Laylow Restaurant Golborne Road

Last Updated on June 20, 2022

South-American influenced food at the hip West London restaurant, Laylow

My young musician son was quite impressed when I told him I was dining at Laylow this week, apparently, unbeknown to me he held his after-show party in the club here and frequently hangs out at this hip Notting Hill venue with his creative West London crowd.

You will find Laylow nestled alongside galleries, vintage shops and independent cafés on the quieter end of Golborne Road, at the foot of London’s iconic Modernist apartment block Trellick Tower, in a multi-story Victorian building which was once a pub and formerly a bordello. This arty neighbourhood members club, restaurant and live music venue were launched in 2017 by Notting Hill-based artist Taz Fustok, it’s undoubtedly the place to be seen for the modern creatives, and it boasts an impressive A-list clientele which includes Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Stormzy, David Beckham, Rihanna, Idris Elba and the Clooneys among many others.

The bustling restaurant on the ground floor has a stylish interior with lavish décor designed by the fashion designer Bella Freud, who was famous for her 1970s knitwear and women’s suits…plush dusty pink horseshoe banquettes, glossy black tables, emerald green velvet chairs, tropical gold lamps and a rattan chandelier laced with monkeys and wild birds give it a fun, opulent yet elegant feel.

Executive Chef Adam Rawson’s menu offers an exciting selection of fresh and delicious South-American influenced food reworked with British seasonal ingredients. The drinks menu is equally good with a great choice of different tequilas and mescals along with an innovative cocktail menu and wine list.

We kicked off the evening with some funky coloured Laylow cocktails, a pretty pink and refreshing Paloma with Ocho Blanco Tequila, pink grapefruit soda, coriander, agave, citrus, and tajin salt – a well-balanced mix of acidity and sweetness. The lurid green Laylow Margarita was a combo of Ocho Blanco Tequila, homemade Salsa Verde, Ancho Reyes, citrus and agave. It had an unusual savoury and vegetal flavour which was rather good with a spicy kick. 

The menu is divided into Snacks, Plates and Tacos with an additional section given up to plant-based options, which is ideal for vegans. From the Snack section, we had some salty Padron peppers and scrumptious textural homemade guacamole with coriander served with crisp blue corn tortilla chips and crunchy crudités with a small dipping dish of salsa verde and chunks of lime.

The Queen scallops and salsa macha, sprinkled with dried chilli, garlic, nuts and sesame seeds, looked magnificent and tasted sublime with sweet, spicy and nutty flavours.

Moving on to the Plates, I can’t resist asparagus when it’s in season, this dish didn’t disappoint, wonderfully fresh raw white and green asparagus with a rich and creamy curd, counterpointed by the crunch of toasted pecan and lime and mint leaves for freshness.

The seabass ceviche was bathed in a mild citrus marinade with red onion, tomato and corn kernels which was complimented by the sweetness of coriander and served with lettuce leaf wraps. 

A bottle of Colonia Grûner Veltliner Norton, Argentina paired nicely with our meal – good acidity, and fruit flavours of green apple, peach and lime on the nose.

The tacos were a knockout, my Ibérico pork confit with roasted garlic was so tender and moist, which was perfectly matched with crunchy pickled carrots and warm corn tacos. The seared and sliced yellowtail tuna was beautifully presented, served with avocado and smothered with piquant valentina chimichurri, parsley and chilli sauce. 

And finally, we shared a sensational eggy burnt cheesecake made all the more delicious by a dollop of rich and sweet coconut dulce de leche…an indulgent but lovely end to our excellent meal at Laylow.

So, if you happen to be going to Notting Hill, be sure to check out this fabulous restaurant in this cool West London hotspot.

Laylow Restaurant
10 Golborne Road
London W10 5PE

https://laylow.co.uk

Looking for something different?  We also recommend nearby Cha Cha x Sister Jane