Kensington Place

201-207 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LX
020 7727 3184, www.danddlondon.com

Above: KP

There are few restaurants this well positioned for a bit of serious Notting Hillbilly gawking. Beware: it is not one-way glass, and you will be the recipient of more than one envied glance as the rest of west London schleps home from work.
While other locals braved a somewhat blustery, cool evening, we sat inside the wide bright space, cosy and composed. Tearing our gazes away from the window and to the décor, the circular motif was inescapable. From the galley-style kitchen windows
to the shelving on the pillars, the revolving door, the spots on the wall spots, even Swiss cheese holes cut out of the chair legs…
in fact, the only thing that breaks up the undulating lines is a wall-lenth mural depicting Kensington Gardens by Mark Wickham.
The menu clamoured for our attention, but only after a selection
of mini (round again) tomato focaccias and moist sweet-potato bread. For starters, we ordered
a brochette of grilled fresh anchovies with sauce vierge on
a sliver of crackling toast. Salty, squishy and delicious, the anchovies sat (not for very long) on three long skewers, the sweetness of the tomato and basil in the sauce offsetting the saltiness. Lobster pennette pasta with tarragon and mushrooms was similarly successfully, the tarragon and mushrooms imbuing the plate with a sort of posh surf-and-turf twist.
A middle white pork belly with chick peas and apple compote completely satisfied all hot crackling and cool, sweet apple needs, the moist white meat falling neatly on the wintery legumes so apt for a cool evening. A red-leg partridge similarly kept the (somewhat discerning) wolf from the door with lentils, fois gras and Sauterne jelly. Don’t pass up dessert, especially the wonderfully tart lemon, er, tart and moreish chocolate macaroon with coffee syrup, amaretto foam and the most delicious malted milk ice cream. • Natasha Paulini