Golborne Road has been full of great restaurants and cafes for years, but with the launch of food critic-friendly places like John Doe and Snaps & Rye, the rest of London has begun to take note. For the W10 newcomers, here are just a few of the meals you’ve been missing
1 Golborne Deli
Very much a café rather than a restaurant, Golborne Deli is light on space but big on coffee. Not in a pretentious, sneering barista way – in fact the staff here couldn’t be friendlier, but they do have a generous selection of blends from all over the world: Peruvian Tunki, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere, Colombian Villa Esperanza; you get the idea. They also do great gluten-free cakes and a healthy Mediterranean breakfast.
100 Golborne Road W10 5PS
2 Snaps & Rye
Snaps & Rye has become so much more than a café since it opened last year, with their Danish dishes attracting visitors from all over London hoping to find out what Smørrebrød is. And now they are launching a special event for Fiskefredag – also known as Fish Friday. Snaps will extend its opening hours each Friday evening, and head chef Tania Steytler will create a different four-course menu every week, priced at £35.
93 Golborne Road W10 5NL; snapsandrye.com
3 Café Oporto
When we asked our twitter followers to tell us their favourite restaurant on Golborne Road, food writer Marlene Dulery shot back in seconds with ‘O’Porto, yesterday, today… and forever’, which by our standards is a pretty solid recommendation. This little Portuguese café is loved by Notting Hill-ers mainly for the sweets – a few pastel de nata after a day haggling with the antiques dealers can really hit the spot. There’s chicken and cheese rissoles, toasted sandwiches, decent coffee and outdoor seating. Nearby fellow Portuguese cafe Lisboa Patisserie may has the fame, but Café Oporto is equally loveable and slightly better value.
62 Golborne Road W10 5PS
4 Lisboa Patisserie
It’s custard tart wars on Golborne Road. Many claim this café has the best mini-yellow pastry crowns in town; others are loyal to Café Oporto. This is the busier of the two, and at weekends they tend to sell out by late afternoon. Crowds side, Lisboa is a great café, serving strong bica (Portuguese espresso) and big, creamy pastries on par with those found in Lisbon.
57 Golborne Road W10 5NR
Photo by bellaphon
5 BaalBak
Baalbak looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but its tasty Lebanese dishes shouldn’t be overlooked. Most of the mains are cooked on an open charcoal grill, with a good selection priced under £10. A fattoush salad with Lebanese bread followed by a shawarma chicken will set you back £10.50. Not bad for one of London’s priciest post codes.
91 Golborne Road W10 5NL; baalbakrestaurant.co.uk
6 John Doe
We were sad to see family restaurant La Sophia close its doors, but John Doe is a worthy replacement. Set up by four adventurous friends, ‘deer and beer’ is the order of the day at John Doe. Its mother ship, Bertha, a specially-made wood fire oven gives the meaty dishes on the menu a rich, smoky taste. There’s a selection of rare English beers to enjoy too.
46 Golborne Road W10 5PR; johndoerestaurants.com
7 Kipferl
Kipferl started out as deli in Smithfield selling Austrian coffee and cake before launching a popular café in Islington. Last year, they opened their second coffeehouse and kitchen on Golborne Road, and hoped to keep it Geheimtip ‘a little secret’ – but we’ve never been very good at keeping those. The focus is generally small plates, sauerkraut, smoked salmon and Hungarian goulash soup. We’re not ranking from best to wurst, but trust us, unless you’re vegetarian, the Austrian sausage dishes are worth a try.
95 Golborne Road W10 5NL; kipferl.co.uk
8 West Thirty Six
W36 took over the old site of The Earl of Portobello last year, and has since transformed into a polished venue that looks not unlike a Mayfair members’ club. Like its sister restaurant Beach Blanket Babylon, the interior is extravagant and storybook – think big leather Chesterfields and monkey-covered wallpaper. The cocktails are top-class. The food is pricey, but it’s good quality grill house fare – steaks, mac ‘n’ cheese, lobster and meat sliders.
36 Golborne Road W10 5NR; w36.co.uk
9 Maramia Café
One of the earliest Palestinian restaurants to open in London, Maramia prides itself on traditional homemade Arabic dishes like halloumi and thyme and chicken mousakhan (chicken with onion, jam and pine nuts). The house red is under £15, and they serve super-sweet Middle Eastern desserts like halva and basboussa (rich coconut Palestinian cake) for afters. According to their website, David and Samantha Cameron have enjoyed a Maramia meal; whether or not that’s a draw is up to you.
48 Golborne Road W10 5PR; maramia.com
10 Moroccan Fish Stall
Calling it a restaurant is admittedly a stretch, but the Moroccan Fish Stall is nonetheless a Golborne Road institution. Try Moroccan-spiced sea bass or king prawns served with rice, chips, salad and a drink, normally for around £7-£8. The stall, which is run by a group of no-nonsense men who take their fish seriously, is extremely popular when the market is in full swing. Get there early to avoid disappointment. Open Monday through to Saturday (except Thursday when the market closes at 1pm).
Normally opposite Golborne Pharmacy at 106 Golborne Road W10 5PS (closed for Ramadan)
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