God Bless America

The Diner
64–66 Chamberlayne Road, NW10 3JJ
020 8968 9033

The US of A has invaded Kensal Rise, and not soon enough if the celebs spotted at The Diner (Alexa Chung on this visit) are anything to go by. While Shoreditch, Soho and Camden locals have long lost themselves in Cajun fries, the Fifties style burger-and-shake joint had yet to make an appearance in west London… till now.

We ducked under the eaves on an unseasonably warm weekday. Cool mums toting even cooler kids spread out over the brown leather benches. Thankfully, we’d abducted a child ourselves for the purposes of this review and she trundled off happily to the kids’ corner, replete with toy kitchen, but only after ordering mini sausages, fries and a vanilla milkshake.

We adults went for the only slightly more grown-up chicken fajita, cheeseburger and taco salad, with a side order each of diner and chilli cheese fries. Fries and burgers come in proper little diner baskets, the taco salad satisfied even the burger-craving dieter and the fajitas were fresh and floury, the “spicy” filling, though, a little on the mild side.

During the day, this is a haven for mums who are forever banging Bugaboos in overcrowded cafes. After dark, though, a veil is drawn over the playpen and the music cranked up, The Diner offering the perfect post-gig licensed eatery for the older offspring of Kensal Rise. Generation gap… what generation gap?