Sitting very comfortably at The Pelican
On approaching The Pelican in Notting Hill a few Fridays ago, I was approaching a beacon of community. The sight of people spilled onto the street chatting with friends – glasses of beer and wine in hand – signalled that the weekend had well and truly begun. Past its iconic facade on the corner of All Saints Road, I wandered through The Pelican’s buzzy pub area through to the dining room. It was a haven in the dappled evening light, with its muted tones of warm woods and leathers. Thanks to my six o'clock seating, I had time to sit back and soak it all up from my cosy corner table before the place was full to the brim with fellow diners… which didn’t take long. It was an equally lovely sight.
I’d booked The Pelican for a dinner catch up with some close family staying in London for the evening. Within five minutes of being there, I knew I’d chosen the perfect spot. Shortly after our first drinks had arrived, the friendly waitress taking care of us was back again to talk us through the food. She wasn’t just knowledgeable in her run through of the menu, but incredibly passionate too. Especially when writing out the specials on our paper copy of the menu, explaining each of them in great detail. To echo Tim Hayward, this was indeed a lovely touch that left a lasting impression on everyone around our table.
Turning, then, to the food, I opted for one of The Pelican’s signatures to start: the spider crab toast. The crab itself was sweet and subtle and there was a wonderful citrusy element cutting through the dish. I could see why it was such a long-standing favourite. Onto the main course, a perfectly pink onglet was placed before me. This was served alongside a glazed shallot and lathered in a peppercorn sauce so good, it’s now the benchmark against which all future peppercorn sauces will be measured. The icing on the cake of my main course was a helping of hefty, triple-cooked chips which came with a dipping sauce too good to be true.
Suitably full by this point (I refused to leave a single chip undipped), a friend had told me to save room for the chocolate mousse with salted caramel. So clutching my spoon defiantly, I had no option but to fight the fullness and power through. The texture of the mousse was perfect, as was its marriage of chocolatey richness and salt. It was a fitting finale to a superb meal.
To sum things up, The Pelican is a very special place. The menu is hearty, the setting is homely. There’s a feeling of comfort and community in abundance and everything is done exceptionally well. I was so charmed by my dinner that I’ve booked another visit in a couple of weeks. Needless to say, I’m already looking forward to a taste of that chocolate mousse…
