Notting Hill boosted by restaurant openings
Beach Blanket Babylon owner Robert Newmark is to open the four-floor West Thirty Six, on Golborne Road, at the end of the month.
It follows the opening of John Doe, a restaurant concept developed by four friends, on the same stretch of road in October.
West Thirty Six – described as a contemporary British food restaurant with American influences – is a joint collaboration between Newmark and venue openings consultant Cheila Reais.
Executive chef will be John Pollard, who spent five years with the Soho House Group. His recent roles at Soho House include a stint as head chef at Pizza East and overseeing both Chicken shop and Dirty Burger.
Opening times
Set over four floors of restaurant, bars and lounges, West Thirty Six will be open for lunch and dinner every day, and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
The 150-cover premises features banquette-style seating and has four outdoor spaces for al fresco dining, all of which are covered terraces. One of the terraces has an open grill and bar.
Marketing for the restaurant will be handled by Piers Walker, who held a similar role at Morgans Hotel Group.
Dubbed the ‘king of clubs’ for a number of high-profile openings over the years, Newmark currently runs Beach Blanket Babylon sites in Notting Hill and Shoreditch. He also has plans to establish the brand in the US.
John Doe
With a focus on sustainably sourced and wild British ingredients, John Doe is being led by Mark Blatchford, who is known for his work as consultant chef with Handmade Pubs.
The restaurant is gas free, and its open kitchen solely relies on ovens, grills and smoking units fuelled by sustainable English charcoal and wood from renewable forests.
The food offer is a diverse range of seasonal dishes, including lemon-brined chicken and ‘beer-butt’ pheasant to salt-baked sea bass and crab claws baked in coals. There is no beef on the menu, as it is felt to be an unsustainable source of protein.
The drinks offer includes an extensive list of craft ales, both bottled and draught.
Blatchford is also working on a stripped-down version of John Doe, called Deer & Beer. The first Deer & Beer restaurant is expected to arrive in the spring.
