A new chapter for Notting Hill’s Walmer Castle

Situated on Notting Hill’s Ledbury Road, this is a must-try gem, whether for a sublime long lunch or for after-work drinks to avoid the 5.30pm hustle. Barr Joinery had the privilege of an early introduction to this veritable hug of a hotspot back in late summer when interior designer and project manager Isabella Worsley briefed us on a bespoke furniture commission.

The building renovation works involved the overhaul of the entire three-storey 1800s hostelry, elevating it to its sumptuously inviting new incarnation, with Isabella Worsley responsible for both the creative direction and project management from concept through to completion.

As her third major project for owners Jack and Poppy Greenall (she was also the creative mind behind their other iconic pub ventures The Surprise in Chelsea and Lambeth’s The Pheasant Inn) Isabella’s strong visual, cultural, and functional reference points became the perfect base for this hugely successful project.

Inside, antiques and furnishings sourced from Portobello Market and along Golborne Road sit alongside walls adorned with historical maps and references to Notting Hill’s past. Amongst all of this is a collection of fabulous commissions by the popular London-based artist Jack Penny, whose paintings and sketches of lively catering-based antics bring colour and humour to the space (our favourite sits directly above the Barr Joinery waiters’ station).

The Barr Joinery wine wall and waiters’ station are part of the beautifully curated furnishing for the serene first-floor restaurant. The bespoke pieces are made from solid oak and stained to a carefully specified dark wood finish (Mylands ‘Light Wenge’), toning with the richly patinaed original wide oak floorboards. Perfect symmetry and flat-framed detailing to the wine wall sets the tone for elegant uniformity across the dining space, with antiqued brass pins and pull handles nodding to the building’s original Victorian fixtures and fittings.

Now open and in full swing, Walmer Castle’s three spacious storeys bring together a handsome traditional pub bar, elegantly furnished dining areas and two versatile private-hire spaces, together offering unfussy, British-inspired cooking that showcases the finest seasonal ingredients, adventurous drinks menus and an imaginative events calendar. This includes live jazz, blues and soul nights and cultural talks on art, history, entrepreneurship, horticulture and more.

We thank Walmer Castle’s inspirational family owners Jack and Poppy Greenall and project designer/executioner Isabella Worsley for allowing us to show off our work!