Tom Conran's 1995 Notting Hill original, one of England's first gastropubs, built around Guinness and oysters.
The Cow sits on Westbourne Park Road in Notting Hill, opened by Tom Conran in 1995 as one of England's first four gastropubs. The downstairs saloon is a casual bar; a small restaurant runs upstairs.
Its signature is Guinness and oysters, the silky-and-salty pairing kept on ice above the bar. Come for that combination, a seafood platter, and a piece of gastropub history. Skip it if you want a quiet table on a Saturday, because the saloon gets packed and loud.
The Cow is in Notting Hill, London. Walk in downstairs; book the upstairs restaurant.
The ground-floor saloon is a tight, characterful bar with oysters on ice and a regular crowd. The upstairs restaurant is the calmer room for a full seafood meal.
The Cow has kept its 1990s gastropub bones rather than chasing a refit. Londonist and Time Out both frame it as an enduring Notting Hill original.
Guinness is the order, poured to match the oysters that are the house speciality. Beyond that the bar keeps a straightforward range of beer and wine.
Order a Guinness and a half-dozen oysters in the downstairs saloon. Upstairs, the kitchen runs Cow classics including fish stew, bangers and mash, and the Deluxe Seafood Platter that the official site builds its name on.
What to order
- 01
Guinness and a half-dozen oysters
- 02
The Deluxe Seafood Platter
- 03
Fish stew
- 04
Bangers and mash with onion gravy
