London’s Loveliest Restaurant Is Hidden Behind High Street Kensington

1 day ago

The Abingdon is family-run and trés chic

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A pub exterior and classic bar mask The Abingdon’s true identity as one of London’s loveliest restaurants. And, family run since 1998, the next generation of custodians is breathing stylish new life into the cornerstone venue, says Olivia Emily.

Review: The Abingdon, Kensington

Is it a pub? Is it a restaurant? Is it a gastropub? God, no: The Abingdon is too chic for that. The vibe is pure wine bar, all dressed up in a pub-like facade on the corner of Abingdon Road and Abingdon Villas. (Do the pristine, warm wood and rattan chairs with vibrant cushions waiting in the sun perhaps betray this isn’t just a pub?)

We’re a whisper away from the perpetual hum of High Street Kensington here, but it feels like you’re in the depths of a neighbourhood. And, in a sense, you are: The Abingdon is the quiet anchor of these surrounding streets, and has been for more than a quarter of a century.

As with all of London’s best-loved boozers, expect the central, sturdy bar to be soaked in sunlight pouring through perpendicular windows. By the windows, find familiar and homely pub furniture elevated to the level of elegance with artistic upholstery and curvacious chairs, with the stylishness of the punters the cherry on top. Beneath wooden floors and welcoming charm, you can sense the place The Abingdon held before sisters Amicia and Suki took over the family business.

Hidden beneath the ‘classy pub’ surface is a self-consciously elegant wine bar (with a hefty wine list to boot); nibble away on crispy, salty snacks or castelvetrano olives. As for cocktails, familiar recipes are twisted with unique flavours; think lavender pisco sour, the strawberry and pink peppercorn margarita, or the Grand Canal (gin, Aperol, grapefruit) – the most refreshing option for summer. (Crisp pints on draught are on offer, too.)

Enter the restaurant, and there’s a step – perhaps a stride – closer to the elegance of a brasserie. French style banquet seating juxtaposes striking art-deco features, all elevated with pops of colour from chair backs and an enviable collection of eclectic artwork. The parents these sisters took over from are artists and restauranteurs, with the sisters growing up in the art-bohemian hub of Cadaqués in Catalunya – hence the impeccable taste.

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To start, tuck into fresh baked focaccia or indulge in playfully elevated bites like Islington saucisson and crevettes with Mary rose sauce for the prawn cocktail lovers. The menu is notably French: think chicken liver parfait, beef carpaccio, cured trout – and for the mains, classic moules mariniere, cod filet and grass fed steaks. But The Abingdon retains a grounded charm: think Friday special fish and chips, red pepper and chilli ravioli, and the legendary Manny’s chicken curry which was once removed from the menu to local uproar (or so the story goes).

For pudding, it’s back to basics: a lengthy list of Hackney gelato, a sticky toffee pudding, a flourless chocolate cake. And if it was all feeling a little too sophisticated, opt for the affogato, served with a chocolate chip cookie to please the child-at-heart.