What's cooking good-looking? Electric Diner : LOCAL LOVES

"Portobello Road, Portobello Road
Street where the riches of ages are stowed.
Anything and everything a chap can unload
Is sold off the barrow in Portobello Road.
You’ll find what you want in the Portobello Road."

'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'

Notting Hill has got to be one of the loveliest areas of London and I have to admit - I really haven't explored it nearly enough. However, there is one place you just can't avoid stumbling upon and this is the mega brill Portobello Road! This is where the world's largest antiques market has lived since 1945. Selling antiques, food, fashion and second hand goodies this road comes alive each morning with stall upon stall lining the two mile stretch. It's also where Hugh Grant's character in the movie Notting Hill lives - although sadly the blue door no longer exists as it was sold as a souvenir!

Now, you'll remember back in November that I told you all about the best cinema this fair city has to offer - Electric Cinema - which is on Portobello Road, and in that post I mentioned the Electric Diner which snugly sits next to it....well, I went there for dinner recently and it was shed-loads of fun!

I went with the girls from work for our 2014 what-I-did-on-my-holidays catch up. And what better place than this buzzy little American style joint on the bottom of the Portobello Road hey? We sat in a leather clad booth right by the bar and after ordering a bottle of prosecco to get us started we feasted our eyes on the menu.

With burgers, hot dogs and mussels on the menu Electric Diner boasts an array of simple dishes done very well. I opted for the hot dog which arrived with a humungous gherkin and arty swirls of bright yellow mustard, Annie plumped for the mussels and Emily hit the jackpot with this scrummy dish of macaroni cheese.

I'm beginning to think I should set myself the challenge of trying every macaroni cheese in London, I'm obsessed with the stuff. Word on the street is that the Curtain's Up pub in Baron's Court makes theirs with Stinking Bishop cheese - sign me up for a plate of that please chef!! Hmmm I'm going to give them one a bit of thought my little blogging pals...I might be on to something...WATCH THIS SPACE.

The atmosphere is great in there - we went on a Friday and it was jam packed  (you can book online here to ensure you get a table). There was a constant flow of people coming in and out of the place, waiters rushing past with bottle after bottle of wine and that lovely background hum of TGIF conversation. It was the perfect way to unwind from the week.

Money-wise it certainly doesn't break the bank. Mains are between £9 and £19, with loads of side dishes to pick from. Drinks are the usual London prices, but prosecco was a bit pricey for some reason! I'd really recommend going along with a gaggle of friends and maybe catching a film next door afterwards. The films are on the menu in the diner to tempt you in....but take a look here too if you want to plan ahead.

So, that's it folks - a cracking little place to eat on the wonderful Portobello Road.

- Grab some friends, book a table and get over there! There's something mighty comforting about this snazzy joint.

- Visit the market, it really is a sight to see. Check out more info on opening times and the history of this little London gem here.

- My macaroni cheese challenge - should I do it? Where have you had brilliant versions of this? Please let me know in the comments bar below and I'll get myself along to try as many of them as possible!