The Juice Bar is a frenetic area of activity in the Whole Foods Market food hall in Kensington which serves juices and smoothies at one end and coffee and cakes down the other, with an efficient but spectacularly busy canteen-style service operating.

The Venue
The Juice Bar is located on the first floor of Whole Foods Market above a middle class shoppers’ paradise on the ground floor (they have escalators designed to take just your food trolleys as you move from one floor to the next – it’s the future, you know). The Juice Bar shares this expansive US-style food hall with around nine other bars for eating and drinking ranging from a champagne and oyster bar to a burrito bar. It may be a little clinical but there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy your food and it seems that this hall is designed to be a pit stop between floors anyway. There’s not what you would call ambience here, but it’s ideal if you want to grab superior food during a busy day of retail therapy.

The Atmosphere
Whole Foods Market gets busy at lunchtime - very busy. Nearby office workers, families, hardcore shoppers and Kensington’s elite spread through the food hall like a tidal wave after 1pm. Therefore, the general atmosphere is one of feverishness which is something you’d expect in any busy food hall. The Juice Bar does a rather good trade with yummy mummies at lunchtime.

The Food
A range of cakes and ice creams are available a few yards down and they’re top notch. The carrot cake is delightful, with a perfect crumbly texture with a tangy cream topping. The ice cream is traditional Italian gelato, prepared the way all ice cream should be.

The Drink
Teas and coffees are also available here but naturally, the juice concoctions and experimental smoothies fly off the counter. The apple, pineapple, carrot and ginger is one fusion too many; the ginger gives it the kind of kick you’d want in a shampoo but not necessarily a smoothie. The mango, yoghurt, banana and apple juice is thick and fruity but the sheer blitz of the mango and banana renders the apple juice undetectable. The strawberry, banana and yogurt is the real winner, however: it feels like the right mix is found here with each addition complementing one another, whereas the other concoctions felt like failed trials.

The Last Word
The Juice Bar provides a healthy boost during an upmarket shopping excursion and the friendly staff coupled with the high quality food available are a welcome addition to what might otherwise be a standard British food hall.

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