I’ve been living just off the King’s Road in London now for little over three years now and it certainly has its perks. Location wise it couldn’t be any better – a short journey into the centre of town plus the beautiful scenery from the river and access to great parks such as Battersea Park – but it also has its downfalls. Chelsea, two years ago was notoriously known for a lot of bad restaurants, full of mediocre Italian’s swamped with family’s who little care about what their food tastes like, Kensington isn’t too dissimilar either. That said in the past 12 months both areas are becoming very well-known for their food and slowly getting a much better reputation for themselves.
Another thing both Kensington & Chelsea are known for is its clubs. Personally I’m not a big fan – not because of the actual clubs but because I never survive. Give me a three course meal with wine and I’m ready for bed – yet when I visited Bodo’s Schloss I stumbled home at almost 2am and had the time of my life. Good music, good cocktails and to my surprise – really good hearty food. We arrived very early and were the first people in so took a seat at the bar and sipped a few cocktails – the kitchen kindly served us both a perfectly cooked single scallop with foam, cubes of apple and a sweet but tart sauce. Before sitting down for our meal we had a good look through the menu too and something which really stunned me was the prices. I was told it was expensive and overpriced – perhaps these people forgot their contacts I’m not sure. But under £10 for very well portioned starters, huge burgers at £12 and the biggest and best veal schnitzel at £17 with all accompaniments – I thought it represented very good value indeed. Alcohol on the other hand is pricey – but we are in Kensington after all don’t forget.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect with the food here. I looked at the menu before coming and wasn’t overly taken back – but I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived. Buttermilk fried crispy wings were as perfect as could be. A lovely tinged golden crumb cloaked the well seasoned juicy chicken wings and topped off with a good helping of salt, pepper and chilli – though you can blow that off if heat isn’t your thing. I love a good crispy wings and these baby’s didn’t disappoint. Just as good was the beautifully presented goats cheese mousse with salted baked beets. This is by no means a new culinary invention, in fact a very popular dish across London right now but yet as simple as it may sound, some people still can’t manage to get the balance wrong – though Bodo’s Schloss did just perfectly. Three tall mounds of creamy cheese, juicy beetroot and a salad drenched in more beetroot juice. Two very solid dishes.
Before visiting Bodo’s Schloss (and after) I had a good look around social media to see what people were saying. I’ll be honest, it’s mixed – but any negativity on the food seems to have stemmed from mid-2014 and the food has changed a lot since then. It seems to be the service and bouncers who people hate most on TripAdvisor – something Bodo’s Schloss should take seriously because it could have a negative feedback on the food here which would be a real shame given its quality. One dish I was incredibly happy to see on the menu was one of my all time favourites – Bodo’s veal (or chicken) wiener schnitzel. Served in a hot cast iron pan it was a steal priced at £18. It’s huge, golden, crispy and very well cooked. Seasoning could perhaps be worked on a little – lots of pepper. Served alongside the dish was mountains of sauerkraut, Austrian potato salad and a mammoth sized pickle. I also indulged in a side of mac’n’cheese which was perfectly fine, though not out of the ordinary. The burger however was and again to our surprise really rather good. A neat (and huge) succulent, well-seasoned patty cooked medium-rare, encased in a sweet brioche bun with a good structure that didn’t break apart and cause any mushy mess. Filled with iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, Emmenthal cheese and mustard mayo. We went for the classic offering but The Schlossed with maple cured smoked streaky bacon & apple wood smoked cheese sounded rather delicious. Next time perhaps.
Desserts were actually what let down Bodo’s Schloss. It wasn’t that they were necessarily bad – because they weren’t. But compared to the rest of the food we just ate they didn’t quite match up to the quality. The apple strudel with vanilla and orange custard just didn’t quite have the impact I was hoping for. It needed a little more spice and the pastry cooked ever so slightly more for a crispier outer and more flaky and messy experience. Bodo’s Schloss is all about the experience – I could even see the whole bake arriving at the table and served in front of you for theatrics. The berry panna cotta was much better and matched the style of cooking here more so, though I believe it was a special – but in fact it should be permanent on the main menu. I really wanted to give Bodo’s Schloss a higher score but the simplicity of desserts and strudel really did let the side down. The restaurant also serves warm mini doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce – sadly they were out, but the idea of them has literally left me salivating at the thought writing this.
So what did I think of Bodo’s Schloss? I liked it a lot. The problem Bodo’s will have with its restaurant however is its reputation. It seems to have started bad but got considerably better. Reviews for service and door staff are rather appalling but what people need to remember is that these remarks are not for the food or the service with the food – but instead all related to the club part of the business. Yes at 11pm your table does get ripped away from you and the dancing starts – but isn’t that all part of the fun? Bodo’s is different, unique (maybe a bit tacky in some areas) and an experience, though it may not be for everyone – but it was for me. Inviting the big critics here may not be the best thing to do because sadly they don’t seem to be able to look past attachments (the club) but at the end of the day I’m not reviewing the club, but the restaurant and for that reason alone my meal was thoroughly enjoyable and I can’t wait to return for those mini doughnuts very soon.
7.5/10
