Parlour Kensal Green London Review
Parlour
London
Reviewed by Dee Ryz
Parlour is in North London’s Kensal Rise district. Located a short walk from Ladbroke Grove underground station, Parlour is hidden down a small side street, Regent Street (as opposed to the hugely popular shopping street in the city). A small amount of on street parking is available nearby too.
From the outside, Parlour is deceptively small, however upon walking through the front door you are greeted with a dimly lit large bar area, including beautifully ornate fire places, oil burning candles on the tables, a large dining room area to the back and another behind the bar – it’s huge!
We were seated in the back of the bar area to dine. It was a tad cold as the door to the outdoor seating area was wide open but it was closed shortly after we sat down. We had a lovely corner table which meant we could observe the entire room.
Despite the size of the place, and how busy it was, service was quick and our waitress was very knowledgeable – she answered our menu queries with ease and helped us select the wine (In the end we went for the house white which was fresh and fruity – I’d highly recommend it).
The menu wasn’t too vast but had a good range of items with a bit of something for everyone really. I opted for the Duck Pâté followed by the ‘Cow Pie’ and my friend had the ‘back door’ Salmon and the pork. The pâté was excellent – if lacking a tiny bit of salt – creamy and not too rich. The Melba toast style crisp breads accompanying it were good too (really crisp!). The salmon was the winner of the starters offering a generous portion of smoked salmon and homemade soda bread – delicious!
Our mains did not disappoint either – the pork was delicately balanced with a deep fried courgette flower, stuffed with a creamy cheese-style sauce and the Cow Pie was huge!! A steak and ale pie served in its entirety complete with bone marrow, seasoned with Parmesan and herbs. I opted for the accompanying cabbage and a side of fluffy but crispy chips (my favourite!) to share – neither were required though as I was stuffed after several mouthfuls of the deliciously rich pie.
The pudding selection was fantastic too – I had the lemon meringue pie (lovely and tangy – the meringue melted in my mouth) whereas my friend had the old-school favourite Arctic Roll (creamy and light!).
Overall, a fab find in Kensal – reasonably priced and huge portions of delicious food and drink so a tasty 4/5 stars – I’ll be heading back to discover more of their menu in the (hopefully!) none too distant future.
Rating: 4/5
For more information, to view menus or to make a booking visit www.parlourkensal.com.
Parlour, 5 Regent Street, Kensal Green, London, NW10 5LG | 020 8969 2184
