Cow

Time Out says

Wed Jun 20 2012

Looks rate highly at this Notting Hill pub – as well they might, with a Conran running the show (Tom, son of Terence). Downstairs is a retro kitsch bar with a simple Anglo-Irish menu specialising in oysters, seafood platters and Guinness for a happy crowd of locals and tourists. On a recent Sunday lunch visit, we opted for the first-floor dining room where a more formal menu, also heavy on seafood, is served amid flock wallpaper hung with carefully mismatched artwork. Expect well-executed pub classics: a half pint of prawns with mayo were plump and juicy, fresh from Cornwall. Roasts were reasonable and served with all the trimmings, including impressively towering yorkshires with the beef, though rather let down by the dense roast spuds. Apple crumble, however, was exemplary. A focus on high-quality, seasonal ingredients cooked simply goes a long way, and we liked the touch of bringing fresh radishes with cold, creamy butter and Maldon salt to the table with the bread. Dishes are perhaps a little overpriced given that this is casual dining with slightly patchy service, but huge, steaming portions make amends.