Theo Hill came out of the River Café and, in June 2019, took over the old Portobello Gold pub at 95-97 Portobello Road. Gold is what he built there: a four-floor Notting Hill room with a wood oven at its centre, modern European sharing plates, and a late bar that keeps going after the kitchen stops. It is a neighbourhood restaurant with ambition, not a tasting-menu temple, and it is priced to match, about £60 a head for a meal that still feels like an occasion.
The Kitchen
Hill cooks produce-led and minimal-process, most of it through the wood oven or over open flame, in the River Café tradition. The chargrilled squid with skordalia, lemon and chilli is the dish regulars order first; the wood-roasted sea bream, charred-skinned and still moist at the centre, is the one to build a meal around. Plates are designed to share and run roughly £9 to £13 each, so a proper dinner with a few plates and wine lands around £60 a head. The wine list is broad and fairly priced, weighted to drinkable bottles rather than trophies, and the kitchen leans seasonal so the menu moves through the year. Find it at 95-97 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11 2QB.
The Room
Gold spans four floors of the old pub, with a Vhils mural across the exterior and a relaxed, bohemian interior by Felix and Valerie von Bechtolsheim. The ground floor and wood oven carry the buzz; it is lively rather than hushed, the sound of a busy Notting Hill room on a good night. Dress is smart casual and trainers are fine. For a date, ask for a booth or a corner away from the open kitchen; for a late drink and a few plates, the bar runs after the kitchen winds down. It is a room with energy, not a library.
Practical Info
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Best for a Relaxed Date or a Group
Book Gold for a relaxed date or a group dinner because the sharing format and the buzz do the work: there is always something to pass across the table, the £60-a-head ceiling keeps it from feeling precious, and the late bar means the evening does not have to end with the bill. It is an easy birthday or a casual catch-up for the same reasons. Reserve two to four weeks ahead for a weekend booth, a few days for a weeknight, and tell the host if you want a quieter corner.
Not For
Not for a quiet business negotiation or a hushed anniversary. Gold is a buzzy four-floor room with a late bar, and the noise works against a serious, low-voice conversation. If you need a deal room, book elsewhere.
What to Order
The chargrilled squid with skordalia, lemon and chilli is the plate to order first at £28: scorched at the edges, soft in the middle, set on a garlicky potato-and-almond purée. The wood-roasted whole sea bream with capers, £25, is the other anchor, a fish for two that comes off the fire with crackling skin and a moist centre. Around those, the vegetable plates carry the menu: wood-roasted cauliflower with toasted buckwheat, cumin and yoghurt; tomatoes with salted ricotta and basil; broad beans dressed in lemon. The chalk stream trout ceviche with pickled cucumber and horseradish is the lightest opener. Plates are built to share, so three or four per person plus the squid and the bream lands a table at roughly £60 a head. Bottles on the low-intervention list start under £40, so the wine does not blow the budget. Skip ordering the sea bream solo; it is sized for two, and one diner will overcommit.
Frequently Asked
Is Gold worth it?
Yes, for a relaxed Notting Hill dinner with good wood-fired cooking. Theo Hill's River Café pedigree shows in the chargrilled squid and the wood-roasted sea bream, and at around £60 a head the bill stays reasonable for the quality. Come for the buzz, the sharing plates and the late bar, not for a quiet, formal occasion.
How do I book Gold, and where should I sit?
Book on Gold's website or OpenTable, two to four weeks ahead for a weekend evening and a few days for a weeknight. Ask for a booth or a corner table if you want to actually talk; the ground floor by the wood oven is the liveliest. If it is a birthday or a date, tell the host at booking and they will sort the table.
What should I order at Gold?
Start with the chargrilled squid with skordalia, lemon and chilli, then build around the wood-roasted sea bream, charred outside and moist at the centre. Plates run about £9 to £13 and are made to share, so order three or four per person. The wine list is fairly priced, so ask the floor for a bottle to match.
What does dinner at Gold cost?
Plan for around £60 a head for a dinner that still feels like an occasion. Individual sharing plates run roughly £9 to £13, so three or four each plus a bottle of wine gets you there. There is no tasting menu and no cover; you build the bill from plates, which keeps it flexible.
Is Gold good for a date or a business dinner?
It is good for a relaxed date and less good for a serious business dinner. The buzzy four-floor room and late bar suit a low-key date, a birthday or a group, but the noise works against a quiet negotiation. Book a booth away from the kitchen if conversation matters, and look elsewhere if you need a hushed deal room.