L Restaurant & Bar Overview
This modern European on Abingdon Road off High Street Kensington opened in 2006. Popular with the locals, it has stiff competition with 11 Abingdon Road on the corner of the same street, and Whits opposite.
My companions for the evening are my boyfriend and two friends. The entrance is classy and the cocktail bar that awaits us is very inviting, as is the extensive cocktail list. I ask the handsome barman why the restaurant is called L. He tells me that it’s the first letter of the name of the owner, but that I can ask him myself as he’s sitting eating downstairs. Once you are through the cocktail bar the restaurant itself opens out before you – it is vast and airy, being under a glass conservatory roof.
The wine list is broad and very reasonable - we settle on a bottle of New Zealand Mansion House, Sauvignon, which is so palatable that we order another before the main course arrives. The food menu is equally varied - the men settle on the grilled lemon and chilli squid for a starter which is set out beautifully.
They are both of the opinion that the squid is tender with a zesty tingle, and the perfect size for a starter. The ladies order the smoked salmon and tuna tartar with vichyssoise dressing and grilled asparagus, it’s a little too strong but enjoyable.
The local resident on the adjacent table tells me that the W8 crowd like to eat on their doorstep and are always looking for new places to try, which would suggest this new venture will soon take off. The service is quick and when I ask for the air conditioning to be turned down it’s no trouble at all.
A large amount of time passes before the main course arrives but it is worth the wait. Once again the men are more than happy with their selection (chateaubriand with mixed mushrooms and fries). One of my guests was a little disappointed that there was no béarnaise sauce to smother all over the ripe steak but the feeling soon subsided when he tasted the beef, which was well presented with no marbling. For my part, the presentation of the seabass fillet with lime and coconut was a little poor, being apparently dumped in the centre of the plate, but the all important test was passed as the fillet was flavoursome and cooked to perfection.
L is certainly worth a try, even for those who are outside of the W8 postcode. Its atmosphere lends itself to larger parties of friends and families (being too raucous for a romantic evening), but for a social evening of good food and wine, it certainly fits the bill.
Melissa Davis (Updated 02/08/2008)
Additional Info: Food, Non-Smoking Area, Hire Available
Nearby Venues:
- Cafe Pasta, Italian (0.04km)
- 11 Abingdon Road, Modern European (0.04km)
- Whits, European (0.04km)
- Mimino, Eastern European (0.10km)
- Sticky Fingers, American (0.13km)
- Britannia (The), British (0.14km)
- Il Portico, Italian (0.17km)
- Sopranos Piano Bar, Italian (0.18km)
- Balans (Kensington), Eclectic (0.18km)
- Sopranos, Italian (0.18km)
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