Bancone Kensington — Restaurant in London

This restaurant is in a great convenient location by the tube and has a good buzz. The hosts at the door were accommodating in providing a seated dining table, which we preferred to bar seating. The venue is beautifully decorated.

However, some feedback which lowers our rating quite a bit… we had a very difficult experience with the service from the young lady who served us from then on, and specifically with ordering our food.

One of the pasta dishes came with olives sprinkled on the top, and as my mum really hates olives we requested that these not be added.

The server was insistent that although they were just “sprinkled on top”, the olives were an important part of the dish, and that we had to try it this way. We had a lengthy back and forth in which she was adamant that if we wanted no olives we could just easily pick them off…

No matter how many times we asked for no olives (as my Mum has been around for 60+ years so does know what she likes by now!!) the server insisted the restaurant would not be willing to take our order without the olives.

Ultimately she asked us to order a different dish if we didn’t want olives, which we reluctantly did. Perhaps it was just really poor communication from the server and there was a valid reason, but this basically put us off the restaurant as first time visitors.

The same member of staff was polite but not well trained in general, removing my mum’s wine before she’d finished and trying to clear my pasta before cutlery was in the “finished” position. We recommend better training by management to avoid frustrating customers.

Overall, food was tasty but this restaurant needs to retrain staff to understand how to provide a good dining experience that gets you coming back.

Based on our experience unfortunately we won’t be recommending it to others for now. We hope they take our feedback on board, as we are regular Italian eaters who live locally and tend to eat out at their price point… we would like to see...

We recently had dinner at Bancone South Kensington and were genuinely impressed, not just by the food, which absolutely lived up to the hype, but by the warm and attentive service that truly elevated the evening.

Let’s start with the food: it was phenomenal. The Silk Handkerchief Carbonara was a standout; it is rich, creamy, and perfectly seasoned with just the right bite to the pasta. We also tried the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe (yes, we ordered a second round because it was that good), and the Pork & ’Nduja Ragu, both rich of flavor and texture. Each dish felt thoughtfully crafted, luxurious but without being overdone.

The interior is beautifully designed: modern, inviting, and with a buzz that makes the experience feel warm and welcoming without being too formal. There was a great energy on the floor, the music lively, which matched the vibrant feel of the evening.

But what really made the night was the service, especially from Vito. Having worked in the industry and knowing staffing can sometimes be hit or miss, Vito stood out as a true professional. He was knowledgeable, warm, and had that rare ability to read the table and talk to people, offering great recommendations (don’t miss the Asparagus Romesco!) and always checking in at just the right moment. His hospitality made the evening incredible and turned a great meal into a memorable one.

The genuine warmth from people like Vito and the staff more than made this experience unforgettable. The team overall seemed enthusiastic and eager to serve, which counts for a lot.

In short: Bancone delivers elevated Italian food in a beautiful setting, and with people like Vito leading the way, it’s clear this place is destined to go up. We’ll absolutely be back, and next time,...

Such a delightful experience!!.. My partner and I went for the opening and enjoyed a perfect night there. We have been served by Vito! That showed us and mostly explained the menu giving the best recommendations ever!..we started with the bresaola that had the biggest and best caipers I’ve ever had..so tasty!!! Then we had 3 mains as a special monkfish with a very tasty sauce on the side, a lovely Carbonara with fresh handmade Pasta,different and very nice..but definitely the winner was the pasta with Bottarga!..omg guys!! You just need to go there and try it!!..there are no words to explain as delightful was that dish!!..was my first time to try the bottarga and I definitely felt in love with it. Thanks Vito again and again!!:) We had a very lovely night there!..having some of the best flavours and even been looking after by Vito,Leo and the manager David..all of them took care of us,checking the timing of our dishes.we were sharing everything so our waiter Vito let the dish come one after the other in a way to don’t make us feel rushed. And let us end our night with a surprisingly lovely ice cream with Salt and EVO!!..yes you read right!!..it was a surprise combination but absolutely Devine!..the night couldn’t end it better :) Very well done to all of you guys!! Kitchen and front of house!!..all of you are doing great!!..It’s a beautiful place but personally I think that the staff made it even more special!!!..I will definitely...