Haven for Notting Hillbillies
The Cow is something of a conundrum.
On the one hand it is a genuine pub - a proper pub, with beer and locals - and on the other, owner Tom Conran has managed to make it something of a meeting place for Notting Hill's smart set.
Downstairs all is fierce drinking and loud debate, while upstairs you'll find an oasis of calm and, at its centre, a small dining room.
It is a good place to eat.
The atmosphere is informal, but the food is accomplished.
The menu changes daily and delivers fresh, unfussy, seasonal food.
Starters deliver tried and tested combinations of prime ingredients - rabbit, white bean and chorizo soup; tuna sashimi, spinach oshitashi, soy and wasabi; skate wing, capers and beurre noisette; or lamb's kidney, black pudding and mustard sauce.
Main courses cover most of the bases, from goats' cheese and herb ravioli; through roast monkfish, ratatouille and pesto; to braised milk-fed kid; or line-caught Cornish cod, spiced chickpeas and gremolata.
The menu finishes triumphantly with slow-roast belly of Old Spot pork with wild mushrooms.
Puddings are a suitable mix of the comfortable and the desirable: crème brélée; tarte Tatin with vanilla ice cream.
Or you could go for cheese, which comes with the imprimatur that signifies well-chosen and well-kept cheeses - 'Neal's Yard' cheeses with oatcakes.
The wine list is sound, and if asked nicely your waiter will fetch a pint of De Koninck beer from the bar.
The true Notting Hill resident will probably pop in for the 'Cow special' - six Irish oysters and a pint of Guinness, in the bar.
The Cow
Westbourne Park Road, London, W2 5QH
