Daylesford Organic

There’s much to like about Daylesford Organic’s field-to-fork ethos, providing Notting Hill with fresh, organic food direct from the farm. The ground-floor grocery, deli and bakery are the stuff of foodie fantasy. Upstairs, the open café kitchen puts this same beautiful produce to good use. Brunch is a straightforward but splendidly executed affair of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and the like; come for portobello mushrooms on sourdough with Portobello’s moneyed residents and choose to detox (bircher muesli and wheat-free toast) or retox (bloody marys). But the place really comes into its own for lunch. Seasonal salads of, say, marinated courgette pasta, or raw slaw with cashews and a sticky soy and ginger dressing are substantial meals in their own right; bursting with health and spanking fresh ingredients. Our burger was also a belter – but at £13, it should have been. We understand that top-tier produce doesn’t come cheap, but paying £4 for a small freshly squeezed juice or a tenner for smoked salmon on pumpernickel seems overkill, especially when you factor in a long wait for a communal table and over-worked staff who rush around like headless chickens. Organic, free-range ones, of course.