Review: The Princess Royal
Review: The Princess Royal
By Helen Down
Cubitt House has eight charming pubs in London’s most sought after postcodes and its award-winning Notting Hill watering hole, The Princess Royal, is no exception. With quaint Victorian touches like striped awnings and a horseshoe bar, the pub’s ‘old boozer gets a glow-up’ vibe hits as soon as you walk through the door. And so it feels tailor made for a long leisurely brunch. Which is fortuitous because The Princess Royal has just launched a new weekend brunch menu: upmarket fry-ups, smoked salmon, pimped-up eggs and even a Middle Eastern inspired flatbread. All offered alongside cocktails like a breakfast martini (permission to open the floodgates before lunch) and wholesome juices.
As the universal law of brunching decrees, we began with Bloody Marys. Served with fat olives, lemon chunks, hearty celery sticks and just the right punch of spice, it was a cocktail that could’ve been mistaken for a meal… in a good way. My carnivore dining partner had no hesitation in going for ‘The Full Princess’. Cumberland sausage, bacon, poached egg, hash brown, black pudding, baked beans, mushrooms, tomato and sourdough, he got the full works. But there was no whiff of a greasy spoon because everything came from high-end British artisanal suppliers. A testament to the fry-up’s makeover, he couldn’t get enough of the light crumbly black pudding, which is something he’d normally swerve. I, meanwhile, went for the scrambled Burford Brown eggs with wild mushrooms, truffle and parmesan, thinking it would be the dainty choice. Imagine my surprise when I was presented with an Everest-worthy mountain of sunshine-yellow scrambled eggs and a plethora of truffly mushrooms, each one perfectly caramelised around its edge. The generous portion sizes made for surprisingly good value, which isn’t something that can always be said of Notting Hill. Although dessert isn’t a usual part of the brunch ritual, we couldn’t resist the pistachio tiramisu. Seemingly the nut of 2025, the pistachios added contrasting texture and a delicate shade of green. Brilliant. Even better, everything was delivered by jaunty waiters wearing crisp white shirts, slim ties, navy aprons and laidback smiles.
Popular with a buzzy and quintessentially W11 crowd – ME+EM bags, teacup dogs and a smattering of sports cars parked outside – brunch Princess Royal style is an excellent way to kickstart an idyllic weekend. Follow it up with a saunter through nearby Portobello Market in the early spring sunshine and you might just think you’re living in a Richard Curtis film.
The Princess Royal
47 Hereford Rd
London W2 5AH
cubitthouse.co.uk | @cubitthouse
Brunch menu dishes: £13 to £17.50
