Last Updated on May 27, 2024
Dining with a view – Origin, Kensington High Street.
December is one of the most special months in which to explore London, with many of the city’s famous streets adorned with brightly lit decorations celebrating the festive season. Londoners and tourists alike visit Kensington over the Christmas period, it’s the home of glitz and glamour as well as many well-known shops and cultural attractions including the Royal Albert Hall and, of course, Hyde Park’s annual Winter Wonderland. The luxury Royal Garden Hotel, on Kensington High Street, is right in the centre of the action at this time of year. I was very pleased to be invited to dine at the newly launched Origin Kensington restaurant, which provides visitors with a varied menu that is all produced using seasonal British produce (there’s a special Christmas menu also available right now too).
Origin is beautifully located with views of Hyde Park, and the décor is modern and sophisticated, befitting its location on the ground floor of the famous Royal Garden Hotel. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light even in the middle of winter. A live musician performed Christmas songs throughout our visit which added a fun and festive soundtrack. Opened in September this year, Origin is currently offering a winter menu from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday nights, and has also offered Asian and tapas-style menus.
As we visited on Sunday afternoon, we were delighted to try the brunch menu. We began by ordering from the seasonal cocktail menu. The Old Sailor, made with tidal rum combined with chocolate, orange, and Angostura bitters and a hint of cinnamon was smartly presented and the notes of cinnamon shone through without overpowering the more delicate citrus flavour. From the seasonal mocktail selection, the Winter Cherry was served with foam on top providing all of the fun of a cocktail in an alcohol-free package.
From the “Jukebox” brunch menu, we ordered Forman’s London cured smoked salmon on a Brick Lane bagel. What most stood out about this dish was the quality of the ingredients. The smoked salmon generously layered on top of piped cream cheese was high quality, gently smoked and without too much salt. The bagel itself was gently toasted, soft and chewy. We also enjoyed the soft poached Burford Brown egg with smashed avocado on Paul Rhodes porridge bread, which was a hearty base for the perfectly poached eggs with their deep orange yolks.
On to the main courses, and the braised beef short rib with grain mustard sauce, pickled onions and Yorkshire pudding proved to be an excellent dish to order on a winter’s day following a bracing walk across Hyde Park. The braised beef was sweet and sticky with the mustard sauce and the Yorkshire pudding was very crispy with a soft interior. We also enjoyed the prawn and coconut laksa which had a rich and warming broth, essential in this cold season.
For dessert, we ordered the raspberry and glayva cranachan with caramelised oats along with the bread and butter pudding with marmalade ice cream. The glayva tangerine and honey-spiced whiskey liquor shone through, making Origin’s cranachan a fine version of the Scottish classic. The bread and butter pudding was also well-presented and served piping hot, a British classic well-made.
The Royal Garden Hotel’s latest offering provides visitors to the area with excellent views, luxurious surroundings, and a varied menu catering for all tastes over this Christmas period.
2, 24 Kensington High St
London W8 4PT
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