Kitchen W8

I wouldn't recommend Kitchen W8.

The Good...

- The servers were friendly. Seemed like really nice people and you could see how they interacted with the other guests. It was really charming.

- The decor. Loved it. Enjoyed the tables, chairs, colors, wall art... All great.

The Bad...

- The food just wasn't great. It was presented beautifully. Some of the most beautifully presented food I've ever experienced. The flavors weren't there. They lacked. It felt like there was much more emphasis on presentation than flavor.

The Ugly...

- I'm shocked this restaurant has a Michelin star. That was the reason we chose Kitchen W8. We went out of our way to visit, and we honestly left disappointed.

- Very overpriced.

Last night my wife and I celebrated our 40th anniversary. The meal experience was everything we hoped it could be. The food was creative and delicious. The homemade linguini appetizer was very flavorful! The cod and deer courses were wonderful! The service from Allegra and Dipika was exceptional! Anyone reading this should go and experience Kitchen W8 for themselves!

Kitchen W8 definitely deserves the Michelin-star that they received since opening about 10 years ago in the Kensington area and probably a second star is in its future. Chef Mark Kempson hits the right notes in serving upscale and contemporary dishes with French influences in a comfortable and warm interior and modern environment.

The food was absolutely superb and at a relatively reasonable price for this restaurant caliber. They do offer a tasting menu for £75, but we opted for a la carte dining. The amuse-bouche of black rice crisp with a pea hummus created an incredible balance that started the meal with great anticipation of what was to come. The appetizers of warm salad of artichoke and cauliflower and grilled cornish mackerel with smoked eel were well executed and tasty. The flavor profile of the cornish cod entree with its aioli and baked fennel was spot on. For dessert, the more popular chocolate pave with the salt caramel was heavenly for chocolate fans, while the vanilla crousade with the strawberries was equally creative and rewarding. There was no dish in its presentation that did not meet expectations. And also notably, service was also exceptional.

I aggressively pursued and secured a last minute table at Kitchen W8 during my stay in London and I was absolutely glad I did. Highly recommend Kitchen W8!

I wanted to try a Michelin starred restaurant for my 30th birthday and after hours of research, we finally settled on Kitchen W8 and let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a friendly host who handed me a happy birthday card! We got to the table and the server walked us through the menu. We asked a lot of questions and he was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in providing us direction, recommendations and wine pairings. It was a truly memorable experience with impeccable food, delicious drinks, phenomenal service and a clean, modern and classy ambience. Also, they brought me a birthday dessert with a candle. It was such a special meal and I'm so glad I chose to spend my 30th here.

Went here for dinner, I certainly hope that the Michelin reviewer returns here soon because there is absolutely no way the service or food here warrants a star. We had a hair in one of our diner's main dish, the service was inattentive at best and disappointingly unimpressive for a restaurant with a Michelin star. At $230 for dinner for 2 I would expect at least good food or good service but neither was provided except for the one chipper fellow who brought the bread and said goodbye on the way out. If only he had been our server perhaps things might have been at least a bit friendlier. My husband had also made the reservation and noted we were celebrating my birthday, they did not acknowledge this though we did see them seat another couple and then awkwardly ask them to move after they had been seated for a bit because another couple was celebrating their anniversary and they wanted that particular table. All in all a very disappointing experience. The best part of the meal was the apricot old fashioned, it is the only thing I would recommend and probably would had had another had the server ever come back and asked if would like another drink.

One of the best meals I have ever had in my entire life. I didn't even know the menu going in, just that it would be good, and it absolutely blew me away. The highlight of my vacation.

So... Mr. Snarky wanted to start a tradition: to have our anniversary dinner at a different Michelin starred restaurant each year. Year 2 into this tradition, we were very excited because of our experience at Petrus last year. Now I think there was a distinct difference between our experience last year to this year... when we went last year we weren't sure what to expect, but this year we came in with some expectations.

I will say that we may have been overly dressed for W8, in fact the couple next to us (calling each other Mummy and Daddy with no children in site) were in jeans and trainers. I suspect that for this area of London, W8 is where the locals go on a casual night out. But I did like that aspect because it means that a Michelin starred experience doesn't have to be out of reach for everyone.

I don't know if we will ever go to one of these restaurants and order a la carte, but this year we decided to go with the tasting menu again. And because the tasting menu was so affordable (£75) I may have decided to go for the wine pairings with each course (£120). While our waiter was very attentive, it was so difficult to hear him because it was like he was whispering. When the restaurant was full, it was difficult to hear him through all the noise.

He did check with me on my lactose intolerance and was telling me about the differences in the menu they would make for me... most of them revolved around dessert. However, this year I had these magical Lactase Enzyme pills that have really helped with that intolerance... and because I missed out on the spectacular Raspberry Souffle at Petrus and because I didn't want a glorified fruit salad for dessert, I just asked if I could have the desserts that came with the tasting menu. He seemed a bit confused, but this is the problem with Lactose Intolerance... the intolerance for each person is different and I reassured him that there is no anaphylactic reaction.

Anyway the dishes were nice, but there was only one dish that really stood out to Mr. Snarky and myself... it was the Veal with Young Garlic, White Asparagus, Jersey Royals and Morels. There was a garlic cream on the plate that just brought everything together. Our second favourite dish was the Chocolate Pave... it was so rich, but delicious. While I still stick by the decision to have the tasting menu, if I were to go back to W8, I would just order the Veal because it was delicious and I want more of it!

Overall it was a lovely dining experience and would love to try some other dishes off of the a la carte menu.

My first real meal in London in 2018, located in the area where I once lived as a student. W8 set the bar very high for the rest of the trip: it's a beautiful space with attentive service befitting it's Michelin Star.

Hard to go wrong with the 3-course set menu (28GBP at lunch, and 29.50 at dinner) with a bottle of wine from their reasonably-priced list. It was a hot day and we'd been walking, so we went with a rose.

Unfortunately I didn't write this review quickly enough, and 5 weeks of travel has fogged the specifics of what we ate here, but our group of 4 was highly impressed with the quality of everything we were served. The tartare from the regular menu was excellent.

W8 is definitely worth a diversion, and a great option for post-High Street shopping.

I had higher expectations for a Michelin star restaurant, with a reservation for lunch booked 2 months in advance. The service was abysmal, nearly absent at all times. A friend and I joined for lunch, which took nearly 3 hours because it was about 30 minutes after we were seated for anyone to even take our order. We waited about an hour between finishing our starter before we got our main course. And the chocolate cake for dessert still had the wax paper under the cake when served to us. Overall, would not recommend or return to for the service alone, the food did not save the meal enough to make it worthwhile.

Overall good experience. Ambiance is okay but nothing to be wow'ed by. It is pleasant with calming colors. Service was fast and efficient and we did not feel rushed at all. I was a bit disappointed that after we ordered I heard the waiter at the table next to us tell the guests the specials of the day which we were not told.

We loved all of the dishes we tried. Velouté of Cornish Mussels with Mussel Beignets was heavenly. Super rich and creamy velouté with a side of perfectly fried mussels YUM. The poached cod was so flavorful and moist! I want to say it was one of the better fish dishes I have had. The venison was cooked just right and was super tender. Although we liked both of the desserts, my favorite of the two desserts we tried was the salt caramel parfait.

Deep fried Salt Cod Balls as an amuse
Velouté of Cornish Mussels with Mussel Beignets, Garlic and Parsley Cream
Crispy Hen's Egg with Parmesan Polenta, Wilted Chanterelles, Bacon and Truffle
Beurre Noisette Poached Cod with Brown Shrimps, Pickled Cauliflower, Lightly Spiced
Haunch of Venison with Jerusalem Artichokes, Roast Onion, Port Soaked Raisins and Bulgur Wheat
Blackberry Poached Pear with Hazelnut Pain Perdu and Vanilla Rice Pudding Mousse
Salt caramel parfait with Roasted Peanut Ice Cream, Chocolate Milk Purée and Lime