'These eggs were absolutely perfect, with beautiful thick whites'

Kensington Place

Open Tue–Fri midday–3pm, Sat–Sun 11am–3.30pm; Mon–Thu 6pm–10.30pm, Fri–Sat 6pm–11pm

The blurb

For food lovers, the combining of two meals into one seems a bit of a raw deal. But Kensington Place won me over with their new three-course weekend brunch menu, served between 12pm and 3.30pm.

The style

Artwork fills the end wall of the restaurant and the old factory-like windows bring in heaps of light, creating an airy, summery atmosphere—even in mid-December. The colourful, vibrant décor and canvases of beach scenes complement their fish-inspired menu.

For an additional ‘feel good’ vibe, in January Kensington Place are collaborating with Equinox to offer yoga class in a function room followed by brunch (package £30).

The crowd

The service is spot-on and friendly—glasses refilled before you realised they were empty, and bread served to your side plate with silver tongs, a smile and a helpful cocktail recommendation. The place quickly filled up with local families and their quiet, polite and—I can’t stress this enough—impeccably behaved children.

The food

The brunch menu is more lunchy-brunch than brekky-brunch; eggs and waffles are listed alongside tempura crab, flat iron steak, and seafood spaghetti. Clarence Court eggs are the way to my heart—so naturally I ordered the Eggs benedict on an English muffin (£7.50) to start, followed by Poached eggs with crushed avocado and oak smoked salmon on buckwheat loaf (£10.50). This is actually the first time I’ve eaten an egg and not wished for ketchup—these eggs were absolutely perfect: not too runny or underdone, with beautiful thick whites.

My partner opted for the Waffles with berry compote and natural vanilla yoghurt (£7.50)—light, fresh, yet naturally creamy and not over-sweetened—followed by the Tempura soft shell crab in a light burger bun (£14.50). It is a monster of a burger, served with triple-cooked chips and homemade mayonnaise—particular brownie points went to ‘the correct sandwich layering’, according to my partner, in which the crushed avocado went underneath the crab and the sweet chili jam at the top.

These meals kept us full until teatime and cravings at bay, thanks to the high protein content and low sugar—great for the health-conscious.

The drink

We enjoyed bottomless prosecco and Bloody Marys (£15 per head) with our brunch—the latter offering a smoky paprika kick as an aftertaste. My guest, who is not impartial to a mid-morning cocktail, ordered the Sloe Berry, with Sipsmith sloe gin, dark rum, fresh blackberries and coconut syrup: it was thoroughly enjoyed (and arguably improved his mood for the rest of the day).

In a nutshell

This is the place for elegant yet laid back dining in Kensington. The menu is simple and well executed, and you’re guaranteed to get impeccable food for a lazy but classy afternoon.

Kensington Place, 201 Kensington Church St, W8 7LX; www.kensingtonplace-restaurant.co.uk; 020 7727 3184

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