It’s that time of year again and recently I challenged myself with the task of exploring a borough very close to me – Kensington! It’s an area I’ve spent so much of my life in over the years, but yet there is still so much of it I’m yet to explore. The area is home to celebrities galore, beautiful town houses, endless restaurants, iconic pubs and the stunning hotels in Kensington. It was finally time I spent a day seeing just what this part of London has to offer.
We started our day at a place I shamefully haven’t visited until now – the Natural History Museum. I perhaps came here as a child, but if so I can’t recall and now seemed like a good enough time as any to visit. It’s free to enter the museum, with suggested donations as you enter and the large entrance Hintze Hall is as grand as could be. This museum may contain some incredible things, but it’s a true masterpiece in its own right.
Especially so now with the museums latest installation – a giant 25-metre blue whale skeleton, suspended in the air. It’s quite something to see with your own eyes and scale of it really has to be seen up close and in person.
We also had a quick wander around the rest of the museum and there are some fascinating things to be seen here. We only got to stop for a half hour or so, but I’m definitely going to return soon and fully explore what this great British museum has to offer.
London is freezing right now and traveling this borough in such short distances, we took my current favourite mode of transport – an electric Lime Bike! It gets you from A to B without too much energy being used, thanks to its handy electric motor. Of course, a few taxis were thrown into the mix as temperatures plummeted later in the evening (and one cocktail became many).
One place I am familiar with and love is Exhibition Road, especially during the Summer months. The road runs from South Kensington in the south to Hyde Park in the north and is home to some of the most important visitor attractions in the country (such as the Natural History Museum) and home to a wealth of casual eateries which are perfect for a spot of people watching, light bite of glass of something stronger.
We stopped off for a quick bite to eat for lunch at one of my favourite restaurant chains, Côte Brasserie. They’ve got sites up and down the UK and personally I think it’s great value for a simple, filling and incredibly good value for money lunch. Our spot was just off Kensington High Street on Kensington Court. We tucked into a filling poulet grille and an indulgent praline crepe. The latter I always loving enjoying outside any Côte with a glass of wine and a spot of people watching.
Speaking of Kensington being home to some of London’s best hotels, we couldn’t resist popping into one for a cheeky pre-dinner cocktail. Said hotel was The Milestone Hotel and Residences which has history dating back to 1689 and overlooks Kensington Gardens. We settled into this hotels Stables Bar and tucked into a couple of their most signature cocktails.
A Smoking Old Fashioned and Carousel cocktail. Whilst they don’t come cheap here, it’s well worth stopping for the experience. Both are so beautifully prepared by the mixologists and they each come with their own theatrics. But I’ll leave those for you to discover yourself!
For dinner, we booked ourselves into one of Kensington’s most famous and best reviewed fine dining restaurants, Launceston Place. The restaurant is looked after by Head Chef Ben Murphy and as well as being what was a stunning dining experience, it’s menus and inventive thinking make it so much fun to dine in. Especially if you order the eight course tasting menu which starts with some sensational canapés.
We had so many dishes here during our tasting menu and picking just one favourite would never be an easy task but I absolutely loved the stone bass with artichoke, crosne and lovage. As well as the signature pistachio soufflé. A dish every diner needs to experience here and it was the perfect ending to our fantastic day out in Kensington.
Do you love Kensington? If so, where is your favourite place to eat, drink or explore in this part of London?
Loved your 50 Cheyne review. Had a great afternoon tea there in October, thanks to you!