Caractère

“Caractère We have been coming to Caractère since 2019 and in that time have watched the team grow into where they are now. The food , wine and service improves with each visit. This is why when we heard the new that they had finally earned their well deserved recognition of a Michelin Star we couldn’t wait to go back again and celebrate with them. This restaurant is set on Westbourne Park Road and only a five minute walk from the station or you can walk from Notting Hill and stroll through Portobello Road. As I said we’d been coming for five years and in fact our latest visit was number 12 and when you consider we travel from Essex to West London then you will understand we think it is always well worth the trip. When we arrived on Saturday we were greeted by Emily Roux herself and you could see how happy she was along with the rest of the team as all their hard work had paid off. We had a nice chat before being escorted by Matteo to our regular table. We started with a drink while we browsed through the choices of menu. These were the Tasting Menu , A la Carte or the Lunch Menu. We opted for the tasting menu with the addition of the special dish of the day. While enjoying our drinks we were presented with a fabulous selection of snacks. Our first course would be the special Handmade Gnocchetti with 30 month aged parmesan , vin jaune and black winter truffle and oh my god it was incredible. Now it was time to begin the tasting menu with our first course from the CURIOS section the Roast Orkney Scallop with sea leek , black winter truffle , beurre noisette. We also enjoyed the other dish of Balfego Bluefish Tuna. We then moved to the SUBTLE where we both loved the “Acquerello Risotto “ with red sicilian prawn , green shiso and a bisque. Now onto the DELICATE section where thought the two fish courses were amazing. The Steamed Cornish Cod was a delight and the new Roast Monkfish with peas , smoke bacon , eel and a heavenly rich matelote sauce. This led us to ROBUST which is the main course section. Here we chose both the dishes a Roast Squab Pigeon with mushroom , beetroot and plum along with the Saddle of Lamb with onions and peppers. These dishes were paired beautifully with two different red wines selected by sommelier Marco. We then had a little break where it was nice to have a chat with head chef/owner Diego. He told us how pleased the team was in getting the star and their plans for the future. He then offered us the the choice to have a selection of the the three desserts on the menu to which we gladly excepted. GREEDY - The first dessert was Chocolate heaven with hazelnut crisp , brownie and salted caramel , the second choice was the “Tart Bourdelaise” with Williams Pear , almond , vanilla then we finished with the Choux , passion fruit cremeux , coconut and almond praline. All three were absolutely delicious and paired once again perfectly with two sweet wines from Marco. This was a perfect way to end another amazing dining experience at Caractère. With a coffee and petit fours this brought to and a truly fantastic afternoon. The food was once again stunning , the wines were excellent and the service was first class. I really can’t recommend a visit to Caractère highly enough as this team goes from strength to strength. As I said at the beginning we’ve now been twelve times and I can honestly say our next visit will not be to far away. Congratulations once again to Emily , Diego , Gaetano , Matteo , Marco and all the team for your well deserved Michelin Star and look forward to seeing you all again soon.”

“This place has nailed fine dining sans the uptight atmosphere. I feel this restaurant isn’t talked about enough in the London scene despite its caliber of both service and cooking. We went for a lovely lunch here and loved pretty much every dish - innovative food with classic / refined execution. The presentation is BEAUTIFUL, both the plating as well as all the different elements. Fantastic pacing and very professional, well trained and friendly service. Amuse bouche and petit-fours on the house were absolutely mouthwatering… prawn risotto was straight out of an art gallery with great flavor, celeriac Caio e Pepe was very moreish. Fish main flaked away, incredible flavor on the lamb. The frangipani tart was gone in 5 minutes. Price is unbeatable for lunch. Would absolutely come again and take a family member, a friend or even a client. What’s not to love? Great ambience, food, and service!”

“Beautiful, fragrant, and delicious. 5 stars, no doubt. I tried their 5-course tasting menu, and diners had a choice of 2 for each course. I don't have any food allergies, but sometimes I do have preferences. To be able to present a tasting menu with flexibility and options was something I felt more amazing about the chef's menu design. My favourite was the pigeon, and I was so happy to see that the chef took on the challenge to turn the pigeon leg into a piece of fine "finger" food. Ingredients were top-notch. Culinary skills were clearly showcased. Menu cleverly designed. Options available to suit any appetite. Comfy dining environment. Happy stomach, happy me.”

“I have visited the restaurant to celebrate my husband’s birthday and I was blown away by the service and the taste of the food. Every single dishes that we have had was spectacular. I love every bite. I would definitely come back again and highly recommend this place to anyone who is considering. You won’t regret it.”

“Every aspect of my evening with the team at caractère was exceptional and exceeded my lofty expectations. It's not often when I have no constructive feedback for a team, but I'm very comfortable in stating this was as perfect an experience as is humanly possible. Arriving just a few minutes earlier than my reservation, I was the first guest to arrive for dinner. While oftentimes this is an opportunity for one to witness last-minute preparations - not at caractère - the team was ready. Greeted warmly and shown to a corner table that overlooked the entire comfortable space that feels more homey than commercial, I was able to observe the entire orchestra of service perform their beautiful symphony of caring for their guests. Opting for the tasting menu, and adding their focus special that included seasonally fresh black truffle, the sommelier asked about my choice for wine - I opted to leave it to him for pairing each of the 6 courses. This one decision proved to be wise. The details are seen in the included pictures: generous portions, insanely creative presentations of each plate, attention to detail of adornments, exquisite timing (6 courses = 3 hours). And the wine... provocative and foundational selections. Sensory perfection. Each was offered with a level of education, reasoning and pairing decision-making. One star? I would offer there is some room for recognition improvement...”