Cocotte – French Farm-to-Table Rotisserie in Notting Hill

Last Updated on November 11, 2018

Farm-to-Table Rotisserie Chicken!

If you happen to be hungry in Notting Hill, try Cocotte. Located at the Bayswater end of Westbourne Grove, this friendly rotisserie chicken restaurant serves nourishing food with a funky twist.

French legend Escoffier had two words of advice for chefs everywhere. ‘Faites Simple’. Keep it Simple.

Romaine Bourillon’s eatery achieves this, with a wholesome straightforward formula that twins rotisserie-cooked chicken and health-conscious greens – accompanied, if you like, by a glass or two of good wine. The result? A satisfying affair of aromatic roast and delicious fresh vegetables served up in an unpretentious, thoroughly congenial setting.

I went along to try and discovered with pleasure that Cocotte does exactly what it sets out to do. Simple yet stylish; rustic surroundings blend wood-clad and distressed open-brick walls, marble-top tables and bench seating, providing a clean relaxed look.

The friendly service got us off to a great start, and the menu offers a good selection of French farm-style food. Their speciality, of course, is the free-range chicken, sourced from Evron in the Loire Valley of France, marinated for 24 hours in herbs and spices and slow cooked and finished on the spit. There’s a selection of mouth-watering, healthy salads – and the exciting option to ‘pimp’ your choice (‘We’re not in Kansas now, Toto’) with optional extras. Sustainability is high on the list; all fruit and vegetables are sourced from local independent traders.

Sides include some tempting favourites: roasted baby potatoes, truffle mac & cheese, mashed potato, ratatouille, and roasted root vegetables.

We shared half a chicken, which was really quite delicious. I have always loved roast chicken; it’s my number one childhood comfort food, and this definitely hit the spot – perfectly cooked and remarkably tender, moist and flavoursome, redolent with the herbs of Provence.

It arrived with a dish of tasty chicken gravy, but we also had Cocotte mustard and green pesto-infused sauces. Both were a great accompaniment to the succulent bird.

On the side, we had some yummy roasted baby potatoes, and a wonderfully indulgent, rich and creamy mac and cheese.

We shared a large ‘Detox’ salad, which definitely provided our 5-a-day; a tasty, textured feast of spinach, garden peas and roasted broccoli, bejewelled with perfectly ripened cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of crunchy seeds, elegantly dressed in honey, rosemary and lemon.

Dessert was a bit of an adventure – we tried for the first time some Mochi; small Japanese rice cakes filled with flavoured ice cream. The outer shell is an unusual marshmallow texture and took a bit of getting used to; but by the time we had worked our way through coconut, vanilla and green tea flavours I found I’d acquired rather a taste for them.

More traditionally, we shared a small deep-filled lemon tart, which was sweet, creamy and quite divine.

All of this fine fare was washed down with a couple of glasses of Picpoul de Pinet… Perfect! In addition to wine, there’s a good selection of spritzes, cocktails, beers and ciders, and soft drinks for more health-conscious customers.

There’s another Cocotte in Hoxton, and with takeaways available, you can also enjoy healthy authentic ‘home-cooked’ meals in the comfort of your own nest, east or west.

For other restaurants in Notting Hill, why not try UKAI Japanese Gastropub