Sunday lunch at the Town House at the Kensington

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Town House at the Kensington is the restaurant in the elegant boutique hotel in South Kensington. The Kensington Hotel is like a modern contemporary London home. The public areas have rooms with tall bay windows, high ceilings and contemporary art. With eclectic furnishings, working fireplaces, a sprawling lounge scattered with comfy sofas and quiet corners, it’s a stylish and inviting space. The relaxed elegance design is a just perfect for the discerning traveller and for locals alike.

On the Sunday that we were there, there were several families having lunch in the restaurant and the lounge. They also serve a brunch menu in the lounge which is perfect for a casual weekend meal.

At just £29 for three courses, the Sunday Lunch at the Townhouse at The Kensington is a great offering. Just put aside your prejudice of a hotel restaurant and judge each place on its own merit. There are many good restaurants in hotels which get overlooked. In Asia, all the best restaurants are only found in the top hotels. London is catching up and most hotels are upping their game by improving their food offering and working with top chefs to offer a fantastic food experience.

At the Town House, the kitchen is presided over by Executive Chef Steve Gibbs, who serves a Modern British menu with an emphasis on seasonal produce. Steve has had a long career which has taken him to Dubai and New York and through the kitchens of the Ivy, J Sheeky, Verre, Soho House and Hix.

We were seated in the restaurant with our drinks, a selection of Champagne or wine by the glass from the hand picked list is available. We were delighted to see that starters were from the buffet, which is dominated by a large shell with a beautiful display of crabs, langoustines and prawns. The chef on hand will deshelled these for you (what service!). There is also a choice of salads, smoked salmon and charcuterie too. The Dorset crab on toast was our favourite, with delicate crab on crispy toast.

It was tempting to keep returning to the buffet but we were so glad to have saved room for the mains. The Roast rib of dry-aged Devonshire beef was done to a nice medium. Served on a bed of lentils, topped with some roasted broccoli, an intense jus and a side of boulangere potatoes, it was a great alternative to a Sunday roast.

The Slow cooked and Jospered Lamb shoulder was served on some grilled artichokes, caponata, tomato bulgur, salsa verde, bathed in lamb jus. The lamb was so tender and all the flavours on the plate melded into the most delightful dish.

You don’t have to make a choice on desserts here. A selection of miniature desserts was served on a pretty sharing board. Each beautifully presented with a colourful sprinkling of edible flowers to decorate. It was so lovely that it deserves several photos.

The trifle in the little glass jar served with a stick of shortbread biscuit was my favourite. Equally pleasing to our sweet tooths were the baked cheesecake with Kentish raspberries and the white chocolate and passionfruit tart. What a perfectly sweet end to our lovely Sunday lunch.

If you were like us, we were so comfortable in the hotel that we didn’t want to leave. You can adjourn to the lounge for some coffee and linger over the Sunday papers and imagine that it was your own living room.

There aren’t too many places in London that you have the combination of a relaxed space, not too busy or noisy, family friendly and serve great food and drink too. Shhh, don’t tell too many of your friends or you will have to fight them for a booking.

The Sunday Lunch menu is available at Town House every Sunday for £29 per person.

Town House at The Kensington

109-113 Queen’s Gate

London SW7 5LR

The closest tube station is South Kensington

http://townhousekensington.com/location/