London Kensington Restaurant Guide

Flying under the radar, as they have for over a decade now, Yasuhiro Mineno’s and Shinya Ikeda’s offbeat duo – a two-floor site in a Kensington backstreet (est. 2010), and the newer ‘Ocean House’ spin-off (est. 2013, in the quirky former Brompton Library) – never inspire a huge volume of feedback, perhaps because they are by no means cheap. The owners have fine CVs though and all reports continue to say the sushi here can be exceptional.

“You wouldn’t go for ‘haute cuisine’, but as a jolly place to eat comfort food in a spectacular setting, it is hard to beat” – that’s the upbeat view, anyway, on this now-“ubiquitous” brasserie chain. Eight years and 40 openings later, the spin-offs increasingly eclipse the Theatreland original (see also), whose Edwardian features provide the style-guide for its nationwide ‘roll out’. “Even if the unchallenging food reaches no heights, there’s a consistent buzz”, which makes them a “posh”, “fun” choice for a get-together, if not a particularly foodie one. This is particularly the case at the landmark London off-shoots: at ‘Chelsea Garden’ (“gorgeous greenery”); Kensington (“slick”, with a “pretty glitzy crowd”); and on the Thames (“great views over Tower Bridge”). But while it’s always been acknowledged that the mass offering is “a shadow of the mothership’s” – with “average grub at not-so-average prices” – the feeling that the brand has become just “a chain that does not excite” is gaining ever-stronger currency. Service seems more “stretched” nowadays, and a sliding ambience rating is making the whole offering seem ever-more “overrated, for all its modern art and perky décor”.

“A revelation!” – the “pricey-but-good” first-floor restaurant (or better still “the private tatami mat dining room”) at Kensington’s Japan House cultural centre serves “food close to what you eat in Japan” alongside an extensive sake menu, and “everything is beautifully presented”. “Quite apart from the food, the entire experience in the building and the Japanese welcome make a visit worthwhile”.

Perhaps because it’s easy to ignore amongst the dross of Kensington High Street, this two-year-old venue focused on the eastern Med doesn’t inspire much feedback, but such as we received is all positive. In June 2022, Tomar Amedi (former head chef of The Palomar) joined, and it is now billed as a ‘Levantine Fire Kitchen’. Could be one to watch.

“Polished cuisine” with a “creative mix of ingredients” – overseen from afar by star chef Phil Howard – elevates this “classic neighbourhood restaurant” off High Street Kensington into something “top class” and one of London’s better-known foodie destinations. If criticism is made, it’s typically that a diner “had heard great things, but was underwhelmed despite finding nothing obviously wrong”. In a similar variable vein, service veers from “very pleasant” to “sometimes chaotic”; and the “well-spaced” dining room is “lovely” to some, too low-key for others.

The cute location is a highlight of this “hidden gem”, obscurely tucked away in a plush Kensington backstreet, where the Indian food is “solid and great value for money”. (It’s actually part of a chain of four, but there’s scant feedback on its siblings in Little Venice, Barnes and Kingston).

With its inviting décor, this fast-expanding group has been a big “winner” since the pandemic, mushrooming to 18 sites, all of which have generally proved useful additions to their respective areas. But while “it certainly looks the part, and the staff look after you well enough”, the brunch-friendly fare can be hit ’n’ miss, with reports ranging from “surprisingly good” to “formulaic and really abysmal”. Top Tip – “always a top option for feeding the family”.

“I have yet to find the person who does not absolutely love Dishoom!” – Shamil and Kavi Thakrar’s “must-visit chain” remains our poll’s most-commented-on group, on the strength of its “exceptional” homage to the Irani cafés of Bombay. “A sense of nostalgia for a vanished India and quirky colonial notices add to the fun” of its “cool”, “evocative” branches, where “outstanding staff, even when very busy” (which is to say always) preside over “borderline hectic” conditions with great verve and efficiency. The “slightly different Indian food” (“with spice rather than heat”) is “far better than it has any right to be” given the volumes it’s served in… “superb”… “so consistent” and “extremely fairly priced” too. The “left field” breakfast menu is famous nowadays, and “awesome bacon and egg naan rolls” have “redefined what brekkie is all about” for many Londoners. Founded in 2010, they will hit six branches in London in 2022, with a big (355 covers) new Canary Wharf outlet, complete with a bar and terrace overlooking the docks. On the downside, bookings at all the outlets are restricted and “queues are half way down the street”. “It’s worth it though!!”. Top Menu Tips – “Finally got to try the black dal… a big hug in a bowl” that’s “to die for” and “Ruby Murray is a family favourite”. And, with their burgeoning delivery business, “the fact you can now order the Bacon Naan for home consumption is a wonderful, wonderful thing”.

“A cut above the normal pub” – with its “stylish mix of bar area and secluded, more intimate booths”, this smart venue on a Kensington backstreet has entertained well-heeled locals with a menu of elevated gastropub fare for a quarter of a century.

This “old favourite” opposite the Design Museum, now in its sixth decade, is “always buzzing, with great Italian food and a sense that every patron is ‘family’”. It’s family-run, too, with James Chiavarini having taken over from his father, Pino. “James has introduced some modernising touches but I love the feeling that you’re in Italy when you walk in the door – there’s nothing minimal or characterless about it”.

“Really excellent Italian local” that occupies a smart, if tightly packed, two-floor site in an off-the-beaten-track Kensington backwater. It’s a “cheerful place” with lovely fresh fish, “beautifully displayed packed in ice”.

The “beautiful dining room” (“an old bank building”) hosts a menu inspired by the historic royal cuisine of Lucknow, at this smart restaurant near Kensington Gardens. It “never seems to make it into the ‘top’ lists”, unlike its highly rated stablemate Tamarind in Mayfair, “but the modern cooking never disappoints and is of the highest quality”.

In one of London’s prettiest squares, this “lively” pub classic has the dubious honour of being Piers Morgan’s local – he claims to have met the then-actress Meghan Markle here on the day she later met Prince Harry. (TV crime buffs will also remember it from the late-70s series The Professionals). The scoff’s mostly unreformed pub grub, but good value.

“The most difficult restaurant in W8 to bag a table at” for good reason: the rooftop dining room of the 5-star Royal Garden Hotel combines “top Hong Kong-standard Chinese food” with “wonderful views over Kensington Gardens” – “the dim sum is excellent” and “I could cry with joy simply thinking about their Beijing duck”, which is “one of the best in London”.

One of London’s most stunning and pretilly located venues – this 17th-century former ballroom in Holland Park itself is scheduled to reopen in the latter half of 2022 under the ownership of Ilya Demichev and George Bukhov-Weinstein, the Russians behind Chelsea’s Wild Tavern and surf-and-turf specialists Goodman and Burger & Lobster. The menu is expected to be Italian-led and there will be room for 120 diners on two floors – each with its own bar. The venue has had various high-profile tenants, including Marco Pierre White, but has often slipped into complacency based on its location – let’s hope they break that mould.