Maggie Jones’s, Kensington review

Maggie Jones’s is back and the residents of Kensington and their regulars will be thrilled. The restaurant, tucked away off Kensington Church Street, is a slice of London lore. In the 1970s, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon were such devoted regulars that the staff referred to her under the alias “Maggie Jones,” a name that stuck and eventually became the restaurant’s own. It’s a story that fits the place: a venue both romantic, elegant, discrete yet utterly unpretentious.

Maggie Jones’s, Kensington. Image credit MTotoe

After a fire in the restaurant two years ago there was an awful moment of wondering whether one of Kensington’s most quietly beloved spots would return at all. They certainly kept in suspense but finally their doors have reopened. This Kensington stalwart has risen from the ashes not with the glossy, self-conscious swagger of a “refurb,” but with a restored soul and flickering candles on the tables. As we entered, we briefly scanned the room to see whether it was still the Maggie Jone’s we know and love, and were relieved to find that it felt unchanged, except for the new staircase leading to the second floor of the restaurant.

The interiors have always been a little whimsical and slightly eccentric, with gardening tools in the corner, honeyed wood-panelled walls, country wallpapers, dark wood booths and fireplaces, farmhouse pine tables, and ceilings hung with pots, rocking horses, tricycles, enamel buckets, and dried flower-filled baskets that look pilfered from an impossibly photogenic countryside market. For December, there is a twinkling touch of Christmas. It’s all glow and no glare.

Maggie Jones’s, Kensington. Maggie Jones’s famed tart. Image credit MTotoe

The tasteful rustic touches don’t end with the interiors. Dishes are served on nostalgic mismatched old-fashioned china and diners tuck in with weathered silverware you might find along Portobello Market. The menu doesn’t try to do anything fancy instead it gives you a selection of British comfort food cooked to perfection. Simple salads and tarts look unremarkable written on the menu but once you get the first forkful you know you are in good hands. My simple stilton, bacon & walnut salad was a master class on making three ingredients sing. It was simple, cheesy, salty, crunchy goodness with a salad dressing I regret not asking the recipe for. There are the tarts. Oh, the tarts - Maggie Jones’s tarts remain defiantly, gloriously simple, and infinitely better for it. Thin crisp crust, just the right amount of moist filling with simple comforting combinations such as cheese & leek. My dining companion had the spinach and almond “Maggie’s tart” which she profusely complemented.

For mains the vegetarian nut roast was moist, delicious and full of beautiful flavours, The scotch sirloin steak and chips came with béarnaise sauce (there is the option of peppercorn sauce too) and we ordered a side of roasted carrots which came beautifully al dente. I was guided in ordering a glass of promitivo wine which went perfectly with the steak. The other classics like roaring-good fish pie, roast rump of lamb with rosemary and garlic, calf’s liver with bacon and onion, Dover sole with butter and lemon will have us coming back again soon.

Maggie Jones’s, Kensington. Vegetarian nut roast and the scotch sirloin steak. Image credit MTotoe.

There’s also a set-menu option which makes the whole experience feel relaxed and friendly - perfect for a casual dinner or a cosy night out. 

I ended with a simple vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. The sauce came poured but I think I would have preferred to have a pot of the chocolate sauce on the side to pour at the table. Tossing up the choice of bread and butter pudding or the apple crumble and custard you have two classic choices, and one can’t go wrong with either - we settled for the latter.

Maggie Jones’s, Kensington. Apple crumble and custard. Image credit MTotoe.

It’s wonderfully heart-lifting to have Maggie Jones’s back, and with the Churchill Arms, London’s most Christmassy pub, just up the road, a visit here before or after dinner would round up the evening to be a very festive night out indeed.

Maggie Jones’s offers a Set Lunch and Dinner Menu priced at £36.95 for two courses or £43.95 for three.

Location: Old Court Place, London W8 4EP. Website:maggie-jones.co.uk. Instagram: @maggiejonesrestaurant   

  Review by Natascha Milsom