Holy Carrot: plant-based restaurant, Notting Hill review

Holy Carrot sits on a corner along famous Portobello Road. With a plethora of good restaurants in the area competition is fierce but Holy Carrot is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood and will be able to stand out with ease being a vegan/vegetarian restaurant. A stylish, forward thinking, and sustainable plant-based restaurant is the antithesis of the former occupant, burger joint Patty & Bun with another burger place, Five Guys next door. I’m not sure who thought that was a good idea because no one needs two burger places on the same block. Do they?

Holy Carrot, plant-based restaurant located in Notting Hill. Photo by Genevieve Lutkin.

Formally operating as a pop up and supper club Holy Carrot have now found a permanent home, a very beautiful one at that. No expense has been spared, the design by owner and ex-Vogue Ukraine producer Irina Linovich is slick and feels spacious with polished concrete floors, clean lines and curves in all the right places. The tones are neutral with an overall warm ambiance despite the uber modern décor, helped along by the soft lighting and flickering candle lit tables. Being on the corner it has two sides with big windows which have a pleasing outlook onto the hustle and bustle of the market. A perfect spot to nestle in for the night.

The bar has a geometric shaped light sculpture above which is probably a nod to their collaboration with  A bar with shapes for a name  a regular on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars in the UK list, to produce a selection of bottled cocktails. Along the top shelf of the bar you will find the low-waste, pre-batched cocktails in an array of plain bottles marked only with the smudge of a paint-brush.

Smoked Carrot Harissa Sunflower Seed Butter, Butter Beans Purée. Photo by Beca Jones.

During my daughter’s brief 3-year foray into veganism we muddled our way through and found some delicious recipes we all enjoyed. We adapted and found substitutes for most things enjoying the challenge. Alas, a few holidays abroad shortly after the pandemic, and with a desire to delve into local cuisines meant her veganism went by the wayside. While Holy Carrot is not a far-flung destination with exotic local delicacies, Daniel Watkin’s creative and flavour packed menu will make you reconsider vegan options. This is no surprise as Watkins is one of the co-founders of ACME Fire Cult in Dalston, a personal favourite food spot, cooking on fire and doing clever things like using the spent grain from the brewery next door to make “marmite”. The menu demonstrates the power of plants - through fermenting, open-fire cooking, and a dedication to low waste and sustainability.

Daniel has learned how to recreate the flavours of a spicy ragu with their Koji Bread, Smoked Mushroom Chili Ragu, one of the three snacks on the menu, and a firm favourite. It will have you mopping up every bit of the tasty residual chilli oil on the plate.  The Koji yeast creates a bread that is fluffy yet chewy. As an aside for those avid sourdough bread makers out there, Koji yest is something you might enjoy experimenting with.

Coal Roasted Leeks, Corn, Almond, Aji Chili. Photo by Beca Jones. 

For two people we were recommended to have one snack, two smalls, two larges and a side. This was plenty and the Smoked Carrot Harissa Sunflower Seed Butter, Butter Beans Purée large plate is very filling and works well for up to 3 - 4 people to share. The carrots are a robustly flavoured dish with which the small plate of Coal Roasted Leeks, Corn, Almond, Aji Chili large plate turned out to be a perfect complement. With a touch of cooking on fire the leeks are a refined and elegant dish. The side of Baked Sweet Potato, Pumpkin Seed Miso Butter had a slight sweet twist which grew on you and became a very moreish dish with every mouthful. Our other large plate Foraged Wild Room Mushrooms Cassoulet, Smoked Tofu, Chestnut, was delicious and the smoked tofu especially lent itself well to the mix of mushrooms but was overall a bit dry when one is expecting a cassoulet consistency. Perhaps some extra mushroom sauciness would have helped.

Baked Sweet Potato, Pumpkin Seed Miso Butter. Photo by Natascha Milsom.

There was also an ability to create the creaminess we would usually get from dairy in the delicious dishes such as Stracciatella, Persimmon, Bitter Leaves, Nahm Jim and in many of the desserts. The dessert selection made it very hard to choose as there are some classic favourites featured, (wintery delights such as a mousse/cremeux, Rice Pudding, Tiramisu, Sticky Toffee Pudding) We opted for the “Matcha” Tiramisu to share with no regrets. It was light and had a perfect creamy texture embellished with the occasional crunchy pieces of caramelised pecans. Despite thinking we would not be able to finish the dessert as we were quite full the reality was we dispatched the tiramisu a little too easily.

Matcha Tiramisu. Photo by Beca Jones.

Each dish was beautifully plated and burst with colour. We finish the meal feeling satisfied without feeling heavy. If some vigorous post dinner dancing is on the cards later, you will be in good shape. Or to complement your evening there is the option of the historic and very comfortable Electric Cinema a stone’s throw away or you can bat on at Trailer Happiness, a cocktail bar, diagonally opposite.

My dining partner for the evening was vegetarian, and as with vegans, it is such a delight not trying to figure out what you can and cannot eat on the menu and be able to order with complete abandon. With every approving mouthful she mentioned she would definitely be coming back, as will I. With “Veganuary” just round the corner this may become your top pick for dining in the new year. Bring on 2025!

Location: Holy Carrot, 156 Portobello Road, London W11 2EB. Time: Open Daily for lunch 12:00 – 15:00, and dinner 17:30-21.30 (Closed Monday). Instagram: @holycarrotrestaurant. Website: holycarrot.co.uk.

Review by Natascha Milsom