Origin Kensington — Restaurant in London

An experience, and a good example of afternoon tea in Kensington. Let down a little in execution.

Afternoon Tea is a relatively new offering at Origin, so let that be a caveat to this review. Service is very good; attentive staff, willing to explain each course in detail and cater for requests.

Definitely give lots of different teas a try. They are all included, and are all fantastic!

Course 1: Warm plates Delicious, and frankly the highlight of the entire meal, with each flavour delicately held in balance. A perfect pairing, and where most may see 'black pudding' and think it is too heavy, it definitely is not.

Course 2: Sandwiches Unlimited, and with a choice of three, there should be something for everyone. However, if you want the desserts, you'll not want to avail yourselves of the unlimited sandwiches... Each comes with a different textural experience. The surprise was the coronation chicken, which is shockingly well-executed (I usually find it an overly sweet filling that smacks of the times of rationing). The salmon croissant was a standout. The cucumber sandwiches are delicious, but are missing something, either more chive or just a crack of black pepper.

Amuse-bouche: A well-presented 'terrarium' with an intense strawberry flavour.

Course 4: Petit Fours and Scones When ordering for two, they bring enlarged versions of the desserts (instead of pairs of each). This looks good, but becomes an awkward affair if you happen to be sharing with a colleague or acquaintance and not your SO. The flavours generally work, but you may be hard-pressed to detect the Earl Grey in the choux. The lemon and noisette flavours in the macaron are well-matched, however.

The scones are basic fare, but are well-risen and presentable enough to give the best a run for their money. The preserves are a little odd, however. The rhubarb and strawberry preserve flies in the face of the amuse-bouche, with no flavour strong enough to break through the sweetness of the scone and cream, leaving a sweet but all-too-subtle taste experience to round off the whole affair.

TL;DR - Great service, good food, good flavours, odd portions for two,...

Trying the new restaurant at the hotel. Attracted by the menu of thoughtful combination of British produces. I gave up my earlier plans because I’m staying here anyways, and I am not disappointed.

The scallop ceviche is lovely. Fresh, plump, melting in mouth, subtly sweet. The gentle mushroom dashi carries depth from the forest in the background and highlights the natural tastes of the scallop. The crispy ham and hazelnut adds a different texture. The truffle doesn’t have much fragrance, more of a colorful decoration, as is the vanilla cream.

Nasi Goreng is indeed wonderful. A big bowl loaded with surprises. Beautiful fried egg with gooey yolk. Fried chicken that is juicy, curry-flavored, and slightly spicy. Lobster crackers, nostalgic. The rice is well mixed with small shrimps, chicken, and peas. — Is the whole thing really below 400 calorie?? 『Confirmed kindly by the waiter (Vincenzo?) and the chef, I am mind blown. Thoughtful and making food tasty without pouring in all the oil and salt, that’s what makes the place stands out. ❤️』The dish is not too salty or oily. A nice tomato flavor. It is a little milder than other renderings but I can keep eating— I have been trying to control the carbs but I somehow finished the whole thing. The sambal shrimp paste is packed with umami and extra slices and gives a great boost to the rice. The pickled pepper is refreshing.

Beetroot and goat cheese came as another surprise. I thought only the beetroot would be roasted and then served with cheese crumbles, but the chunks of fudgy goat cheese is also roasted golden and melted! I would usually order a green side but this one is really nice. I’ll get my green veggies in other meals.

The staff are friendly and helpful. It’s really promising when everyone has favorites! And I definitely enjoyed the conversation over food.

Bright nice view despite the wall ;)

Filling, satisfied, with little guilty conscience. Will come back for the food I got today and looking forward to trying other dishes on the menu.

25% off for hotel guests is also...

Very unsatisfactory experience for such an expensive place. The wait staff was constantly confused, starting with thier mistaking taking down orders, delivery of those orders, and logistics & pacing of delivery (placing plates, clearing dishes, presenting). Cocktails were over priced and pedestrian. While the servers were mostly kind they were discombobulated, and at one time became accusatory: server questioned which sauce my invitee did chose for her steak, it was the first example of poor customer service. Additionally, they served the wrong table some apps we ordered and also charged us for sides that we didn't ask for.

Lastly, and the kicker was after they served the bill which was paid for with generous compensation (25%), they had the audacity to sprint over to me in the hotel (it's connected to the restaurant) to me and my party as we were about to leave. They forgot to place on the check a 40 extra charge for cake cutting. A cake we brought that I cut and served. While I'm used to this charge, it wasn't mentioned when the special request was asked. They didn't do a thing other than hold on and present the cake. They demeanor in this context was quite offensive and poorly handled. I don't know if it was the server (maybe manager) that caused the small scene in a busy hotel lobby running, but this was completely unprofessional given they're not including the charge was their mistake.

The food wasn't great, not for the prices and what was delivered. Portions on smalls side and the selection is scattered.The ambiance for a Tuesday night was extremely quiet, the restaurant was largely empty.

Safe to say I would not return and would not recommend. Advertised as elegant, but delivered...