The Pelican

If the Peaky Blinders made a real go of their bar and stopped having fights and piss-ups there, it’d be The Pelican. True, there are less flat caps and double-breasted overcoats, and more floppy hair and Adidas Gazelles. But the old-English pub aesthetic is alive and well. Think caramel-brown leather banquettes, antique-looking tables, and natural, earthy tones everywhere. It’s the stuff of glossy food magazines, and the bunches of dried flowers and lack of water rings have us wondering if people even drink here. But they do—lots of them.

Well-dressed Notting Hill locals pour in after work and families book out the semi-circle booth in the dining room for casual weeknight meals that are anything but casual. The food can be hit and miss. Rich, cheese-dusted mince on toast and a show-stopping beef and Guinness pie shines. While a lamb rump and marrow fat pea dish is underwhelming. But the modern British dishes at this stylish pub are just half the reason you’re here. The other is to be one of the crowd… the crowd who look like Free People models and almost definitely live in white-washed townhouses.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch