Bucket Restaurant. Named after exactly what they're known for. Their buckets of seafood. We'd heard really good things about Bucket, but fish can be such a tricky one to get perfect so we were keen to see if it really did live up to the hype.
Bucket Restaurant is a cute seafood restaurant in Notting Hill. It looks a little on the small side from the outside, but inside Bucket goes far back. Its stunning inside with the interior inspired by the seaside too. From the bamboo layered walls to the wooden floors and chairs, clean neutral colours and striped cushions, it gives off an 'on the jetty' kind of feel. There are a few plants too, a stunning bar and low hanging lights which give it that contemporary chic edge.
The menu at Bucket Restaurant is, as you guessed it, predominantly seafood in many forms. There are a few veggie options and meat dishes in the mix too, across the several mains and bites, which sit alongside the 5 buckets. Oysters also feature and there is an oyster hour! From the bucket of mussels and the crayfish and prawn burger to the sirloin steak and stuffed aubergine, it all sounded really tasty. The specials board had 2 dishes on the day we visited, both of which looked equally as good, if not more tempting - a whole cornish crab with sourdough bread and a herb-crusted turbot with scallop risotto.
We had my favourite thing whilst deciding - bread. The bread at Bucket was chunky but super light and airy sourdough, which was beautifully crusty on the edge (not too tough!). It was super delicious with a little creamy butter. We did love this bread!
We went straight into the main event to make sure we had plenty of space.
The herb-crusted turbot with scallop risotto, from the specials menu, was seriously delectable. The herb crusting was light, not too overpowering and made a delicious coating to the delicate turbot. The turbot itself was beautifully cooked, light but not too flaky. The risotto had a fab deep flavour which complimented the fish well. It was one fantastic dish and I certainly had food envy. Although my choice was just as good...
The bucket of sauteed prawns with samphire and tomatoes was pretty big (even though we ordered the small bucket). There were plenty of prawns and langoustines, both of which were plump and juicy, and tasted delightful. The tomatoes added an extra fresh flavour whilst the samphire and chilli complimented it all well. Now you see why the food envy wasn't too bad. It was one fab bucket which formed part of my main.
The sweet potato wedges with chorizo were ordered alongside. The wedges were massive. A little on the a la dente side, they could have perhaps been a little crisper. But were really tasty anyway, and fantastic with the rich, slightly spiced chorizo, of which there was just enough. They were a great pairing with the prawn bucket, as well as alongside the risotto!
Going all out, the snow crab mac and cheese was also part of our feast. It wasn't quite as oozy/stringy as expected, perhaps as not to overpower the crab. However, was still really tasty, with the crab flavour just shining through. It rounded our feast off nicely - a great spread. If you're not going for 3 courses we highly recommend getting an extra side instead as these were very much enjoyed.
Alongside the food menu there's a pretty extensive drinks menu.
It features 11 cocktails, several beers & ciders, a long list of white wines (the largest part of the menu as expected with many fish dishes), as well as red, rose and sparkling.
We had a beautiful glass of sauvignon blanc towards the end of our meal. It was our host's recommendation for something a little sweeter, due to its fruity nature and it went down a treat. Perfect alongside some of the more bold fish dishes, like the risotto.
The winners of the drinks list had to be the cocktails, however. They were great for starting our night and rounding off our feast - a sweeter cocktail instead of dessert.
The seaside negroni with Campari, Gin Mare and olive-infused vermouth was one of the cocktails we started with. It was so smooth with a touch of saltiness. A fantastic flavour, one awesome negroni.
The Crozier was our other first choice, as recommended by the host. It comprised of Zubrowka, passionfruit and strawberry, and was fruity, sweet and smooth too. It had a fab sugar rim too. One great recommendation for those with a sweet tooth like me.
The cocktails we had for dessert might have even topped these...
The strawberry and basil sour was another great sweet choice, recommended once again by Ana. With Hendricks, strawberry, basil and lemon, it's a classic sour with a twist. It's fruity, very strawberry with just a touch of sour lemon, and is delightful.
The Tiramisu Martini was a winner. It's not actually on the menu but they were trialling it when we visited, so here's to hoping it will be soon. Creamier than a traditional espresso martini, and a lighter coffee flavour, it was absolutely dreamy. Definitely worth saving your dessert spot for one of these!
The whole way through our meal, our host Ana was attentive and super friendly. She was always having a little chuckle with us, giving us all her best recommendations and checking in to make sure we liked what she had suggested. It made the entire evening such a fab experience, which is why, on top of the food, we would 100% recommend adding this spot to your list!
Summary - Bucket Restaurant in Notting Hill:
- Price: Mains are priced between £9.95 and £28, so it varies a lot. The bucket of sauteed prawns was £16.95, the wedges £5.50, the mac and cheese (sharer) £12.50 and the special £19, which is really reasonable for the location, quality of food and service!
- Food: The menu is predominantly seafood, but there are a few veggie and meat options too. They do fish beautifully! The prawns and langoustines and the turbot were all divine. We really enjoyed our whole spread.
- Drinks: There is an extensive drinks menu featuring plenty of white wine, and others you'd expect when dining out. The cocktails won on the drinks front. All four we tried were awesome!
- Atmosphere: The interior gives off an 'on the jetty' kind of feel, with a contemporary chic edge. It's relaxed, yet sophisticated. The service is amazing, giving the whole experience that extra edge.
- Wait: Do book if you can, although it wasn't too busy when we visited on a Wednesday evening.
Are you a big seafood fan? Where's your fave spot for some really good fish?
*I was invited along to Bucket Restaurant to review. All views my own.Chloe xx
