“It’s a bit of a cliché, but we really like to focus on the best produce,” says Max Coen, head chef at Dorian. The latest outpost of Chris D’Sylva, founder of Supermarket of Dreams and Notting Hill Fish + Meat, Dorian carries on D’Sylva’s tradition of sourcing first-class ingredients. Occupying the former shell of Notting Hill institution Raoul’s, Dorian is the newest neighborhood hotspot to grace the storied Talbot Road storefront.
Outfitted with black-and-white checkered floors, British racing-green banquettes, and silvered mirrors, the Parisian brasserie-inspired space feels fresh and familiar at the same time. Flames spring up from the open kitchen where Coen, who hails from Michelin-starred kitchens such as Ikoyi, Kitchen Table, and Frantzén, crafts the nightly offerings based on whatever their small army of handpicked suppliers have fresh.
For first-timers, Coen recommends starting with a rösti made from finely-grated potatoes, lovingly fried and topped with fresh crab and bright tomatoes. Follow up with mussels swimming in a verdant cucumber broth, wood pigeon served with quince puree, or olive-fed bone-in sirloin. Fresh from the hallowed halls of three-Michelin-star Core by Clare Smyth, Ale Villa puts his spin on classic cocktails, serving up fig leaf negronis with gin-infused leaves, while the team from Noble Rot curates an exceptional wine list powered by local collectors. “Everything links back to what we’re all about as a neighborhood restaurant,” says Coen. Judging by the swarms of well-dressed locals and notoriously long waitlist, mission accomplished.
In the latest installment of Designing Delicious, we visit Dorian.
