The Commander

OMG! Bloody Mary to die for! Very spicy, bold, with actual horseradish floating freely throughout the drink.
For starters we tried smoked mackerel pâté. Served with perfectly toasted bread, it was a great beginning to our meal. The mackerel itself tasted just right, perfect combination of smokey, creamy, fishy.
I had a cheek pie. Not that I’m an expect on British cuisine, but in my opinion, it was good. Cheeks were slightly gelatinous, but I somewhat anticipated them to be so, they are cheeks after all. Sauce was very creamy and tasty.
Charming environment with friendly wait staff made entire experience perfect.

We went in for a pre-​dinner drink while on vacation. I ordered a beer and my wife had a cocktail which came with sn orange slice. When her drink arrived it looked like there were some flakes in it. Nope. Ants. At least 20. They must have been on the orange.
We returned that. I figured I’d finish the beer and we’d move on. Unti I saw the two long hairs on the outsude of my glass.
Really?
To top it off, we watched the barman take a cocktail napkin and blow his nose into it. So, you decide.

This is a great spot, both for a meal and for hanging out with friends. My most recent visit was for dinner. The service was efficient and friendly. I ordered the fish pie, which I really enjoyed. It wasn’t overly creamy or cheesy, with just the right amount of fish. It was also a huge portion– really enough for two people. My husband enjoyed his steak. I sampled it, and concluded that it’s one of the few I’ve had in the UK that’s on par with an American steak. Good wine selection, too.
I’ve also visited in the summer when the patios are open. There’s a front patio that’s an extension of the bar, and the rear patio is set up for dining. It’s a lovely place to hang out. I’ll definitely go back.

One of the waitresses in this establishment has a very bad attitude. The food was average. All in all this is not a place i will be visiting again.

I thought this was a posh/​gastro pub. But now, I’m not so sure what it is– a pub, a bar, a restaurant?
All I know is this is the first time in my life I ordered a bottle of house wine in a pub and a 20 pound note didn’t cover it. And it still tasted like piss even after I added heaps of ice to it.
Also, the tables outside on the pavement slope downwards. I know it’s not their fault but you’d think they can put something under the legs to prop them up if they are charging that much money.
I didn’t have any food but I guess other people liked it. I’d personally stick to the Ladbroke Arms though, as I felt that this one was a bit too «poshed up» pub and not cozy enough nor close enough to beat my local gastro.

Nice cozy pub atmosphere. Upon walking in it feels a bit fancy but its actually a very relaxed place. Although I did not go outside, they appear to have a very nice patio set-​up.
The Commander salad is light and refreshing but I wish they did a but more with it in terms of veggies. I thought the side salad we ordered actually had a much better look to it in terms of presentation. The chicken was moist, tender and tasty. Good service and good food. All in a good neighborhood joint.
The Commander Salad Mizuna Leaf, Lotus Root Crisps, Carrot and Daikon Ribbons, Bok Choi, Bean Sprouts and Sauté Shittake Mushrooms, Mirin and Ponzu DressingHome Hickory Smoked Chicken Breast, Stewed Peppers with Capers, Semolina and Herb GnocchiSide Salad

Excellent experience! We had been walking around trying to find a place to eat. After walking around awhile, we came back to this place. We were a little intimidated at first because the décor and lay out made it feel like a very classy and pricey place.
I had a polenta dish that had little cherry tomatoes. It was absolutely delicious. The person with me had a burger that was full of flavor. The service was wonderful. The lady who was our main waitress had a small lip piercing, which was awesome because it made it feel like the place wasn’t some stuffy environment. She was extremely helpful and nice. She kept our water refilled and checked to see if we needed anything. Another guy came over and asked us if we would like another beer without being obnoxious. He was charming and humorous. The price was a little higher than we intended to spend, but it was definitely worth it!

My boyfriend and I had a great meal here for my birthday in May — we are huge oyster fans and that is what led us to this particular gastro-​pub.
The service (by a fellow Canadian) and the food were both spot on — we had an oyster sampler with three different choices and fresh sauces. They were absolutely bursting with freshness, lovely and briny and delicious. The green salad we ordered alongside was really heightened by the addition of some Asian vegetable and a great viniagrette.
Next up we tried the Scottish salmon, which was nicely seared to a crispy brown while remaining moist inside, served on a bed of leek risotto. I literally wiped the plate clean with my bread!
And finally, because it was my birthday we had a slice of a chocolate mud pie — another hit. To drink, we ordered a series of beers and wines with that really complimented the flavours of each course.
Add the décor and great service — total win! I am heading back to London again tomorrow, and I just may head back to the Commander.

Congratulations to the chef for the fantastic food. Great service and they allow well behaved dogs. This is as good as it will get in Notting Hill.

Excellent food
great wine list and good beers on tap
wonderful staff — so help and so friendly
lovely décor, inside a outside seating.
Plays to both — good for drinking socially and good for some fab food.
take a date
take your mates
take your mum

A friend was having an art exhibition there at the pub’s library, great venue and even better wine. Went downstairs after the show for dinner, food very tasty (but pricey). Had a really good time and atmosphere was great too, would definitely recommend if you fancy a treat

Great Food and wine but the interior is a bit bland feels like a chain.

Upscale pub — excellent service, excellent food.

Just off Westbourne Grove a big pub which has been rescued from the Slug & Lettuce gastropub format and turned into an upmarket pub and restaurant for the local crowds. Clearly the new owners have spent money recreating a place with character and style, making the most of the long bar, the wooden panels and the great volume of the pub. There are lots of options, one can now eat at the bar, on a comfie bench, at a high table on a stool, on a metal table next to the kitchen or on a round wooden table in the middle of the room and eventually in the courtyard (yes someday the sun will come back). There is even a little boutique selling fish and sea food, as well as flowers. We were there on a Sunday and teher was even a room upstairs with the girls in charge of taking care of children while parents have lunch downstairs The problem is that while the owners have thought of everything, we were a bit let down by the food. On Sundays at least the lunch menu (£21 for 2 courses and £25 for 3) is restricted and disappointing, no creativity, small portions (especially starters) and ok food but nothing special (linguini, hummus, tomato/​mozza as tarters, roast beef, fish as main courses). Plus in spite of having a room just for kids there was no kids menu which was a real problem as we had no intention to spend £21 adult menu to adapt it for kids. I guess things are still work in progress and someone will correct this (and also service which was high on number of people but rally low on substance, almost annoying). So still work in progress but worth tracking as the place has real potential.

This pub has just been completley redone — it is now The Commander Porterhouse and Oyster Rooms. No longer a traditional pub there is still a bar area but it is taken up mainly with a display of oysters. Good news for food lovers though — the menu has had a complete overhaul and now offers a North American slant specialising in (you guessed it) oysters and steak. All the seafood is from fishmonger John Norris and the meat is from the famous butcher the Ginger Pig. You can buy it to takeaway at the deli or you can order at the restaurant at market price (currently about £8 for a steak) and then £11.50 for preparation. A bit of a gimmick yes, but I really liked it. The oysters were fabulous as well.

I used to dink here years ago when it was called another name.
Really good location and nice and quiet good food and friendly staff, beers not to bad either!

This is exactly how I like my pubs — quiet, comfortable, uncrowded. Nice atmosphere and very easy to relax here. It’s tucked away down a side road in bayswater and we found it almost by accident. A well kept secret, I would say. I can definitely see myself coming here a lot.