‘We have a very expensive menu.’ I glanced over at my chum, Cinéaste Simon. He had clearly heard exactly the same words that I had. Expense was probably to be expected in super-chef Adam Simmonds’ first London venture, the chic and slick Kensington restaurant and champagne bar Pavilion. Certainly, everything about it oozed refinement and class, whether it was the mini-florists that greeted us when we arrived, or the substantial bar in the centre of the room, clearly hinting that this is a place to enjoy cocktails and champagne just as much as it is Simmonds’ food. The staff – well presented, smiley and charming – seemed every bit as upmarket as their setting, which is why it seemed odd that they should boast about how pricey it all was. And it didn’t even seem to be that wallet-ruinous, either – starters hovering around the low tens, main courses about a tenner more, a wine list with plenty below £35. It all seemed slightly incongruous. My look of surprise and slight fear must have been more obvious than I intended, as the waitress took pity on me. ‘Sorry, extensive menu.’
I don’t know if Simmonds is aiming for another Michelin star – which he famously had at Danesfield House outside Marlow – but everything that’s served up here is exceptionally well considered and executed, from the opening cocktails which come with miniature nibbles to compliment the drinks to the short, well-chosen menu. I chose dishes according to what I liked the sound of; Cinéaste Simon took the waitress’s recommendation for every course. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his food was better than mine, which isn’t to say that anything I had was anything less than excellent. A starter of pork belly and langoustines was a nice idea, well executed, and sufficiently Lilliputian in size not to overwhelm the mains, whereas Simon’s quail was a thing of beauty and innovation; perhaps the inclusion of everything from sunflower seed granola to shallot puree had its effect.
If you’re a carnivore, you’ll be pleased by the emphasis on steak in the main course – I plumped for the sirloin, Simon for the fillet – as not only is the meat beautifully presented and tastes delectable, but it also eschews the usual round of peppercorn or béarnaise sauce in favour of whipped bone marrow, which is delicate and sumptuous and gives the meat a consistency of flavour that is often lacking from pieces of deceased beast. The various sides are exemplary and well-considered, and the whole thing’s delightfully complimented by a bottle of 2010 Plaisir de Siaurac. It was certainly our ‘plaisir’ to drink it, and it’s not often that one samples a Pomerol at a comparatively kind price of £35.50.
We whipped through our first couple of courses at a fair old pace – this is, it’s fair to say, not an establishment that expects its customers to linger for hours over their food. But thankfully things became a bit more leisurely over pudding, where Simon once again had the more interesting dessert, a superlative concoction involving buttermilk and orange blossom pain perdu; by comparison, my apple mousse and butterscotch was probably the least interesting thing that either of us ate all evening. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as good as everything else that we had. But that’s a minor cause for criticism in what is otherwise the most exciting opening that the rather drab surroundings of High St Kensington has had in many a moon. Expensive it’s not, extensive it is, and Pavilion – and Adam Simmonds’ exemplary cooking – is going to become a favoured address in many a little black book this year.
Kensington Pavilion Restaurant and Bar, 96 Kensington High Street, London W8 4SG. Tel: 020 7221 2000. Website.
