Dove, Notting Hill restaurant review

(Image credit: Photography by Ciara Quinn)

Taking flight on the old Orasay site, Dove is Jackson Boxer’s relaunch of his Notting Hill restaurant. The chef announced on Instagram last December that Orasay’s speciality of British seafood had become economically unviable; now, Dove will serve what Boxer calls ‘the things that I want to cook and eat right now.’

The mood: pale and interesting

Orasay’s interiors were only five years old, so Boxer is going for more of a refresh than a full refurb. Eagle-eyed regulars, however, may spot that the Rose Uniacke conical lampshades have been replaced with glass pendants for more of a bistro look. Otherwise, expect the same delicate palate of hand-dyed linens, reclaimed antique French oak and lime-washed walls that echo both the simplicity of the cooking and the quality of raw materials that end up on the plate.

dining area inside dove restaurant london

The food: Boxer packs a punch

The emphasis on seafood has been replaced with a focus on the best British ingredients, brightened up with whatever happens to be at its best in Europe, too. That means a mini lasagne of deep-fried Taleggio cheese and Wiltshire truffle to snack on while deciding between the likes of roast chicken with fennel and blood orange or lemon and ricotta dumplings with lobster cream and lime leaf. Flavours are bold but, given the locale, prices are not.

Dove is located at 31 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2EU; dove.london

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Ben McCormack is a London-based restaurant journalist with over 25 years’ experience of writing. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is a regular contributor to the Evening Standard, Food and Travel and Decanter. He lives in west London with his partner and lockdown cockapoo.