Windsor Castle

5 Reviews on “Windsor Castle”

• Lisa Svensson

  A classic and famous pub in Kensington/Notting Hill. I have been there several times with friends and family. The historical environment plays a big part in my coming back every time. It’s food is top notch and I can definitely recommend the burger, bangers and mash, roast as well as their scotch egg! It’s a great place to relax and enjoy some drinks in good company. It’s also a laugh to see my 6’6 boyfriend fit through the small doors. The staff are great although some lack knowledge within their beverages and at times have been noticeably hung over, which isn’t too nice. I strongly recommend anyone a visit!

  July 13, 2015, 1:36 am

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• FoodieForce

  Arriving at Notting Hill Gate tube, the pub is only a short ten minute walk. Situated right in the heart of the local community at the end of Peel Street sits The Windsor Castle pub. Outside, the pub looks fresh faced having recently undergone a renovation but I am pleased to see that the 18th Century listed building has not lost its charm.Once inside the same warm charm and character is maintained with dark wooden panelling adorning the walls. I must admit for a Tuesday night I am a little surprised at how full the pub is with many of the pews and cosy booths taken up. The bar plays centre stage with an impressive range of 18 speciality beers, real ales and ciders. It is sweltering, so I really cant wait to be seated and have a nice cold pint.We are seated at a table inside the newly refurbished restaurant at the back of the pub with views of our subjects frivolity in the courtyard. So would this meal be fit for a Queen?Our dining experience starts off well enough with a friendly waitress passing us our menus and offering us drinks. Whilst we ponder over the menu we opt for a bottle of Aconcagua, Sauvignon Blanc from Chile (29) and a cold pint of Bernard Dark Lager (5.20). The Bernard arrives and has been described as dark in colour but surprisingly does not taste like ale, but indeed a lager with a slightly chocolaty taste.Whilst mulling over the menu I sink back and back into my faux leather seat that resembles more a chaise longue, than a chair, no straight backs here.The seat gives you the choice to style it out in an extremely relaxed pose or sit on the edge with a stiff upper back. My choice was made simple as the chaise long pose was abruptly halted by the thud of my leg hitting the wobbly table leg. One bruise later Im sitting upright with enough room behind me to happily seat another patron.On reviewing the menu I am pleased to see that the Windsor Castle hasnt lost its familiar pub favourites. The menu offers some traditional pub classics Scotch egg (5), Smoked chicken Caesar salad (9.50), Gloucester sausages and Mash with cider gravy (11.50) and Rib-eye burger (14).We quickly review the menu and settle on our starters and mains which are noted down and hurried to the kitchen for them to be made.In a few short minutes our castle dining experience quickly turns into a theatrical Shakespearian performance of The Comedy of Errors when a red faced waitress returns to say that we have ordered from the dining menu and will need to pick our meals again from the pub menu. I am not too bothered given that both my chosen starter of Ham hock terrine, piccalilli and toast (7.50) and my main 28-day dry aged rib eye steak with Barnaise and chips (22) are still on the menu. For my partner however is disappointed given both his starter of Scallops and his Sea Bass main have disappeared from the new menu.This is quickly forgotten however when he finds numerous additional meals that he would happily like to try. To start, he opts for the meat board spicy sausage, chorizo, ham hock terrine, sausage roll and piccalilli (15) and for his main rib-eye and chuck burger, Colliers cheddar, chips and house relish (11.50).Whilst we wait for our food some more customers are seated at a booth table behind us, upon switching on the lights the customers remain in complete darkness until the bulbs are speedily replaced by a mortified waitress.My guests meat board arrives and is laid out on slate and looks visually pleasing to the eye, I am assured that it tastes as good as it looks. The homemade piccalilli is a really great accompaniment to the chorizo and spicy beef sausage. My starter of ham hock terrine on the other hand is so very disappointing; it has no definable taste and has hard lumps of indigestible fat. It is accompanied with a broad bean salad that also contains squares of terrine. Why anyone would think it a good idea to give two huge slices of terrine, with no discernible flavour and then add even more to the salad I have no idea.In between our starters and mains we sit watching life pass by in the courtyard and the errors keep on rolling with staff taking food orders to the wrong tables. We then watch as anyone over 5ft 10 comes in from the courtyard hitting their head on the Fire Escape sign repeatedly. After a while, although its wrong, it does become rather amusing and we silently chuckle into our wine.In a pub restaurant there are a few meals that I view as signature dishes, a beef burger and steak being two of them and if done badly they can seriously put you off returning to a pub. With this firmly in mind I am worried that my guests rib-eye and Chuck burger could make or break the night. Luckily the burger arrives moist, smothered in Colliers cheese in a sesame bun. The addition of the house relish with a hint of Worcestershire sauce is wonderful.My steak arrives cooked to perfection and is accompanied with a huge bone marrow. For some people this could be off putting but for me it brings back wonderful memories of Sunday lunch when my treat after dinner was to have the lamb bone and devour the marrow.We are given a dessert menu (6-8) to peruse over whilst I do my best impression to my guest that I am full and have no intention of ordering anything. Yeah right, for me dessert is the most important part of the meal. Having scanned the menu there are too many things that I would happily choose, so we seek a recommendation from the waitress.I settle on the Hazelnut brownie, peanut butter ice cream (8) and my guest goes for Bakewell tart, cinnamon crumble and ice cream (7.50). Both desserts are absolutely delicious, the brownie has a firm nutty consistency and the peanut ice cream is tremendous. The Bakewell I am assured is one of the best my guest has ever tasted. The pastry is light and crumbly with just the right amount of jam and almond.Even though the waitress had one of those days and we played Yahtzee with the menus, the beer was fantastic and if youre looking for a vibrant fun pub with lovely friendly staff and good favourable pub grub then you cant go far wrong with the Windsor Castle.I dont know about you but for me my local pub is more than a drinking establishment its an institution a focal point for the community. So if you have a local pub make sure you support it sadly over the last couple of years London has seen a steady decline of many of our much loved and historic local pubs. foodieforce.co.uk

  May 16, 2015, 12:00 am

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• PeterMS

  One of my favourite pubs still, as it has been for the last several decades. A pub not a tosser’s paradise. Can be frequented by Hooray Henry’s but still appeals even in this modern age.

  March 15, 2015, 9:52 am

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• Greg Stephenson

  This is a charming pub that still holds the characteristics of the olden days with wood panels to segregate the pub into areas. It can get very busy on a weekend so if you want to enjoy one of my favourite beer gardens in the area, I suggest you book. The stand out menu item for me is the scotch egg. Highly recommended if you are after a snack

  December 26, 2014, 4:28 pm

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• IWatson

  Lousy service, nice garden, waited one hour for a single Pimms to not arrive – the bill did arrive with two jugs of Pimms on it,37.70. Got refund on charge but not on the 15% service! Never again.

  September 15, 2014, 6:31 pm

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