It's easy to find breakfast in London. To find an excellentbreakfast makes things a little more complicated, and to find an excellent breakfast at a reasonable price can be a real challenge. Throw in great service and a venue that says 'experience' rather than just a seat to plonk yourself down on, requires trawling through endless online reviews and in-depth analyses. Elegant yet simply prepared. Photos: Rosie Hillsdon All you have to do is head towards Portobello Road, West London, and find yourself sat in the gloriously comfortable leather booths of the Electric Diner. Providing a brilliant array of dishes that your taste buds seem to anticipate just from staring at the menu, the newly-opened Electric Diner combines the comforts of the traditional American diner with a French underground edge. The December winter morning was firmly left outside as we deliberated over our menu choices with our waiter. We were told that the plates were large and meant for sharing, so we chose avocado on toast with chilli and poached egg, and an open-faced ham, cheese fondue with fried egg. Recommended to us also came the thick peppered bacon and hash browns as side orders. Elegant yet simply prepared, all four of these dishes had a unique twist that perfectly reflected the eccentricity of the diner, not to mention that they were all absolutely delicious. The Croque Monsieur-esque ham and cheese fondue gets a special mention. A collaborative effort between Chicago-based chef Brendan Sodikoff and the Soho House Group, the Electric Diner caters for every customer, even if it is just for a cup of Darlington's coffee. The restaurant was buzzing by 10am, and the staff was efficient, unobtrusive and never missed the opportunity to refill your glass. Though at the higher end of reasonably-priced, there is no doubt that the creatively cooked fresh products, served with friendly professionalism, was well worth it. A second visit is definitely on the cards to try their 'All Day Menu' served after 12pm, and a little later to try the wonderfully-named cocktail 'Chasing Maria'. Rosie Hillsdon Food: 18/20 Drinks: 16/20 Service: 19/20 The Electric Diner: 53/60 Electric Diner, 191 Portobello Road London W11 2ED is open from 8am for 'Breakfast', 12pm onwards for the 'All Day Menu', and is open until 1am at the weekend. No reservations. (*Written on behalf of The Upcoming magazine - http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2012/12/10/restaurant-review-the-electric-diner-portobello-road/) read more

Swanky diner to get dinner after a movie at the Electric Cinema. It gets pretty busy but we were able to grab seats at the bar on a bustling Sunday evening. Selection of beer was awesome, great variety of both local and imported beer. However food was a bit disappointing. 17 quid Fried honey chicken was intense, and the sauce was a bit too cloying and thick. 9 quid burger was okay, nothing to write home about. Fries were standard. Perhaps it's better during brunch. read more

Fabulous place for brunch. Wonderful Portabello Rd atmosphere, fantastic food and impeccable service. It's popular and busy but so worth the wait, and has loads of nearby browsing while you wait for your table! read more

Sloped in here after watching a film upstairs with SWMBO. We sat at the busy bar, glugged beer and cocktails and then took a seat for dinner overlooking the kitchen. Atmosphere was belting, really enjoyed the varied music, and all the staff are working their socks off. The menu is kind of simple and very reasonably priced. Food was delicious. Flat iron chicken was juicy, burger was a very tasty burger with finely judged bun, cheese and patty (!), and the fries and the pickles were champion. Too stuffed for dessert. No reservations - put your name down around when you want to eat and they'll call you in due course. The bar gets rammed. You can let the staff take your coat if there's nowhere to put it. Also, saw 3 to 10 year old kids there at 7pm and later... so no problem if you are with-child, it seems, and they all looked happy enough read more

We fortuitously stumbled across Electric Diner with some good friends while looking for brunch in the neighborhood and figured the bustling crowd there couldn't be too far wrong. After a 30-minute wait during which we wandered further up Portobello Rd, they texted me back and seated us in a big comfy booth in the middle of the restaurant. Brunch was awesome. My wife said it was the best she's had in London, period. Our Rwandan filter coffees were strong, full-flavored, and inexpensive at £2, my waffle was delicious with clotted cream and just a little too much strawberry preserves, and my wife's Eggs Benedict were perfectly made. Our companions proclaimed their breakfasts to be similarly excellent. And the side order of hashbrowns ordered for the table was huge, crispy, salty, and very good.. And to cap it off, the staff was friendly and laid back, the atmosphere was lively, and the space is interesting, kind of like a hipster fallout shelter but with better music. We'll certainly be back. read more

Came here for breakfast because it's a short walk from where we're staying. My daughter ordered the eggs Benedict. I got the two eggs with toast and hash browns. It was good but nothing to write home about. The eggs in UK are deep orange not yellow like back in the States. Not bad but the price is pretty steep like all of London. read more

I no longer live in Notting Hill, and it is for this reason that I can now honestly say this is my fav burger spot in the whole of London. A few months and a few miles to the southeast have me craving the single cheeseburger (double patties) with pickles, onions, sauce, and good ol' French's mustard way too often. And there's certainly nothing like it in SE1! Everything else from before still rings true. Also note: on weekdays, if you go before 11am for breakfast or before 7pm for dinner and get the loyalty card, the bill is half-priced. It's gotta be one of the better deals in West London! read more

Had a great experience here! After walking in from the rain we were immediately seated at a booth in the back. The restaurant is decorated in 50's shabby chic and it really set a fun, but cool mood to the place. The waitress was very nice and patient. Some of our group wanted to make changes to the standard menu items and she was only happy to comply. I had the quinoa salad, which had grapes and feta and almonds. It sounded like a weird combo on the menu, but it tasted really light and refreshing. I stole a bite of a burger and it was delicious! Very moist and the cheese was not over powering. It was also nice to see a bun hold together. Stuffed to the max, we decided to throw caution to the wind and got the chocolate pie. It was a very rich chocolate tart with an oreo cookie base. The portion was huge and we just about managed to finish it between two of us. The service, food, and ambiance were great and I can't wait to come back and try some more of their food options!!! read more

I came here on New Year's Day and had a delicious breaky to cure my hangover. I loved watching the cooks in action and everything was very tasty! We had avocado toast, a full English breakfast and eggs Benedict! Yum!! read more

Being a lover of burgers the Electric Diner has been on my hit list for quite some time. A Saturday afternoon trip to Portobello market seemed like perfect opportunity to make a visit. On stopping by we were told there would be an hour wait, no problem - they took out number and promised to call as soon as the table was ready. We went off exploring the local stalls and shops. When seated we were welcomed by a very friendly waitress, to cover it off all in all she was great. I went for the cheese burger with bacon added and an oreo milkshake. Oh lordy lord....the milkshake was tremendous. Lots of oreo chunks and a good consistency. tasty! The burger was a double patty both very thin, layered with cheese and pickles. YUM! while not a big rare burger this was meaty and tasty and made for a great lunch! A visit here is highly JD Recommended! read more

While the Soho House group can do no real wrong in my eyes - I always find that my expectations of Electric Diner are higher than they should be. The various times we have visited in the past year or so, it seems like the menu has not changed at all. If it has, it's been a very subtle, un-noticeable one. My usual order was the flat iron chicken, but the last time or so I'd ordered it the sauce was watery and it was overpowered with garlic, leaving little else taste. They use to do the most incredible lemon meringue pie too, but it seems that came off the menu pretty quickly - which is unfortunate, as the door stop sized slice you were given was not only incredibly delicious but also great value for money. The decor of course, it lovely, great leather bound booth seating with dim atmospheric lighting even during the day. The bar is a great place to sit and people watch everyone shopping on Portobello road too. Which I feel is the one saving grace to this place. Stop for a drink or three, maybe avoid the food. read more

Great lunch special!! £7.50 will get you a Salad + Soup/Sandwich. I got the club sandwich and a salad and the food was very fresh and delicious. Good selection of beers on draught and warm energetic atmosphere. Must try! read more

My girlfriend heard about this cool, hipster restaurant. We intended to go for breakfast but when we saw pics on yelp and the menu we decided to wait 30 mins and sip on a couple of delicious Bloody Mary's to wait for their lunch menu to begin! haha We shared the chicken wings - which was ok, not really what we expected. But the burger & fries were delicious. The bloody mary was so good! And we were stuffed but we still shared a dessert which was good. Can't recall the name but it was a pastry with whip cream and strawberries I believe...light but good. read more

We were there for brunch and we weren't disappointed by the menu. My daughter had a green boost smoothie which was delicious. She ordered a favourite, eggs benedict, which she thought was particularly good. I was avoiding carbo so ordered a cheese and ham omelette. This was very disappointing and I should have spoken to them at the time for an explanation. It was very rubbery and the shape of it suggested it had been cooked in a mould. It felt very artificial, not the fresh, light and fluffy one I was expecting and hoping for. All our food came very quickly, almost too quickly. Having said all of that we would both go back - I'd just make a different choice. The staff were very friendly and helpful when we were trying to get our bearings for the tube. read more

This place would have been 5 stars, if it weren't for the moodiness of a number of the male staff. Typical, fun American decor inside - however the menu choice was rather limited (and pricey). The cocktails were second to none and food was tasty. read more

Electric Diner - Diners Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Um, completely blew my mind. Came here for brunch with a few Friends and none of us really looked into the place, so we were a little more than pleasantly surprised to find such a great brunch place! As soon as we walked in the place was buzzing. There was a small seating area outside and lots of booths and a bar inside. We were seated immediately and It was refreshing not having to queue at this popular 'no reservation' dinner. I'm going to plagiarise a popular tip that I read which went something like "you should really punch your self in the face if you don't order the Bloody Mary here'. By far the best Bloody Mary that I have ever had! And trust me, I've had a few :) The menu was delicious, we were all spoilt for choice. They've got some great veggie friendly options like the avocado on toast and quinoa with spinach. I'd definitely like to come back and try their burger too. The service was amazing- I particularly liked that our waiter slipped in and took a seat at our booth while helping us pick our order. Too intimate? Naaah! The only downside is that its a bit of a trek to get to as its quite far away from the tube- but it is completely worth it! Loved, loved, loved! read more

This is a great restaurant with excellent food and great service. The flat-top chicken dish is great as is the salad with smoked fish. Hard to imagine anything not being good. read more

Electric Diner - Great salad with smoked fish, chicken in the background! - Diners Near Me - London, XGL

Great eggs benedict and crumpets, wow! We went around 8:30 on a weekend morning and there wasn't a line, thankfully. The space is nice, the music is great, and the people who work there seemed like good friends. read more

Electric Diner - Eggs Benedict of amazingness. - Diners Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Honestly, my impression of the name made me think that this was goin to be some wanna be cool diner, but I was very pleased with the food, atmosphere and service. I came in with a few coworkers for a late brunch on a Saturdya to escape the craziness of Portobello Market. (awesome but CRAZY). We came in and were seated immediately. Ordered a few drinks which came very quickly. We ordered: Quinoa and avo salad (surprisingly yummy and awesome). This is a great dish to have for a light lunch. Avocado with chili toast and poached egg : Wowser, the avo was so fresh and juicy. I loved it, and the perfectly poached egg and chili was a great complement. Two of my friends got the cheeseburger, which apparently was outstanding and the hot dog, which was less exciting. It was awesome, we had a kid with us and they actually totally catered to him. We were in a rush and wanted to take his ice cream to go and they went out of their way to find a to - go cup for him. Great place!! read more

Great prices, service and decor. Had the Full English which had pork belly instead of bacon - real plus. Tried the smoked salmon and eggs too - good portion size. read more

Time for an update: Following a fire The Electric Brasserie had to close down and re-opened in December last year under a new name: The Electric Diner does exactly what it does on the tin it not only looks quite American, the cocktails, food and service are to match. Particularly impressed with our water glasses being refilled regularly. So my 5 stars are to stay, and I hope so is this Portobello institution. I went for pre-Christmas drinks last year and was very happy to return for a meal tonight. My friend and I both opted for chicken dishes, both delicious. Mind you, mine should have come with a warning that they expect you to eat the honey-fried chicken with your fingers. I managed to tackle the pile of sticky chicken pieces with cutlery probably a good thing as it was so delicious I would have devoured it far too quickly otherwise. Hashbrowns and roasted broccoli were excellent side dishes. To have a pudding after all this food was pure greed; the lemon meringue pie that arrived was American super-size, but guess what so delicious I finished most of it, too. Luckily the espresso is nice and strong! Apart from the area's best and most exciting cinema, The Electric also comprises a private members club and an excellent bar/restaurant. Having popped in for breakfasts and snacks so many times, I had almost forgotten just how excellent a place for dinner The Electric is. Following the previous night's disappointment at Tibits, last night's dinner at The Electric made up and left a good impression of British cuisine on my friends. We had a lovely, attentive waiter and chose a selection of lovely foods. I shared some excellent merquez with yoghurt/mint dip and had the most delicious chicken & leek pie. So much succulent meat and seasoned with tarragon, my favourite herb. Everything else looked great happy faces and round bellies all round. Really glad to see a place this popular for people watching also really delivering on the food. read more

I never had a chance to try the old Electric Brasserie, but I have a feeling the new Electric diner is much better! Since the Electric re-opened, this place has been buzzing. Every time I come here, it is packed full. One great thing is that you can put your name and mobile down, and the hostess will call you when your table is ready. There are no shortage of bars around the area to grab a quick drink while waiting for your table (try Montgomery!). The menu changes, but the general gist is "gourmet" American diner food. I came here with a friend, and we had the Bone Marrow and beef cheek marmalade, flat-iron chicken (grilled to juicy perfection), crispy fries with mornay sauce and egg, and a side of roasted broccoli. The bone marrow is really delicious, but I suggest you eat it as a sharing dish as it is extremely rich. The roasted broccoli, although a side, was a huge hit. Biggest "con": It is so freaking loud in there---the architect clearly did not think through the design of the space. The ceilings are low and curved, so voices are trapped in the space. You really have to shout to have a conversation. Also, if you sit at the bar, the heat from the stove is almost unbearable. I am definitely coming back, and hopefully next time there will be some gourmet doughnuts left for me to try..... read more

I'm a big fan of the Electric Cinema, so perhaps it's no surprise I also love the Electric Diner. Their food is consistently good and they offer a ton of crowd-pleasing options (think burgers, mac & cheese, ribs, lobster roll, honey-fried chicken). I'm also into the quinoa salad which is a healthier but very tasty option. Smashed potatoes loaded with garlic and butter-y goodness is clearly a no-brainer. The chocolate cream pie dessert option is also top-notch. Love their drinks as well, and would always recommend stopping in for a drink on a Saturday night. The bar is fun and generally pretty busy. read more

First time in London and stopped by here on my way out. Great service, great music, great wine, and incredible food. Highly recommend.

I don't know about you but I loathe multiplex cinemas. There's the interminable queueing..first for your ticket..then for some synthetic, 'convenience', chemical-laden, nutrient-free so-called food that you wouldn't feed to your dog in normal circumstances. And why is it that you have to buy a bag of 400 maltesers, rather than the usual size packet? Oh and pay £6 for it? So compared to the above, a visit to the Electric Cinema, which adjoins its sister eaterie,the Electric Brasserie, is refreshing. When I visited the other night, my friend and I were able to settle down to a pretty good meal of chicken and leek pie and mash followed by melt-in-the-mouth mango sorbet. It's a pretty noisy place on a saturday night, with the din of drinkers at the bar and cacophanous open kitchen to contend with, but definitely buzzing. We got the bill and then one of the lovely managers, Mike, offered to go and pick up our tickets and escort us through the back of the brasserie directly into the cinema's auditorium. So civilisedand not a tortilla in sight. read more

American diner goes industrial rustic hipster - and does it well. Cheery and familiar service. Don't miss out on the "mozzarella" sticks made from fick different kinds of cheese, like no other I've ever eaten and could have eaten more. read more

My boyfriend and I went here on Friday night to review it for my website. We sat outside (only had to wait 15 minutes which was amazing considering how fantastic the weather was!) and enjoyed the most delicious food, fantastic service and brilliant people watching! The food was pretty good value considering the area. We have tasty seasonal food and the portions were generous - which again is not something you'd necessarily expect in Notting Hill. I can't stress enough how great the service was. It really transformed our meal from a good meal to a great meal! Thank you to all the staff at the Electric for a fantastic evening. read more

We went a week ago and looks good but today's staff performance was really bad, no only in manners but in caring the customers experience

I would give it more stars, as the food was lovely, but I have to agree with CaribQueen on the service. We were reminded, repeatedly, throughout our meal that they'd need the table returned at precisely 2:30pm. I realize this is common practice in London (or so I hear) but it's considered very rude in the States to give an end time to your meal, unless an exception has been made for your reservation time. And to deliver it repeatedly felt very rude, when we were only five minutes off our time. Still, the mussels were very good, as was the house red wine and the salad. The atmosphere was lively and err electric, so very much enjoyed being a part of the community for a short while. Would return, during an off-peak hour read more

We first came to the Electric Diner, as an addition to going to the Electric Cinema next door, since then, we have been back several times. The atmosphere is great, and it is a brilliant diner experience. The staff are all very approachable and friendly, and all wiling to help wherever they can. I have had many cheeseburgers in my life, some good, some bad, but the Double Cheeseburger at the Electric Diner is hands down the overall winner, nothing since has even come close. I would definitely recommend both the Electric Diner and the Cheeseburger. read more

Food and ambience was great but management is shady. We went in for snacks before a movie and wanted to take advantage of their 50% discount from 5-6pm. When we got our check, they said we were seated at 4.58pm so they didn't want to give us the discount. That's pretty bad form ... read more

I came here for a late breakfast and it was really good. I had the eggs royale with perfectly poached eggs and delicious smoked salmon. The portion sizes are not very big but perfect for breakfast. The staff were also very polite and friendly. I loved how it was both cozy and trendy but definitely not too posh. Overall, I loved the whole ambience of the place, especially sitting at the bar looking out the window on a rainy day. read more

Electric Diner - Eggs Royale - Diners Near Me - London, XGL

Best Burger I ever had, anytime that I visit London it is a must stop. Great atmosphere, food is prepared right in front of you which ensures its quality and cleanliness. read more

I'd been meaning to come here for ages (pretty shocking as I've lived in London my whole life). We came in for a late breakfast and sat at the bar in front of the cooking station. We saw lots of delicious looking plates come past us while we were waiting for ours. I was certainly not disappointed with my scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Huge portion of really tasty smoked salmon (I find smoked salmon hit and miss as it can sometimes be a bit tough or stringy). The eggs were very light and fluffy and also plentiful. Service was relatively quick but not super friendly. It wouldn't stop me returning. Next time I'd rather sit in a booth as the bar is a bit cramped and there's nowhere to put your bag if you have one. read more

Friendly service; otherwise highly overrated/ priced. We had a main here last night and although the staff was very friendly, I wouldn't really take the effort to come back again. The food was very salty and quite expensive even by london standards for the value you get. Nothing out of the ordinary at least. Our (white) wine was lukewarm to start with and chilled towards the end. read more

Great food. Big portions. Great service. Really energetic staff that bring a good vib to the place. Server was so excited about the specials and how interesting they were that I hated not to order them. But the other items sounded so good and they catered to my gluten free needs. read more

Popped in here before I went to the cinema next door and I was impressed how stylish it was inside. The staff were really friendly and I had a beer sitting at the bar as I also noticed people walking by at the open seating by the window. I will definitely come back for food which looked great. read more

There's some cool aspects to this place. It's cozy and warm on a cold rainy night. They serve good drinks. The wait staff are smartly dressed and attentive. It's aways a fun and lively place. However, there are other things that detract from the overall experience, mainly the food and food preparation. Having the kitchen wide open to the public is both a blessing and a curse. I always enjoy watching the chefs at work, it creates excitement and usually gives you trust in the food being prepared. However, when the chefs are making mistakes, it cannot be hidden. First of all, when you are cooking hot dishes, like soup, over a big flame, you should not be using plastic or rubber utensils. You certainly shouldn't be leaving them unattended in the fire-hot skillet, so they can melt into your food. I watched this happen over and over, with the soup I had ordered. I could even taste and smell the burnt rubber from the spatula they left in the boiling pot, touching the hot metal. Then I watched the cooks re-use the broiler oven pans over and over and over again, without washing them, so that the chicken grease was mixing with the vegetarian roasted broccoli dishes. When it's really busy, you have to maybe cut some corners, but couldn't you at least isolate the meat dishes from the vegetarian dishes? I might be back again, because it does have a fun vibe. But only for drinks! read more

Im from the states and its quite hard to find a breakfast that feels and tastes like home, the best breakfast i had while i stayed in london. Definitely a place you must eat at read more

Electric diner.........it is one of the most solid overlap choices there is... it exists in the space between eating a falafel on the portobello road sidewalk and drinking mimosas with raspberries on the rim of your champagne glass on primrose hill. it's nice and clean but not posh... it's got quality food but not too fancy.... friendly host / hostess and bartenders. Slight issue with the attire for waiters / waitresses-- i'm pretty sure the only requirement is black shirt so we are often asking other patrons black shirts for our check in vain. read more