Notting Hill is home to some of the best restaurants in London — nearly all of which will be closed on Sunday and Monday when two million people descend on this corner of west London to turn it into the biggest street party in Europe.
The roads of W10 and W11 within the Carnival route will see around 250 pop-up vendors selling Caribbean-inspired street food: jerk chicken, of course, but also Trinidadian roti wraps with spicy fillings, Guyanese pepperpot — stewed beef, pork or mutton, heady with cinnamon — plus saltfish cakes, plantain and sweetcorn.
Below are the best food and drink options aside from pop-up vendors during the carnival weekend.
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This boutique hotel near Notting Hill Gate tube station has hosted carnival terrace brunches in previous years. Celebrations this year appear to have dialled back, but the terrace is still set to be open during Carnival, offering the classic brunch and lunch menu, ideal for a post Carnival pit-stop.
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Notting Hill Gate’s Caribbean restaurant claims to celebrate Carnival spirit all year round; see for yourself over the bank holiday weekend when there will be spicy chicken from a jerkpit and takeaway rum cocktails.
Granted, this spot on Lancaster Road has limited seating, but it is worth wrestling for a chair to try some of this proud and authentic Caribbean fare. Whilst Jay Dee’s usually operates a daily changing menu, the restaurant will be hosting its pop-up barbeque. Expect to see queues for curry goat, jerk chicken, fried dumplings, and salt fish fritters. This family-run restaurant is a pit stop worth making.
On a quiet side street halfway between Notting Hill Gate and Holland Park tubes, this civilised pub will likely be busier than usual this Carnival. A pop-up barbecue will fill the terrace with a special menu, music, cocktails, and decorations throughout the pub across the weekend.
Paradise by Way of Kensal Green
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Overgrounding it to Kensal Rise and entering (or exiting) the Carnival via the north end of Ladbroke Grove? Break the journey at this spacious gastropub which will be offering live DJs across the weekend, getting the party started at noon or keeping it going until the smaller hours on both the Sunday and Monday. The pub is also home to one of the carnival’s many afterparties, with tickets already on sale.
Little doors of scarlett, violet, orange, and blue varieties have been popping up all over the capital. In Notting Hill, the Little Yellow Door promises to keep the party going with tacos, burgers, and house punch until 2am. Themed like a house party, this Notting Hill bar regularly hosts DJs in the ‘living room’ and ‘den’ spaces of the venue, with comfy and informal seating arrangements for dinner. Carnival weekend will see the picantes flowing into the early hours of Monday.
Adrian Lourie
This bistro-looking gastropub in Kensal is to be be open until midnight, hosting another carni afterparty. All day food and drinks are set to keep a summery boozy drinks-fulled party going.