Inn Kensington Restaurant — Restaurant in California

A very popular restaurant for breakfast, but an overlooked small gem for dinner.

If you are looking for a casual, neighborhood restaurant on a night that you just don't feel like cooking or want to join a friend or two or another couple for dinner in a place where you can actually talk to one another, the Inn Kensington is the right spot. The food is a few cuts above what most of us would prepare at home and doesn't cost an arm and a leg - last time my wife and I went, we each had an entree that was a balanced and tasty meal in itself, a glass of simple but good wine (there is a wine shop next door and I expect a friendly relationship ensures this) and we split a large dessert all for a total of $46 before tip.

The portions are ample but sensibly so, the "haute neighborhood" cuisine is relatively healthy (light on the salt and fats and with a good share of fresh and well-prepared veggies) and though it can be somewhat predicable, the flavors are always pleasing and often some dish or another (side or main) is surprisingly good - last time we went in they served a corn pancake with a black bean stuffing as part of the entree and it was truly top-notch.

The wait staff is friendly, it's in a nice neighborhood and evening parking is easy and close. All the said, my only problem is that on some nights the restaurant doesn't draw much of a crowd. The decor is cozy and charming so this is never depressing, just kind'a disappointing - it deserves better but somehow loses out to the noisier and glitzier just a mile or two down the gentle hill.

Hopefully this YELP will help to...

“The fastest kitchen on the planet...”; not a title I’d take seriously anywhere else but after coming to Inn Kensington every Saturday morning for breakfast over the last year, I’ve realized that I’ve actually been taking the speediness of this place for granted. To begin a review of this station of our community with so silly a remark as to refer to their speed of service is like describing the Sphinx by mention of eyebrow quality or the Louvre by reference to its stairways. Speed is a factor but still so small a contribution to what makes this place truly great. Inn Kensington is another room of your house. It’s the peaceful kitchen table on which you liberally apply jelly to the most delicious toast after coming downstairs in house shoes to enjoy a visit from family far away. Eating at this place is like being reunited with the wonder that accompanied Grandma’s cooking during childhood’s richest periods. I love this place, the staff, the patrons, even the parking. It serves to mention, as well, that the coffee here is spectacular. Inn Kensington, you warm my heart and furnish my...

I hadn't been there in a few years when my family and I went in for breakfast. Their waffles and omelettes were as good as I remember. The grand mere is very hearty with excellent bacon, and the firenze is lighter, with spinach. Both are delicious. If you order waffles, ask for real maple syrup (it costs extra, I believe), but it really makes the difference. Their fresh fruit is outstanding and extremely refreshing.

They still don't take credit cards, so bring cash or...