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Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Browners

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:22:04 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Browners

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Beach Blanket Babylon is one of London's trendiest bars and has a buzzing restaurant. It is beloved by the Notting Hill set and typifices the idea of style over substance. Which is why we went there in the first place!

Your senses are blown away by the over the top decorations - it couldn't be more rococo if it tried.

No matter how trendy or posh you think your restaurant is... there are some basic catering rules that you can't break. Such as don't swear at the customers. Don't serve unhygenic food. Make sure there aren't any mouse-traps on show... etc. Common sense basically.

3 plates of perfectly good sushi arrived at our table along with some sets of chopsticks. The light wasn't great... but it was bright enough to detect a luminous green glow. On closer inspection we realised that the chopsticks were covered in a furry green mould. Gross! The elegant waitress simply took them back and didn't even consider apologising for it!

Our next course was very tasty... but sadly undermined by such a major lapse.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by pindulgence

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:34:27 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by pindulgence

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: expensive, international, pretentious, crowded

I really wanted to love the Beach Blanket Babylon, it has a reputation for the decor which is most definately deserved. However once you get past the spectaular decor, you are left with a bar and restuarant which loves itself so much it literally has its head where the sun doesn't shine. When we first arrived it was packed. It took ages to served by an obnoxious and quite literally rude member of staff. We were seated for our meal by an equally obnoxious and rule waiter who unfortunately continued to get rude throughout the evening. To top it off, we were forced to pay the service charge for that rudeness. You will NOT be allowed to get away without paying the automatically added charge. An utter disgrace.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by WB1

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:37:57 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by WB1

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: expensive, pretentious

I had heard great things about this venue and went to the bar on a Saturday night with some friends for a treat. We were disappointed to say the least! The decor was as spectacular as I had been led to believe with chandeliers, nook and crannies, cabinets with jewels, ornate tables and chairs etc and really has to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately that was as good as it got. The bar was packed and it took an age to get served. When we eventually did get to the bar we almost wished we hadn't - the prices are astronomical. The crowd around the bar were snooty, pretentious and often downright rude. The staff seemed rather harassed (unsurprising) but were pleasent enough. Having got our drinks we squeezed ourselves into a little nook between two tables (I think you would have to get there very early to find somewhere to sit) and spent an unpleasant couple of hours being jostled by the crowds. I will not be going back. I have not visited the restaurant so cannot comment on that area.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by rusty83

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:45:04 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by rusty83

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: romantic, expensive

I went here with my partner after winning a dinner voucher with work.
I was definitely not disappointed.
We sat downstairs, the walk to our table was impressive, and we went down a spiral staircase below the ground. The stairs were lit up by candles which added to the atmosphere! Itâ¬"s almost as if youâ¬"re in caves.
Our waiter served about 4 tables altogether so that felt quite personal, the menu had a lot of choice to suit a variety of tastes. Meat, fish, veggies.
Overall I was very impressed with this restaurant, the food is brilliantly cooked, the wines are very palatable and the dÃ©cor and atmosphere adds to the experience.
I would definitely come back here!

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by shelo9

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:50:50 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by shelo9

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: expensive, pretentious, crowded, brasserie

The venue is amazing as people may tell you. There are lots of little alleys and rooms with different themes which are fab. We were in one small level which was overlooking the kitchen. Unfortuantely the chefs thought that it would be great to stare at us all night which was not nice.

There is a great choice of food and the food was good. The burger which i had was a bit difficult to eat so i had to use the knife and fork which is not normal burger behaviour.

The desserts were also good. Unfortunately we only had a small amount of it as the waiter dropped the sugar bowl on my glass which shattered all over us! We had to get away from the table as we were covered in glass. We thought we would stand by the bar (which had been empty before) but was now rammed. The waiter wanted us to stay at the table have extra dessert and pay the bill there which was not happening in our shocked state. We eventually got to pay the bill. The manager had taken off the desserts (which we had not really eaten) but found it difficult to remove the service charge which we thought should be removed. Eventually we got to pay what we wanted to pay and ran out of the place as fast as we could.

The place is a very cool looking, and i think what happened to us (is hopefully) a one off situation. If you want to get out of central and be somewhere different this place is a good choice, but just dont go to the bar after eating as its full of the normal pretentious nonsense.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Cedric

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:32:16 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Cedric

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: romantic, international, pretentious, expensive

A brilliant location for a dinner out of the normality. Lost in the middle of Notting Hill, it attracts, well... bohos. But if you get through the crowd of glamourous girls stuck at the bar, you will discover an astounishing venue. I was invited there for my birthday and really appreciated the little niches where you can get some privacy. The deco is inspired by Gaudi, which add to the charm. About the food: this is a nice menu with some appetizing dished throughout. Portions are fine, and delicate. The prices are aligned with what you would expect from a fancy restaurant in Notting Hill. I would recommend this for a romantic evening where the food would add to the charm of the night.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by jminich

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:06:55 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by jminich

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: african & caribbean

Ive been to this resto and its very good

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by ivailo

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:58:26 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by ivailo

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Now that this has become my newly found local, I seem to end up there a few times a week. I find the staff very friendly and helpful.

The atmosphere is great the cocktails are well mixed though not cheap at all. Would definitely recommend a taste of the pineapple mojito.

I have not eaten in the restaurant, but it seems to be common knowledge that the food is not great, even some of the staff have confirmed that, though the decor of the restaurant is lovely.

I would definitely recommend this place.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by joel

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:04:19 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by joel

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Excellent escapism!

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Hugo

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 05:59:03 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Hugo

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: lively, stuffy (possibly), surreal, classic, notting hill, crowded, quirky, expensive, trendy, bar

If I have folks staying from out of town then this is somewhere I take them. Beach Blanket Babylon is a classic and longstanding Notting Hill Bar. If you have not been then it is worth it for the fun and slightly surreal decor that is well worth seeing.

I note there are a ton of reviews for this, so I won't bang on.

I did eat here a few years back and it was not that memorable. The unique and quirky bar seems to me to be the main event here.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by fluffy_cat_girl

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 23:56:21 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by fluffy_cat_girl

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: french, pretentious, expensive

BBB is a big waste of time. They treat you like scum and think that anyone who enters through its grand doors is not worthy enough to stay. The hostess completely ignored me and looked through me when I came in. Walked off and then came back and casually said, "I'll be back in a minute". Couldn't find my booking and plonked my cousin, brother and I on a table which would've barely fitted 2 people let alone 3. Frosty service. Utter nightmare and severely overpriced!

It may look nice but it's definitely a place to avoid!

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by belinda

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:13:08 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by belinda

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: cool, mature, glamorous, international, pretentious, underground, expensive, trendy, romantic, posh

I agree with alot of the posts, the place looks fantastic but its not the type of place you would visit often.

I have always found the staff friendly and have not have any problems with the other customers in the restaurant (except smoking). For me the decor is the winner here, it is a place we often take overseas visitors to see simply for its original look.

Being a vegetarian I am VERY sick of eating the canneloni which has been the only vegetarian meal for about a year now so I probably will not be going again anytime soon. They do have some nice bar snacks if you want to sit upstairs and have a drink although I agree you can find some swanky wanky people here.

All-in-all I think it is a place to see and although it is a bit on the expensive side, the food and atmosphere is worth at least one visit.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by stellalitou

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:31:06 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by stellalitou

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Great atmosphere!! Unfortunately, full of pretentious customers, which goes hand in hand with overpricing !

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Reid2705

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:52:48 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by Reid2705

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Food was great! Decor is so bohemian its unreal and generally had a great meal! wouldnt go there for a bar tho! its much more a dinner with a few pre cocktails.

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by idoru

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:33:48 +0000

Beach Blanket Babylon - review by idoru

Rating: 3.4

Location: 45 Ledbury Road, W11 2AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7229 2907

Tags: expensive, pretentious, crowded

Gaudy, Glitzy so past glamour its cool. Apparently the food is terrible, (according to two separate sources I know who live in the area) and the drinks are expensive. With the cocktail waitresses doing that annoying thing where they give you 10 pounds change back in 1 pound coins. But we all agree there's something about this place you just can't help but like.

Like an ode to the 80's nouveau riche it's full of sparkles, chandeliers and richly embodied fabric. The patrons with perfectly coiffed hair wear shirts with jackets and high high heels. There is glass beads and mosaic walls but the highlight has to be the multi leveled pirate ship back. With its small walkways and crows nest sections. The main dining area below feels a wee bit like the gallows mixed with an exotic hobbit charm, with its molded concrete walls and rounded doors.

Though expensive my moscow mule was one of the best I've tasted served in a nice tall sling class with the perfect amount of angostura bitters. At 9.50 it was a decent drink, I just found the 12.5% service charge a wee bit cheeky for carrying it from the bar. But then I think your paying for the experience.

This is definitely a fun place to visit and to show off to unsuspecting visitors in an ironic sort of way.