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What sounds like it should be a hotel restaurant, The Residency is actually a new neighbourhood eatery on upmarket Westbourne Grove, in London’s Notting Hill. We at Vada Magazine popped in to see what this new venue adds to the local area.
The Residency
The Residency is open all day with a laidback brunch service until 5pm, and dinner service from 6pm till late. We noted the DJ station, which apparently will provide entertainment and a platform for emerging local talent from 7pm onwards Thursday through Saturday. We visited on a much calmer Tuesday evening, after a busy day at the salon.
The interiors of The Residency have a calming energy with floor-to-ceiling wood panelling and contrasting velvet upholstery. In the front part of the restaurant, dark teal booth seating set off the light salmon coloured cushions, our only point of note was the chairs being a dark grey not quite conforming to an otherwise balanced palette throughout.
The menu
Vegan and vegetarian options are apparently a key focus on The Residency’s dinner menu, but there is a second page with fish and meat-based options. The food is inspired by European & Caribbean cuisine. We opted for:
- Ackee and Saltfish Arancini (£9.95) – risotto rice balls cooked in a fish broth with salted cod and ackee fruit served with sweet bell pepper marinara. We rated this highly and can see it being a popular choice.
- Burrata (£12.95) served with a cherry tomato marmalade and basil cream
- Pan Seared Sea Bream (£15.95) with truffle butter, served with parsley, new potatoes and grilled baby gems – we swapped out new potatoes out for some more indulgent fries
- The Residency Bone Marrow Burger (£11.95), British beef minced with bone marrow, served with the usual additions of red onion, a slice of beef tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese and topped with the house sauce. A little disappointed that this just comes as is and diners need to order any extra sides alongside the burger.
For dessert we chose a Chocolate Surprise (£11.95), served with a triple chocolate ganache and caramel sauce, which is poured over the dessert to melt away some of the exterior to reveal the cream-filled interior. The sauce is rich, sweet and moreish. We would eat again.
Service
The two staff looking after us were friendly, helpful and efficiently took orders and brought out food, albeit knowledge of the restaurant wasn’t quite second nature yet. The restaurant is still bedding in (being newly opened), so service should be down to a tee within a few weeks.
Overall thoughts
The Residency’s menu is a welcome addition to Westbourne Grove, which is seeing a few new venues refresh the street. Their menu offers an edited selection – dishes are without complexity and easy to understand, this is also reflected in the price-point, which shows good value for the food on offer compared to similar eateries in the area. We would have paid about £32 per head for our 3 courses, plus wine and service. The standout dishes for us was the Ackee and Saltfish Arancini starter, and the Chocolate Surprise dessert.
The Residency is located at 50 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5SH
For more information, visit theresidencynottinghill.com
