I was very happy to be able to pay a visit to the Kensington branch of Spaghetti House last week to sample some of their delicious dishes. Although this was my first visit to Spaghetti House Kensington, I had been a visitor to some of their other venues in London over the years although – clearly erroneously, given my enjoyment of my evening in the Kensington branch – have not dined with them for a number of few years.

Entering the restaurant at just after 7pm on a Wednesday, I was happy to see that the venue was almost entirely full, with a real mix of dinner guests – from several large tables of families (young kids and adults), young couples and older groups of friends. In many ways, it was pleasantly surprising to see a restaurant already so full early on in the evening, but no doubt the hearty food at this excellent central Kensington location (opposite Kensington Gardens) had enticed many a diner.

Now, it wouldn’t be too overboard to say that I absolutely adore Italian food. Not just pasta, as delightful as that is, but almost anything that an Italian restaurant can produce. I’ve yet to discover an Italian dish that I didn’t enjoy and as wonderful as the country is, I unfortunately can’t visit that often for fear of coming back about two stone heavier. (I exaggerate a little bit there, of course. But only a little bit.)

Settling in to our cosy table towards the back of the restaurant, we started with a refreshing glass of prosecco and a a couple of assagini (little appetiser plates) to start – the nocellara del belice olives (the large, bright green, meaty olives – I’m not an olive connoisseur, but I am always delighted to be offered these) and the pane rustico, a selection of bread choices including crisp Sardinian music bread, which has to be one of the most more-ish bread options ever created.

Perusing the menu for the main part of our meal was a difficult task, insofar as deciding what to pick! Spaghetti House’s menu offers a very vast selection of items to choose from under starters, pastas, mains and sides, and although saying “there’s something for everyone” might sound a bit naff, it is true in this case – picky eaters to light nibblers to those who want a full Italian feast will all find something (actually, much more than just one thing) that will delight them.

I settled on the zucchini fritters – crispy-fried courgette batons – to start, whilst my companion had the traditional prosciutto e melone, parma ham and melon salad. My starter came wrapped in paper and set in a little metal container – very nicely presented, and which also worked well to contain the tender courgette pieces which fell apart easily as I attacked them with my fork. The batons had a very light batter coating which proved enough for a starter dish – anything more would have seen it be too heavy for a first course. The classic parma ham and melon combo didn’t disappoint, and the light dressing was a suitable addition to the ham and the fruit.

Zucchini fritters

Prosciutto e melone

For mains, my companion and I both settled on somewhat similar dishes; with neither one of us willing to budge to something a little different from the other, we went ahead and ordered the Linguini gamberoni (king prawns, white wine, garlic, chilli & wild rocket) and the Linguini vongole in bianco (fresh clams, white wine, chilli & garlic). Unsurprisingly, given their similarity, both of these were presented in steal pans set on a small wooden triangle which certainly gave our dishes a more authentic feel. Although both dishes come with what is essentially a very light sauce, the portions of both pasta and seafood were very generous with both of us – and  there’s no denying that we have rather healthy appetites – proclaiming to be rather full whilst taking our final few mouthfuls. My dish’s delicate little clams provided just the right amount of meaty (or fishy, I suppose) texture to complement the pasta and there definitely wasn’t any skimping on the chilli and garlic side of things – which was lucky for me, as I adore both. (So, not that suitable for someone who prefers things a little more on the bland side – but who does?)

Linguini vongole in bianco

Despite our proclamations mentioned above, it’s hard to turn down an Italian dessert…isn’t it? I certainly couldn’t, but decided to turn my eyes away from my “usuals” – the tiramisus, the creme caramels – to try something different. The torta di ricotta e pera (roast pear, almond & ricotta cake with honeycomb ice cream) was it, and the only reason a slightly dismayed look came over my face as the waiter brought it over was because of the large portion! The cake itself was a delicious, springy sponge cake with slices of pear and a smooth ricotta-based filling, the light taste of which worked well with the sweet honeycomb ice cream.

Torta di ricotta e pera

My dining partner did actually turn down dessert (“too stuffed” was the official reason), but it seems that Spaghetti House have just the thing for people like that. Not keen on another course, my companion did perk up at the idea of coffee – at which point he was introduced to the idea of the Caffé goloso. This superb idea is the diner’s choice of coffee, plus a small portion of tiramisu or a profiterole and chocolate sauce – almost ideal for those that say they don’t want dessert, but do end up wanting a sweet spoonful or two!

All in all, my dining companion and I had a wonderful evening at Spaghetti House and greatly enjoyed all of our dishes. A special mention does have to go to the very friendly trio of Alexandra, Raffaele and Fabrizio who were the staff there that evening, and who all served us with big smiles throughout our meal.

If this has perked your interest, then I would highly recommend visiting Spaghetti House Kensington to enjoy their wonderfully vast Italian menu in a very cosy setting. You can find more about their dishes and the company itself on the website www.spaghettihouse.co.uk.

Don’t forget that we’re currently running a competition which will see one lucky winner enjoy a free three course meal for two at Spaghetti House Kensington! In honour of their first anniversary this month and their Celebration Menu, Spaghetti House have kindly donated this excellent prize – see WIN a three-course meal for two at Spaghetti House Kensington – and celebrate their first anniversary! for more details and how to enter.

Disclaimer: I was invited to review Spaghetti House and did not pay for this meal.

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There were numerous people (and plenty of dogs!) out and about – from those sunbathing, to friends chatting on the park’s benches, to toddlers enjoying what must have been one of their first (rather wobbly) park outings, to kids playing sport on the main field in Holland Park. The park’s cafe was also full with those enjoying a nice afternoon tea, as well as some of the chess regulars playing their games there. Grassy areas were unsurprisingly absolutely full of visitors kicking back and relaxing; in some areas, there was barely and space to move! The beautiful Kyoto Garden was also brimming with people, many of whom seemed to be taking in the peaceful surroundings, as well as enjoying watching the fish swim in the garden’s waters. (And again, there were plenty of youngsters doing that too!)

I sadly didn’t see any of the resident peacocks yesterday, but I did encounter an unusual, small black bird with a colourful beak who didn’t take to kindly to be photographed! (Perhaps he’s famous in the bird world, and always gets ‘papped’?!)

I took a few shots of Holland Park in the lovely sunny weather yesterday and you can see them below to enjoy a little bit of nice weather in the park too.

Cycle Path

Works on the old Commonwealth Institute building

Sports Field

Blossom

Tulips

Kyoto Garden

Fish in the Kyoto Garden’s pond

Waterfall – and people’s shadows – in the Kyoto Garden

Kyoto Garden

Unusual bird in Kyoto Garden

Didn’t like having his picture taken… (he’s pecking my hand here!)

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It seems the Kensington branch of Spaghetti House opened only yesterday, but in May the restaurant will already be celebrating its first anniversary!

Nestled in that small parade of shops overlooking Kensington Gardens, and close to the Royal Albert Hall, Spaghetti House will be celebrating its first anniversary this May with a special Celebration Menu offering the best and the most popular dishes, from 7 to 24 May, at just £15.95 for two courses and a glass of Prosecco.

Lobster Spaghetti

The Celebration Menu will be available seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and will include the top-choice Lobster Spaghetti with tomato, white wine, chilli and garlic. This alone, when it’s on the menu as a special, sells at £15.95, making the Celebration Menu superb value. There will also be the all-time favourite Pollo Milanese, breast of chicken coated in seasoned breadcrumbs with rosemary potatoes, Pizza Parma & Rucola, Tomato Bruschetta, or Deep Fried Mozzarella with Arrabbiata Sauce. It’s only £3.50 to add a third course, and you may well want to leave some room for Spaghetti House’s very own Tiramisu, or the iconic Coppa Nostra, chocolate & vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce & crunchy praline.

Goats cheese and wine

With such tasty food, a great choice of quality wines and some of the best Italian coffee, celebrating this local restaurant’s first anniversary is what Spaghetti House invites guests to do in May – and to ‘vivere per mangiare, non mangiare per vivere’ (live to eat, not eat to live).

Win a three course meal for two at Spaghetti House!

Please note: The competition is now closed! We’ve had a great response, and thank you to everyone for entering. We will be in touch with the winner soon.

What’s more, we have teamed up with Spaghetti House Kensington to offer one lucky reader the possibility to win a superb three course meal for two, to include a glass of Prosecco on arrival, a bottle of quality wine and a delicious cup of coffee. All you have to do is send your name, email and address to webmaster@kensington-chelsea.com and the first name picked at random after the closing date (24th May 2013) will win the prize. You then have until the end of September to redeem your prize, so don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy a fantastic evening out at the Spaghetti House – although you will probably want to visit soon to enjoy this Kensington hot spot whilst the special menu is available!

Small and cosy, this boutique Spaghetti House has established itself as one of the most popular restuarants in the high street, with locals swiftly becoming regulars – although it also welcomes shoppers, tourists and visitors alike. Its subtle and stylish interior, livened up by splashes of colours, coupled with a great seasonal menu of freshly prepared regional Italian dishes,provide the winning combination for this broad-appealing restaurant.

Spaghetti House is at 9 Kensington High Street, London W8 5NP, tel: 020 7937 8961, email: khs@spaghettihouse.co.uk. It sits 74 people including two alfresco tables, and is open Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 11 pm and Sunday 12 noon to 10 pm. Still family owned since 1955, Spaghetti House is London’s longest established restaurant group, with 12 venues in the capital. For more details on Spaghetti House, please visit www.spaghettihouse.co.uk.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

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Come on down to peruse through the wonderful wares of these fashion and accessory designers, and to snap up something new for spring!

Pop Up Market
10am – 9pm, 2nd May 2013
The Hollywood Arms
45 Hollywood Road
SW10 9HX

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Labels such as Belstaff, Equipment, See by Chloe, Matthew Williamson, Armani, Aquascutum, Thomas Pink, Ralph Lauren, Moschino, D&G, Gucci, Jimmy Choo and many more will all be featuring at the sale. The Vintage Boutique featuring Lalita will also be stocking vintage clothing and accessories from labels such as Harrods, Pierre Cardin, Gucci, Liberty, Versace – to name only a few.

Whilst at the sale, you’ll also have a chance to get some super special style advice free of charge from the DSUK’s team of personal stylists – and do also pop along to have a chat with Designer Sales UK owner Elaine Foster-Gandey.

Just prior to the sale starting, there’s also a very sexy VIP and Press Preview event from 11am to 12pm on Friday 26th April. For only £30, you’ll get entry into the sale, a glass of bubbly and the very tempting offer of a goodie bag worth £75!

VIP tickets must be purchased in advance and can be bought online at www.designersales.co.uk.

Door entry to the public sales event is £2/£1 concessions.

Designer Sales UK April Sale
11am – 12pm, Friday 26th April 2013 (VIP & Press Preview Hour)
12pm – 8pm, Friday 26th April 2013
11am – 7pm, Saturday 27th April
11am – 4pm, Sunday 28th April
Chelsea Old Town Hall
Kings Road
SW3 5EE
www.designersales.co.uk

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Whilst working on Kensal Voices, participants will take part in a number of interesting stages, each of which will help them learn and develop particular techniques and skills, as well as working in conjunction with a number of organisations. These include analysing source materials and learning about researching and archiving whilst they attend workshops on modernist architecture and design run by the Victoria & Albert Museum, then creating a booklet about the estate’s history; being trained to create oral history testimonies and learning about interview techniques with the Oral History Society before conducting their own interviews with the older residents of the estate; and developing and conducting architectural tours of Kensal House, after undertaking their own tour with The 20th Century Society.

The final stage of Kensal Voices will allow participants to decide which material they would like to explore further – which they will then develop into an estate-based performance, that will be free for the public to attend. This final stage will see the participants forming their own company  and working alongside professionals to create the performance – offering them a sense of ownership of both the project and the heritage of their estate.

Kensal Voices has been started by the S.P.I.D. (Specially Produced Innovatively Direct) Theatre Group who are themselves based in the community rooms of Kensal House. They create adventurous and immersive theatrical work in non-traditional spaces, and their promenade performances in neglected community spaces have won prizes nationally. Helena Thompson founded S.P.I.D. in 1999 and has been working with director Rachel Grunwald since 2003, aiming to attract audiences, especially young ones, that are otherwise alienated by traditionally-staged theatre. In 2005, they based their Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Open House’ in the neglected community rooms of Kensal House, and it was then that children and young people from the estate asked to get involved – prompting the start of their youth theatre group. Only recently SPID members aged 5-25 won an award for ‘Best Animation’ for their short film ‘High Above The Sky’ at the First Light Awards at the Odeon in Leicester Square.

In the last seven years, the S.P.I.D. Theatre Company has done much to renovate its home in Kensal House, cleaning and renovating the community rooms that now house a fully equipped lighting and tech rig with state-of-the-art operating equipment. The company now curates the space as a ‘Community Hub’ for residents.

Taster sessions for Kensal Voices will be taking place on Wednesday 3rd April (4.30pm – 6.30pm) and on Saturday 6th April (1pm – 3pm) – you can also sign-up at either session. Free workshops will also be held every Saturday (11am – 5pm) from the 13th April to 5th June – limited spaces are available.

For more details (and also to sign up!) check out www.spidtheatrecompany.com, or call Ann on 020 8968 2961/07903 861 674 or email youth@spidtheatrecompany.com.

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During their PrimeTime offer – which runs daily from 5pm until close – the price you pay for their PrimeBites and cocktails is determined by the clock. So you if you turn up for some nibbles between 5pm and 6pm, you pay £5 per item. If you’re heading for an early and quick bite to eat for dinner between 6pm and 7pm, it’s £6. Even from 9pm to closing time, the most you’ll pay is only a very reasonable £9!

With many delicious PrimeBites to choose from including Prime SteakBurger Sliders (normally priced £11.90), the Charcuterie Plate (£10.90) or the absolutely amazing sounding Nova Scotia Lobster and Bacon Fondue (also £10.90), there’s absolutely no way that this isn’t a bargain! There’s also a very extensive cocktail menu, including signature cocktails such as the Scarlet Temptress (Bulleit Bourbon, Triple Sec and pomegranate juice) or the 837 Twisted Mojito (Raspberry & vanilla vodka, fresh raspberries, fresh mint, fresh lime and soda water), plus many classic cocktails as well. (All cocktails normally priced at £10).

There’s also an added extra for local residents – for those based in and around Belgravia, the clock stops on Monday nights at 5pm! That means their PrimeBites and cocktails are priced at only £5 from 5pm until close.

The Palm Bar is part of The Palm London, the first location in Europe for the family-owned and operated restaurants, now on its fourth generation! The restaurant specialises in USDA Prime 35 day aged beef, Jumbo Nova Scotia lobster and Italian heritage dishes such as Chicken Piccata, all of which have been on the menu since the first Palm restaurant opened in New York in 1926. The Palm Bar runs the length of the entrance of the restaurant, with a large sweeping polished wooden bar as its centrepiece, and is the ideal venue for evening drinks – even more so, with their wonderful PrimeTime offer!

With only a short walk from both Knightsbridge and Sloane Square Underground stations, it’s easy to get to for both locals and those travelling from a little further afield – so why not pop in this evening to enjoy some tasty treats and expertly-made cocktails at a great price?

The Palm London
1-3 Pont Street
Belgravia
SW1X 9EJ
www.thepalm.com/London

Do also look them up on Twitter and Facebook!

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Whether you delight in Schubert or only sway to the jazz greats, whether you want to listen to the masters or watch fascinating films unveiling what goes on behind the scenes in the music world, It’s All About Piano! is sure to enchant and amaze you.

Full details on It’s All About Piano!, including the artists taking part, and all the concerts and other events that will make up this fine Festival, can be found online at www.itsallaboutpiano.co.uk.

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The Babysitters of Kensington and Chelsea (BOKAC) was set up in 2010 by West London resident Anna Cameron. Unlike many traditional babysitting or childminding services, this is the first (that we’re aware of!) that gives parents the opportunity to find, book and pay for a babysitter online – it couldn’t be simpler and quicker! The ease of this service will no doubt come as a welcome relief to all busy parents who will relish the chance to take some of the hassle out of finding a suitable babysitter.

BOKAC currently lists over 15 babysitters on their site, with a full profile for each that shows their childcare experiences, interests and testimonials from previous clients. It’s a great way of easily finding a babysitter – from a selection – that you think would be suitable for looking after your kids. Each babysitter has also been interviewed by BOKAC’s founder, Ms Cameron, before joining.

A simple timezone and pricing structure is also in place for those looking to book one of the babysitters. There are three timezones for which you can hire a babysitter – morning (7am to 12pm), afternoon (12pm to 7pm) and evening (7pm to 2am the next morning). It costs £10 per hour to hire one of the babysitters, and there are no membership charges, booking fees or even transport costs as all sitters live in the local area! There’s also a calendar displayed against each babysitter’s profile so you can see when they’re available or if they’ve already been booked up.

Before setting up BOKAC, Ms Cameron used to regularly babysit for local families as a means for earning some extra money to alongside her recruitment job, helping her manage London’s high living costs. Little by little, Ms Cameron found herself with more families to babysit than time and started recommending friends to clients as well. After attending a one-day “How to set up your own business course”, she realised that an online babysitting service could well prove to be a successful idea.

Anna Cameron

After investing her savings and launching BOKAC, Ms Cameron ran the business remotely from LA (where she had relocated to in September 2011), interviewing sitters on return trips to London. This set up had no adverse effect on the business – not only did the number of babysitters registered to BOKAC double, but so did the numbers of families using the service. Relocating back to London in December 2012, Ms Cameron is now concentrating on growing the company, and has found that working for herself is something that she’s incredibly passionate about and motivated by.

More information on the Babysitters of Kensington & Chelsea can be found on their website. If you have any questions, please contact Ms Cameron via email or on 020 7193 2925.

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The leading artist-led-non-art-fair will have a number of highlights this time round, including young artist Echo Morgan, a current student at the Royal College of Art. Her work Born China; Bone China sees her transform the surface of her entire body into a Ming vase.

Dutch artist Robert Lambermont will be presenting his Face of Time which will be one of the first kinetic objects to be displayed at Parallax. Silvia Anguelova from France will exhibit photographs from her Eternal Feminine series, whilst Britain’s own Eve Brinkley-Wittington uses glitter and paint to create idiomatic landscapes of her native Essex. British illustrator and artists David Axtell will also be showcasing his work.

The Fair is free to attend, although donations at the door are welcome which go towards the PAF Benevolent Fund for the children of artists. Free day tickets can be obtained online.

Parallax Art Fair
VIP Private View – 7.30pm, Thursday 21st February 2013
11am – 5pm, Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd February 2013
Chelsea Old Town Hall
King’s Road
SW3 5EE

More details online at barlowfinedrawings.com/parallaxaf.html or check out Parallax AF on Twitter.

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