By Catherine DiPersico | Photos by Stevie Campbell

White tablecloths? Sure. White-knuckling over which fork to use? Nope, not here. Tucked inside West London's cultural hub for art, design, and performance, Pollini at Ladbroke Hall occupies the soaring arched entrance of what was once the Sunbeam Talbot Motor Company's 1903 automobile factory. Somehow, that's not the coolest thing about it.

The restaurant has entered its next chapter with an updated menu and refreshed interiors by Boronkay Studio that make an already striking destination feel warmer, more inviting, and just plain fun to spend time in.

"As I move forward, so does Pollini," says Chef Emanuele Pollini, who has refined the menu to focus on fewer, more expressive dishes. "The cuisine evolves while remaining firmly rooted in Italian tradition."

He says the same philosophy shaped the redesign, transforming what "began as a raw shell" into "a layered, living space, where art and style meet and balance each other naturally." That evolution comes courtesy of Linda Boronkay, founder and creative director of Boronkay Studio.

"I wanted Pollini to feel like a retreat within the city—intimate yet expressive,” Linda says. "A place where people feel instantly welcome and encouraged to linger."

And you'll definitely want to stick around. It’s an elevated osteria instead of the kind of fine dining where you're quietly Googling which fork to use. Pollini still feels special, but in a way that invites you to settle in, not sit up straighter. But the designer didn't erase the drama—she made it more livable.

The original architecture by Vincenzo De Cotiis sets the stage. The Grade II-listed Beaux Arts building still wears its black-and-white palette beautifully—even Diane Keaton would've approved—but Linda softens the space with rich textiles and moodier hues pulled from Christopher Le Brun's The Seasons paintings. The dramatic bar still anchors the room beneath Nacho Carbonell's unforgettable chandelier, but the addition of plush greenery, playful striped and polka-dot upholstery, and funky rugs makes the dining room feel less like a gallery hall and more like the world's chicest living room.

The restaurant embraces Ladbroke Hall's "living gallery" ethos, meaning the bespoke furniture by artists represented by Carpenters Workshop Gallery doubles as collectible design. So if you wanted to buy that incredible chair you've been lounging in all night, you actually can. Check, please!

At a time when hospitality spaces are increasingly doubling as cultural destinations, Pollini proves luxury doesn't have to be intimidating. Come for dinner, stay for the art, catch some jazz, and maybe hang aroung a little longer than planned. That's kind of the point. ⬥