Scoff & Banter Kensington — Restaurant in London

We stayed for 5 nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel which is connected to the Scoff & Banter restaurant in Kensington. We had lunch at Scoff & Banter on our first day, breakfast on 2 mornings, and drinks in the bar every night. I share this detail, so readers know that we were 'regulars' there and not basing our review on a single passing meal.

First meal: Lunch. We got the classic fish and chips with mushy peas. I know that Scoff & Banter's tag line is 'classics with a modern twist'. The fish and chips were on-point and delicious. The mushy peas sadly, were chilled and not as delicious as warm mushy peas we had at other restaurants.

The breakfasts we had at Scoff & Banter looked spectacular by the spread, but were not exciting for us Americans. We tried the traditional English Breakfast and did not care for the bangers or the bland beans, so we stuck to yogurt, assorted danish (the chocolate chip croissants were good, but not nutritious) and scrambled eggs. The breakfast buffet also sported cold cuts and cheese, and potatoes.

Every evening, we would stop by the bar in the Scoff & Banter for a nightcap. The bar tenders are not quick, but their drinks were spectacular. A bit pricey, but delicious. The lounge has a great vibe. One night, a bar tender spontaneously brought us a small dish of warm nuts that we didn't ask for, which we thought was so sweet. We noticed a charge for the un-ordered nuts on the bill when we settled. LOL!

It's definitely nice to have the restaurant attached to the hotel for guests,...

Party of 8. We made a reservation for 8 pm and arrived at 7:45. We were seated in the bar area at a smallish table and were told our table would be ready at 8:20. We ordered drinks while waiting and they took longer than you'd expect, but we finished them by 8:35 and still no table. At 8:45 we asked about the wait, and at 9 we were seated. The service was friendly but quite slow. By 10:20 our mains still had not arrived and the natives grew restless. When the food arrived it was hot and tasty - no complaints (other than asking for condiments still took quite long). When we were ready for the check just before 11 there was no one to be found. We went to reception and a server brought the bill, but after waiting another 15 mins to pay, no one came and we had to go track someone down again. Their credit card machine failed, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Our boss (business dinner) set a 2 min timer to encourage the server to hasten back with another machine and she did, but that machine failed as well and we all got up to leave. The manager met us at the door and apologized for the very slow service. He said the charge went through at some point, but we didn't get a receipt. We'll see...

Lovely place, food and service!

Ate here in the evening with my baby and husband and we felt so welcome and comfortable!

Usually, eating out in a nice restaurant with a baby is awkward to say the least (worries about crying disturbing others, looks from staff etc.). However, our last minute request to sit in the bar was accommodated, the staff were engaging and friendly, provided heating equipment for baby food & even ran out to carry my buggy down the stairs when leaving.

Atmosphere: Classy restaurant & bar, perfect for a family meal, solo or date night. Dress code was smart/ casual.

Food & drink: Delicious. Not an extensive menu but the seasoning & cooking was perfect. Good selection of alcoholic & soft hot and cold beverages. Reasonably priced. Catered for allergies.

Service: Professional, not overbearing, and well trained in proper service (napkins on laps etc.). The restaurant manager was also visible throughout the evening.

Facilities: No lift to entrance or baby changing facilities. Toilets were spotless, fancy & recently renovated. Short walk from the museums.

We would definitely visit again if...