Notting Hill pub the Walmer Castle will reopen today (November 1) after an extensive renovation.
Husband and wife team Jack and Poppy Greenall, owners of upmarket pub The Surprise in Chelsea, have overseen a “careful restoration” of the boozer in the hope of creating, they said, a “warm and welcoming English tavern.”
The Walmer Castle, which dates back to 1845, has been refurbished by Isabella Worsley and local furniture maker Rupert Bevan, who designed and crafted the new bar. It follows a difficult few years for the pub, whose previous owners include David Beckham and Guy Ritchie, and then Mahiki owner Piers Adam, who tried and failed with a Scottish-themed, whisky-led offering.
On the walls are historical maps and references to Notting Hill’s past, while antiques were sourced by markets and dealers around Portobello Market and along Golborne Road.
Commissioned paintings and drawings, meanwhile, have come from the London-based artist Jack Penny, whose cartoonish pieces capture pub and restaurant scenes and who is becoming ever more popular with collectors, particularly those with ties to hospitality.
Walmer Castle menus are the work of chef Luaan van de Watt and include bar snacks, an a la carte list, and Sunday roasts. Upcoming for more casual dining are Scotch eggs, beef burgers with raclette, charcuterie boards, and fish and chips.
More formal plates include black tiger prawns with a buttered baguette, cured Chalk Stream trout, halibut with smoked tomato risotto, and celeriac and truffle pie. And roast dinners will hit the usual notes — beef, pork, lamb, and a vegetarian option.
Following many higher-end pubs in London today, downstairs will be a more casual bar and dining space, while upstairs is set to be a “more intimate dining room,” press material said.
Beers will mostly come from local and independent breweries and the pub will be open seven days a week.
