Last Updated on January 27, 2025
A Recipe for Success
5.0 out of 5.0 starsJanuary’s restaurant of the month at London Unattached is the freshly opened Dove on Kensington Park Road. Chef Jackson Boxer closed his specialist seafood restaurant Orasay on New Year’s Eve 2024 only to reopen as Dove a week later on the same spot with the same team. The intention with Dove is to offer a more affordable menu better suited to dining in today’s precarious economic climate. Dove turned out to be a great pick – we finished our evening already fantasising about coming back and eating all the other dishes on the menu that we hadn’t yet had a chance to try.
We arrived early for dinner, entering a quiet, relaxed space that quickly came alive with a great throng of diners. The staff are uniformly friendly and attentive here despite the crowds. The wine waiter went to great lengths to help us choose the right wines for us, offering tastes of many of the wines to help out us tricky customers.
With my companion’s birthday coming up we were feeling quite festive so started the evening with glasses of the Cava Tarragona, Vinicola Nulles ’Adernats de Guarda’ from the independent-grower Macabeu/Parellada/Xarel-Lo, smooth, dry and very bubbly.
Foodwise, things got off to a promising start with the arrival of giant pillows of Sourdough Focaccia with an inspired Date Agrodolce. A brief commitment to pacing ourselves quickly evaporated. Not a morsel of this fabulous bread was left by the end of the meal.
We shared a selection of Dove’s small plates. Winter Tomatoes with sour cream and chilli crisp showed off the chef’s talent for invention. This dish successfully combines flavours and textures that neither of us had tasted together before.
Neither of us had eaten deep-fried lasagne before so we had to go for the Deep-fried Taleggio and Wiltshire Truffle Lasagna. This was another treat, rich and cheesy, and necessarily one of the smallest dishes we tried.
The Whipped Fava, Braised Chicoria and Szechuan Crumb had a lot to live up to. My companion and I have eaten our way round the tavernas of the Cyclades and rarely fail to order the local fava. Dove’s version is quite special, deep-flavoured, simple and comforting and accompanied by great long folds of juicy greens.
And then it was on the main courses. The Grilled Bavette Steak, Smoked Bone Marrow and Morels was my companion’s pick. She was prepared to be critical as she lives in France, home, of course, to the perfectly cooked bavette steak. One mouthful in, however, and she was raving about it
With its soft, black cherry, blackcurrant and plum notes, Dove’s keg red wine, Primitivo, Puglia, Domus 2022 held its own alongside this deeply meaty dish. It’s also good value at just £5.50 a glass.
Sheer greed led me to insist on adding the Duck Fat Chips to our order. I’d been warned that the burger that had caught my eye on the specials board was going to be large enough to share too. Anyway, I found myself facing a very enjoyable festival of animal fat, melting 50-day aged beef, molten gorgonzola, a bun seeping with yet more juices and stuffed with caramelised onions. Somehow I am still alive.
Dove offers a short list of Special Pours by the Glass, which they describe as a weekly selection of rare and special bottles from growers they admire. I’m a sucker for a white Burgundy so despite opting for the burger I couldn’t resist the 2022 Sylvain Pataille Aligoté, Bourgogne. The menu calls it the “Staff favourite!” and I can see why.
We felt we couldn’t leave Dove without trying at least one of the puddings. We made short work of the Coffee Cardamon Caramel Cream, Dove’s take on the classic Creme Caramel.
Dove has only been open a few weeks but it’s already mobbed. The self-confessed intention is to serve “elevated comfort food” and I’m pleased to report that this is exactly what they are doing. Big flavours, large portions, indulgence and inventiveness are all here.
Chef Jackson Boxer admits that he’s packed his new menu with the sort of stuff that he likes to cook and eat himself. Luckily it’s just the sort of food that I like to eat too. Dove is billed as a neighbourhood restaurant but it’s definitely worth travelling from all points in London to West London for a meal here. Our great feast came in at under £150 for the two of us, including drinks and service. Highly recommended.
Dove
Address: 31 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2EU
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7043 1400
What else is new.
At London Unattached we’ve got our eyes on a few other new and upcoming openings.
Chef Patron, Michelin star-winning Adam Simmonds, is opening his new venture on 29 January 2025. Located at the Megaro Hotel in King’s Cross, Voyage with Adam Simmonds aims to offer Scandinavia-inspired food in relaxed but sophisticated surroundings.
On 4 February 2025 the City will see the opening of the latest branch of Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Gate. The new venue promises refined flavours, a raw bar, cocktails as well as 360° views of London.
Unbelievably Undercroft is celebrity chef, restaurateur and author, Aldo Zilli’s first London venture of 20 Years. Located in the crypt of St George’s Church, Mayfair and open since December 2024, an Italian menu crafted by Zilli and a programme of live entertainment.
Looking for something a bit more central? We can also recommend Henri – Jackson Boxer’s restaurant in Covent Garden (in the Henrietta Hotel)
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