The Distillery
Notting Hill, London
Hotel in London, United Kingdom
Book with PearlWhy go
The Distillery on Portobello Road suits a Notting Hill itinerary rather than a destination visit. Booking is easy and walk-ins are realistic, making it a low-friction option in a high-traffic neighbourhood. Service is casual rather than structured; set expectations accordingly and time your visit around the Saturday market for the best experience.
About The Distillery
Quick Verdict
The Distillery on Portobello Road is worth a visit if you are in Notting Hill and want a spot that feels rooted in the neighbourhood rather than imported from a hotel bar playbook. Booking is easy; walk-ins are realistic here, particularly earlier in the week when the Portobello Road market crowds have thinned. If you are planning around the Saturday market, arrive before noon or after 4 PM to avoid the peak crush that spills into local venues along this stretch.
What to Expect
Portobello Road carries a particular energy: the street itself sets the mood before you step inside anything on it. The Distillery sits at 186 Portobello Rd, W11, which places it in the heart of the antique and market corridor; an address that brings foot traffic, colour, noise in roughly equal measure. For a first-timer, the ambient feel is more neighbourhood local than polished cocktail bar, which is either exactly what you want or a reason to look elsewhere depending on your brief.
On the service question, which matters more at a venue like this than at a destination restaurant with trained front-of-house depth, expect something casual and approachable rather than attentive and structured. The human element here is part of the atmosphere rather than a layer above it. If you want staff who anticipate needs and manage the room tightly, venues like The Connaught or Claridge's set that standard in London. The Distillery operates at a different register, knowing that going in sets the right expectations.
For first-timers to London, this part of Notting Hill is worth your time as a neighbourhood, the market, the independent shops, the Georgian terraces, The Distillery fits that itinerary logically. If your London hotel is further east, near NoMad London or The Savoy, factor in the travel time before building a dedicated trip around this address alone. See our full London bars guide and full London restaurants guide for how this sits in the wider picture.
The venue database does not currently carry price, hours, or awards data for The Distillery, so specific spend-per-head figures are not available here. Check directly before visiting.
Quick reference: 186 Portobello Rd, London W11 1LA. Booking: easy, walk-ins viable. Leading timing: weekday evenings or Saturday before noon.
Planning details
- Location
- 186 Portobello Rd, London W11 1LA, United Kingdom
- Website
- the-distillery.london
- Phone
- +44 20 3034 2233
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Distillery leans on its building as much as on its program: a converted Victorian shell that reads as part of Portobello Road rather than an imposition on it. The piece-of-street sensibility — Georgian terraces, brickwork with history, market stalls nearby — gives the place a lived-in, charming quality. It favors adaptive reuse over purpose-built minimalism, so the space feels rooted and characterful rather than engineered. Expect the kind of gritty, independent energy that belongs to this stretch of Notting Hill: atmospheric, quietly idiosyncratic, and firmly of its neighbourhood.
Best For
This is a venue for people who want the Portobello Road experience rather than Mayfair polish: weekend wanderers, market-goers and travellers looking for an independent, neighbourhood anchor. It suits relaxed daytime exploration and casual evening hangs after a day browsing antiques and record shops. The Distillery reads as a spot to fold into the fabric of Notting Hill — a low-fuss, characterful stop on a weekend escape or a solo exploration of the marketed streetscape.
Venue details
Ambiance
Light and airy art deco-inspired spaces with a lively gin-focused atmosphere.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Amenities
View
Accessibility
About the Stay
- Rooms
- 3
- Check-in
- 15:00
- Check-out
- 11:00
- Property Style
- Gin Distillery Themed Boutique Inn
- Design Style
- Art Deco with Industrial Gin Elements
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Raffles London at The OWO; Notable alternative
- The Connaught; Notable alternative
- 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences; Notable alternative
- Bvlgari Hotel London; Notable alternative
- COMO Metropolitan London; Notable alternative
Hotel context
Against London's hotel and bar venues, The Distillery operates in a different tier and serves a different purpose. Raffles London at The OWO and Bvlgari Hotel London are destination choices with deep service programmes and price points to match; if you want a bar or lounge experience where the room, the staff, the drink list are all operating at the same high level, those addresses deliver it. The Distillery is not competing at that level, you should not arrive expecting it to.
COMO Metropolitan London and 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences offer more structured environments that work well for business or occasions where the setting needs to do some work. The Connaught remains the reference point for service depth in London; if that is your benchmark, The Distillery will feel like a step down in formality and attentiveness. That is fine if neighbourhood character is what you are after; it is a problem if you need the room to perform.
The clearest case for The Distillery is a Notting Hill afternoon that already has the Portobello Road market built in; it is a natural stop in that context, easy to book, low-commitment. For anything requiring a deliberate trip across London, one of the above alternatives will give you more reliable value for the journey.
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Distillery guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Distillery
| Venue | Booking Difficulty | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| The Distillery | Easy | No published awards |
| Raffles London at The OWO | Unknown | 2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel CollectionStar Wine Lists 20262026 Forbes 5-Star2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 World’s 50 Best Hotels · #31Michelin 3 Keys 20252025 Michelin 3 Keys2025 Forbes 5-Star2024 World's 50 Best Hotels · #13 |
| The Connaught | Unknown | 2026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 House & Garden Best Hotels in London2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 World’s 50 Best Hotels · #292025 Michelin 3 Keys2025 Forbes 5-Star2025 Conde Nast Hotels Gold List2024 World's 50 Best Hotels · #46 |
| 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences | Unknown | 2026 Forbes 4-Star2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Michelin Selected Hotels2025 Forbes 4-Star |
| Bvlgari Hotel London | Unknown | 2026 Forbes 5-Star2026 Virtuoso Luxury Hotel Collection2026 La Liste Top Hotels2025 Michelin 3 Keys2025 Forbes 5-Star |
| COMO Metropolitan London | Unknown | 2026 Forbes 4-Star2026 Mr & Mrs Smith Luxury Hotels2025 Michelin Selected Hotels2025 Forbes 4-Star |
A quick look at how The Distillery measures up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Distillery good for business travel?
Only if your meetings are informal. The Distillery on Portobello Road suits a relaxed catch-up with a client who appreciates a neighbourhood setting over a hotel lobby. For structured business dinners with privacy and service formality, The Connaught or 51 Buckingham Gate are better fits. The W11 location works if you are already in West London, but it is not a destination business venue.
Is The Distillery family-friendly?
It depends on timing and what you mean by family. Portobello Road itself draws a mixed crowd, The Distillery sits comfortably in that neighbourhood context during daytime hours. Evenings skew adult, particularly as the bar side picks up. Families with older children visiting Notting Hill are more likely to find it comfortable than those with young kids in tow.
How is the location of The Distillery?
The address at 186 Portobello Rd, W11 puts it well inside Notting Hill's main stretch, which is a genuine advantage on market days and a quieter asset the rest of the week. Notting Hill Gate tube is walkable, making access from central London straightforward. If you are already in the area, this is an easy stop; if you are travelling in from the City or Canary Wharf, factor in the cross-town journey.
