Dorian’s owner Chris D’Sylva said he wanted his Notting Hill restaurant “to feel like it’s been there forever” when he launched it in 2022. Mission accomplished, then, for the owner of Notting Hill Fish + Meat Shop and Supermarket of Dreams with The Talbot Street restaurant having risen to institutional status pretty much overnight.
Billed as a bistro for locals 'that want to suck the marrow out of life', the venture personifies the mini revolution that has occurred in Notting Hill pairing and easy-going vibe with very high quality food. The restaurant is run by a crack team of young industry pros that include head chef Max Coen, formerly of Kitchen Table; bar manager Ale Villa, who led the drinks offering at Core by Clare Smyth; and former Corbin & King operator Ben Whitfield.
The savoury menu is divided into three core parts - a large range of snacks that include its signature caviar rosti; starters such a beef tartare; and a mains selection that includes hefty hunks of protein, including a number of steak options. All of it is exceptionally high quality, with Coen using his contacts from his time at far fancier places to great effect.
Villa’s cocktail list includes his famed fig leaf negroni; while the predominantly French and Italian wine list is supplied by Noble Rot’s Keeling Andrew & Co. Those who want to bring a bottle should know that Dorian charges £100 corkage, with a maximum of one bottle, a policy it introduced in 2024.
The elegant dining room features banquette seating along three of its sides, marble tables with wrought-iron stands, wood panelling, brass lighting and smoked mirrors but the real action is to be found at the counter that looks onto Dorian’s open kitchen.
Billed as a bistro for locals 'that want to suck the marrow out of life', the venture personifies the mini revolution that has occurred in Notting Hill pairing and easy-going vibe with very high quality food. The restaurant is run by a crack team of young industry pros that include head chef Max Coen, formerly of Kitchen Table; bar manager Ale Villa, who led the drinks offering at Core by Clare Smyth; and former Corbin & King operator Ben Whitfield.
The savoury menu is divided into three core parts - a large range of snacks that include its signature caviar rosti; starters such a beef tartare; and a mains selection that includes hefty hunks of protein, including a number of steak options. All of it is exceptionally high quality, with Coen using his contacts from his time at far fancier places to great effect.
Villa’s cocktail list includes his famed fig leaf negroni; while the predominantly French and Italian wine list is supplied by Noble Rot’s Keeling Andrew & Co. Those who want to bring a bottle should know that Dorian charges £100 corkage, with a maximum of one bottle, a policy it introduced in 2024.
The elegant dining room features banquette seating along three of its sides, marble tables with wrought-iron stands, wood panelling, brass lighting and smoked mirrors but the real action is to be found at the counter that looks onto Dorian’s open kitchen.
