Since it opened a few months ago, restaurant critics have been queueing up to damn this Kensington newcomer.
Undaunted, however, we made our way to its bright and contemporary, but rather hard-edged premises, set amidst a longstanding cluster of restaurants, just off the High Street. A wind of change has blown down this street in recent years, with such age-old stalwarts as Phoenicia – once famous for its Lebanese buffet – having made way for the much more contemporary delights of ‘Abingdon Road’. Here at ‘L’, the once equally venerable trattoria Trattoo (est 1967) has had a dramatic make-over, and much money has been lavished on creating a two-level interior, featuring a notably generous use of glass. A snob might say that the effect is a bit nouveau for W8.
Our first visit was for a simple and reasonably-priced set lunch. No hint of disaster there. So we went a second time, and – for something completely different – ordered all seven non-soup starters. The cooking is slightly (but only ever-so slightly) of the school inspired by Spain’s world-famous El Bulli. Our dishes included the likes of foie gras and duck egg with a balsamic and port reduction; and scallops with guacamole and mango dressing. There were hits and misses, but most dishes were attractively presented and some were notably tasty. The two of us then shared a carrot crème brulée (sic), which was surprisingly good. Service was pleasant and efficient throughout.
So, on the basis of our two visits now, we cannot confirm that this is the worst restaurant in town. In fact, we’re not even sure that it’s the worst restaurant in Kensington. And, for a shopping lunch, you could do very much worse.
