Kitchen W8 is a rare thing indeed – a destination restaurant that is also regularly frequented by locals. It’s a testament to the quality of food on show and friendly atmosphere that Kitchen W8 remains popular, despite the relative eastern shift of London’s gastronomic landscape. Truly excellent restaurants are not ten-a-penny in Kensington, but Kitchen W8 is absolutely worth the journey.

The restaurant expertly treads a line between relaxed and smart. This is a white tablecloth and crumb sweeper establishment, but there is no dress code and the service is relaxed and friendly. A brand new refurbishment – completed in 2018 – has left Kitchen W8 looking bright and spacious, thanks to light pastel shades on the walls and in the furniture. Co-owners Phil Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas intended this restaurant to feel like ‘a home from home’ – we’re not sure anyone has a home that feels quite this plush, but it’s still very comfortable, if not quite as cosy as your own dining room.

Head chef Mark Kempson has been rattling the pans here since the restaurant first opened in 2009, and while his cookery is clearly influenced by his time at The Square alongside Phil, it is very much his own. The menu at Kitchen W8 is a roll call of modern, natural, seasonal British flavour combinations – sea kale and broccoli in a crab sauce showcases ingredients at the peak of their season, while Mark's scorched Cornish mackerel with smoked eel, sweet mustard and leek has been on the menu since opening night. There’s grilled sea bream with lemon and shrimp butter, and a stunning dish of John Dory with roast pumpkin, glazed hispi cabbage, chestnut gremolata and walnut.

Vegetarian offerings such as soft-cooked duck egg, baked celeriac, mushroom broth, onion and quinoa, and roast cauliflower, summer truffle, walnut and shallot dressing are equally inviting, as are the desserts – the hazelnut and brown butter tart with caramelised pear is a particular highlight. There’s no guarantee that any of these dishes will be on the menu when you visit – Mark changes the menu regularly to reflect the seasons – but his precise, flavourful cooking means the menu will always be packed full of delicious dishes.

The wine list is, unsurprisingly, of a largely French persuasion, offering a discerning selection of wines from all over the country, alongside some hand-picked new world bottles.