Kens Bar and Garden

On the face of it, Kens (as in Kensington, its location) is unlikely to pull in picky locals, spoiled for hotel lounges hereabouts. The decor-by-numbers of the bar and ‘Library’ attached is fairly forgettable – naff digital flickering flames in place of a real fireplace notwithstanding. But there’s a hidden trump card: a vast lawned garden in the lea of a Grade II-listed church. Set with loungers and sofas and blessed with blankets and heaters, the space has become an all-weather draw. Kens’ cocktails – the likes of Royal Highball (a brandy and strawberry purée Bellini), Delilah (gin, Cointreau and lemon) or Negroni Sbagliato – cost no more than in local pubs, and an all-day menu covers everything from sandwiches, pizzas, pasta, salads, and fish & chips to sharing plates from Umami, the hotel’s pan-Asian restaurant. However, Sassenachs (and others) might refrain from the ‘Funky Scottish’ (deep-fried Mars bar, bacon and chilli flakes).