Nestled in an unassuming residential street, Beach Blanket Babylon is far enough away from the tourist trap of Notting Hill's bustling market and infamous 'Blue (now black) Door', but close enough to Westbourne Grove to attract the local elite set. The interior is a nod to the decadent past of the opulent Rococo and grandiose Baroque style, featuring wall to ceiling sash mirrors, crystal chandeliers and ornate candelabras, although I fail to see where the Boho chic they mention arises, unless they mean the clientele. After being greeted by a gracious enough maître d', we were escorted to the dining area, through what felt like a plank walk on a pirate ship à la 'The Goonies', up steep narrow cast iron steps, to a cavernous alcove named 'The Chapel'. There is a vulgar eccentricity to the eclectic mishmash of Gothic arches and Grecian furnishings; the mezza luna shaped table we sat at was highly unconducive to the social setting and we spent most of the meal cranking our necks just to converse with one another. We were presented with a three course set-menu written with the banality of which made a motorway service station menu sound adventurous - a throwback to Heston Blumenthal's reinvention of Little Chef? but given the circumstance, there was little choice but to slip out a wry smile and order. For starter, I opted for scallops with truffle and butternut squash purée. The portion size was modest, nevertheless the scallops were relatively fresh and seared well. Though the taste of truffle was undefined, the butternut squash constituent of the purée perked up an otherwise indifferent starter. (Lamentably, it is exactly this type of entrée which seems to be de rigueur of so many mediocre establishments that put far more emphasis on the perceived market value of the ingredients than the quality and concept of a dish). The caramelized red onion and goat's cheese tart that my vegetarian counterparts ordered looked abundantly more appetising but perhaps this was a case of "grass is greener" syndrome. My main was prime fillet of beef with baby carrots, oyster mushrooms & garlic herb butter - totally uninspired, but for non-argument's sake, let's call it sustenance for a boozy night ahead. Even so, the fillet was prime and perfectly medium rare to order, unfortunately the baby carrots seemed like they had bypassed the stove between the root cellar and the pass, slung on as an afterthought - a teeth shattering crunch not even the most discerning Leporidae would have approved of. The oyster mushrooms must have had a nosebleed - already quite a 'meaty' fungi, it had no place being on this plate. As for the deplorable 'garlic herb butter emulsion', for one, I am snoring with boredom; for another, I am snoring with boredom. Were it not for the obstinacy of carrying my own pocket sized Tabasco (even Nigella does this), I would not have bothered to finish this course. After some gentle persuasion, I managed to secure a taste of my companion's dish which in comparison had every component part cooked well and complimentary to each other - the pan fried sea bass was served with a superb tomato vinaigrette and an equally divine chestnut purée; the buttered spinach not too watery. Crème brûlée is a traditional yardstick of dessert - a restaurant can excel remarkably or fall dramatically flat on its face with this ubiquitous pot of 'burnt cream'. The one presented to us had a silky texture, was relatively unctuous although the crust could have perhaps done with a few seconds more under the torch to give that reassuring crackle of caramel; passable but nothing memorable. After the meal, we were ushered to our reserved tables in the now heaving 'Grand Banquet Ballroom' bar. Most of the clientele consisted of pretentious swathes of 'new money' types, the aforementioned Boho chic and offspring of Russian oligarchs let loose for the weekend from their paid Oxbridge admissions. The one saving grace were the cocktails, which ebbed and flowed all night to the point where I had to ditch the concept of driving home in favour of 'Scooterman'. The star of the evening, why, a porn star! - The Porn Star Martini, an expertly tended concoction of Cariel vanilla vodka, Passoá passion-fruit liqueur, passion-fruit purée, vanilla sugar and citrus syrup, served with a shot of Champagne; created by legendary mixologist Douglas Ankrah and worthy of a bartender's 'Toscar'. In a place where everything is style over substance, the service slightly archaic and the food not worthy of any particular mention, the eventuality of great bar-tending proved that even in the bleakest of social environments, you can still conjure up a great night out. There are plenty of better eateries in the vicinity ('The Ledbury'), but if u relish mixing with the trendy set and want a good night's retox [sic], just aim for the bar after a meal elsewhere. (Edited from 'Detective Chan's Culinary Adventures Vol.1: http://detectivechan.blogspot.co.uk/?m) read more

This place is nothing form the outside compared to the magical, opulent, decadent, flower-filled cave within. From the moment you walk through the door you have to squash past huge cherubs and statues of Greek gods and push your way through decorative branches to make your way to the bar. This place always reminds me of a scene form Midsummer Night's Dream, it really does feel magical. The cocktail menu is as varied as they come and they are delicious but they do come at a price. I have never eaten here but if the cocktails are anything to go by then I'm sure it's delicious! The wine list is also far-reaching, the house rose is particularly nice. The staff in here are a beautiful as the crowds it attracts and are efficient too. Long waits for drinks are sometimes unavoidable though due to the sheer volume of people in such a small space. My only other criticism of this place is that there are no other watering holes within a short walk, making BBB a destination bar really somewhere beautiful to wile away your whole evening! read more

What a beautifully orchestrated evening. From arrival to collecting the coats we had a marvellous time. The voodoo sauce was very interesting and worth a try! Looking forward to returning one day for a tasting menu or something similar! read more

Beach Blanket Babylon - Moglet with her Birthday cake - Lounges Near Me - London, XGL

First off, this place serves excellent food, delicious drinks, and has a lovely atmosphere and quick service. What really stood out to me, however, is how their management goes above and beyond for their guests. I lost a wallet here with a significant sum of cash inside and fully expected it to be gone forever. Not only did the manager, Brett, locate it and set it aside, he came DIRECTLY to our hotel and hand delivered it to us! He absolutely saved our vacation! Amazingly honest, trustworthy, upstanding folks here - and that is not always easy to find while traveling. I cannot recommend this place enough!!! read more

loved the cocktails. loved the edgy, grand and exotic interior design. loved the music. shame that the place is too small and too crowded when i went there on a Saturday night. Looking forward to go back there one day to try the A La Carte Menu. read more

This is one of the coolest places I've ever been for dinner. Feels like you are eating in a castle or a temple in ancient Rome. Totally romantic and surreal. Now... the problem is, the food is expensive and not that good. I'd give the place a 5 for decor and a 2.5 for food. Take a date here for drinks. read more

Granted, as I am into my 1st week of my move to London I'm pretty overwhelmed by how amazing everything is. But I fell in love with this bar at first sight, and ...I have been to many a bar. I'm still trying to figure out how to describe it...heavy chandeliers, Victorian couches and armchairs, private nooks and crannies tucked away, tealights, overall an eccentrically wonderful and unique interior, populated by a delightful mix of characters - a very trendy yet comfortable and relaxed setting. I will definitely be back. read more

Watch out for overcharging on your bill!!!! We had a celebration dinner on Saturday night at BBB Notting Hill. The bill came with 12.5% service charge which is usual around London. But when ringing the bill through the card terminal the waitress asked if we would like to add a gratuity. Some of my guests almost paid service a second time on their meals. I had not seen the bill for drinks, and did mistakenly pay an additional 10% on top of the 12.5%. It is a very unusual practice that I have not seen elsewhere in London. Additional tips are usually offered in cash if service is excellent. I spoke with management who said that it is their policy to allow guests the opportunity to pay additional service if they like - it is the customer's choice. Unsuspecting customers will get caught out by this. This is boldly overcharging whichever way you look at it. And BBB are unapologetic about it. read more

Went there for bunch and we were so disappointed. Small portion and overpriced. Totally not impressed by the food. It's a good place for a drink but will never go there for brunch again read more

Beach Blanket Babylon - French toast - Lounges Near Me - London, XGL

The cocktails where good. The service was disorganized. The wrong food came to the table and the server acted as if it was our fault. Then she came back when I said my eggs were over cooked and informed me the "chef" cut one open and it was soft and told us she was in trouble. Totally unprofessional. Also all of our food came out at different times. After the server made all kinds of excuses about new "Chef" a new menu but this place really doesn't know what they are doing. Triple B should stand for Bad service, Bad cooking and Bad attitude. By the way, I am a graduate of Le Cordon Blue London, have been a chef and sous chef at The Gate Hammersmith, Spago Chicago and worked under Reinhardt Barthel. read more

Good place for a drink - large chairs, fireplaces, planks, suspended metal chain & wood bridges, dungeon like rooms...and the worst food and service you can get in London. Seriously. Half of the menu will not be available, and desserts will also be unavailable. The food that you will get is guaranteed to be mediocre at best. That being said, one of the coolest & more romantic environments in London - feels like something out of Harry Potter/magical. Go for a drink - best to avoid dinner there. However, be warned that at peak drinking times, the place is packed! And oh, the doorman is always in a bad mood read more

I went to this place on an uncrowded night and it was lovely! The drinks were yummy and the music was fun. Very cute, charming place for drinks. read more

I like this place... and I'd go a lot more often, but £14 for a cocktail (Old Fashioned) is just ridiculous. The decor inside is really cool - there's a labyrinth of passageways to get to the bathrooms (downstairs), and it's a fun place to people watch (look out for cougars!) and see the Notting Hill scene. If you go you'll probably enjoy it, but watch your wallet, sticker shock is all the rage here. read more

Post interiors, but guests were a bit less so (a positive for me). We found an empty table and seated ourselves. Got drinks, hung around, and left. Overall - music was fab, service was expedient, and drinks were reportedly good as well. read more

an upscale night out without the £20 cover of a Mayfair club. drink prices were as expected, £10 a pop. time flew by when i was there, before i knew it was midnight and closing and we had to leave. the venue was really pretty and intimate, not the ginormous club type feel. my biggest complaint would that the place was pretty small for being so packed. a fun "girls night out" spot that could also work for a date! read more

good: ott decor ( verges on the tacky side though) service (although our waiter had a waist length ponytail and a dramatic over-curled moustache and gave the impression of a circus ringmaster!) cocktails (all delicious) bad: far too expensive (£32 for a regular steak for one person!) the quality of the food was mediocre and in no way merited the price the ambience was average. I like this place because it has a wonderland feel and its in a good location, but the décor is verging a little on the tacky side, and the look dates quite easily. there are trendier places. P.s. We went to the cocktail bar behind it called lounge lovers I think, and it wasn't good - the staff were very slow, and the cocktails were large and neon, and poorly made. read more

We went there last night and it was amazing. The ambiance is incredible, something between: Flinstones meet Batman meet Charlie & the Chocolate fabric. The cocktails were delicious and the food out of this world. I seriously cant remember the last time Cod has tasted so good. And the beans, not just some vegetable, but some kind of first class vegetable....we had a great night and am sure to come back to this maze of mystery, magic and mamalicious food. read more

What a name! BBB was as eclectic as it can get with its decoration, the place is very interesting and certainly worth a visit if you are in the area. The crowd is also very trendy and as they say here posh :) Me and my friend walked in for a drink, we both ordered from their long list of cocktails. unfortunately the cocktails were below expectations. Add to that the waiter didnt really do a great job describing their drinks. However I was told that the food there is really good will have to come back here to try them. I expect this place to be perfect for a party with a big group of friends where you take over one of the different corners of BBB and enjoy your time. Will definitely come back and try their food, and maybe give the drinks another chance. read more

My date and I sat in the chapel, which was dimly lit and accommodating. The restaurant had a nice, warm feel to it and the service was excellent. Regular water top-ups and generally very polite waiters. I had the vegetable green curry, which was delicious despite that I normally can't handle spicy food -- the coconut sauce was to die for. My date had the crispy duck, which is apparently their top seller. I really enjoyed this restaurant experience. read more

Beach Blanket Babylon is ok. If you're not paying. I would much rather spend my time in the Sammy Smith's pub down the road, but hell, the clientelle aren't quite as stunning in there, so it can be worth a look. You need to be constantly careful not to bang your head in here, and the decor is way OTT, but, kind of fun. It's like a pirate ship, or something. Which is appropriate, because you do feel robbed after the cocktails! read more

Buzzy restaurant which is lots of fun especially with a big group. Ecelectic decor and a real party atmosphere. Yes it is a bit pretentious but what do you expect from somewhere called Beach Blanket Babylon read more

This place has an amazing location, the ambiance is fantastic. The food is pretty good, interesting drinks and make sure you wear your finest swagger read more

I have to give this five stars as this is where my wife and I had our first ever date in 1995 (yikes!). And in the world of user-rated content that has to be as good a reason as any for a top score!! Sounds like its not as good as it used to be, but there go my rose-tinted spectacles again! read more

Excellent cocktails in a extraordinary surroundings. Food is slightly better than alright but ambiance is really worth repeat visits.

Beach Blanket Babylon is a bit of a conflicted memory for me. On one hand, it's fun, quirky and beautifully laid out but on the other, it represents all of what Notting Hill has become and nothing of what it was. Expensive, exclusive (to the point of being excluding) and very pretentious, it can be a bit alarming to those who've known the area before Hugh Grant's white face-fest came out (where were the Caribbeans and Moroccans in that film?) Worth checking out so you can decide for yourself. read more

It's funny that I should write about this place. I've only ever been here once, I was slightly tipsy when I arrived, I only had one drink and stayed no more than hour. This night was a night of crawling across West London. Me and my best friend started out in Portobello road, we ventured through Kensington, Notting Hill, we then sat and drank at All Bar One and then was joined by my partner who introduced us to this place Beach, Blanket and Babylon. I think I wanted to write about this place just because I love it's name. How cool is that name? This place, lets call it BBB's is a cocktail bar, the drinks are extortionately priced and I think that three cocktails whacked up a thirty seven pound bill! But of course, I thoroughly enjoyed my cocktail and we were honoured by the presence of the trendy Notting Hill aura! Ultimately this place is just a cocktail bar, music and dancing is not a big feature more so than it is to get dressed up, leave your house, have a chat, be seen and of course have a cocktail. The décor has a kind of Arabic/ Moroccan theme and is beautifully decorated. A restaurant area is situated in the back of the bar, sadly we didn't hang out here long enough to eat, but if you fancy a meal and a cocktail or even just like the name of this place, you should check it out! read more

Had high hopes for this place. Went on a weeknight wanting to love it. My boyfriend and I got seated downstairs, steps from the service entrance. Weird enough being the only people in the entire lower floor, but why seat us next to the kitchen door? We asked to move and ended up in the far back room, all alone, which was also weird, but fine. The decor is a little unusual- pirate ship meets Liberace, which we could see to be entertaining were it packed, but empty felt like a scene from the Count of Monte Cristo. Food was really underwhelming. Ordered the absurdly over-salted steak tartare, ok duck and mediocre ragout. There seemed to be a general lack of attention to detail (like gin&tonics in a wine glass with giant straws) that didn't do justice to what this place could be. The only highlight was the excellent service; everyone was lovely. Could see how sitting at the bar for a drink would be fun, that said time to rethink food menu and decor. read more

The atmosphere is superb, it's not like any othe restaurant in London. Food was very good. Interesting place that looks normal from outside, but not once you get to the restaurant! Plenty of choice on the menu, food delicious and good quality, read more

This place could be fabulous. I have known this place for years. However not that I mind paying over the odds as long what is on offer is good. This place serves the worst food and wine in London and the service is miserable. Save your pennies and go somewhere decent. read more

Cascades of flowers, the walls sculpted with Cherubs and Angels and little fairy lights throughout. You feel more like you're in Paris than Notting Hill. It truly is the perfect setting for Valentines Day, every womans dream. The food is fantastic, Gordon Ramsay would take his hat off to them I'm sure. I sincerely hope that a lot of men read this and take the love of their life because they will be guaranteed a wonderful, romance filled experience. read more

Whenever I come here. I always have the best time. It has a lovely atmosphere, created through the classy clientele, baroque architecture and candle light. I've had dinner here twice and I was impressed both times. The presentation of the food is great and I found the waiting staff to be attentive and friendly. It is a bit expensive but to be honest, it's a fair trade for such a great atmosphere. read more

My husband and I live in the San Francisco area and travel extensively all over the world. We would rank BBB as one of the best. The food is wonderful, the staff are great and the restaurant is beautiful. We loved the restaurant so much, we went back on our last day in London for dinner again. The staff and owners were attentive. The martinis were wonderful and the place was gorgeous with a wonderful atmosphere. I can assure you that we will be returning on our next trip to London! read more

Ambience is amazing..excellent exotic drinks..trendy crowd...and nice food!!what else do u need!this place is perfect!!!!

The decor of this place is amazing...and their drinks are delicious (try the porn star martini)! I havent tried much in terms of food, but what I have had was pretty good. Service is not super fast so give yourself some time but the drinks alone are worth it. I try to stop in every time I'm in London! read more

We were so excited when we walked through the doors of Beach Blanket Babylon - the decor is amazing!! The menu seemed a bit random, with no apparent theme but we went ahead and ordered a couple of entrees and the roasted duck, the crispy skin salmon and super vegan salad for mains along with green beans and fries as sides. The food as a whole, is the worst food I have had in a very long time... I'm not sure how you remove the salmon taste from salmon-but they did. It was dry and tasteless with soggy, burnt skin... The duck was no better, so overdone it was hard to cut into. And the super food salad was so sickly sweet,it was completely inedible. The fries were the best part of the meal. The service was also odd, semi-friendly at times, but overall the staff were unhelpful and rude. I very nearly asked for the service charge (included automatically in the total) to be removed from the bill. The cocktails, although expensive, were delicious and this is why BBB gets two stars, however I would not return even for these.... read more

Funny that all the haters posted comments incognito! lol I mean come on you're actually the only ones with no pics? haha Ok so I've been to that place a few times and each time I loved it! And all the men going there are just dreamy yummy ;) read more

BBB is a sad reminder of the place it used to be. The bar lacks the fun atmosphere it had before, and the crowd is a bit older and mostly pretentious. It seems as if the owners don't care at all- if you go there, you might experience what we saw several times- one of the owners just sprayed cheap champagne on the visitors, despite numerous requests to stop doing that. It's a shame as it used to be one of my favourite spots in Notting Hill. read more

Original cocktails and a nice mix of people. A good place if you are looking for the upscale side of things.

Delighted it's still there, though glory days are a bit behind it. A bit like Duran Duran x

This place is stupendously overpriced and way too crowded. With no dance floor and mediocre music - its just a waste of time. Had a much better time standing outside of the pub next door with a whiskey and a Marlboro. read more