Whits Overview
It’s not often in London on a Friday night that I find myself eating in a restaurant like Whits in Kensington. And I was definitely not dressed for the occasion. Looking down at my attire, and checking out the clientele around me (note the use of clientele, not customers) I even contemplated making a dash for the door to go home and change. But there were no dirty looks from the other tables or disapproving glances from the friendly hostess. I just wished I could have looked the part to fully embrace my posh experience.
When in doubt, order a drink. Whits didn’t really feel like the beer-guzzling-kinda place, so I opted for a margarita. You can definitely judge the quality of a bar on their cocktails. And Whits make damn good margaritas. So good in fact, that I stuck to them all night. I noticed that the bar itself was impressive - like one you’d find in a classy New York wine bar: long, wooden and with mirrors behind it. A few business men come in for après work drinks and nuts at the bar - very Manhattan. And I was starting to relax.
Whits has a simple but elegant décor which makes it all the more classier and I got the impression that a lot of thought went into creating this simple but elegant décor. It has wooden floors throughout (I’m yet to be convinced there is anything better than wooden floors) and crisp white table cloths with a fresh flower on each table. But unlike so many fine dining restaurants in London, Whits is not a bit pretentious and the food is definitely up there with the best. My starter of marinated salmon and Blue Fin Tuna with wasabi (£6.75) was a strange mix of salad and sushi but it definitely worked.
The main menu ranges from the classic Char-grilled Rib Eye Steak, Salad and French Fries (£15.50) to more sophisticated and seriously delicious Caramelised Scallops with mushrooms and asparagus (£17.75). As Eva the manager says, their portion sizes are “notoriously huge” which helps soften the prices. After all, there is nothing worse than splashing out for a meal and getting a child-sized dish.
If you can fit it in, indulge in the rhubarb and oatmeal crumble with ginger ice cream (£5.75). Apparently it’s a favourite with the boys and more “girly” deserts include the Banana Soufflé with Caramel Ice Cream (£7.50) or the selection of homemade sorbets (£5.50). You will have to dip into the wallet but its all part of a fancy night out in London. (Updated 03/04/2006)
Additional Info: Children Allowed, Cloakroom, Food, Non-Smoking Area, Hire Available, Cocktails
Nearby Venues:
- 11 Abingdon Road, Modern European (0.00km)
- L Restaurant & Bar, Modern European (0.04km)
- Cafe Pasta, Italian (0.08km)
- Mimino, Eastern European (0.08km)
- Britannia (The), British (0.10km)
- Sopranos Piano Bar, Italian (0.16km)
- Balans (Kensington), Eclectic (0.16km)
- Sopranos, Italian (0.16km)
- Sticky Fingers, American (0.16km)
- Abingdon (The), Gastro (0.18km)
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