London's Distillery hotel debuts two new restaurants

Two new restaurants have opened on Notting Hill’s Portobello Road within The Distillery, London’s first distillery hotel: The Resting Room and GinTonica. The Resting Room offers an innovative take on British traditionalism with quaint grandiose while GinTonica captures the cosmopolitan spirit of Spain. Both restaurants are open for lunch and dinner and each bar is open until late seven days a week.   

The Resting Room

Typical of the much loved borough of Notting Hill that it resides within, The Resting Room channels quintessential Britishness in design through features such as its large windows at street level, royal blue canopies and a casual layout. Guests can observe some of the characters the street’s famous for in leisurely fashion and soak up its culture while drinking and dining in a relaxed and stylish setting. The striking bar flanks an entire wall and suspended above it are seven different Private Barrels; spirits from distilleries around the world such as Don Q Rum, Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Sherry and Herradura Tequila. These aged spirits can be served directly from the barrel and due to this unique process, no two drinks will be the same. 

The Resting Room features a cocktail menu created by Master Distiller Jake Burger which comprises 14 classic mixed drink divisions, each with a hand-picked selection of the choicest seasonal cocktails of the category. These carefully chosen sections include martinis, juleps, old fashioneds, cobblers and sours — and showcase unique gin blends such as Asparagus and Navy Strength gins, made in The Distillery’s 400L Copper Port Still, King Henry. 

Each dish on the classically British dining menu is made with locally sourced ingredients and cooked in the kitchen’s specially commissioned Josper oven. The selection of small plates features a charred & roast section while the dishes include Ox Cheek Cigars served with barley risotto, Crispy Oxford Isis with a stinky brie and berry chilli compote, and home-style bacon, cabbage & potatoes. 

GinTonica

GinTonica embraces Spain’s love affair with gin. Imbued with an all-encompassing, Mediterranean feel and inspired by a grand Spanish apartment, the first floor entrance is paved with classic Spanish tiling crafted into a custom mosaic design. The bright, airy restaurant is framed by a partially open kitchen and semi-circular copper bar, an impressive focal point that provides bartenders with a peripheral view of the room. 

Curated by resident cocktail expert Matthew Coates, the cocktail menu is a collection of simple yet flavorsome and aromatic mixed drinks using ingredients, traditional flavors and methods native to northern Spain’s Basque region. 

The drinks menu offers a hand-picked collection of 100 gins from around the world; each cocktail matched carefully with the finest mixers to enhance the individual botanicals and flavor profile of the gin. Each drink in this vast library of G&Ts is paired with eclectic and flamboyant garnishes and served in traditional Copa de Balón glassware. Traditionally used to keep drinks cold in the heat and translating as ‘balloon glass’, the bowl shape of the glass heightens the character of the gin and its botanicals. 

Head Chef Greg Lewis presents a menu of small tapas-style plates born of extensive travel throughout Spain and the Basque region in particular. Classic Spanish recipes made with premium imported Spanish produce coupled with fresh, seasonal British ingredients make for contemporary Spanish dishes with British flair. Favorites include Marcella — Spanish black pudding, served with a fried egg and piquillo ketchup; Risotto made with smoked Spanish cheese and truffle oil and Trucha — English trout cooked with Portobello Road cure.