After a year or so dormant, Holland Park institution Julie’s has opened her doors once again. Under new ownership, the much-loved dining and drinking haunt has returned to her rightful position at the heart of west London’s culinary scene. Renowned for her celebrity clientele and bohemian charm, Julie’s showcases a vibrant new look courtesy of interior design Rosanna Bossom.
Boasting an all-day menu of French brasserie classics with a contemporary twist, carefully curated cocktails, a comprehensive wine list, and martini trolley for table-side refreshments, Julie’s is everything from lazy brunch hangout, to formal lunch spot, to glass of wine with a book pitstop, to candlelit haunt for a clandestine dinner.
Perfectly executed and unpretentious, the menu created by Chef Patron Owen Kenworthy (formerly of Brawn and The Pelican) showcases the best of modern French cooking with seasonal ingredients and a perfect balance between simplicity and decadence is struck throughout the dishes
Cocktails, created by Zoe Burgess of Atelier Pip, include the Beurre Noisette Cider Royal; a seductive take on a classic Kir Royal with an enhanced nutty flavour courtesy of browned butter, and the Cassis Pepper Sazerac; a silky and aromatic offering made with Cassis Pepper infused Cognac. An impressive wine list accompanies the cocktails, spanning everything from classic French to unique offerings.
Spanning two floors, the redesigned restaurant’s interiors are imbued with Bossom’s signature floral maximalism comprising contrasting prints and textures present throughout the space, and the striking ground floor bar is adorned with shells contrasting timber panelling. The botanical theme continues with two custom-designed chandeliers lighting up both floors, creating an inviting glow.
You can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu at Julie’s, but the tuna tartare and sole meuniere are to die for, and you’d do well to pair these with whatever star sommelier Dylan recommends – we particularly rate the Sancerre.
Hand-dived scallops and the spider-crab toast are other personal highlights, while their fries with homemade mayo really hit the spot.
Having lived within spitting distance for almost two decades, I’ve known and frequented Julie’s in all three incarnations. From her first run stretching from the 60s and hosting Mick Jagger, Princess Margaret, Paul McCartney and Carly Simon, all the way to the 80s and 90s, with Tom Cruise, Naomi Campbell, Princess Di, and Annie Lennox all haunting her hallowed walls, (legend has it a table still bears the scars from the time Tina Turner danced on it in stilettos), to the late noughties, with Kate Moss and yours truly as regulars.
To her second stretch, after a heart-breaking five-year hiatus where she lay dormant before emerging from her chrysalis with a whole new (medieval, Moorish, Art Deco) look. She plodded on in this vein for another few years, but never quite recovered her earlier energy.
Until! Her third incarnation, which is the Julie’s we know and love today. Reopening just a few months ago, she’s already recovered all the vibe and energy of her heyday. Third time lucky and all that.
Her idyllic Clarendon Cross location with its awnings, outdoor tables, and Parisian pavement café charm add a certain continental je ne sais quoi that’s hard to come by in London.
Honourable mention also goes out to her secret subterranean cocktail bar, which is open late, has a sort of Sherlock Holmes opium den vibe, and makes a mean spicy marg.
Having been the backdrop to meals with my parents, birthday suppers, dates, – and, for a while a few years ago – a midafternoon pitstop for a coffee with a book (okay, scroll through Insta), I’d like to raise a glass to Julie’s in all her incarnations – may she live long and prosper!
Reservations can be made online at juliesrestaurant.com.
