By Chrissy Iley
I was very excited to know what an Alexandrian restaurant in Kensington Church Street would be like and I remained excited throughout my entire dinner. Aladino’s is owned by acclaimed chef and restaurateur Aladin Barakat, who is no stranger to charming world class VIPs in his original Egyptian restaurant. Imagine being called Aladin! You are already expecting a genie to pop up and I have to say it kind of did.
The restaurant looks elegant and homey with chandeliers that look like indoor fireworks.
It is both cosy and cool and the menus are contemporary Alexandrian cuisine. The atmosphere is super welcoming. The menu was accessible and exotic at the same time.
Some hummus and baba ganoush arrived with the thinnest, crispiest pita bread. The hummus had a coating of cumin, which gave it an interesting texture. It was proper hummus, not fluffy, not creamy, not pretend supermarket hummus; authentic, gorgeous hummus, maybe the best in the world. Definitely the best in London.
For our starters we chose Goat Cheese and Beetroot Ravioli with goats curd, pine nuts and sautéed raisins (cost £8). It was a rainbow of different colours of beetroots. Light, delicate, vibrant. I loved the thinness of the slice, there was nothing cloying or too thick; everything complemented everything else. We also went for Seasonal Vegetables in a light crispy coating with hummus (£7). This is their version of vegetable tempura but it was altogether more delicate and flavoursome. The coating is exactly what it says it is, light and crispy. I loved the crunch on the outside and the crunchy vegetables on the inside with the super yummy hummus. There was an extensive cocktail list and I went for and elderflower and lime sour, which was super refreshing.
The wine list was extensive and we found something that was delightfully mineraly and a perfect match for both our mains. I chose the Traditional Oven baked Okra in a garlic and coriander sauce with a different kind of pita bread (£12). This one was fluffier and it scooped up the okra. Okra is tricky to cook, too much it is slimy, too little it is tough and furry. This was impeccable. My friend went for a Whiskey marinated beef filet with Egyptian spiced cream sauce, tender stem broccoli and caramelized onion puree (£25). The meat was velvet tender; she loved it. We had a side of sautéed cauliflower with garlic oil and red chilli (£5).
They are also famous for their lamb dishes. There is a Tender Shank of Lamb infused with mild Egyptian spices, served with smooth mashed potatoes. There was also the possibility to adding lamb to my okra so it becomes more of a casserole.
I loved the food; head chef Ed Sergeant formally of Moro and J Sheekey created the menu. Moules a l`Egyptienne are also a signature dish.
We were actually extremely full so went for ice cream selection including Aladino`s Café parfait (£6), refreshing and excellent. There is also Mehalabeya, which is a millk pudding with candied pistachios (£7) and Om Ali, crisp filo pastry baked in a rich cream with a touch of vanilla and topped with baked almond flakes (£9). All of this gorgeous. But we were very content. We loved the atmosphere, which was buzzy but sophisticated, warm but not manic. The staff was wonderful; they advised when they needed to and discreet when we needed them to be.
I love the idea of a new cuisine and contemporary Alexandrian cooking. It is exciting, autumnal and Aladino`s is the place I will definitely be going back to. I finished off with a Brandy Alexander; Somerset Cider Brandy, Crème de Cacao, cream and nutmeg. It came in a flute, it looked like candyfloss, it tasted light but it packed a punch and as I was in a taxi home, I felt a quiet buzz from a delightful evening.
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38 C Kensington Church Street
London
W8 4BX
Tel: 02079372244
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