The Walmer Castle, Notting Hill

The Walmer Castle has an almost entirely Thai menu, as so many pubs seem to these days.  There are about 10 of us from the office having lunch together and so we choose to sit in the raised area at the back, with a sofa and two tables where we can all squeeze in.

You order and pay at the bar; the service is efficient although it could be a little friendlier.  The meals are all generous in size but arrive so quickly that they are obviously all sitting waiting to be served up.  My nasi goreng (fried rice with chicken, prawns, vegetables and egg) has quite a good amount of meat and veg but is a little too much on the greasy side.  Despite this it is tasty and I can't pretend I didn't eat it all.  A colleague's laksa looks appealing: the rice is served in a ball on the side and there are big chunks of chicken.  Sing chow mei is a big portion of noodles with various accompaniments including some nice spicy pork.  Two of our party have burgers but they are disappointed - they don't like the patties and the bun is a bit sad.  The chips are good though - hot and crispy.

The Walmer is a quick, good value lunch option and definitely a useful alternative to the burgers and wraps served ad infinitum in other pubs in the area.

One course and a soft drink: £8.50 per head

Value: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Food: 6/10

SCORE: 25/40

The Walmer Castle, 58 Ledbury Road, London, W11 2AJ.  Tel: 020 72294620.