WALMER CASTLE

The Walmer Castle is a buzzing hub of a pub on happening Ledbury Road (happening in a designer-boutique kind of way). Notting Hill’s usual suspects – hedge fund hedonists, media moguls, chattering creatives and trust-fund Terrys – mingle at the wooden tables outside and in the classily classic pub interior.

Inside is dimly lit and intimate, a great place to settle into for a few drinks, with big windows shaded by slinky black Venetian blinds and a temptingly twinkly fairylight-lined bar. A large TV screen hauls in big crowds for big sports events, when the atmosphere gets a bit more geezerish. At the back is a small snug that’s big enough for a largish group to nestle conspiratorially.

It’s a surprise to walk upstairs to the high-ceilinged first floor and find yourself in a Thai restaurant. Up here there are more fairylights wrapped around gilt-edge mirrors, lanterns, wooden tables, flickering light from chandeliers, tall windows
overlooking the street, and wallpaper swirling with dragon-like designs.

The food wins plaudits, with traditional Thai hits such as Tom Yum soup and green, red and yellow curries alongside welcome interlopers like duck with pancakes, and specialities such as ‘sizzling weeping tiger’ (chargrilled steak, sliced, served sizzling in rice wine and with hot chilli dipping sauce). A reasonable range of wines mainly hover at the £20 mark and there’s a wine-matching service on offer. Altogether well worth wandering upstairs: the atmosphere is relaxed, food tasty, service efficient, and clientele easy on the eye.