Bertie Blossoms is a tapas bar/restaurant near Ladbroke Grove, at the Northern end of Portobello Road.

We were sat at a table upstairs at the small cosy restaurant, going past a large abstract artwork by the owner. There were a few tables occupied, with the bar downstairs relatively busy too. It is not a large establishment, but it felt cosy and welcoming. The upstairs was a little low, so careful if you're tall like me!

The menu contains of a few bar snacks, and a dozen or so sharing plates — tapas style. We ordered the Padron Peppers from the snack menu, and the Gambas al Ajillo, Baby Carrots, Woodland Wild Mushrooms, and meatballs from the "To Share" section.

The dishes were served in a random order, with the meatballs first. They were served with a spicy Nduja sauce and topped with grated cheese. The baby carrots were served with some yoghurt, a Labneh, and had some toasted hazelnuts sprinkled over it. The wild mushrooms came with some toasted sourdough, which was great to lap the remaining juices up with. The gambas were whole, but it was easy to remove the flesh from the shell. Some focaccia on the side helped with the cooking juices again.

All the dishes were well presented and flavourful. Our only gripe was that many of the items of the sharing dishes came in odd numbers. And perhaps that half of the music was Ed Sheeran songs (played at a discreet volume) — but then again, that isn't bad considering he owns the place.

Cars in Portobello Road, London.

#london #nottinghill #portobelloroad

How London first gentrified, then became bourgeois.

Gentrification has made the entire inner ring around the center of the British capital unaffordable.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2023/07/18/how-london-first-gentrified-then-became-bourgeois_6057689_19.html

#UK #London #Housing #Gentrification #EastLondon #Hackney #BroadwayMarket #KingsRoad #Camden #PortobelloRoad #Tourism