Beach Blanket Babylon

The first thing that will strike you about this is the ambiance, which is beyond perfect. It’s both cozy, and foreign at the same time.
Everything else? Well. it’s okay. And by that I mean, then, that’s it’s overpriced and derivative. There are far better places to eat with better service for the prices you’ll pay here.
One feather in its cap are the cocktails, which were great. But I didn’t come here for the cocktails, ergo I left disappointed. You can do better.

it seems to go back to a French living room of the XIX century, a bit kitsch but very nice in every detail.
We were 5 for brunch, and we had some starters (olives, focaccia and nuts) and then crab and avocado, eggs and avocado, eggs royale.
The food is ok, I was not impressed with anything we had. Also the portions are not very big.
However we were a bit disappointed by the service, very slow, the forgot one thing (twice!) and the waiters were chatting by themselves and to get attention was quite difficult!

The décor 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!

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 décor 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 décor.

This is a fun restaurant to go to, if not for the ambiance and décor. The bar is packed and the cocktails are pricey but tasty!
The food here is fine. It’s not great, but it’s not bad. We had the scallops as a starter, the risotto and duck as mains, and the green beans as a side. We split the eton mess for dessert and had a flight of dessert wines to share; dessert was probably the best part for me. Also we split a bottle of Greek red wine with dinner and that wine was really good.
The service was a bit strange. Our server was quite busy and seemed frazzled but she also didn’t offer any details when we asked about certain mains. She didn’t really seem to know what was going on. The service was also quite slow, but she was nice.
I won’t be back — the food isn’t worth it. But the ambiance of this place is pretty cool.

BBB is such an adorable restaurant and has a cute outdoor area, vibrant bar and a romantic dining setting on each floor. When you walk in, be sure to sneak away to explore a bit, truly a pretty restaurant.
The menu itself sounds exciting. We started with the charcuterie which to me, lacked the variety that I look for. However if you are looking for only two types of salami and 4 wedges of a hard cheese, this is the heaping pile of meat for you.
The ragu pappardelle is a solid option. Heritage tomato salad was good too. It had a really great flavor where I found myself dipping the bread in the leftover dressing.
We ended with the banoffee mess a caramel banana custard which was not overly sweet.
Service was not a highlight of this meal, be prepared to wait and to dart your eyes around for attention.

So posh and trendy! The décor was so pretty and the menu is delicious. Prices are great. Love the salads here or just go for a glass of wine with the girls!

Franchement, c’est trop d’la balle cet endroit!
en haut, vous pouvez déguster un cocktail, manger un bout et papoter. en bas, CA DANSE! et sur de la bonne musique, le pied!

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:
)

Poor service. I was appalled. Forgotten orders, four separate waiters, 30 minutes for a glass of water.
The décor is exceedingly romantic. Candle lit with fresh flowers.
The food was also decent — when it finally arrived.
However, the service ruined it for me. I expect a good service if I am paying over £10 for a cocktail.
If you feel the uncontrollable desire to pay this place a visit, ask for Aurora to be your waitress — she know what she’s doing. Don’t let them place you in the corner. You will join the wonderful furniture.

good:
ott décor (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.

We hired the top floor for a private work function and were absolutely stunned when we arrived — the décor is beautiful beyond anything we had imagined, and the attention to detail (from aged leather sofas and fireplace in the ante-​room, from candles and a melting clock found in the main dining room, was very impressive.
The staff were very accommodating of our individual needs, and were very friendly, even helping us pack up our giant Jenga to collect the next day! The area was completely private, with no hire charge — only a minimum spend. For our group of 24 the size of the room was perfect.
The food, however, was not spectacular — it wasn’t bad, but neither was it particularly memorable. This is based on the set menu for larger parties, rather than the a la carte within the main restaurant.
That said, the venue itself (which generally raised oohs and aahs from our group) was so impressive that I would definitely return.

Love the ambiance and elegance of beach blanket babylon. Seclusion of each room is very intimate. The specialty drinks are delicious. I tried the red velvet and the plum drink. Both were so good. The dinner menu has traditional European dishes, fish pasta, steaks. I had the lobster Thermidor. It was very good. I had a green salad for a starter it was terrible very bland. Of the bottles of wines we tired we really liked an Italian red that was made «the old way». It was bold and sweet and 16%alcohol. It was beautiful I highly recommend this place

Pros:
Cool setting
Great location in Notting Hill
Cons:
Food was average — I got the duck but it was too sweet
Wife got the potatoes and fish (take on fish and chips) — was above average
Overall, this is a cool place to bring your date — nice setting and ambience, but don’t come here for the food.

Ambiance, amazing food, perfect service and priced right.
I had no idea what to expect and it’s the best way to go.
I was so pleasantly surprised by all the different rooms and how polite the staff was and then the food wow.
The drink lost was very creative as well oh and the desert yummy yummy.
We had the
We had the filet, and mushroom risotto with black Truffle. the servers were so attentive but not over attentive. I will def be back very time I come to London!
Don’t miss this Gem.

Beach Blanket Babylon is tucked away on one of the streets off the Notting Hill High street, which is nice. It’s not on a busy road but also close enough to walk from the station.
BBB is all about the ambience. The restaurant boasts a very sexy interior with chandeliers, fireplaces and furniture that would make Marie Antoinette go red with envy.
Sadly, BBB is not really all about food. Don’t get me wrong, my veggie starter and my risotto main were great, but they just weren’t what you’d expect from BBB. Maybe it’s the interior and the service that set the bar too high, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s not food that will keep you coming back, it’s the atmosphere. All in all, I had a lovely date night, hence my 4 stars.

We discovered Beach Blanket Babylon after seeing it on Unilocal.My colleague was familiar with the play and Street from San Francisco, so we were excited to check out the restaurant bearing it’s name.
We took a seat at a table in the bar, and did our best to wonder around to check out the eclectic décor.
Décor: eclectic, interesting, beautiful… Not what I expected in Notting Hill
Food: delicious. We had squid (calamari), burrata, lamb. The Lamb was fantastic, as was the squid.
Drinks: adult beverages were fantastic.

Swank and posh place. The décor alone is worth all the word of mouth. Alas, I can’t recommend it as an actual bar: in terms of, a place to get drinks.
I’ve been there three times; twice during the week, and once on a weekend night.
On each occasion, you unfortunately get the far extreme of poor-​British-​customer service.
Be prepared to wait at the bar for ten or so minutes before anyone acknowledges your presence with eye-​contact. Be prepared to wait an additional ten minutes before they begrudgingly take your drink order.
And another ten minutes before you are served your drink.
It’s not as if the bar is under-​staffed. They seem to have plenty of personnel. It’s just that they appear to have zero motivation to actually turn out drinks.
In summary, great, fashionable place. Just don’t go there if you want more than two drinks per hour or so.

Very beautiful décor and LOVE that you can sit by the fireplaces~
The Champagne cocktails are VERY delicious! Had the watermelon one and the… lychee~~
What i liked:
1. Ambiance
2. Ambiance
3. Ambiance
4. Drinks (champagne cocktails)

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.

The first words out of your mouth when you enter this place is — how pretty! I think it’s definitely a place where girls like to get woo’ed having a few cocktails at the bar. The DJ is pretty good but does play a really eclectic mix.
The food in the restaurant downstairs isn’t anything special. You do feel like you’re eating in a cave but def good to have the option to grab a bit of a nibble if you’re feeling peckish.

Dieser Laden ist optisch ein Erlebnis!
Ich weiß nicht, was es früher einmal war, aber wenn man durch das Beach Blanket Babylon hindurchgeht, denkt man, man wäre in einem Schloss.
Verwinkelt, verspielt, edel.
Man kann in Ohrensesseln, auf gemütlichen Sofas oder an kleinen Tischen sitzen.
Oben ist auch ein abgetrennter Bereich, in dem Gruppen essen können.
Wir sind am frühen Abend dort gewesen und haben Cocktails getrunken, die sehr lecker, jedoch auch recht hochpreisig waren.
Gegessen haben wir nicht (sah aber teuer aus).
Wirklich wirklich schön!

Extrem cooler Laden. Wir waren am Samstag mit neun Leuten dort, die Coctails sind echt klasse. Bevor wir unseren Platz bekamen, haben wir an der Bar gewartet — echt lustig. Die anderen Leute kamen offenbar alle gerade aus Ascot und waren gut behütet Man hatte richtig was zu gucken. Die Location geht über mehrere Etagen in den Keller runter und ist mit kleinen Brücken verbunden (Achtung: Stolpterfalle für hohe Absätze, kann man aber elegant meistern:)). Das Essen ist auch echt gut, am besten ist jedoch die Atmosphäre:) Jedenfalls ein Erlebnis.

Un des piliers de Notting Hill, le BBB est un des bars qui tourne depuis plus de 15 ans et né prend pas vraiment de rides. L’ambiance est generalement bonne et relaxe, c’est une des valeurs sures du quartier, moins «cool» que les pubs de Westbourne Park Road mais pratque vu son emplacement pres de Westbourne Grove et sur Ledbury Road, nouveau temple de la mode et du shopping local.

Bien branché
Welcome to the BBB! ce lieu mythique et bien connu vaut le détour né serait que par l’ambiance…

un restaurant irreel
Situe a Notting Hill, ce restaurant — bar est ideal pour se depayser: le cadre «kitsch branche» vaut le coup d’oeil et les petits coins tranquilles vous donneront envie de passer l’apres midi au coin du feu a discuter. Et la formule brunch est agreable meme si ce n’est pas ici que l’on vient pour bien manger.