Having built a reputation for himself as TikTok’s king of butter, a title that has yielded some two million followers on the social platform and led to the launch of his own butter brand, Thomas Straker is out to make an equally as indelible mark on London’s restaurant scene. But those assuming the eponymously named Straker’s to be a cynical cash in on the chef’s social media success would do well to adjust their expectations, for this lively neighbourhood spot is worthy of the hype it has built.
Those are au fait with Straker’s CV will not be surprised. Prior to his rise as a social media star, the chef spent more than a decade honing his craft in some of London’s best restaurants including The Dorchester, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and Elystan Street. Here he brings those skills into a more modern and freewheeling environment that plays on the chef’s ethos of serving ‘food you want to eat’.
Sustainability and seasonality have long been a passion of Straker, who was raised on a smallholding in Herefordshire, and here he has committed to only working with trusted, small-scale and local suppliers such as Huntsham Court Farm for meat; Keltic Seafare for fresh, Scottish shellfish; and Wildfarmed for flour. There’s a raw energy to his sharing plates, which deals heavily on Italian influences and features a range of snacks alongside small and larger plates.
This is a kitchen where the flavours are fresh and vibrant, and the dishes are full of flair.
Housed on Golborne Road in the heart of Notting Hill, the intimate 40-cover space features wooden wall panels and low lighting that create a warm and reassuringly familiar vibe, offering a cosy but modern spot that’s enthused with the energy and buzz of the open kitchen.
Those are au fait with Straker’s CV will not be surprised. Prior to his rise as a social media star, the chef spent more than a decade honing his craft in some of London’s best restaurants including The Dorchester, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and Elystan Street. Here he brings those skills into a more modern and freewheeling environment that plays on the chef’s ethos of serving ‘food you want to eat’.
Sustainability and seasonality have long been a passion of Straker, who was raised on a smallholding in Herefordshire, and here he has committed to only working with trusted, small-scale and local suppliers such as Huntsham Court Farm for meat; Keltic Seafare for fresh, Scottish shellfish; and Wildfarmed for flour. There’s a raw energy to his sharing plates, which deals heavily on Italian influences and features a range of snacks alongside small and larger plates.
This is a kitchen where the flavours are fresh and vibrant, and the dishes are full of flair.
Housed on Golborne Road in the heart of Notting Hill, the intimate 40-cover space features wooden wall panels and low lighting that create a warm and reassuringly familiar vibe, offering a cosy but modern spot that’s enthused with the energy and buzz of the open kitchen.
