104 Restaurant

Exquisite Culinary Delight, Intimate Ambiance

Ah, Notting Hill – land of pastel houses, illustrious gardens and it seems, a bijou culinary wonder by the name of Restaurant 104. Nestled unassumingly in this leafy quaint suburb, my recent foray into its tenebrous yet warm embrace was refreshingly delightful. You'd half expect to walk past without giving it a glance, except as soon as you step inside, you're enveloped by a snug intimacy so rare in London’s often sprawling dining landscape. The vibe is somewhere between tastefully aloof and intimate: think private dinner parties hosted by that one fashionable friend with impeccable taste in music - 1980s hits wafting through the speakers added an unexpected but extremely welcome levity to the evening.

Restaurant 104 is the place pâté and conversational congeniality go hand in hand. Orchestrated by a meager two-man orchestra: one front-of-house magus gently pampering guests and the other, chef Richard Wilkins, weaving culinary symphonies from behind a window opening into the kitchen like the Wizard of Oz of morsels. Each dish presents itself with a notion of sincere candour - forging sublime flavors from simplicity yet layered with the studious complexity one attributes to Michelin aspiration. Personally attentive service, exquisite food aflow with cunning mastery, stellar offerings of liquid grape, and all housed within an atmospheric cocoon, make the experience nothing less than engrossingly exceptional. Even the fleeting hesitance over pricing falls away when confronted with such top-notch sirloin precision and passion-infused trustworthiness of ingredients on show at Restaurant 104. And being serenaded by conversations woven gracefully around me? I dare say, quite worth interrupting those sighs of satisfaction. — Milo Tastemaker