Considering the years I have spent on this planet, virtually all of them in London or its suburbs, there are parts of the capital I have hardly ever visited – and Notting Hill is one of them. For someone who calls himself a foodie, that’s a bit of a crime, as the area plays host to some of the best restaurants in London. So I was especially excited to visit FRAME Notting Hill, for three reasons: the menu draws on chef and co-owner Pawel Ptak’s time in the Basque Country (a region I adore); it’s an independent neighbourhood restaurant, which is something to be cherished; and, of course, it gave me another chance to get to know Notting Hill better.
As I know many of my regular readers live outside London, I’ve added a round-up of Notting Hill’s culinary highlights at the bottom of this article – FRAME included, of course – so next time you’re in town, you can hop on the Tube to Notting Hill Gate and see what all the fuss is about.
Finally, a testament to my lack of local knowledge. My friend Fran, my guest for the evening, and I found FRAME easily enough with the help of Google Maps, a ten-minute walk from the station. On leaving, confident we could retrace our steps, we decided to walk back freestyle, with no help from our digital friend. A good twelve minutes into what should have been a ten-minute walk, we had to admit we were lost, and Google Maps was called back into action to guide us to the station. The silver lining? Getting lost gave us the chance to see more of the area – and convinced us to come back soon.
Who Is Behind FRAME Notting Hill?
FRAME sits on Hereford Road, a quiet residential street just off Westbourne Grove. This is not passing-trade territory; you come here because you meant to. It’s a proper independent, run by its two owners, Pawel Ptak and Violeta Chaidi, and the division of labour is neat. Pawel runs the kitchen, drawing on his time in Spain and the Basque Country. Violeta looks after pretty much everything else: the interiors, the wine list and the front-of-house team. It’s the kind of partnership you can feel in the room – nothing has been left to chance, yet nothing feels corporate either.
The Interior
Violeta describes the look as part European bistro, part botanical retreat, and for once a restaurant’s own description is a fair one. There’s greenery wherever you turn, warm lighting, rich textures and art on the walls, all set against the building’s classic architectural details. The effect is of a space collected over time rather than ordered from a catalogue – a little eclectic, never cluttered.
The restaurant is split into different corners, each with its own mood, so it feels more intimate than a single open-plan room would. It’s polished without being formal, which is exactly the balance a neighbourhood restaurant should strike. Cosy? Yes – I felt comfortable from the minute I walked in. We were sat upstairs in the front section.
The Menu
The menu is designed for sharing and has its roots firmly in Spain and the Mediterranean, moving through vegetables, seafood and meat. That said, Pawel allows himself a bit of freedom, so you’ll find the odd global influence slipping in – familiar ingredients with one unexpected detail, rather than fusion for fusion’s sake. There are enough familiar names on the menu that, at first glance, you might think you were in a traditional tapas bar. You’d be wrong, but in the nicest possible way.
What We Ate at FRAME Notting Hill
We ordered five dishes, all beautifully described to us by the team. The first three arrived together – which was about all our table for two had room for – and before we’d even picked up a fork, my first impression was that they looked stunning. Hopefully my average photography skills will confirm this.
Let me guide you through our choices. First up, mushroom and manchego croquetas: standard issue at most tapas restaurants and a dish I can never resist ordering. There were prawn croquetas too, but as we had another prawn dish lined up, we went for the mushroom. These little round beauties were flavour bombs – nothing shy about them – with big, bold flavours that set the tone for the meal. Even if your taste buds had been numbed by a bowl of Scotch bonnet chillies on the way to the restaurant, you’d still have been hit by the big flavours inside these croquetas. The mushroom and cheese worked so well together, and with a punchy garlic mayo alongside, they were sublime. These are not the usual croquetas that can be all béchamel and very little else.
Next, sea bream crudo with lychee and cucumber, dressed with miso and sherry. The freshness of the raw bream, slightly “cooked” by the dressing, was a delight. At this rate, my taste buds would be demanding a pay rise.
The final plate of the first round was arguably the prettiest: fig and beetroot salad with watercress and ajo blanco (a traditional Spanish chilled soup made from bread, almonds and garlic). Again, it tasted every bit as good as it looked. Sharing dishes this good is not easy.
Once those three plates had disappeared all too quickly, two more savoury dishes were eagerly awaited. Thankfully, we didn’t wait long. First, the sautéed prawns. We’ve all had garlic prawns at our local tapas bar, and lovely they are too, but at FRAME there’s a twist. Listed simply as sautéed prawns with garlic butter, the plump prawns arrive in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce – so good that we put in an urgent request for hunks of bread. We were not leaving that sauce behind. This is exactly the kind of twist Pawel likes to throw into the mix.
Then we moved from the tapas section of the menu to the asador (grill) for pluma ibérica with mushroom purée and chimichurri. If you’ve not tried Ibérico pork, this is a good place to start – and don’t be alarmed that it’s served pink; it should be. “Melt in the mouth” may be overused, but I’m going to use it anyway, because this was sensational pork, with a woody mushroom purée and a fresh, zingy chimichurri alongside.
Desserts
Onto desserts, and an easy choice for me: the Basque cheesecake. I know this regional Spanish delight is very much in vogue over here at the moment, and for good reason. It’s best described as a baked cheesecake without a base, cooked so hot that the top caramelises to a deep, almost burnt brown – and, as you can probably tell, I’m a fan. At FRAME it comes with a nut crumble and, alongside, a delightful passionfruit sorbet, which complimented the cheesecake perfectly.
Next, we chose the flan with pistachio crumb. Well, that was the description on the menu which in truth kept us guessing but sounded intresting, interesting enough for us to order. Were were not disappointed, a set condensed milk pudding similar is looks to a creme caramel, finished with a syrupy topping. As if that was not enough, it was sprinlkled with crumbed pistachio’s and crushed coconut, it was a moment of joy with every spoonful.
So I hope you like our choices, no easy task and leaving plenty left on the menu to enjoy on a future visit . I should mention that the menu is seasonal, though I suspect there are a few dishes they wouldn’t dare take off it.
Wine and Cocktails
If the food is Pawel’s domain, the wine list is very much Violeta’s, and it’s an interesting, eclectic one. As you’d hope, Spain leads the way alongside the classic French and Italian regions – and it was good to see Txakoli, the Basque classic, on the list. Look a little further and you’ll find bottles from Germany, Greece and Hungary too, mixing familiar names with lesser-known producers, all chosen to stand up to bold, sharing-style food.
There’s a cocktail list too, and you’re welcome to drop in just for a drink at the bar. Having eaten at FRAME, though, I can’t imagine popping in for a drink without ordering a few plates. It’s not going to happen.
Service
FRAME prides itself on service that is intuitive rather than scripted, and that certainly came through on our visit. As I mentioned, FRAME is proudly independent, and the team looking after us were knowledgeable and charming. They also seemed genuinely invested in the project and to believe in it, which added to our experience – and I’m sure it plays a big part in why FRAME has built up such a loyal following of regulars.
Conclusion
As I said at the start, I’m by no means a local or a regular visitor to Notting Hill, but judging by my visit to FRAME, I’ve clearly been missing out. Notting Hill isn’t short of places to eat, From the moment we walked in, it felt completely at home in its surroundings: a true neighbourhood restaurant, independent and happy to let the food and the atmosphere do the talking.
My only regret is that it’s not at the end of my road. Still, having been, I’m more than happy to hop on the Tube to Notting Hill Gate and, no doubt, get lost again. Who cares? It’s a lot nearer than flying to San Sebastián – and yes, the food is that good. Given my love of the Basque food capital, that is high praise indeed.
Where to Eat in Notting Hill
As promised, here’s a taste of what else Notting Hill has to offer food lovers – starting, of course, with FRAME.
- FRAME – Basque-inspired small plates, an eclectic wine list and that cheesecake, on quiet Hereford Road.
- The Ledbury – Brett Graham’s Ledbury Road landmark, holding three Michelin stars at the time of writing.
- Core by Clare Smyth – also three Michelin stars at the time of writing, on Kensington Park Road.
- Dorian – a one-Michelin-star neighbourhood restaurant on Talbot Road.
- Caractère – one Michelin star, on Westbourne Park Road.
- Ukai – Japanese small plates, robata grill and cocktails on the corner of Portobello Road and Lancaster Road. Read my full review here.
- Portobello Road Market – head to the northern end near Golborne Road on a Saturday for street food from around the world, great place to start exploring Notting Hill
Where to Find FRAME
FRAME Notting Hill
39 Hereford Road, Notting Hill, London W2 4AB
Opening Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Friday: 5pm–11pm
Saturday: 12pm–11pm
Sunday: 12pm–10.30pm
Nearest Stations:
Bayswater – Circle and District lines
Notting Hill Gate – Central, Circle and District lines
