Fluid Eating's Review of Kensington Square Kitchen
Visiting the Kensington Square Kitchen was my first assignment for Fluid, and I wanted to make the most of this opportunity. Its website is detailed, and what I read impressed me. It sounds like the perfect spot for a first date. There’s this special someone that I’ve had my eye on for over a year and a half now, so I pluck up the courage and make first contact. I receive a text back almost immediately, agreeing to meet me outside High Street Kensington tube station.
On the day, the sun is shining so the short walk to the restaurant is pleasant. The Kensington Square Kitchen is situated just a couple of blocks off the high street in a rather up-market residential area. Its position means it’s difficult to just stumble across accidentally.
Walking in, we discover a small but bright eatery. We’re met by friendly, rather funky staff and my date comments on the fresh flowers as we’re shown to our table. Once orders are placed, it’s time to be nosy. KSK seats around 18 people and has a summer holiday feel about it with pastel green wood paneling on white walls. Head chef and owner Sara Adams says the inspiration for her restaurant came from time living in Sydney and holidays in Napa, California.
The large frontal windows give a view of the pavement tables as well as the lush, green square over the road. To take advantage of the long nights and warm weather, KSK is open in the evenings during the summer. Extra chairs and tables are put outside, and Sara adjusts the menu to include light summery dishes such as a fish of the day and risotto, and cocktails are available until late.
Our drinks arrive. I’m trying to make an impression on my date by going with a healthy option: the homemade banana smoothie; tasty, but there could be more of it. My date gets all giddy when an English wine is spotted on the menu. The Chapel Down Bacchus arrives and is gulped down eagerly, patriotically, and described as “fruity and full of life. A must have!”
KSK’s wine list is large and varied for the size of the venue, and represents great value for money. It should meet all requirements in terms of style, range of taste and food pairing suitability. Sara also hosts a wine club every Friday during lunchtime.
Our food arrives promptly. My date has the asparagus and pea frittata from the specials menu, and describes it as “quiche-like, with not too many flavours, which is good. And as the portion is big, for £7, it’s good value.” The KSK team aims to provide seasonal, British-inspired and locally sourced food, so there’s a different specials menu every day.
KSK has two regular menus - breakfast and brunch – the former being available until 12pm and includes both healthy and traditional options (and Bloody Mary’s and Bucks Fizz’s, if needed). I order from the brunch menu: a large, very fresh portion of smoked salmon with a toasted bagel, cream cheese and red onion. Delicious!
We decide to round off the date with a slice of cake and a cappuccino. The carrot cake goes down a treat with my date: nice and light. My chocolate cake is very tasty, but I must admit it gets a bit dry towards the end due to its large size. The accompanying cappuccino, made with Monmouth Coffee (Borough Market) beans, sorts my dry mouth out. The coffee at KSK has been rated by Time Out as one of the top 5 in West London, and we agree. It’s deliciously strong.
Before we leave I head downstairs and am pleasantly surprised to find more customers dining. There’s a large table ideal for parties, as well as a couple of leather sofas good for a quiet cup of tea while reading the provided newspapers. My date is impressed with the full-length mirror in the unisex bathroom, very Ally McBeal.
During our time at the Kensington Square Kitchen the other customers have been quite varied, ranging from the young to old, business meetings to courting couples, smartly dressed to bohemian garb’d. Sadly, even though my date said a great time was had, I still haven’t received a return invitation.....
Reviewed by Anthony Lord (Updated 13/05/2010)
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