Pollini at Ladbroke Hall review

Ladbroke Hall is an impressive building off Ladbroke Grove. When I first moved to London in the ’90s, the area had a rougher edge, but over time it has evolved considerably, with Ladbroke Hall now a notable addition to the neighbourhood.

The building was originally a 1903 Edwardian car showroom and assembly plant for the Sunbeam Talbot Motor Company, and in 2019 it was acquired by Loïc Le Gaillard and Julien Lombrail, the co-founders of Carpenters Workshop Gallery. The building had been lovingly restored, blending art, music, and fine dining under one roof, finally opening in 2023.

Pollini at Ladbroke Hall. Image credit MTotoe.

This week we visited the site and had the pleasure of dining at Pollini, the restaurant curated by Chef Emanuele Pollini. The space is beautifully designed, awash with natural light, and a study in the balance between restraint and opulence. The room is framed by soaring Edwardian proportions. Nacho Carbonell’s Cocoon Chandelier hovers strikingly in the middle of the room, like a living organism. The tables are sculptures in themselves, with irregular tabletops of polished stone. Walls and alcoves are punctuated with art pieces from the Carpenters Workshop Gallery roster, from Vincenzo de Cotiis’s luminous wall sculptures to Christopher Le Brun’s lyrical paintings, turning every sightline into a curated vignette.

Pollini at Ladbroke Hall. Image credit MTotoe.

If the UK enjoys an Indian summer, there may be the opportunity to dine al fresco in their tranquil, sculptural garden, which features a Jean Prouvé pavilion—a Maison Démontable from 1944, now used for private dining and events. Even if it is not in use, it is worth taking a moment to peek inside.

Ladbroke Hall's Garden. Image credit David Brook. Courtesy Ladbroke Hall.

We began lunch with a couple of perfectly chilled glasses of champagne, and The Morning’s Bread of delicious freshly baked tomato focaccia and grissini sticks served with a good-quality olive oil for dipping. The menu offers Italian classics and many favourites like Fritto Misto, Burrata, Vitello Tonnato, Cacio e Pepe, and Tagliata. From our dining experience, the quality of ingredients stood out, and the concentration on everything being homemade is noticeable from the breads to the sorbets.

The Melanzane burst with freshness of flavour and textures. The blended aubergine was complemented by small dollops of tomato yuzu kosho, adding a light citrus touch to the dish, and accompanied by both seeded crackers and heirloom radish sliced in half with the stem intact for easy dipping. The Carpaccio di Gambero Rosso was exquisite. The sweet Sicilian red prawns stood out on the plate, marbled red and translucent, glistening with a layer of extra virgin olive oil and delicate, tiny leaves of basil.

Pollini at Ladbroke Hall. Image credit MTotoe.

From the sea to the pasta, the Sea Urchin Linguine arrived, carrying with it the scent of the ocean. The handmade pasta was perfect in every way. The sauce clung to silky strands of pasta, topped with pieces of sea urchin, its briny richness lifted by lime, with bottarga di muggine (dried fish roe) adding a subtle umami depth to the dish. It was indulgent, yet with a lightness that lingered rather than overwhelmed. My dining partner had a simple but elegantly executed Tortelloni Bufala e Funghi. Each parcel was the shape of a sweet in its wrapper, delicately filled with creamy buffalo mozzarella and earthy woodland mushroom. The thickness of the pasta was perfection.

Angelo, our host, attentively asked if I wanted another glass of champagne. I declined, as I was driving later that day. He enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity to offer award-winning Wild Idol, a non-alcoholic sparkling white wine – an entirely satisfying substitute. It has become increasingly important for dining establishments to have a good offering of non-alcoholic options. Wild Idol is a breakthrough beverage, created a few years ago by Nick Candy, one of London’s most famous luxury property developers.

Pollini at Ladbroke Hall. Image credit Melisa Coppola.

The dessert of Vanilla Panna Cotta was a summer dessert at its best, with a silky texture contrasted by the tart sweetness of a generous covering of British summer berries. A highlight. My dining partner’s Tortino al Pistachio arrived tasting freshly baked and allowed to cool to a perfect room temperature. It had a subtle nuttiness, and the balance of matcha added was just right—subtle enough to taste but not overpowering the dish. Not wanting to miss the sorbets freshly made in house, we ordered the interestingly sounding White Peach & Lavender Sorbet. The garnish of thinly cut slices of white peach was unripe and would not have been missed, as the sorbet on its own, with its delicate touch of lavender, makes this a wonderfully refreshing finish to an otherwise perfect meal.

Pollini at Ladbroke Hall. Image credit MTotoe.

As we were about to depart, from where we dined, overlooking the garden of bamboo and maple trees, we could see a young couple sitting under a canopy of greenery in the serene, landscaped gardens, with not a browning leaf in sight. Celebrating her birthday on a day when summer had decided to return, love and happiness were in the air. I could not imagine a more perfect spot to celebrate.

Dining at Pollini is a rather special experience and would make for an impressive first date, be it for a simple meal, Friday jazz night, or to visit an exhibition at Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Cutting-edge design, combined with some culture and a fine meal—life doesn’t really get much better than this. We highly recommend you visit, regularly if you can.

Location: 79 Barlby Rd, London W10 6AZ. Website:ladbrokehall.com. Instagram: @pollini_ladbrokehall  

  Review by Natascha Milsom