Babylon Restaurant

Booked lunch on Good Friday hoping the weather would be fine and we were lucky with a gloriously sunny day. The set menu is not cheap at £28 for 3 courses but the food was delicious and the service excellent. The cheapest white wine is £26 but it was delicious. The date pudding was one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten and the sea bream main course very tasty. We visited the Roof Gardens before and after lunch and next time we’re in the area will come up just for a coffee and sit and enjoy the lovely vibe without spending lots of money. Definitely recommend the restaurant for a special occasion.

hatte hier ein Silvester Dinner, war sehr gut. Besonders die englischen Käsevariationen fand ich spannend. Relativ enge Sitzplätze, top Aussicht, top Bedienung. Anschließend gings runter in den Roofgarden Club zum abtanzen und Nachtgrillen

The restaurant doesn’t really have a view of the gardens except for the tree tops; which was a disappointment since it was the reason why we chose the location of dinner. I ordered the truffle risotto as a starter, was extremely bland. I then chose the crab pasta which was a ⁴⁄₁₀. The only great thing were the chunky potatoes, which is a side. We were sat next to an extremely loud & obnoxious table, which made the experience even worse. Definitely not coming back for dinner, but will definitely come back to the bar downstairs. But the service is fantastic in both places, the food just does not come to par.

Nous nous promenions a Hyde Park et je me suis dit que ce serait l’occasion de tester le Roof Gardens. Malheureusement, un evenement prive né nous a pas permis d’y acceder. Mais nous avions tout de meme envie d’acceder aux hauteurs et nous sommes alles au Babylon, sans trop savoir a quoi nous attendre, au moins pour boire un verre.
Les cocktails né sont pas donne (10£ environ) mais sont tres bons. De petites cacahuetes viennent accompagner les boissons.
Le service est plus qu’adorable. Des l’arrivee nous avons ete bien accueillis, et les serveurs etaient au petit soin, sans pour autant etre trop intrusifs. Un parfait equilibre entre attention et amicalite.
La cerise sur le gâteau? Nous avons attendu 15 minutes pour nos boissons et avons demande (gentiment) ou cela en etait. Tout confus, le serveur a regle notre note. Je né dirais pas que les free drinks sont une generalite, mais cela donne un bon apercu de l’attention donnee aux clients.
En bref, on reviendra, c’est sur, pour un bon cocktail et une belle vue sur Londres. Et la prochaine fois on testera aussi les garden en dessous, la petite rivière nous a bien fait de l’oeil!

I went here for lunch to celebrate my 30^th birthday and it didn’t disappoint. The fixed price lunch menu is a reasonably priced option, I had two courses of fish and they were heavenly. All of the allergens are listed next to the dishes which I find so helpful and much easier than asking for an allergen menu and being handed a folder of plastic wallets. I asked if they could alter both my starter and my main to not contain dairy, they were more than happy to and the chef made me an alternative sauce for my fish rather than just serve it plain like many other restaurants.
I had a delicious and elegantly served cocktail called Mint to be with blackberries and peppermint, I strongly recommend!
After eating we sat out on the terrace enjoying our cocktails and watching the flamingoes in the garden below. I would definitely come back again on a sunnier day to enjoy a drink and the view from the terrace. It was just a shame that the gardens were closed to the public the day we visited but I couldn’t fault the excellent food and dining experience at all!

What motivated the selection was to see what a 1.5 acre garden on a rooftop in the middle of Kensington was all about. We never found out due to a private party in the gardens so had to content ourselves with the restaurant.
The scene embodied much of what least appeals to me about living in Kensington — crusty, unexciting people of the landed gentry class and their wanna-​be hangers on. Yes, Kensington is beautiful but I spend most of my funtime in Shoreditch.
So no gardens.
The service, however, was of the impeccable class, the starters mostly brilliant (I was a huge fan of the Golden Egg… try it out) but the main of Pork Collar was uninspiring despite being aesthetically appealing. Puddings all round were delish. Ultimately though, if you purge the garden, much better food can be found elsewhere for less dosh.
End game for me is I won’t be going back. Was hoping for a dining scene more like i would find in my old home of LA — cutting edge, chic, glam.
Babylon is none of these things.

Disappointing.
The evening started with our table not being ready, we didn’t mind and were offered to take a seat outside for drinks. This was in December, so the temperature was low but the heaters and blsnkets provided soon aided in our frozen toes thawing, what did not help was the aggressive gale blowing which is not the establishments fault but being forgotten by the staff is…
We were sat outside for 20 minutes before the young chap took our drinks order, the co entails when they arrived weren’t overly inspiring and pricey for what you got.
After a further 15 minutes we had to ask if our table was ready, thankfully it was. Still in good spirits and glad to be in the warm we took our seat in a booth along the back wall — I’d recommend requesting a booth if you do visit.
The setting was lovely but the food not great, no flavour, average quality, just blah. Presentation was good, but what is the point if there is no taste?
Would recommend visiting for a client lunch where food is not the focus, but setting needs to impress and you don’t mind the meal going cold over long talks.

WHAT I LOVED:
Décor/​Ambience — The look and presentation of this restaurant is PERFECT! It’s literally perfect. It’s located in a high rise building on High Street Kensington. It’s called Babylon because it’s suppose to resemble the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and it literally does. I went there when it was freezing outside, so I didn’t get to enjoy the gardens to their full potential, but even still, the setting and scenery were absolutely beautiful. When you walk inside, you’ll feel like you’re in a palace in Ancient Greece or something.
They also have great private rooms to throw events or corporate functions. It’s a super sexy place for a date though. That’s probably the ideal occasion for this place.
Location — A 3 minute walk from High Street Kensington Station. Very convenient and located right next to all the music headquarters.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH:
Price Options — I know this is meant to be more high end, but even high end places usually have happy hours or specials at certain time. £12 for a Kir Royal just seems a bit ridiculous if I’m getting Prosecco quality bubbly.
Food — The food I tried was okay, but I think it was a bit over-​priced, especially for the incredibly small portion sizes.
Service — I honestly can’t remember much about it, good or bad. The host was nice though. She readily charged my phone for me throughout our meal, which was a huge help.

I visited this restaurant in the summer, it was a beautiful day! We had booked the table much in advance however, we had to wait on the balcony for a table to become vacant but it was a lovely view! The warm weather was inviting and we ordered a cocktail each and before we knew it, our table was ready.
The restaurant itself is quite classy to look at with tables and booths. The biggest disappointment was the food. With the set menu, we were very limited to what to order as none of it was very appealing especially at those sky high prices! Each course only had 3 or 4 options with one of them also being unavailable at the time. The portions are incredibly small.
The staff were friendly but I didn’t leave feeling satisfied and full. no surprise then we went to another restaurant afterwards for more food! Also, the gardens were closed for a private event so we were unable to see them. Doubt I’ll be visiting again as it’s such a long way away which is a shame.
It was quite a disappointing experience and I recommend you visit for drinks or tea.

You come here for the view and it does not disappoint. I came on a rainy day and yet it was beautiful. Impeccably decorated and modern. It’s a place to «be seen». Some comments have been tough on the food, I thought it exceeded my expectations. Pumpkin soup was a delight. Duck was nice though less pink than I like. I took a somewhat deconstructed flap jack for dessert. Worth the detour on its own. All in all very much worth a visit and the «view» premium.

An amazing seafood plate lobster crab king prawns oysters salmon everything coming with different dressing at choice. The Seafood chef was highly informative and delivered a great service along with the excellent food. The highlight was the Bar Manager Max who prepared a fantastic champagne cocktail with pepper that was simply delicious.
What to add more? Unforgettable night in one of the best spot in London.

Amazing view. Great venue. Fancy presentation.
But very pricey for not an incredible culinary experience.
Pro: if you dine you get easy access and discounted price to the club downstairs
In a nutshell: it is a lot about the appearance

The view is amazing… the rest is a bit mediocre. Sure, the presentation of the food is incredible — you’ll think «wow, I’m in a really classy restaurant» but the quality seemed a bit lacking to me, considering the amount you pay. I had some sirloin as my main course, and it was smothered in gravy so heavily that I couldn’t taste the meat at all. Not to mention the amount of gristle in the meat was just too much for a restaurant that wants to be as upscale as it is.
Everything else was good — the scallops I had as a starter were delicious, and my lemon cheesecake dessert was delicious. Still, the main course is what I go to a restaurant for, and if it’s disappointing then it brings everything down a notch. So go for the view, see the gardens if they’re open (they’re magnificent), and then cry a little bit when you get the bill.

For the price you pay, you’d expect better. Came here on Sat night for a friend’s leaving dinner in a private dining room for a 3-​course meal. The meal started off great — had the goat’s cheese starter, which are fried balls of goat’s cheese with some rocket and a beetroot/​apple purée. It was delicious! Then onto the main course, for which I had the braised beef daube. Sounded great on the menu, but came out and was dry and almost inedible. The mash potato around the plate was good, nice and creamy, but that can’t make up for the fact that the beef was not good. I expect braised beef to be tender. The crushed sweet potato side dish was yummy, but the avocado topped with chilli salsa was a let down — the avocado wasn’t ripe. Lastly, for dessert had the treacle pudding. It was not really what I had expected, not bad but not great either. Not enough to leave a good impression for me.

Like the city of old, Babylon stands towering over London as an example of civilisation. And as it’s namesake did, the building stretches up past its neighbours to reach for the heavens. Although in London, this feat only requires 6 or 7 floors.
Babylon is the bar/​restaurant located on the 7^th floor of a building just around the corner from Whole Foods Kensington. The fairly non-​descript entrance can be hard to miss although the hulking bouncer in front isn’t. On most evenings, you will need a reservation just to get in and if trying to get to Kensington Rooftop Gardens Club (6^th floor and part of the restaurant complex), you better be on the guest list or have Sir Branson on speed dial.
I should add a disclaimer that as one of my close friends works at Babylon, I’ve always had a great time there thanks to him. That being said, from my previous experiences at the club (before he started) and my observation of other patrons, this is a place that really focuses on providing a delightful and relaxing time for all of its guests.
My latest visit was on one of the rare sunny days London has graciously provided to give a semblance of summer. After taking my time to peruse the extensive cocktail menu, I finally found myself with a cool drink in hand and sat back to enjoy the lingering rays. Some light jazz from the live band filtered through the speakers, perfectly balanced to allow for conversation while covering up any awkward silences. We pushed our dinner reservation back to 9pm and ordered a scallop appetiser from the terrace seafood bar.
This bar is pretty awesome with a massive assortment of seafood (mainly shellfish and prawns although I reckon you can get some sashimi or ceviche if you ask nicely) on display. They have a limited stock so once it sells out then they are done for the day. While it may be disappointing if you get there late, at least you know it’s fresh! Our scallop taster was delicious with tender scallops bursting with sweetness and served in the shell (which I’ve always thought added an excellent artistic touch to the presentation).
Finally, we gave up on the dying sunlight and settled inside for dinner. I started off with a Summer Truffle Risotto that was tender and creamy but maintained a delicateness I can only hope to recreate at home. The truffle (surprisingly not my favourite item) did a great job enhancing the flavour of the dish without trying to steal centre stage.
My Roast Pork Fillet main was tasty and a good mix of textures from the succulent pork, crunchy veggies, and velvety spatzle. I would have liked some more of the sauce as the pork was a tad dry for my tastes but a minor point.
For dessert, we were treated to a display of liquid nitrogen cooking as an alcoholic sorbet was whipped up in seconds using a recipe similar to a margarita than was then doused in that iciest of liquids. From the billowing steam, a set of frosted glasses appeared with our delightful desserts. The coldness of the sorbet enhanced the crispness of the flavours and was a perfect high note to end the rich meal. We had a bit of an extra treat with meringue dipped in the leftover liquid nitrogen. If you dip it in and then place it into your mouth, each word you speak is accompanied by a puff of smoke. We were having far too much fun and the table next to us insisted on joining in and one lady put us to shame with a truly excellent display of smoke rings.
Overall, a great night of food and drink in an unbeatable surrounding. The live jazz (every Tuesday) was a great touch and one I’d missed from my time back in Boston. The place isn’t cheap (cocktails are around £10−12, mains £25−30), but it’s one of the few times I’d say it’s worth it. Just make sure to go on a sunny day as it would be a shame not to experience the terrace and gardens.

Ambiente:
Das Babylon kommt für seine Preisklasse sehr gediegen daher. Auch die Aussicht ist spektakulär. Leider sind die Sitzplätze relativ eng.
Essen:
Gute, etwas spezielle Kreationen. Zu empfehlen ist das Fillet of Beef. Die Seezunge (Lemon Sole) würde ich persönlich nicht nochmals wählen war etwas fade und wahrscheinlich nicht mal eine Dover Sole.
Sonstiges:
Frühzeitige Reservation ist zu empfehlen (ist immer sehr gut besucht). Das Restaurant liegt nicht direkt an der Kensington High Street, sondern in einer Nebenstrasse und nicht sofort als Restaurant erkennbar (ist in gewissen Karten falsch eingezeichnet).

Der Besuch im Babylon über den Kensington Roof Gardens war wirklich nochmal eine schöné Abwechslung bei unserem London-​Besuch vor genau zwei Jahren. Das Ambiente ist sehr schön, die Bedienung aufmerksam und das Essen wirklich gut. Dieses Viertel von London gehört nicht zu den stark von Touristen besuchten Orten und der Blick aus diesem hohen Stockwerk bietet eine ganz andere Perspektive als etwa vom London Eye aus. Uns hat es sehr gefallen, auch wenn leider während unseres Besuchs keine Flamingos im Garten waren.

This place lives in the über-​posh/​cheezy Kensington Gardens complex. (Sidebar: Actually I can imagine that the gardens are quite nice in the summer although I think they get very packed).
It is a bit of a pain getting to the restaurant (first of all although the address is on the High Street it is actually on the side street) and the entrance is not marked but shared with the Kensington Garden Club and we queued with the clubbers to be escorted up to the restaurant (not cool).
We were escorted to the outside bar (on a freezing cold night) to await our tables wearing our jackets per the hostess’ recommendation and under the heat lamps. It took forever for a server to take a drink order, and although the view was good, I would have rather been inside or at our table.
Finally we got to our table and it was a cozy private booth which I appreciated. The menu is two course or three courses, and I can’t remember the exact price but it was pricey! I ended up with the crab and avocado appetizer which was fine but a bit of a mixed up mushy mess. The sea bass with chorizo was good, but nothing amazing. The best part was the amazing bread tray that came out which had hot lovely rolls.
The service was spotty, the price tag was big, the atmosphere was pretentious and clubby, so I wasn’t all that impressed. Having eaten in the restaurant we were able to go to the club downstairs, but it wasn’t so impressive. Young, international and wannabees all around!
I think there are just better places to spend your money in London, but if you do invest here, you’ll be just fine.

It was fine — nothing amazing.
Went here for London Restaurant Week so they had a set menu (starters were duck egg, goat cheese salad, and butternut squash soup — mains: pork belly, seabass, risotto — desserts: crème brule, praline bar, something else).
Starters: Had the duck egg — wasn’t runny in the middle or particularly tasty. Goat cheese salad was good, but standard. The bread they brought to the table was very good though.
Mains: Seabass — OK, lacked a bit of flavor ie. salting but some bites had the right mix. Pork belly — this was really good. Melt in your mouth, truffle sauce, nice veg with it.
Desserts: Crème Brulee was passionfruit or mango flavored — didn’t love it. Praline bar was very very good though. Would have that again in a second.
At the end of the day, it was pretty expensive for what I would put in the OK meal category. Don’t think I’ll be rushing back.

My boyfriend took me here for my 25^th birthday (ergh, I’m so old). It was a pleasant surprise as I don’t often trust his judgements in restaurants!
He reserved a table beforehand, and good thing too as it was busy on that Friday night. The restaurant is a little tricky to find. It’s located on the 6^th (or 7^th, I can’t remember which) floor of a building on a side ride close to high street ken station. On entering the building, you’re met with a bouncer with a clipboard (WTF?) and then taken to the lifts up to the restaurant.
The restaurant was modern chic and fairly large in size. We were seated by the window, which had a balcony outside for drinks. The customer service was just right… I mean, don’t you just hate it when the waiters/​waitresses hover over you every 5 minuets? For food, I ordered steak for my main. It looked small but don’t be fooled, it ended up filling me right up!
After dinner, we were allowed access to the club on the floor below. It was a really nice club and worth checking out if you’re with your mates.
Downside: tad pricey for our (or rather his) pockets =(

Went there with a group of nine, so we ordered from I assume the more limited party menu. But the food was amazing. I had the truffle risotto as a starter and the vegetarian main. The main was very cheesy so became very full. The service was great too. Our wine glasses were constantly being topped up and the waiter just grinned and beared it when we each paid on separate cards.
Entry for the nightclub was put onto our bill, not sure if we had to pay or if it was discounted but it’s pretty convenient and super fun night.

When my contact ‘Techy Becky’ said she could tell me more about what Wikileaks had in store for the world should Julian A. actually get shipped off to the USA — if the Swedes and Americans get their cottin’ pickin’ way. As ‘Becky’ had always been a good ‘source’ wink, wink say no more, I was all ears. ‘Babylon at High Noon’ she said. ‘Kensington,’ and she did a cellular cut-​off leaving me hanging. Just as I imagine those ancient gardens were.
I tossed up whether I might have to go and look at Churchill’s ‘enigma de-​coding machine’ in the War Museum or think out side of the box as to her whispered coded instructions. The latter won. Phone book in red public phone box provided the answer. Restaurant/​Bar in Kensington… silly me. I was never meant for Her Majesty’s Intelligence Service.
Knowing ‘Techy B.’ would have booked the best table. God knows what she has to do to get into these places and always ‘corner’ the best seats — at the blink of an eye — has always bemused me — however, I think I won’t ask. Needless to say, when I got there ‘Becky’ was on the Rooftop garden area waiting. A great view of west London.
Even though the view and the garden were awesome, as was the information I got… which as always, cost me the pretty price of the meal and a hot Tip for the Royal Ascot meeting. Which, by the way, was not gentle on my purse at £35 quid a head… without the wine. Merely enough to keep a 102 Lb weakling like myself alive till dinner-​time. Frankly, it was over-​priced considering the entrée — mine was goats cheese and beetroot with apple purée — which tasted as though it was made from an 18 year old Goat after it became a cadaver.
While my lips were parched for the wine I ordered, it only arrived after I had started to hoe into my Duck a la ‘Main.’ When I started to complain about my wine withdrawal symptoms, the beaming smile from the friendly waiter along with his ‘we are awfully busy’ look made my mouth water far more than the hot duck which was in actual truth ‘a rather coldish duck.’
«Nice place this,» boasted ‘Becky. «I come here a lot.»
«Delightful view,» I gasped back, hiding the snarl with my half glass of Australian Shiraz. One day I’ll work out why a glass of wine often arrives as only a half a glass. Although, I imagine it’s out of pure consideration by the management for those who so easily spill it on their clothes. I can’t think of any other possible motive.
The Kensington upmarket area, and the view probably justify the price tag. So, one star for the view and location, the other for the nice drink waiter who, by the way, gave me a wink and the other for the hastily prepared tasteless lunch. If a half a star was available then the ‘Australian Shiraz’ would get it.

We came here last Sunday for Sunday lunch. I had been aware of the roof gardens and the accompanying restaurant for some time but this was my first visit.
Bloody mary to start, which was good but needed more kick. Then Herring with beetroot and various other things, again this was nice but not amazing. I then had chicken roast dinner for my main course. The serving size was pretty stingy and the chicken was dry, to be honest I’ve cooked better roast chicken than this. We had a few side dishes of vegetables which were ok but the damage had already been done. I didn’t bother with a dessert.
Also, the lunch was for Gill’s sister’s birthday so she had arranged for a few petit fours and a candle to be brought to our table. This was arranged during the booking process and she both spoke to a member of staff to request this and had it confirmed by email. Disappointly this didn’t show up at the expected time and still hadn’t 45 minutes later despite asking various times so we just left.
Although I wasn’t involved in the booking process I understand from Gill that this had been pretty painful. She called on 3^rd January to book a table for the 9^th but the voicemail was still about New Years Eve. She booked online but in the special message section asked for someone to call her to talk about the above birthday surprise plan. There was no call, just various emails which (eventually) confirmed the birthday plans but they then failed to follow through with it.
Also, when we arrived there was a drilling noise which the manager personally informed us would finish in 5 mins. The drilling was still happening when we sat down to the table and we had to ask several times for the drilling to be stopped.
Quite poor overall.

We just got home after having dinner with a friend at the babylon restaurant at the Kensington roof top garden. I was excited since I made the booking and came with high expectations.
I must say the cocktail was pretty good and went down very well so hopes where high for the rest to come. Howeveqr I was quite disappointed with the food. It was good but definitely not as exceptional as it tried to be. You just can’t serve bitter avocado or tough lamb with tinned beans. The dessert was taken off the bill as I got a bad piece of pineapple — which as well is not acceptable if the price is high.
So you might ask why I gave it 3 stars? well the location was beautiful the interior pretty and the cocktails amazing. I would say. Go for that instead of the food and head somewhere else if you get hungry.