Julie's

135 Portland Road W11
020 7229 8331

Above: Julie's

Last month we featured Julie’s, focusing on the institution and the achievement of lasting nearly four decades in W11. Now we’re looking at the food. People have been coming back here for years, and it must be because they’re feeling well fed. Much of the place’s appeal lies in its stylish, bohemian interior and quirky layout, but the menu’s got to deliver too. Over the years, staple dishes such as steak and kidney pie have never been off the menu, but a recent revamp brought in a wider range of options, with lots of salads and lighter options providing a more flexible selection.
We were booked into the garden room, with high hopes of enjoying a warm summer evening. But there was a wintery chill in the air and the retractable roof was closed – it’s a lovely room, but our summer experience was right off the menu. Still, glasses of champagne kicked the evening off well. I ordered two starters: fish and shellfish soup with rouille and gruyere, and lobster risotto. The soup was tasty but slightly thin, while the risotto was brilliantly sweet and creamy, infused with lobster and improved with lemon oil. My companion’s starter of chilli king prawns with broad beans and parsley was fine, while a main course of calves’ liver with crispy bacon, roast beetroot and red onion salad was delicious. Puddings are old-fashioned and even include a savoury welsh rarebit. l PH