As you would expect from a Kensington pub, The Scarsdale is all about quality food and wine. But fear not – snobbery is not included and this is a great place for a relaxing dinner or afternoon pints.

The Venue
Set just behind High Street Kensington, The Scarsdale is positioned on the corner of the very idyllic looking residential area of Edwardes Square - a big leafy park, bordered with bigger, impressive-looking houses (warning: may cause extreme jealousy).

The pub is nestled in the corner and the first thing you notice is the vibrant beer garden (which is at the front of the pub). A green-fingered individual has gone to town with the hanging baskets and flowers and it looks great. It’s very summery, colourful and fits in very well with the surroundings. It is a fairly small outdoor area though, so get there early if you want a table.

This good-looking theme is continued inside. A dark wooden floor, huge grand old mirrors behind the bar, a fireplace and candles on tables make it feel very cosy. Some wall decorations are a little thrown together but it is nonetheless an attractive-looking pub.

The Atmosphere
The Scarsdale is far from secret, so it does get busy. The bar and waiting staff are young and friendly, and the clientele range from around late twenties upwards. This is no place for lairy lads and you should probably try and stay well-behaved, but it doesn’t feel stuck-up. The dining area is set behind the main bar area, which is great as there’s no chance of drinkers standing over your table, checking out your dinner choices. The dark wooden furniture and candlelit tables actually make it a nice spot for a romantic meal.

The Food
There are two menus – one for the bar and another for the main restaurant. Unusually, the bar menu is actually a lot bigger than the main restaurant one, and offers an extensive selection of very standard pub grub such as garlic bread (£2.95), homemade soup (£4.75), nachos with salsa or chilli con carne (£6.95) and steak and ale pie (£9.95), with a 12oz rib-eye steak the dearest (£18.95).

The main menu has definitely adopted the quality over quantity ethos when it comes to choice, but the portion sizes are generous. The goat’s cheese salad and red onion marmalade (£7.50) is a great choice for a starter, with very soft goat’s cheese, topped with a generous helping of red onion marmalade. For mains, the salmon supreme with herb crust, spinach, rice, citrus butter (£14.25) is nice and light, with the fish cooked to perfection. The only vegetarian dish is the spinach and ricotta tortellini with sunblush tomatoes, olive sauce, spinach and aged parmesan. This is a nice enough meal, but is still a fairly basic vegetarian dish which feels a little overpriced at £10.25.

The Drink
A 175ml glass of wine starts at £4.05 while 250ml ones range from £5.30-£8.40. There are a few red and white house wines with a bottle starting at £14.75 for a chenin blanc (the sauvignon blanc is only a little more expensive at £19 and is a really good, light, crisp wine).

There’s a good range of beers, ciders and ales that vary in cost: London Pride (£3.55 a pint), Seafarer Ale (£3.55), Fosters (£3.60), Strongbow (£3.70), Becks (£3.75), Guinness (£3.80), Kronenbourg (£3.95) and Peroni (£4.30).

The Last Word
Only minutes away from the hubbub of the High Street, The Scarsdale offers a relaxed atmosphere in a peaceful spot. If you want a few drinks in Kensington, without astronomical prices, give it a go (particularly if the sun is out!).

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