Food reviews

Paradise By Way of Kensal Green

Above: Paradise, W10

THERE’S BEEN A PUB  on this site for centuries. But never one this stylish. Newly acquired by the team behind the Westbury in Kilburn, Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green has had a makeover, one that really brings out the building’s charms. It’s a fantastic space, comprising an upstairs stage area for gigs and cabaret as well as various private rooms for parties or dinners and a clever upstairs terrace for the smokers. “Shabby chateau chic,” is how the manager describes it, though he’s keen to add that they haven’t lost sight of the fact that it’s still a Kensal Green boozer, despite the lavish new look.
Downstairs, the restaurant space is still at the back, though it’s now brighter (more chandeliers) and, of course, less smoky. Confusingly, they’ve switched the men’s and women’s loos round, so pre-refurb punters are getting it wrong. Heading up the new kitchen is Tim Payne of recent Hell’s Kitchen fame, and his menu is European with a gastropub slant. On our visit we started with vermicelli with Cornish crab, pomello and chilli and a classy Jerusalem artichoke soup, and moved on to griddled fruits de mer with saffron risotto and char-grilled rump steak with wild mushrooms and bone marrow roasting juices, all of it satisfying and tasty. Classic puddings and a carefully-chosen wine list are bound to delight the neighbours and attract interest from neighbouring postcodes.  l Pendle Harte