Golborne Road is, and has always been, an eclectic place. Made up of higgledy piggledy buildings, it veers off Portobello Road, bringing the candy sweet houses of Notting Hill to an abrupt end with Erno Goldfinger’s brutalist Trellick Tower. Every doorway on the road holds something unusual behind it–indeed there is no real theme to the place at all. A few paces will take you from The Trove, Studio Duggan’s swanky showroom, to Arepas, a tiny empanada shop. Another few will take you from a charity shop to a space entirely dedicated to Moroccan ceramics. It is home to interior designers, musicians and fashion people (Stella McCartney famously used to live here), so, when Caia opened its doors earlier this summer, there was no telling what it would be.
From the outside, a very unassuming awning displays the restaurant’s name in a font so small it feels as though they want you to walk on by. There is no fanfare or shouty branding, instead Caia sinks into the fabric of the road, making an effort to not outshine its neighbours. Inside, limewashed walls, punchily patterned banquette seating and plush velvet bar stools line the space in an earthy, comfortable room. The whole thing unfolds like a rabbit warren, with waiting staff darting between the rooms. There’s a private dining room that can seat about a dozen people and a listening bar downstairs that feels like a speakeasy–but we’ll come back to that later.
The concept at Caia is to eat simply but well. It’s about good wine, open fire cooking and well curated music. Sure, it’s not a groundbreaking concept, but it maintains a contemporary cool that feels exciting and fresh. The menu is designed to be shared and the offering changes frequently, but on an ad hoc basis. For theatrics and a bit of a spectacle, sit at the bar.
We tore into our meal with a black pepper and garlic focaccia, followed swiftly by crudités ready to dip in a selection of whipped feta, black olive harissa, charred courgette, tahini and pickled onions. Creamy burrata came next, the richness of it cut through by spicy jerk peas, a nod, no doubt, to the Caribbean community that is so intrinsic to the area. Each dish is more exciting than the last and the whole meal is spent tossing up between diving into the newest option, or scraping up every morsel of the last. There’s octopus with burnt pepper and nduja crumb, followed by a sweetcorn and monkfish dish where a little rainbow of light dances across the meat. Next, king oyster mushroom schnitzel, served with a dollop of plum and chilli ketchup.
This is one of those interesting restaurants where the thread connecting every dish does not run through the ingredients or food, but the cooking style. Desserts range from Maida Vale chutney and lavash crackers, to fresh lemon granita and verbena tea, and a chocolate eclair served with tonka bean chantilly and créme de cassis cherries. Naturally, we opt for the latter.
Those that have spent too much time eating and not enough time drinking will be pleased to know they can ‘sit soft’ in the listening bar. Descend the stairs and you’ll find a space that feels at once contemporary and nostalgic. One wall is lined by a dark wood display that plays host to hundreds of records, a Kuzma R record player and Auditorium R-25 speakers (fear not, you won’t be asked to repeat those names later). Choose something from their extensive wine menu (or ask for a classic cocktail) and you'll while away the evening listening to a curated selection of funk, jazz and soul. Caia is a true multi-hyphenate space but the distinction between its twin pillars is clean cut: food might be king upstairs, but music is king down here.
caia.london
46 Golborne road
London W10 5PR
