Lisa’s

6 Reviews on “Lisa’s”

• Iris

  Upon arriving at Lisas, my partner asked if I was sure we were in the right place. Of course, I snapped, throwing him an icy stare. How dared he think I could get us lost in Notting Hill a mere 10-minute walk away from home? How dared he doubt my promise of a nice dinner out? Only that it wasnt one of his usual attempts at winding me up. He was genuinely concerned, and I could see why: the place was nearly empty, dead silent but for the whispered French chatter of the two staff members sitting at the back. As we walked in, they welcomed us with an awkward smirk, like mischievous kids who werent expecting their parents to come home early. I dont blame them: while Lisas is always packed on weekends, customers trekking to the North end of Portobello Road on a chilly winter weeknight must be quite an unlikely sight. The Lisas we saw that night was miles away from the buzzing, cute little cafe we stepped into on many a Sunday lunchtime, hoping a stroke of luck would win us a vacant table.As we soon discovered, we werent the only ones whod braved the weather for a taste of Scandinavian food. Another couple walked in a few minutes after us, later followed by a group of five French folks; friends of the staff members, possibly invited to keep them company on a quiet night. There it came, again: the feeling of unease, as if wed just crashed a complete strangers house party. Friendly and helpful on the surface, the waiter who welcomed us looked constantly on edge, like a kid who suddenly found himself stuck in a mess too big to handle. Whether that was the unexpected surge of customers on a January weeknight, or sheer embarrassment at the discourtesy of his friends, I couldnt tell.This calls for a bit of context. Lisas dining room has much more in common with a converted British period house, than with the efficient, minimal style of many Scandinavian buildings. Its quirky decor gives it more character than any mass-produced furnishings with a consonant-packed name ever would, and its spacious dining room and high ceilings add to its relaxing atmosphere. When the weather gets warm, it must be a lovely place to be but if you visit in winter, beware: the old, heavy front door doesnt close properly, and lets in all sorts of freezing draughts, just like the old Victorian houses we all remember from dreadful househunting experiences. Wear extra layers, sit as far as possible from the entrance, and arm yourself with lots of patience, especially if there are smokers in the room. In our case, they were five and not the most respectful types, either. We suffered in silence (although the temptation to brush up my French and yell a menacing fermez la putain de porte! grew increasingly strong after fag number five). The waiter ran all over the place, closing the door every time one of his mates left it ajar. I felt sorry for him; a sympathy that quickly faded when he contested the legit voucher we presented him, and billed us a hefty service charge wed seen no mention of in the menu. Id much rather have left raving about the fantastic food I had, than ranting about the unpleasant surprise in our check.Ok, rant over; youll only hear me rave now. Lisas menu is full of hearty mains, perfect to satisfy the fiercest comfort food cravings on frosty winter nights. My partner ordered the game hen with thyme, garlic and lemon stuffing, while I set my eye on the fish gratin with lobster sauce. Cue a deep ceramic oven dish, packed with sizeable chunks of fish, all covered in mashed potato and Swedish cheese. The tangy lobster sauce enhanced the texture and taste of the fish, which was both soft to the bite and flavoursome to the palate. All came in an extremely generous portion; my fears of having to make do with the tiny plates that some Scandinavian restaurants seem to favour vanished as I realised that my fish gratin was more filling than my last Christmas meal (yes, youve heard that right Grandmas guinea-fowl and all that jazz).Our starter was also pretty good. In truth, all the starters on the menu sounded absolutely amazing; saying no to salmon tartare and pan-fried scallops with pancetta was no easy task. After much indecision, we shared a bucket of Nordic Atlantic prawns from the mains menu. In hindsight, it wasnt the smartest choice, given the temperature outside (and inside): the prawns were ice cold, as I imagine they would be in Stockholm, and so was the lemon-flavoured water we rinsed our fingers with afterwards. Still, I dont regret trying them; although I spotted a few black heads here and there, they tasted lovely, both on their own and with a sprinkle of lemon juice (plus, bearing with ice-cold hands for ten minutes is far better than being stuck with hands that smell of fish). Better still, they came with warm bread and a pot of aioli and if you know me, youll know that warm bread is one of many (edible) ways to my heart. Even the aioli, which Im usually wary of, was much more delicate than the over-the-top garlicky versions I had in the past.Add up half a bucket of prawns, three slices of bread and a dash of aioli, and youll get very close to a full-on meal. Our starter of sorts didnt leave much space for the main, and the main, which we ate down to the last morsel, left no space at all for dessert; a shame, for Id gladly have tried the apple crumble and mud cake. I might come back for them and those pan-fried scallops, too. whatevergetsyouthroughtheday.wordpress.com

  May 7, 2015, 3:57 pm

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• Morganaofavallon

  Lisa’s just lovely. It’s that small restaurant that could easily become your comfort place away from home. I’m not Swedish, mind you, but the ambience is so familiar and welcoming it’s just a pleasure to be there. The food is also amazing. I had a very nice #fishgratin which was incredibly tasty and beautifully prepared. Swedish beer is most recommended.

  March 15, 2015, 7:53 pm

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• Puja Chakravarty

  Went to Lisa’s on a Friday evening with the live band playing lovely numbers, The ambience , decor and the food – everything was lovely. We ordered a plate of scallops to start with , followed with meatballs and game hen for mains , and finished with a creme brulee ( see pics). The portion size for the scallops was quite small, but because the sauce that it came with was so marvellous, I cant complain at all. The meatballs came with again a gorgeous sauce, and melting mashed potatoes. The game hen was cooked to perfection. The skin was crisp and seasoned very well, though one small thing was we found the meat just a bit dry… The creme brulee was well balanced, not too sweet and not overly rich. Overall we had a great evening, and seeing Lisa’s friendly happy face around definitely adds a wonderful charm to this place 🙂

  February 28, 2015, 2:48 pm

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• Jamie Waters

  I headed to Portobello Road one Saturday afternoon knowing full well what that would mean: copping repeated elbows to the face from overzealous tourists hunting for *that* blue door. Fortunately, my destination was Lisas, a haunt that like so many other great London cafs offers a pocket of calm away from all the outside clutter. As the cafs full title Lisas of Gothenburg suggests, the owners have looked to Swedens second largest city for inspiration. But its a more rustic brand of Swedish dcor distressed white paint, wooden tables, quirky artworks than the clean lines and minimalism we associate with the Scando chic of Stockholm and Copenhagen. From the paintings being haphazardly hung on the walls for an exhibition later that night, to the staff members with a twinkle in their eyes, the place has bags of charm. It was the perfect setting for a lazy weekend excursion. Bear in mind, though, that when I say a lazy excursion, I mean it. Service comes with a smile, but it also comes slowly if youre time poor and wanting to gobble-and-go, I wouldnt recommend it. For those still with me, the food on offer is tasty, if a little strange. There are a few Swedish staples meatballs, salmon and plenty of beetroot interspersed with more typical soup, salad and egg options. I went for poached eggs on rye bread with ham and mushrooms; my friend, a beetroot and goats cheese salad; and we split some sweet potatoes served with aioli. For the most part, I enjoyed my meal. The egg was slightly overdone and lacked that oozy butteriness of a just-cooked yolk, but the rye bread, studded with nuts and dried fruit, more than made up for it unlike any rye Id tasted before, it brought a sweetness to the plate that contrasted nicely with the salty cubes of fried ham. Unfortunately the whole thing was doused in a tangy hollandaise sauce, which I wouldve been OK with had I known it was coming; but as it wasnt advertised as eggs benedict, and frankly Im not the biggest fan of the ol hollandaise, I was caught off guard. My friends salad, though full of flavour, suffered from a similar affliction. There was beetroot and goats cheese in the salad, sure, but there was also a healthy dose of raw Spanish onion. As with the hollandaise, if theres a typically-polarizing ingredient in a dish (and raw red onion is most definitely one of those), I think menus should give them a mention (though I seem to remember the menus in Sweden being pretty vague on the whole, so it could be a cultural point of difference). Before I forget, the sweet potatoes were a definite highlight: served as chunks rather than the more-common fries, they were hugely moreish and went well with the punchy aioli. I washed it all down with a deliciously refreshing berry smoothie, and my friend chose a tea from their extensive selection. I was pleasantly surprised by Lisas. A hidden gem amidst the craziness that is Portobello Road, its biggest asset is an uber-chilled atmosphere, which is ably supported by some quality food. jamie-waters.com

  February 28, 2015, 5:47 am

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• Shukti Kiran P

  I came here during the week with my partner and wasn’t sure what to expect really, as I’ve never had Swedish food.The venue is small and cosy but there’s also a curtained off section at the back for larger parties.We were quickly seen to by friendly waitresses and ordered drinks and food.I chose the meatballs, and substituted the mashed potatoes for skinny fries, which they were happy to do. I also ordered a pomegranate cider. My partner ordered the shrimp with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and a beer.I found the meatballs, combined with the pickled cucumber and lingonberries, quite salty, especially teamed with the salty fries. The meatballs themselves were delicious and tender and I quickly finished them, although as much as I enjoyed the lingonberries, they were too tart for the plate and I ended up leaving most of them.I’m assuming my partner enjoyed his prawns by the way he quickly powered through them and the happy look on his face after.We both enjoyed our drinks and everything was quickly settled up.I would definitely recommend Lisa’s, and not just for a date night as a group of people were having a Christmas night in th back room and we also spotted a group of friends out for dinner too.

  February 21, 2015, 8:14 pm

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• Fausto

  Went there for a dinner with a friend. Nice cosy place where you can have a good time and chill out a bit. For dinner we had a tasting menu created by the chef, which had its highs and lows. So there’s still a bit of work yo be done, but i guess they can only become better. Regarding the service, the staff is cordial but we waited quite a bit to have our dishes served.

  January 30, 2015, 5:38 pm

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