Bars & Pubs

By Susan Low

A big, handsome pub (formerly The Shakespeare) at the scruffier, eastern end of Westbourne Grove has swapped its nicotine stains and pint glasses for something altogether more glitzy. In morphing into Westbourne House, the place has sprouted enough shiny surfaces to keep a flock of magpies intrigued for weeks, and there's so much gilding on the framed mirrors and faux-French furniture that Liberace would have gasped in envy - all made the more twinkly and glittery by low lighting and a profusion of candles.

Oh, and there's a pole smack in the middle of the floor that looks as though it's just dying to have a leg thrown over it. This might all sound a bit 'Footballers' Wives', but this new bar has definitely got its priorities in the right place - and that's firmly, resolutely on the drinks list.

The cocktail list is the work of drinks supremo Mat Perovetz. Perovetz has an obvious eye for classics: there's a page of seven 'proper' martinis made with various combos of gin, vermouth and precious little else. Spirits are premium (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Green Mark and Zubrówka Bison Grass vodkas, Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength gin) and the delivery is pristine.

A Great Pear (£8), made with Glenfiddich whisky, muddled with pear and served over perfect cubes of ice with a grating of nutmeg looked sculptural and tasted superb. An Old Cuban (£8) made with Havana rum and champagne (invented by legendary barwoman Audrey Saunders of Bemelmans Bar in Manhattan) was a simple classic; a Pisco Sour (£7) was equally well un-mucked-around-with. The wine list is also admirable, with finds such as Trinity Hill Pinot Noir from New Zealand (though not cheap at £49) and two varietals from Trentham Estate in Australia: a nebbiolo (£30) and a petit verdot (£33.50). For bling action, there's Cristal champagne at £250 a pop.

The food here comes second place to the drink but is no afterthought. There's a bijou list of antipasti, meze, bruschetta, plus a few daily specials, sandwiches and salads. Our crab-and-tomato linguine tasted just fine, as did a 'salad' of roasted pumpkin, smoky chorizo and mixed salad leaves. A nicely charred thick-cut steak sandwich was hot from the grill and wonderfully juicy. So it's a great new bar, just when we were wondering if Notting Hill's cocktail bar scene had become moribund.

Time Out London