The Hillgate - London

Stumbled across this place last summer with friends. Had a fab lunch then and enjoyed the summer vibes with the outdoor area etc. Last night took colleagues from the US, they loved it as such a buzzing place and they also enjoyed the great food (scotch eggs/sticky toffee pud were discovered… ! Keep up the good work in there!

It was our first time visiting this pub, lovely ambiance and great service. Food was good, albeit burger’s size rather to the small end. Risotto with mushrooms was tasty and a big portion. Nevertheless, the policy they have with the card is a reason to refrain from visiting them again. It’s a bit insulting to keep your card for “security reasons” as the waiter told us; I understand there might have been incidents in the past of people taking off without paying, but we’re not all the customers the same. We didn’t appreciate this behavior and it’s sad as we were a group of 7 people, we had soft drinks, beers, 3 bottles of wine, main course and a few desserts. In another circumstances, we would definitely go back but we don’t think we’ll go there again if they maintain the policy of keeping your card.

Booked a Christmas dinner for 5 a week before. Our table wasn’t ready on arrival. The food was tasty but the service very poor. I am done- never coming back. Shame I always thought The Hillgate was a nice pub, I am done. Never again.

Unfortunately the Hillgate did not live up to expectations. We had checked prior to booking that they could cater for gluten and dairy free intolerance. However it was disappointing to find that actually there were only one main course and no starters that were suitable and the kitchen was unwilling to make alterations to dishes to make them suitable. This made the experience most unsatisfactory. Also despite booking with 2 weeks notice we were given a table in ‘the corridor’ between the 2 rooms with a large plant hanging over our table, and when we asked if we could move were told no! The food was average and not at all remarkable. It was very cold in the pub and overall we had a most disappointing experience. Shame as I’m sure it’s a nice pub for a drink but we would not return for an evening meal.

The Hill is a classic London pub located in the vibrant Notting Hill district, just a stone's throw away from the famous Portobello Road. It comes highly recommended for those looking to sample traditional English cuisine with a modern twist, such as shrimp-filled brioche buns. A welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Portobello, The Hill is certainly worth a visit.