Babylon At The Roof Gardens

Every so often there is an occasion in your life when only the best will do, and without doubt Babylon falls well inside that category, combining as it does all that is best in a restaurant that is able to offer that elusive quality - complete reliability.

Much of the attraction of this sleek, modern restaurant atop the Kensington Roof Gardens used to lie in its spectacular views, but now Head Chef, Ian Howard, with 21 years of experience under his belt, has created menus with a focus on fresher produce from local suppliers to increase the quality of dishes served to Babylon's guests. Ian's stints at The Savoy, The Belvedere Restaurant under Marco Pierre White, and The Cumberland Hotel under Gary Rhodes, have more than just given him an impressive CV, they have also fuelled his passion for modern British cuisine adding a personalised twist to old favourites.

The à la carte menu carries the main presentation with a list of stunning first courses that leave customers in no doubt they have come to the right place. The delicate touch applied to a whipped Perroche goats' cheese with asparagus, chicory marmalade and gingerbread is a hint of things to come. Saffron risotto has that little extra, presented with mascarpone, Parmesan, sautéed scallops and basil.

Main courses of Scottish fillet of beef shares a plate with confit shallots, vine tomatoes, ratte potato, summer truffle and Madeira jus, or there is the fillet of bream with baby gem, red pepper, brown shrimp and clam salsa.
Portion sizes have increased, too, but make sure you save space for pudding. The Babylon dessert tasting selection is designed to give an overall view of the versatility of the kitchen in this department, and could include apricot and cointreau soufflé with chocolate tuile, raspberry tart with milk ice cream, and pannacotta with orange granite and ginger bread crisp.

The BBQ and Shellfish Bar opens from May to September, with the hot seats - one hopes - out on the Terrace. Over the heat is grilled Scotch rib eye steak with hand cut chips and béarnaise sauce and grilled lobster with Russian salad, baby chard and chives. Shellfish include Pacific Maldon oysters, char-grilled crevette prawns and potted salmon and shrimps with toasted sourdough bread.

At many restaurants great attention is quite rightly paid to the traditional Sunday lunch. At Babylon Saturday lunch also comes in for special treatment, with prices that are a positive incentive to those taking advantage of the quality shopping that is so conveniently close to Babylon.

Service provided by the slick and very friendly staff, who are attentive without being obtrusive, must be given top marks.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, guests of Babylon can continue their night in The Roof Gardens Club, open from 10pm - 3am.  So, you can enjoy a quiet cocktail in the gardens or dance the night away until the early hours of the morning - the choice is yours. Information on menus, private dining and much more can be obtained from their Website.