A delightful addition to the Notting Hill restaurant scene, Goode & Wright’s daily changing menu is garnering plenty of praise. Will that be the case when Mark Kebble reviews it on the eve of Halloween?
Perhaps it wasn’t the greatest idea to visit a restaurant on the eve of Halloween – you are just asking for trouble. My wife and I had already experienced an army of children swarm through a Notting Hill pub trick or treating the punters before harassed bar staff rounded them up and sent them packing, and we thought we received our comeuppance for not sparing a pound when perusing the menu. My wife, a vegetarian, looked a little concerned when all of Goode & Wright’s large plates were meat-orientated.
Never fear, said the cheerful waitress, we could combine a host of small plates to make a rather satisfying main. Before that, however, we tucked into pumpkin ravioli and duck egg in a basket with chorizo (obviously the latter was for me). The ravioli was excellent, the perfect texture and a gorgeous sweet sensation to the taste. My image of a huge duck egg with chunks of chorizo wasn’t quite what materialised – it was, in fact, a quirky toast-style dish with the egg cooked into it, with slices of meat a final flourishing touch. I am not sure if it was a cast-iron winner for me, but was certainly an intriguing start.
After casting envious glances at the ravioli, I was delighted to see a similar style side with my lamb loin and charred veg. The presentation was wonderful, taste even better – I didn’t even get round to finding out exactly what was in the ravioli aspect as I greedily destroyed it. The small plate combo opposite me consisted of trout, crab and sweet potato (three separate dishes, just to be clear). The trout was excellent, crab a close second and the sweet potato enjoyed by both of us, to such a degree that our request for frites was a little too ambitious.
Desserts proved impossible, but we were in no rush to leave, with the restaurant nicely filled and having a real excitable buzz about it. You can just imagine what a hearty fare it will be to enjoy Christmas dinner here and they will have a special festive menu on offer. Trick or treat? Most definitely treat.
271 Portobello RoadW11 1LR; 020 7727 5552; goodeandwright.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here