The Ladbroke Arms is a perfect little neighborhood pub positioned between Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Road. Notting Hill has all types of pubs–posh pubs, corner pubs, boutique hotel pubs, trendy pubs–but none tick as many boxes as The Ladbroke Arms. 

Anyone can feel comfortable at The Ladbroke Arms, it’s a pub for the people, but pretty enough to go from a casual pint pub to a special occasion pub. It’s worthy of being a place to take your folks, and English enough to show out-of-town American guests what pub life is all about. It just fits the bill. All the bills.

Beyond its versatility, The Ladbroke Arms is also delicious with friendly, competent table service. Therefore, reservations are highly recommended. This establishment is no secret.

The restaurant is warm and charming. Like an English grandmother’s home. Nice art, mirrors and frames, inviting colors, older tables, tailored seating. It’s perfect. 

Once seated, you get the seasonal menu that offers a little bit of everything you would expect on an English pub menu, but done nicer, higher on the culinary scale.

I opted for the goat cheese mousse and beets which was colorful and artistic. The mix of colors and textures gave the delicious dish the presentation it deserved. 

After that, I had the crab which was basic, but fresh. I would have liked to cut the intense, salty crab flavor with something mild and cool, perhaps avocado, but it wasn’t bad by any means.

What really stole the show, though, was the sticky toffee pudding. Perhaps THE best in the neighborhood. It was incredible moist and the sauce had the most amazing flavor. It was the right size and temperature. So close to perfect. Unfortunately, it was still slightly off. A dish so sweet and rich needs to be cut with something light and cool. (This was their same issue with the crab…I’m sensing a pattern.) Instead of a heavy clotted cream, this should have been topped with an airy whipped cream or even ice cream. Anything but what tasted like some cold, mushy butter. Way too much.

But, overall, The Ladbroke Arms is a do, do, DO! Check it out, see for yourself why there are happy people spilling out onto the sidewalks of this West London gem. A perfect destination for a refreshing pint during this London heat wave. Enjoy!

The Ladbroke Arms
54 Ladbroke Road
London W113NW