Portobello Star has been open since 1740, when Notting Hill was but a humble village on the outskirts of London, known for its pig farming and brick making.
They really built that business from nothing.
Fast-forward a couple of centuries, and Notting Hill’s become a genteel neighbourhood, while the Star – which once served drinks to the likes of “royals, beggars, scarlet ladies, drunkards, intellectuals, popular musicians of the day” – hasn’t changed much at all.
Duck off Portobello Road market through a set of double doors, and you’ll find yourself in a low-lit, warehouse-esque space with bare brick walls, industrial lighting, and crittal-style mirrors.
Interspersed with the spirits behind the bar – including Portobello Gin, distilled and bottled down the road – are pre-bottled cocktails (including a carbonated espresso martini), a snip at £4.95 during Happy Hour. Where the bartenders really shine, however, are in their freshly made signature serves, like the Sour Blues, which muddles blueberry bourbon, maple syrup & lime, or the Breakfast Margarita, which jazzes up the old classic with orange tequila and grapefruit juice.
Portobello Star cements its reputation for a good night out by offering you live music on Thursday nights, a three hour-long 2-4-1 happy hour almost every evening before 7pm, and DJs on weekends. And as a cherry on top, you can hire the room upstairs for private parties with your own personal bartender in tow…
…if you want to get away from all the royals, drunkards and intellectuals.
NOTE: Portobello Star is open daily 4pm-10pm (from noon on Saturdays). Please note happy hour on Fridays is 4-6pm, and there isn’t one on Saturdays. You can find out more, and book a table, HERE.
Portobello Star | 171 Portobello Road, London, W11 2DY
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