Kitchen Table

I somehow was able to get a last minute reservation here as a solo diner on a Saturday and it was a perfect decision. It will probably depend on who you are surrounded by, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a solo diner. Everyone was chatty, the servers were all lovely and, most importantly, the food was delicious. If you want to try peak British ingredients in a lovely atmosphere, this is an incredible choice. I personally was overwhelmed by the amount of wine in the pairing, but that is a great problem to have. People who had dietary restrictions seemed to truly enjoy their dishes as well. Always a good sign that vegetarian, shellfish-less etc are just as high quality as the standard menu. Overall, it was a great solo diner experience and a restaurant experience in general. Be ready for a long night, though, especially if you get a later reservation. 3-4 hours should be expected (and enjoyed). It was a lot of food, but the pacing across 3ish hours helped massively. My favorite dishes were the pasta, chicken skin, bread (the BUTTER) and the canele. Cheers to the team. Was an awesome night.

Kitchen Table was one of those rare dining experiences that stays with you after you leave. The omakase-style setup, with the chefs working right in front of you behind the counter, brings a real sense of craft and precision — you see the rhythm, the teamwork, and the attention behind every plate. At the same time, there’s an unmistakable British warmth to the place: relaxed, friendly, and genuinely welcoming, with easy, natural interaction between staff and guests. That contrast is what makes it special — high-end culinary technique without stiffness, fine dining without distance. The food is refined, beautifully balanced, and full of intent, yet the atmosphere keeps everything grounded and human. Special mention to the head chef — professional, approachable, and effortlessly engaging. He adds a personal touch that elevates the whole experience. Kitchen Table has soul — and paired with the level of cooking, it makes for a deeply engaging and memorable meal.

The experience starts in the bar area where guests are seated and offered drinks while the opening snacks are served. Although marketed as a 14-course tasting menu, in reality it felt closer to -three amuse-bouches -a palate cleanser -bread course -two starters -one main -three small desserts and petit fours. Portions are very small throughout, so don’t expect to leave especially full. The first snacks were served at the bar. OYSTERrhubarb – woodruff – sour cream – cornflower The oyster arrived covered with a granita that was simply too cold and too dominant. The temperature shock overwhelmed the palate and masked the oyster completely. MACKERELponzu – chilli – peppers – jalapeño A crisp pastry topped with slices of mackerel. A well-balanced and enjoyable bite. CHICKENrosemary – mascarpone – bacon – sage – liver A layered chicken parfait served in a small disc. Rich and pleasant enough, but nothing particularly memorable. Guests are then moved into the chef’s table dining area. While it is nice seeing the kitchen in action, the chef’s table concept is no longer particularly novel given how many London restaurants now do it, including ROW on 5. The room was also uncomfortably hot, especially considering the weather outside was around 30°C. Seating felt somewhat cramped whenever staff walked behind the chairs. A board displaying the names of famous chefs who had dined there-slightly pretentious. Many restaurants display photographs of notable guests, but this handwritten board was difficult to read and ultimately looked more messy than impressive. Some of the following “courses” again felt more like palate cleansers or snacks rather than substantial dishes. MELONcucumber – grape – apple marigold Compressed melon balls with granita. Refreshing and pleasant, but very much a palate cleanser rather than a proper course. TROUTjuniper – green asparagus – almond – green strawberry – elderflower – sorrel The trout itself was fine, but the pairing with green strawberries did not work particularly well. The strawberries tasted under-ripe and lacked flavour, leaving the dish bland overall. PARKER HOUSEcrème fraîche – onion – chive – wild garlic The bread itself was decent, though the butter was the standout component with caramelised onion and wild garlic folded through it. LOBSTERGoan curry – egg – coriander – mango – peanut One of the strongest dishes of the evening. The lobster paired beautifully with the curry spices and peanut. ANGOLOTTIgoat’s curd – black walnut – wild garlic – parmesan The pasta itself was slightly bland, but the sauce was excellent, particularly the wild garlic and black walnut combination. LAMBpak choi – sausage – black olives – yoghurt – mint – Thai basil The lamb was well cooked, nicely medium rare with good fat rendering. The accompanying herbs and yoghurt worked well together. ST JUDE CURDcelery – apple – walnut – raisins – lovage An interesting cheese course using St Jude curd from Cambridgeshire. The raisin paste paired especially well with the cheese. WILD FENNEL An unexpectedly excellent dish. The intense fennel and liquorice profile worked surprisingly well and became one of the highlights of the meal. STRAWBERRYelderflower – black pepper A very sweet and intense strawberry dessert with strawberry sauce and sliced strawberries. The black pepper meringue added interest and complexity. Petit fours: CANELESeville orange CHOCOLATEcep – Maldon salt Both petit fours were enjoyable. Service overall was good, although the female host in the bar tended to dominate conversations with guests. It would have been better balanced if the sommelier and other host had more opportunity to engage, as both were also excellent conversationalists. The elderflower cocktail, a twist on a white negroni, was disappointing. The elderflower was far too weak within the flavour profile, leaving the drink bland. A 15% service charge is added. One final point: beginning the experience at 5:30pm and effectively starting to eat at 5:40pm is not a dining schedule that will suit everyone.

We had an excellent experience overall, driven by a tasting menu that was confidently executed from start to finish. The pork skin starter was outstanding—crisp, deeply flavoured, and immediately set the tone for the meal. The squid noodles were unbelievable, particularly with the addition of peanuts, which added both texture and depth. Another highlight was the deer: lean, beautifully cooked meat paired with a layer of fat on top to compensate for its natural leanness. It was a smart, well-judged choice and worked exceptionally well. As a tasting menu, it felt seamless and complete. There wasn’t a single course we didn’t enjoy, and the progression of dishes showed real thought and precision. It’s rare to come away without being able to point to a weak moment, but that was genuinely the case here. For wine pairings, we chose both the soft pairing (£95) and the champagne pairing (£250). The soft pairing was a genuine surprise—creative, well-balanced, and consistently complementary to the food. In many ways, it outperformed expectations and stood confidently alongside the menu. The champagne pairing was more mixed. The selection itself was clearly strong, and champagne is obviously an area of expertise here. However, I was the only guest ordering this pairing that evening, and several of the pours appeared to come from bottles that had been opened earlier. As a result, most glasses after the first had noticeably reduced carbonation. While the pours were slightly more generous—likely because I was receiving the end of the bottle—freshness is far more important than volume at this level, especially at a 2* resto. A champagne, no matter how good, loses much of its character once it goes flat. This didn’t detract significantly from an otherwise outstanding meal, but given the premium price, it’s an area where expectations are understandably higher. I would recommend the soft pairing, the wine pairing, or ordering a bottle to ensure the experience fully matches the quality of the food. Throughout the evening, the chefs and front-of-house team were attentive, professional, and genuinely welcoming. One small practical note: the bar seating felt slightly low in relation to the table, and we found ourselves leaning forward quite a bit to finish the opening courses. A slightly higher table would make the experience more comfortable, especially for longer tastings. The food alone makes this a restaurant well worth visiting, and with tighter execution on premium pairings, the experience could easily be close to flawless.