juicy and full of flavour, pairing well with the shards of fennel, salad, and the halved cherry tomatoes that were studded through the bowl. Although we were tempted to have another cocktail with our starters, common sense prevailed, and we had a glass of the house white, Lou Grès D’Or, vin du pays du gard. This was a good choice, nicely dry and pairing well with our fishy starters.
For dessert, we decided to share two between us, but be warned The Lonsdale’s desserts are quite substantial. Having said that the sticky toffee pudding was a good choice: the richness of the pudding, and sweetness of the caramel sauce made for a lovely dish. We also went for the chocolate fondue with marshmallows, raspberries, and pieces of melon, strawberry and pineapple. The fondue itself was very dark and rich; full of flavour, it must have contained at least 70% cocoa solids. Personally, I’m not keen on the combination of fresh fruit and chocolate, but I know I’m in the minority on that – certainly A was enjoying the dipping and swirling but for me, the marshmallows made a lovely match, and it was nice to have some fresh fruit after the richness of the mains.
The wine list at The Lonsdale isn’t huge, but offers a good selection, including by the glass. Bottles start just under the £20 mark, with a lot of choice between £20-£30 and a few coming in above that, for anyone wanting to push the boat out. Service throughout was charming and helpful and from what we saw, it seems that staff at The Lonsdale have a nice rapport with their customers. And while their specialities of cocktails and steak aren’t an obvious fit, they do both to a very high standard. It’s a shame that Notting Hill is an awkward journey for us – we’d be very happy to have it as a local venue. And as for things that might not match perfectly… just have them one at a time as we did!