Alexandrie Restaurant

Very pleasant dinner in a cosy restaurant in Kensington. The food was good but not incredible. The staff were nice but not incredible and definitely not Egyptian. The atmosphere was very cosy and romantic but it was also empty on a Saturday night so seems like it’s not too popular of a place. We enjoyed the food but were hoping for more Egyptian specialities that would strike us as different. Most of the menu offered things you would find elsewhere. We paid 72£ for two starters and two mains which seemed reasonable given the location. I’d recommend the baked okra which was delicious.

Just a short walk away from the shops on Kensington High Street this refined restaurant serves a variety of delicious fare with magical flavours inspired by Egypt’s second city, Cleopatra’s Alexandria. Delicious twists on Mediterranean cuisine. We had a fantastic combination of starters that tantalised every taste bud - beetroot-cured salmon with charred cucumber, Mediterranean ratatouille (I haven’t had it this delicious) and silky smooth, smoky aubergine. For mains, I went for the oven-baked bamia (okra) and lamb. Okra is one of my favourite vegetables but, to the many sceptics, this dish will convert you. Full of flavour and the meltingly gorgeous lamb that went very well with the fatta rice – fluffy white rice over pieces of toasted bread, giving texture to the entire meal. For dessert, I had a creamy mehalabeya, a smooth and more-ish pannacotta-like dessert, from milk and mastic (the resin of the mastic tree – also known as Arabic gum, or tears of Chios, where the tree grows), topped with sugary pistachio. There’s an excellent wine list, focusing on the French classics, to perfectly accompany this wonderful medleys of flavours. I was particularly impressed by the staff and manager who, with their quiet grace and courtesy, made us feel very welcome.