As a teenager, I probably watched Julia Roberts’ Notting Hill at least 100 times. (Too bad I’m now older than Anna Scott–and sadly still single.) That said, while in London I absolutely had to make it to the Notting Hill neighborhood.
After walking around and shopping for a couple of hours, I was in the mood for some fish & chips. I asked three vendors for recommendations and all suggested Geales. I almost missed the restaurant, as it’s on a nondescript block and well off the beaten track. I found it handsome. For 70 years, Geales has been a neighborhood, or shall I say neighbourhood favorite, and I can see why.
If you’re a fan of fish & chips, you can get them fried in crispy batter, pan-fried, grilled or steamed, and you have your choice of pollock, cod, haddock, or sole.
- You must have dill pickles as a snack. They were crisp, refreshing and sweet. This is big enough to share with another, unless like me, you have a thing for pickles.
- Instead of oysters as a starter, I went for the North Atlantic prawn cocktail with avocado. The dish was beautiful and tasty. Unfortunately, the avocados were hidden at the bottom. Presented in a type of mason jar, I would have chosen something else to serve this in. That said, this is still a must-get.
- Would you believe it if I tell you that I actually didn’t order the fish & chips? I saw three orders around me (which looked amazing, by the way) and decided to go for something that I could finish. So I went with the pork belly with applesauce and cracklins. To me, this will always be a porcine darling. Succulent, fatty, yet not too greasy, this was a dish I almost wanted a second helping of. Stay away from the cracklind though–it was hard enough to break a tooth.
Geales
2 Farmer St
London, United Kingdom
+44 20 7727 7528
Tricia is a native Washingtonian, born and raised in Columbia Heights. She loves DC so much that she was only able to leave the city for one year after college and immediately came running back. She’s lived in Navy Yard for the last few years and is excited to see all the new restaurants finally moving into the neighborhood. Tricia works in PR during the day, and spends her nights trying out new restaurants in DC with friends or watching The Good Wife, Scandal, Bones and Grey’s Anatomy. A couple of years ago Tricia decided to eat at all of the 100 Very Best Restaurants until she realized she would be old and broke by the time she finished. Unfortunately, part of that fate might still come true due to her obsession with Uber.