Italian Tapas at Kensington’s Como Garden
Bringing the outside inside, stepping into Como Garden in Kensington is like taking a tardis trip to northern Italy.
The restaurant is found in a small courtyard off Kensington High Street, adjacent to sister restaurant Zuaya, but offers a more relaxed and less edgy vibe, reminiscent of an Italian café courtyard.
The menu is served tapas style, with a selection of small plates, larger options, and plentiful sides to complement the meal. Between two people it’s recommended to pick three or four smaller options with a main meal each. The burrata salad boasts succulently sweet and fresh Datterini tomatoes and a tangy pesto, the Parmesan and Fontina cheese arancini is heaven in a mouthful – light and tasty and oh so moreish, and the tomato and parmesan beef meatballs are cooked to perfection, tender to the knife-touch in a gloriously tangy ragu. The pastas range from traditional lasagne to freshly made ravioli with Gorgonzola and caramelised walnuts and a delicious truffle and ricotta tortelloni alla carbonara.
Pasta paradise
Meat and pasta lovers will be spoilt for choice, but knowing exactly how much to order is a tricky measure. Just like Oliver, we found ourselves yearning for more as the dishes – while perfectly formed – can be on the small side, so ordered an extra parmigiana halfway through our meal. Not being in a rush we were fine to wait, but sadly it seemed to be rushed out and proved to be cold in the middle. A disappointing result after an otherwise glorious matching experiment.
Room for dessert? If you think so, we advise to err on the side of caution. Having decided to share the homemade lemon tart due to not wanted to overindulge, we found ourselves presented with a five-storey cake surrounded by (admittedly delicious) freshly piped meringue. It was a treat – but having said our appetites were waning we were now faced with the ‘eat enough not to look rude’ scenario that can kill a meal in its final minutes. Half the portion would have left us more satisfied and less awkward about leaving almost half still on the plate!
Service is friendly but often lapses, and on a hot day to ask for water three times and still not receive any was a bit of an issue. The wines we were poured, however, were recommended and perfectly matched the dishes we decided on.
Come Garden is a bustling and lively venue with a friendly vibe and first class food. It feels more rough round the edges than its sister restaurants, which also include the upmarket El Norte in Mayfair, but it’s worth a visit for a more relaxed outing.
