Reviews La Terrazza Kensington

In the 19th century, a daring shoemaker by the name of George Wombwell would travel around Britain with what was considered to be one of the first travelling menageries; he realized that there existed people who lived outside of London, and that these people were, surprisingly, of similar needs and enjoyed seeing exotic animals without having to travel all the way to the capital. This is indeed what restaurants can become at times – a way for us to “travel” to other places and countries with no more than a tube ride – and it is especially refreshing when that journey is enhanced by events that cater for this sort of exploration.

I attended one of Evoluzione's Guest Chef events that are taking place this year. This week was an extremely tasty Sicilian tasting menu.

Tasty warm Sicilian bread started the evening with my particular favourite being the walnut and cheese bread. The perfect accompaniment to any good bread is true Italian olive oil. The smell of a good olive oil alone is enough to transport me back to family holidays in Tuscany where olive oil and Pecorino tasting was the usual activity. This was accompanied by DaEtna Bianco from Costantino.

Around a month ago on a miserable rainy weeknight, my spirits were lifted when I was invited by Zomato to attend a food-tastic interactive event at restaurant Evoluzione at Hotel Xenia. What a treat to be able to meet Michelin-starred chef Andrea Angeletti and sample six courses from his Italian menu inspired by his grandmother’s recipes. An added bonus was this was the first time I was able to socialise with other food bloggers in the flesh and what a treat to not be reprimanded for taking photographs of all my food!

The event started with cocktails (mocktails for me!) served at a beautiful round bar in the Xenia lounge. The barman quickly rustled up a refreshing virgin mojito which I sipped next to the stunning colourless grand piano.

Canapes of deep-fried olives and mozarella and mini bruschetta circulated the room as we got to know each other better. The lovely Yusuf from Zomato introduced me to Alexandra and Chris (also from Zomato). I met Matt the List whose photography I’m always drooling over. Her Favourite Food was a bit under the weather but I’ve been following her blog for a while so was really happy to finally put a face to the name.

The Halal: The Zomato team had thoughtfully remembered me for this event because the menu featured many vegetarian and seafood dishes. Chef Andrea Angeletti replaced the one dish containing veal with a vegetarian alternative. After the event, I spoke to the team at Hotel Xenia who said that they would be able to pre-order halal produce with advance notice. Alcohol is served at Evoluzione and Hotel Xenia.

The Place: Hotel Xenia is a boutique hotel situated near the iconic National History Museum in Kensington. Hospitality and warmth are core to Xenia’s ethos. Andrea Angeletti has previously held a Michelin star to his name and is the new chef. His menu originates from the Marche region in Italy where he grew up.

The Food: The dining room was arranged around a live cookery station and chef Angeletti spoke to us about the inspiration behind his food and how each dish was made. I was lucky enough to be sat on a table with The Joyous Living, Her Favourite Food and Thoroughly English who were fantastic company throughout the night.

The first course was named ‘Ying Yang Salmon’, for reasons which soon became obvious. Two thin fillets of pink fish were half-seared and presented on the plate in the traditional Ying Yang shape. The salmon came with a dressing of ginger, chilli and olive oil served in a plastic sphere which shook and poured over the fish. The dish was my favourite of the night. Chef achieved a balance in many ways: hot and cold, cooked and raw, sweet and spicy. The interactive element brought a fun twist to the start of the meal.

Next we had cheese bread with king prawn and a pecorino sauce. The strong cheese aromas filled the room and whilst smelly cheese strikes fear in the hearts of some, I was pleased to mop up all that yumminess with my soft bread bowl.

Round three was a dry cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese and porcini mushroom. The stuffing had veal for everyone else but it wasn’t halal so I had the vegetarian alternative. The cannelloni was served cold with a warm truffle sauce and eaten with our bare hands! Chef wanted us to be transported back to our childhood when we used to eat with fingers rather than cutlery.

Following the cannelloni was a bowl of passatelli pasta served with parmesan fondue and artichoke crisps. I’ve never tried passatelli before and found it to be quite a rich and dense pasta. It’s made from breadcrumbs, nutmeg, eggs and olive oil and cooked in stock. Passatelli cannot be overcooked, no matter how long it is boiled for. Chef had fond memories of this dish being eaten by his family on Christmas day.

The penultimate dish was a delicate sea bass cooked in a bag with olive oil, peppercorn and onion and served on a bed of grilled asparagus, creamed potato and taggiasca olives. I loved the technique of cooking that he demonstrated. It was a cross between confit and sous-vide. This method intensified the flavours and the sea bass was cooked perfectly.

The final course was a dessert called ‘Chibouste’. This was a pastry cake filled with cream and sprinkled with caramelised sugar and a strawberry coulis. Thoroughly English declared it to be like a deconstructed creme brûlée and she wasn’t far off! For my taste though this was far too sweet and a very heavy ending to a rich meal.

The Price: Our special tasting menu was designed especially for the event but several of the dishes feature on the main menu. Starters and pasta dishes are priced between £10-15. There are more substantial mains of seafood and game priced between £15-28 and desserts are £9 each. There is an express lunch menu which is very reasonably priced and has a variety of pastas, salads and Italian small plates.

The Verdict: I had an incredible time at Evoluzione. Chef Angeletti’s inspirations gave a new dimension to his cooking and it was amazing to try so many new and authentic Italian flavours during a single meal. The ingredients were of a very high quality and the service was impeccable. My only criticism would be that the combination of these six courses was too heavy for one sitting but I suspect this was to show off some of their best flavours!

Evoluzione is a classy restaurant located inside the atrium of Hotel Xenia in South Kensington. It serves distinctive Italian food designed by Michelin Star awarded Chef Andrea Angeletti.

When I dined there as part of a foodie gathering, the tables in the restaurant were all set up to give us all a chance to see our food being prepared. This ‘chef’s table’ of sorts was a lovely edition to the meal as it gave a further insight into the food we were eating.

In addition the beautiful bar which diners pass through on the restaurant is very minimalist and stylish and even has a piano that can play soothing music all by itself.

Would I Want Seconds?

We sampled a set menu with six delightful courses designed by Chef Andrea Angeletti himself. What’s more he demonstrated the creation of each course in front of us, whilst explaining the origin, process and inspiration of each dish.

The first dish we tried was the ‘Yin yang salmon with marinated ginger and self shaken zest’. The salmon cooked on one side only was tender and melted beautifully in the mouth. It also came with a classic ginger and chilli dressing contained in its own individual plastic ball which needs to be shaken and then poured over the dish. This entertaining addition composed a very light and refreshing dish which was perfect to start a meal with.

When the second dish arrived you could smell the rich cheese aroma before it was even served. This was the ‘cheese bread with king prawn and pecorino sauce’ which was a very rich dish full of distinctive flavours.

The next dish was ‘dry cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese, porcini mushroom, veal and a truffle dipping sauce’. This beautiful creamy dish was to be eaten with our hands in order to remind us of our childhood according to Chef Andrea Angeletti.

The fourth dish was ‘passatelli with pamesan fondue’. This was composed of pasta and more cheese. The passatelli, a type of pasta formed of bread crumbs, eggs and grated parmesan cheese, created a very heavy dish and one I couldn’t quite finish.

By this time we were quite stuffed but there were still two more courses to go and we had no intention of backing out.

The second last dish was ‘sea bass cooked in olive oil with cream of potato and taggiasca olives’. The sea bass was really well done and the addition of infused peppercorns really brought the dish alive.

Dessert and our final course was ‘Chiboust’, a flaky pastry filled with cream, lightened with stiffly beaten egg whites and oozing a gorgeous aroma of caramelized sugar.

This was my first six course meal in a very long time and by the time we had got through it all we were very satisfied and very happy.

Could I Afford Seconds?

We dined on a special menu but the standard menu at Evoluzione is also full of a variety of beautiful traditional Italian dishes served with a modern twist which is typical of Chef Andrea Angeletti’s style.

The starters here are quite wholesome and include ‘roasted octopus with potatoes, aubergine and crispy sesame waffle’ at £12 as well as ‘roasted scallops with orange sauce, asparagus and black olives’ at £14. The average price for starters here range from between £10 to £12.

Pasta and Risotto main courses are approximately £14 and include dishes such as ‘saffron risotto with fossa cheese and powder black olives’.

There is also a section on the menu for heavier main courses such as ‘aromatic herb crusted rack of lamb with garlic sauce’ at £22 and ‘grilled lobster and potato filled thyme prawns’ at £27. These courses are a lot pricier, the average price being £25.

However, Evoluzione also offer an Express Lunch Menu with the same dishes served as sample size dishes ideal for a light lunch. These dishes can be ordered as a small or large dish and the average price of which is £9.

Overall:

Evoluzione is a well designed restaurant and Chef Andrea Angeletti is passionate about his food. He has created a unique Italian menu with dishes which would be hard to find elsewhere.

As a result, for those with adventurous taste buds Evoluzione is a must visit location as each dish served here is distinctive in its flavours and combinations. It would be an ideal place for lunch as dining on the Express Lunch menu would allows diners to sample a range of dishes in a very inexpensive way.

Many thanks to Zomato and Hotel Xenia and especially Chef Andrea Angeletti for their hospitality. These opinions are all my own.

Last week I headed down to Evoluzione at Hotel Xenia with the Zomato crew, for a tasting menu prepared by Michelin Star awarded Italian chef Andrea Angeletti and his team. I’ve been using the Zomato app for some time, and uploading reviews as I go on my merry way through every burger in town. I find it really useful – particularly if I’m in a new part of town and looking for somewhere more exciting than Starbucks. (Otherwise known as the ‘free power and wifi cafe’).

The setting was really beautiful – definitely a great venue for a date or a quiet family get together. It’s not remotely stuffy, and all of the staff were brilliant – quiet a task when you’re entire restaurant has been filled with wanna-be food critics! The tables were set up to give us all a chance to watch how the food was prepared – I’ve never done any ‘chef’s table’ kind of affairs, but it was a really lovely experience. Definitely the kind of thing worth doing with someone who’s got a real passion and understanding of cuisine. 

Now, the food was, unsurprisingly, heavily influenced by Italy. Which most of you will adore, but is slightly difficult for those of us who-really-really-don’t-eat-cheese. So, whilst I tried a small mouthful of most courses, I can’t pretend to give you the low down from an expert point of view. However, I did get to top-and-tail the meal with some really incredible bites.

Ying Yang Salmon with marinated ginger and self shaken zest
The salmon was seared only on one side, very fresh and very light. I’m by no means a salmon connoisseur, but I’d happily order this again. The dressing included a classic ginger and chilli combo – can’t really go wrong there!

Cheese bread with King Prawn and Pecorino sauce
Evoluzione

Dry cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese, porcini mushroom, veal & truffle dipping sauce

Passatelli with parmesan fondue

 

Chiboust
By far my favourite course of the night – essentially a crème anglaise served atop puff-pastry with a strawberry reduction. A ‘deconstructed creme brule’ is the closest I can come to, but I found it utterly divine and would have it again in a heart beat.

Evoluzione is all about hospitality. This fully Italian team sure knows how to welcome and treat their guests. The first thing we grabbed and that grabbed our attention was their house cocktail. Apérol with white Lillet and rosemary topped with Prosecco: sounds like a keeper. The nibbles started with some Italian classics, like bruschetta pomodoro and salmon tartar, but what we really enjoyed was the deep fried olives (we even asked for seconds).

Chef Andrea Angeletti, whilst demonstrating each course in front of us, explained that his cuisine was about traditions and family values. Going through the menu it seemed more modern and creative than traditional, but at the end of our meal we understood that Italian generosity was the chef’s key ingredient. Unfortunately we felt that a few other ingredients were missing, as the cannelloni’s stuffing and the truffle sauce was slightly flavourless. Over all, the food was good and we discovered new dishes like Chiboust. The delicious wines selected for the tasting menu were all from Italy and went really well with the food. The whole experience was extremely pleasant thanks to the very competent and attentive staff. We would definitely recommend the restaurant to people living in the area.

A special thank you to Zomato and its wonderful team for organising such an event. We met wonderful people and had great fun!

Last night, I was royally treated along with sixteen other food bloggers from Zomato to a night out at Evoluzione at Hotel Xenia. 

We were warmly greeted by the team at Hotel Xenia and given a choice of welcome drinks at the bar.

Meanwhile we were serenaded by a pianist at this lovely transparent piano that also has a tablet allowing beautiful music to play at all hours for the pleasure of the guests and visitors.

At the bar, our bartender was making delicious and refreshing cocktails with a sprig of rosemary. As beautiful as the cocktail looked, I found it a bit too bitter for my tastes but others were requesting seconds and giving it high praise. 

After a warm welcome from the duty manager we were ushered into the restaurant for our six course interactive dining experience.

I was delighted to sit down with fellow bloggers - The Halal Food Diaries, Her Fav Food & Thoroughly English.

You might be asking yourself what an "interactive" dining experience entails. Good question!

Michelin Star Italian Chef, Andrea Angeletti, was on hand to demonstrate and explain each dish before they were presented by the wait staff. You can imagine the excitement that a group of bloggers would have at this opportunity to witness this lovely chef up close and personal. Shutterbugs were a flurry.

First up, Chef Angeletti made a "self shaken zest" which were delivered to the tables in little shaker bowls. 
A glass of Lyricus, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, was offered to compliment the course. This was probably my favourite wine of the evening and was decidedly dry and crisp - quite refreshing and a perfect pairing with the "Ying Yang Salmon" that was served.

The salmon was perfectly cooked - on one side only - o so tender and melted in the mouth.

Remember those "self shaken zest" bowls? Well after Chef Angeletti's presentation and all the pics were taken of the salmon, we were instructed to shake our zest and use it as a marinade for the dish. I had a little too much fun perhaps with the shaker? Hehe. Who doesn't love getting involved with the preparation of their meal? :D 

A choice of Italian bread was also provided to accommodate the salmon. 

Next up... Cheese Bread with King Prawn and Pecorino Sauce. The recipe was his grandma's and the sauce was so smooth and rich (I wanted a spoon to lick up the remaining sauce) and as Her Fav Food said, it could easily have been a pudding.

Dishes were whisked away and a glass of Vignaiolo Fanti was provided to compliment the main course.

Chef Angeletti told us that cannelloni needs to be eaten with one's fingers. A few amused looks passed amongst my table mates but we gave it a try.

Unfortunately the "Dry Cannelloni Stuffed with Ricotta Cheese, Porcini Mushroom, Veal and a Truffle Dipping Sauce" was perhaps my least favourite dish and the wine was overpowering. My entire table did not fancy the choice of wine, in fact, so it was not just my feeble knowledge of wine. 

Next was "Passatelli with parmesan fondue". Passatelli is from Chef Angeletti's region in Italy (For that matter - almost all the staff were Italian aside from the lovely Daisy in marketing) and apparently can stay in water for a long time - incapable of being overcooked. The pasta was then cooked in chicken stock and the sauce was a mixture of cream and parmesan cheese cooked at seventy degrees (celsius). 

The dish was very rich and perhaps it was the combination of all the other rich foods earlier but I found myself wishing for more of that delicious Ying Yang Salmon. ;) 

Following the pasta, we had "Sea Bass cooked in olive oil with cream of potato and taggiasca olives". The sea bass was also superbly cooked and moist. 

Finally it was pudding time and we were presented with "Chiboust" and a glass of Greco di Bianco.

Again I was not impressed with the wine pairing but I am well aware I do not have a wide understanding of wines so don't go based on my comments. ;)

Now for the "Chiboust". As Thoroughly English pronounced, it was like a deconstructed creme brûlée. Couldn't have said it better myself. 

The creme was rich and yet moist, the pastry too tough and perhaps not enough of it (?) and unfortunately there were not enough berries to help absorb the richness from the meal. 

So what did I think? The food was delicious and my favourites were (in this order):
The Ying Yang Salmon (A++)
Cheese Bread (A+)
The Sea Bass (A)
Passatelli (A-)
Dry Cannelloni (B)
Chiboust (B)

All the dishes (aside from the Ying Yang Salmon) were very rich so keep that in mind when deciding what to eat earlier in the day. ;) But truthfully, it was a most delightful evening. The food really was delightful, the servers' faces were wreathed with the desire to serve and please - I told She Lives to Eat that I would not be surprised if one of the servers were to offer me the shirt off their back that's how accommodating and genuine they were, and the atmosphere was relaxing and would be excellent for spending time with a friend or perhaps a date night.

And as always I love these fabulous Zomato meet-ups because it means opportunities to meet fellow food bloggers. Thank you Alexandra, Chris and Yusef from Zomato! If you are a food blogger and haven't yet connected with the Zomato community, might I suggest you do! :)

Also what a pleasure to meet Chef Angeletti! What a generous man and definitely very talented. (Thanks The Halal Food Diaries for snapping this pic when my phone's battery died.)
**
If you are interested in visiting Xenia Hotel's Evoluzione Restaurant they offer a wide array of options to choose from:
Private dining
Luncheon (12pm-5pm; with an express lunch menu as low as £9.99)
Early Dining option (4pm-6pm; £15 per person for a 2-course meal and a glass of wine or a soft drink)
A la carte dinner from 6pm
Also, the Xenia Lounge - where my fellow bloggers and I first enjoyed our cocktails, is open daily and an Antipasti board at Aperitif O'clock is available from 5pm-7pm daily.

Lastly, if you enjoy a good cigar, there is the Living Wall Bar -- that is another vibrant cocktail bar and boasts a humidor and access to a heated Herb Garden. The atmosphere in the Living Wall Bar is snug and cozy, like being in a library or study.

So many options for how you can enjoy a visit to Evoluzione! And of course, if you're hankering for a place to stay during your visit to London, the photos of their rooms look delightful.

Many thanks to Zomato and Hotel Xenia for their hospitality and the delightful evening. These opinions are all my own.

In my first year of university studying English literature, I was fortunate enough to read the ancient epic poetry of Homer; while I'm proud to say I read these lengthy tomes, I can certainly say it wasn't easy. 

But I took away two important lessons: 

1. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
2. The importance of hospitality; that is showing the reciprocal kindness and respect between a guest and a host. In ancient Greek, this tradition is know as Xenia. 

And it was this second lesson I had in mind as Mr Silver and I made our Odyssey all the way from SW1 to SW5 to the Hotel Xenia. Our lunch today was at the hotel's restaurant, Evoluzione, and we prepared ourselves for some great hospitality as we walked into the hotel's stylish lobby. 

Plush and modern I instantly liked the hotel, and Mr S and I made a mental note to recommend it to our friends coming in from out of town. It's close to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park as well as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the shopping in Knightsbridge. 

Guests were enjoying a comfortable lounge bar and the gentle tones of a perspex player piano. 

We turned from the lounge into Evoluzione...

The restaurant was located in a conservatory attached to the side of the hotel...

As you can see...it was totally empty with a rather less than exciting view of the road. Still the tinkling piano sounds coming through from the neighbouring room meant that the restaurant wasn't completely lacking in atmosphere.

We sat at our table and just like the ancient Greeks prepared for our Bacchic feast. Only this feast began with a glass of Prosecco!

Ok, Greek metaphors aside, the chef is actually Michelin star winning Italian chef Andrea Angeletti who combines a respect for traditional Italian cuisine, with fresh produce and a creative flair.

We chose a selection of small plates to share for our lunch.

Fairly standard brown and white bread were presented to us but a chorus sang when we dipped the bread in speciality olive oil by Cutera. It was so fruity and delicious...and bread is my Achilles heel... I had to reach for more. 

Speaking of which, we started with a trio of mixed bruschetta: 

By now I don't think I need to tell you how much I like stuff served on bread and selection, that included aubergine, smoked salmon and chicken, was lovely.

A well seasoned beef carpaccio came next.

Dumplings with rabbit ragu wasn't exactly photogenic but it was our favourite dish and certainly fit for a hungry Greek hero!

Passatelli with tomato and basil was a rather unusual dish and not one I'd tried before, if you've not heard of it's basically pasta made out breadcrumbs, eggs and parmesan. Well, as I'm fan of all of those three things, the combo was bound to be good and I'm always keen to try something different.

Everything on the Evoluzione menu is pretty healthy and light and these salads were no exception:

Mozzarella and tomato and chicken salad. Two very simple dishes but both beautifully prepared and well dressed.

A parmiagana was a little more indulgent but the small portion size meant it wasn't too filling.

And we ended on a veal salad with tuna sauce, a slightly bigger dish as the small plates hadn't quite filled up Mr S.

Desserts were like a siren's trying to seduce us with their delicious song but we resisted and just stuck to a coffee in the upstairs lounge.

The staff at Evoluzione certainly lived up to the Greek tradition of hospitality, the food was very tasty, but unfortunately the atmosphere of the restaurant let it down. I think Evoluzione really does have great potential but it needs an injection of pizzazz. Perhaps they should host a baccanal to liven things up a bit ;)

Overall good meal. Service was a bit slow and the portions for the price were a bit on the small size. I had the Lobster Ravioli which was good but not amazing. Would suggest some of the other pasta dishes as others said the deck was good. You can do better in London but an overall good experience and convenient if staying at the hotel.

This place is fantastic! We opted for the buffet breakfast and I appreciated the buffet spread - not too many and overwhelming nor too few! It also comes with refillable tea or coffee which is good too! Special shoutout to Mr. Albino who made us feel welcome and followed my instructions on the payment. Really appreciated it! Ambiance is fabulous, quiet, a great place to catch up with family and friends! My guests and I truly had a wonderful morning at La Terrazza!

Staying in the area, found this lovely little place searching on google and thought we'd give it a go! I must say I was surprised, outstanding food and an even better atmosphere. My husband and I really enjoyed our snug dinner here together. We will be returning!

This restaurant’s food thrown me back to my Italian holiday! Food is authentic, fresh, well presented and my carbonara excellent, suggested by Cesare! Highly recommended for lunch or dinner 👍

Great spot if you are looking for some authentic Italian food, both servers and chefs are from Italy and the quality of food reflects that! Location is great and if the weather is good, you can eat outside in the small terrace. Overall 10/10 !!

As someone who has worked in restaurants for almost 2 decades I can tell you if your looking for a dinner location with atmosphere, great hosts, food and drinks your in for a great evening. Albino was an amazing host and truly provided a wonderful evening for us. At first glance the prices might seem a little high but I can assure you that the quality of the food, cocktails and wine were worth every bit. If your staying at the marriot kensington across the street go here!

Service is friendly and fab, wine list amazing, food authentic and delicious... what else would you need?