Food

The Paradise: Review

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The Paradise By Way of Kensal Green

When we arrived outside The Paradise on Kilburn Lane, we wondered whether the tired looking facade on this unassuming road could be the place which had been so highly recommended. However, on entering the TARDIS which is The Paradise, we saw that the eccentric and eclectically decorated pub was belied by its exterior. We were led through the busy bar to the huge dining room at the back of the building which was reminiscent of a Victorian Gothic country house, recently spruced up courtesy of Farrow and Ball.

This deceptively large building also houses two private dining rooms, a large music room and a spacious roof terrace. I am told that The Paradise regularly holds celebrity packed parties and it certainly seemed to be a go-to venue for everything from romantic dinners to private parties and after-work drinks, as well as giving the opportunity to for revellers to spill out onto the roof terrace on warm nights, and to spill into the music room with its funky DJs.

The main event for us that night, however, was the food. We shared bresaola as a starter, which was aromatically unctuous without being too greasy.

For the main course, I had the asparagus with poached eggs, oyster mushrooms & Hollandaise (£13.50). It is difficult to go wrong here, and they didn’t. It was the light, perfectly seasoned supper for which I was hoping. Meanwhile, my husband opted for a heavier dish and made the better choice: smokey and tender medium rare steak, with béarnaise and triple fried chips (£23.50). We had been to Argentina for our honeymoon at the beginning of the year and this matched even the best steaks we’d had there, in all but price.

I was thrilled not to have had my own starter when we looked at the pudding menu. The dark chocolate and honeycomb mousse with fresh raspberries (£6.50) was fantastic, the crisp honeycomb and fresh raspberries a perfect off set to the rich chocolate. My husband’s choice of a selection of homemade Jersey Cream ice creams & sorbets (£5.75) did as it said on the tin, but a special mention must go to the salted caramel ice cream which was deliciously sweet, salty and creamy: heaven.

We rolled out and arrived back on Kilburn Lane, and I am certain we will return to the Paradise soon.

19 Kilburn Lane, Kensal Green, London, W10 4AE

020 8969 0098

[email protected]

Camilla Norton