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A Londoner's Guide To Kensington

This article is more than 9 years old.

The Neighborhood: Kensington is a regal district in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea that is home to world-class museums, stately mansions, dozens of embassies, and elegant restaurants as well as cozy little cafes, charming boutiques and artisanal shops. And of course, it’s the home turf for many royals. (Prince William and Prince Harry grew up just around the corner in Kensington Palace.)

The Londoner: Reshmi Bennett is the owner of Anges de Sucre, a delightful new artisan patisserie in Kensington known for its rainbow selection of macarons in exotic flavors such as Damask Rose and Cheeky Cazzamella and gorgeous giant pillowy marshmallows in cheeky flavors such as Banana-rama and Lemon Squeezy. It also serves up decadent hot chocolate and coffee roasted at Le Coutume Cafe, a renowned café based on the Left Bank of Paris.

The unusual flavor profiles in the macarons and marshmallows are all inspired by Reshmi’s global background and extensive travels. Born in Kuwait to Indian parents, Reshmi moved to London at 18 to study Economics & Statistics at University College London and after graduating, started a career in investment banking. Three years later, she left the banking world behind for Paris to study at the prestigious culinary school, Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi. After studying under Michelin-starred chefs and working up to managing pastry chef in Paris, Reshmi returned to London to open her bijou boutique in Kensington. The shop's charming decor of hand-painted birds and flowers and is tailor-made for the Instagram generation. The shop's floral-framed mirror has its own hashtag on Instagram (#floralselfie).

Why did you pick Kensington for your first shop? “Living locally, we found that we were travelling out of Kensington everyday for our coffee so we thought 'Wouldn't it be great to have good coffee on our doorstep along with serving our products which go hand-in-hand?' Also, being in the neighborhood for a while, we felt much more comfortable with having local knowledge and easier logistics!”

What do you love most about the Kensington area? “The history, the beautiful architecture and the diverse, very interesting, and sometimes eccentric, population.”

We asked Reshmi to give us her favorite local haunts. And here they are, complete with a lovely hand-drawn map, courtesy of Reshmi.

For Date Night

Il Portico – "A very charming family-run traditional Italian restaurant with a great wine list and atmosphere. Perfect for date nights." 

For a Lively Night Out

Piano Bar – "Lively, boisterous, and a thoroughly fun night out with a live pianist playing everything from classics to chart and a jolly sing-along crowd."

The Classic Pub

Churchill Arms – "One of the most beautiful pubs in the capital. Not to be missed for a good Guinness and as authentic a Thai meal as one can get outside of Thailand in the surprising surroundings of a traditional English pub with a leafy green and floral conservatory."

The Trendy Hot Spot

Dirty Bones – "Cocktails, hot dogs, and free-range fried chicken. Fast food done fancy, with live music on select nights."

For Amazing Views

Min Jiang – "Some of the city’s best Dim sum and Chinese cuisine with an unparalleled view over Hyde Park."

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