Shellfish and BBQ menu: Mon–Fri midday–2.30pm; Mon–Thu 7pm–10.30pm
Set in one and a half acres of matured gardens atop 99 High Street Kensington, the view from Kensington Roof Gardens’ Babylon is superb. The recently refurbished decor feels sleek and inviting. A small bar sits at the front of the long narrow room. Our table was next to the window, offering a view across London.
The BBQ menu we were here to try was concise; four starters and four mains. We overlooked both asparagus and oysters, opting for chargrilled crevette prawns with shredded fennel and courgette salad and potted salmon and shrimps with sourdough toast. Both were tasty; the prawns grilled in their shell, juicy and with good crunch to the salad. The salmon and shrimp were rich with butter, complemented well by the smokiness of the toast. Portions were fine but prices seemed steep –£13.50 for prawns is just about okay but £14.50 for salmon and a few shrimp seemed a little off the mark.
Mains of lobster and spatchcock poussin both looked good. We chose a seafood mixed grill (£21) and rib-eye steak with chips and béarnaise (£19.50). Langoustine, salmon, squid and razor clam sat together alongside saffron and garlic mayonnaise. The squid was beautifully tender, but the clam was gritty and tough. The steak arrived disappointingly thin and lacking in flavour, but cooked well and helped by some crispy hand-cut chips.
We moved on to dessert, with a choice from the a la carte menu. Vanilla bean pannacotta with apple accompaniments (£9) was good in flavour, but rubbery in texture. I chose rhubarb parfait with honeycomb and pear sorbet (£8). The sorbet was excellent; just the right sweetness, but the honeycomb tasted bitter and overpowering.
With service friendly and helpful throughout, we left with mixed feelings. For the price, the consistency of the food needs to be better, but then the atmosphere and location the restaurant still allowed for an enjoyable evening.
Meal for two with wine, around £130.
