The Scarsdale

The Scarsdale is a 19th-century free-standing building with colourful hanging baskets and window boxes spilling into the small terraced patio, in a leafy road just off Kensington High Street. The Frenchman who developed the site was supposedly one of Bonaparte's secret agents. A planned refurbishment worried the regulars, but the essence of the place has hardly been interfered with at all. The kitchen was updated though, allowing the introduction of a broader menu of brasserie-style dishes. Examples are mussels with lime and ginger, and chargrilled chicken sandwich on ciabatta with red peppers, spinach and mayonnaise.