Food reviews

The Island

Above: The Island

Launched earlier this year by the team behind the ridiculously popular Westbourne is The Island in Kensal Rise. Formerly an ugly corner site in a nondescript location, the new incarnation quickly gained enough credibility to find itself a runner up in the Local Restaurant category of the recent Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards, thanks to an enthusiastic local welcome.

The island idea refers to its slightly lonely location in the middle of a residential grid and the theme infuses the interior with a touch of the tropical. The big and initially confusing space is spread over three levels, with an upstairs dining area and a mezzanine stage kitchen. On display are a framed map of Tahiti, a 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea poster and an eccentric display of lobsters in a Westbourne-style wall of pictures. With a glossy red ceiling and big hanging lamps it’s stylish, spacious and funky.

The menu is smallish and high class gastropubby. We started with a lovely warm salad of baby squid, chorizo and aioli that was tasty and fresh, and the Island terrine of duck and foie gras with toast and pickles, though that was disappointingly fridge-cold and a touch stingy on the foie gras. Still, mains were flawless: grilled whole black bream with seared fennel and roasted cherry tomatoes was generous and tasty while grilled venison with radicchio, baked shallots and blackberry jus was high class. We finished with some well-chosen Shropshire blue and hearty oatcakes and agreed that the Island would be a fine place to be marooned.
Pendle Harte

Place:
The Island,
123 College Road NW10
020 8960 0693
Feels like:
London meets the tropics
Tastes like:
Classy gastropub fare
Costs:
Starters £4 to £7.50; mains £9 to £13.50