Town House at The Kensington, London

Taking a stroll through South Kensington is a great way to remember what a great city is capable of. Beautiful, historic buildings; wide boulevards; world renowned museums; stately whitewashed homes - there's something ineffably genteel about it all. Town House at The Kensington, which has recently undergone an extensive renovation and redesign, is a bright reflection of its neighbourhood, and for anyone looking to get away from the crush of London's streets, its new restaurant will serve you well. 

Town House at The Kensington, the hotel's restaurant, has its own entrance via Manson Place and is surrounded by a network of elegant adjoining rooms that would feel right at home in a members' club, including a library with books and collectables, a comfortable lounge with fireplace and terrace, and a study. The restaurant lets in an abundance of natural light through large bay windows, with striking wall sconces and a neofuturist chandelier.  It's a classy affair, with white tablecloths and paintings depicting natural scenes - ideal for a quiet date or a catch-up with a relative. 

Town House at The Kensington has installed executive chef Steve Gibbs in the kitchens, who trained under top British chefs including Mark Hix and Jason Atherton. Simply put, his Modern British cuisine is quite brilliant. From beginning to end of our meal we were captivated by his talent in martialling flavours. Anyone who lived born in the 1970s, or watched enough film or television from that era, will know how naff a prawn cocktail can be. However, in Gibbs' hands it becomes light and delicate, utilising a selection of robust prawns and smaller shrimp with avocado and Mary Rose sauce plated separately so you can taste the ingredients.

Seared tuna was similarly light, given a vaguely Japanese treatment with pickled radish, soy and ginger, it was a great palate stimulator and introduction to the meal. For our mains we enjoyed fat opalescent scallops given a caramel sear, served with crisp pork belly, broccoli and romesco sauce. This was ever so slightly pipped by an herb crusted marsh lamb and braised shoulder hotpot from the specials menu. The meat was pink and tender, served with Jerusalem artichoke puree, broccoli, carrots and gravy. The hotpot was served piping, with a crispy artichoke kind of crust, and the lamb stewed in a red wine sauce.

By the time it was time for dessert, we were quite full, but managed to fit in an excellent warm apple pie with cinnamon ice cream, redolent of New England and perfectly suited to a cold winter evening in London. We were extremely happy by the time we left - if you're looking for a quiet, calm evening away from the fray, along with confident and accomplished cooking, Town House at The Kensington will take good care of you.