Brits love a hearty roast lunch on a Sunday, yet during these ‘clean eating,’ body conscious times we tend to yearn for lighter, healthier dishes – so stodgy, carb-based meals laden with sludgy hot gravy just ain’t cutting it. Luckily, those who seek to shun the Yorkshire puds and embrace a more ethereal way of living can mince along to the swanky Town House restaurant at The Kensington. There, they can gorge on a variety of enticing, healthy dishes – all made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
The venue is chic yet not pretentious – think classic old English furnishings married with splashes of eye-catching contemporary art. Outdoorsy types can choose to lounge about with a zesty cocktail at one of the elegant al fresco seating areas overlooking bustling West London streets before making their way inside for a luxuriously long lunch.
All food served at this very special Sunday Lunch is worthy of undying praise, but it’s the starters that deserve the biggest hoo-ha. We can only describe it as a sexy smorgasbord of culinary delights – all laid out in a ridiculously tempting manner, complete with friendly member of waiting staff ready to assist with the cracking of oysters or the answering of annoying food-related questions like ‘is your crab paté gluten free?’
Diners are truly spoilt for choice with the selection – rare tuna topped with green lentils; slivers of smoked salmon; sundried tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil; cured meats; pomegranate adorned superfood quinoa salads; crab on toast and buttery duck paté infused with fresh herbs and served in adorable mini clay bowls.
Hangovers can also be swiftly eradicated with the help of Town House’s Juicery menu. Being the big, rounded city-lovers that we are, we opted for the London Greens – an exasperatingly wholesome medley of spinach, cucumber, pear, lemon, basil and coconut water to help aid recovery and rehydration with its abundance of potassium and antioxidants.
Die hard roast fans will not be too disappointed for they can gleefully order the Roast Rib of Dry-Aged Devonshire Beef, which arrives at the table glazed with honey mustard and surrounded by masses of broccoli, lentils, almonds, red pepper panzanella and golden boulangère potatoes.
The slow cooked and jospered Cornish lamb shoulder is a modern take on the traditional dish, and is served accompanied by caponata, grilled artichokes, tomato bulgur, salsa verde and lamb jus. We don’t know what jospered means, nor could we work out the difference between gravy and jus, but it tasted like a merry meat party in our mouths so fancy words were soon forgotten.
Pudding is a tastebud tempting tribute to the great British palate and comes in the form of a sharing selection of exclusive Town House desserts – all as sumptuous and naughty as the next. The Chocolate and Passionfruit Tart evoked silence at the table due to the intense need for savouring without interruption and the quintessentially British strawberry shortbread trifle with vanilla custard can only be described at otherworldly.
Go with your favourite foodies and prepare to tip generously.
Sunday Lunch at Town House, £29 per person, from 12 noon until 4pm.
109-113 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5LR
