The legend lives on at The Ivy Kensington Brasserie

When a restaurant like The Ivy has as much stature, glamour and history as the original establishment in the heart of London’s West End, you can imagine the pressure put on a brand to perform just as well on the second, third and forth time around. The original restaurant – now owned by Richard Caring – has hosted some of the most famous faces in the world since it’s opening nearly 100 years ago. Then in 2008 can The Club at The Ivy – a private members club disguised as a flower shop in Covent Garden. In what feels a bid (in the best possible way) to make an establishment that is notoriously difficult to book a table at slightly more accessible to the general public, The Ivy Chelsea Garden recently opened, followed closely (just before Christmas) by The Ivy Kensington Brasserie.

I’ve been lucky enough to grace the beautiful four walls of The Ivy on a few occasions, but not for a while. So to say I was excited about gracing one of London’s most hotly anticipated venues would be a bit of an understatement, and it certainly did not disappoint. It’s also worth mentioning that the price point of the newly opened Brasserie is a lot more forgiving than the original establishment.

Proper, no-fuss British grub is the aim of the game at The Ivy, and the Brassaries does exactly that. With a relatively simple but delicious and full menu on show, The Ivy is the perfect example of an establishment that can please all taste buds at any point in the day. From the freshest garden salad to the most indulgent burger on the menu, the cuisine is everything and more that you can expect from one of the city’s most respected restaurants.

Electric is the right word to describe the atmosphere at The Ivy – and that was on a Wednesday night, so I can only imagine what it’s like later on in the week. With a queue out the door and a full bar, the restaurant looked as if it was in for a long night, but the energy of the staff never dwindled. With the decor, you also definitely get a strong sense of some of the history that goes hand in hand with the original restaurant.

We started with the freshest tuna carpaccio with avocado mouse and the wholesome and delicious crispy duck salad, which hit the spot immediately. Next came this came the incredible salmon fillet with shaved fennel with apple and baby watercress salad dill dressing followed by a sublime filet steak. A mango sorbet came next and was all we could manage after this suitably decedent and delicious feast.

An establishment as well-known as this is never going to skimp of drinks – and the cocktail menu was simply brimming with incredible flavours, liquors and combinations that certainly did not disappoint. We tried the Royale – a Kir Royale which was a mixture of champagne, Lanique rose liqueur spirit, Sipsmith Sloe gin – and the Orchard G&T chase – Seville Orange gin, Rinquinin à la Pêche and Créole bitters with Fevertree Mediterranean tonic – which was equally as delicious.

The affordable pricing was one of the biggest surprises of the night, with starters range from £5-£10 and mains ranging from £13-32.

Dates with other halves and dinners with friends alike.

For more information, visit the Ivy here.

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