"For all intents and purposes, Gold is your classic people-pleaser. It will be a boujie pub if you want a boujie pub, a stylish modern European restaurant if you want a stylish modern European restaurant, and a classy place to share a bottle of organic primitivo with that somewhat tricky friend who believes grape manipulation is just so 2012. It can morph from lunch with a client and a single glass of orange wine, to a grown-up birthday dinner where walnut-topped salads and lamb gigot stretches into chocolate bitters old fashioneds after 11pm. Making people happy is in its nature. Gold’s attitude to all-round satisfaction begins on Portobello Road. The three-storey frontage has two large looming gold eyes and depending on your life choices, it’ll remind you of the Doctor T.J. Eckleberg billboard in The Great Gatsby or Dominic Cummings’ inherent passion for eye tests. The rest of your experience is a choose your own adventure. Pick between a light and modern conservatory with palm trees and a retractable roof, a sleek spritz-ready bar around the open kitchen, or an artfully rustic first-floor dining room with enough terracotta linen to be classed as a West Elm fever dream. Whichever sophisticated area you end up in, you’ll find the polite clinking of blood orange negronis and the same menu of seasonal tarted-up vegetables, zesty raw fish numbers, and hearty wood-roasted meat and whole fish dishes. photo credit: Koray Firat Everything at Gold arrives with photo-ready presentation and the glistening sheen of olive oil. There’s roasted pear in the bellinis, Tuscan ham and radicchio on the burrata from the coyly simplified ‘cheese and charcuterie’ section, and enough wild oregano and porcini butter on the menu to give any Waitrose fans the shivers. But repeat after us: the fewer the commas, the better the dish. Like all people-pleasers, Gold sometimes goes a little too hard on the pomegranate jazz hands, but you can’t beat the simplicity of the creamy mushrooms on toast or the al dente bite of tender beef short rib agnolotti. photo credit: Ingrid Rasmus If you’re in need of a spot that has given ‘pleasant pub’ a chic chargrilled squid facelift, then Gold is your guy. It’s open until late every night of the week, has a small suntrap roof terrace for the warmer months, and you can have a meal that feels showy enough for a special occasion for £60 per head. Just be sure to book way in advance for those peak dining hours because it’s permanently popular. What can we say? Everyone wants a people-pleaser in their life. Food Rundown photo credit: Koray Firat Burrata, Charred Pear, Tuscan Ham, Radicchio, Balsamic Dressing Does a ball of quality cheese truly need company? Arguably, no. Independent burratas everywhere, we support you and recognise that you don’t need any balsamic dressing to be considered special. That being said, the crunch of the radicchio is delightful and the smoke factor of the charred pear cuts through the creaminess in a way we definitely don’t hate. photo credit: Koray Firat Roasted Cauliflower, Spiced Yoghurt, Cumin, Toasted Buckwheat Cauliflower is boring. There, we said it. But Gold has made this lacklustre vegetable hot, courtesy of cumin and the hottest hottie going‚ literal fire. The outside is expertly charred and if you’re sharing it, you’ll merrily fight over the crispiest brown corners. It comes in a creamy spiced yoghurt bath that keeps things interesting, even when you’ve ransacked the plate for all the best crunchy bits. Zucchini Ravioli, Ricotta, Zucchini Flowers, Marjoram It’s giving zesty. It’s giving light jacket weather. It’s giving floral aftertaste—CC: the marjoram. One of those rare pasta dishes that is just as refreshing as it is filling. Gold really, truly, knows their way around a great al dente number, so whichever seasonal ravioli makes an appearance, get involved. photo credit: Koray Firat Wood-Roasted Half Cornish Red Chicken, Nduja, Tomatoes, Parma Ham Slap this in front of anyone who says chicken is boring and watch as they eat their words—and a tongue-tingling dose of nduja. A dish that deserves the high accolade of ‘hearty’, it is a true testament to the power of the humble tomato combined with juicy chicken. Wood-Roasted Whole Sea Bream, Wild Oregano, Capers The charred skin of this wood-roasted fish genuinely—prepare yourselves—melts off the bone. Zero funny business, just quality sea bream cooked over such a high heat that the centre keeps its meaty, moist texture. photo credit: Koray Firat Amalfi Lemon Tart A glistening yellow hunk of lemon seduction. It’s unapologetically bitter—in the best way possible—and served with a charming dollop of crème fraîche. One for any and all prospective love birds to share." - Heidi Lauth Beasley
