Amanda David takes a trip to Kensington to try Mediterranean restaurant Pascor.
Pascor is a Mediterranean restaurant in Kensington, close to Holland Park. Seating is available outside or over two floors inside the restaurant, with some great people-watching opportunities from the huge windows upstairs.
The restaurant has a relaxed feel; mix and match from the meze, snacks, small plates, grill and dessert sections of the menu, or alternatively head there early for brunch. The focus on sharing plates make it a versatile option for anything from a quick glass of wine and nibbles shopping marathon pit stop to a large-scale celebration feast. It’s also great for a first date – apart from the option to stay and order more dishes if it is going well (always a plus), you are given a conversation starter card with your menu that would be a great ice-breaker.
We started with Laffa – a Turkish Bazlama-style flatbread, cooked to order in a clay oven and served with a trio of salsa, chilli and tahini. Mine was made with roasted garlic and fresh herbs; perfect for scooping up the Babaganoush, a punchy, smoky wood-roasted aubergine and tahini dip from the meze section of the menu.
The burrata with diced white pear and figs was also a winner, served with an inspired pistachio dukkha and drizzled with honey. Plump and creamy, this was good eaten with the accompanying figs and dukkha but also as a textural and flavour contrast to the other dishes. Pascor has a small, well-considered wine list and a welcome selection of wines by the glass; I chose a Pinot Grigio which had a green apple freshness and good, light acidity.
The grilled scallop tart with a courgette purée base, cauliflower florets and apple isn’t a tart in any recognisable sense and I think suffered in contrast with the bold flavours of the other dishes such as the Galician octopus. Top marks for presentation here though; the simple, understated plating, dramatic against the beautiful colours of the tableware, was immediately inviting. The dish itself did not disappoint. A generous portion of perfectly cooked, tender smoky octopus with a side of purée, this is an Instagram gift that keeps on giving.
Butter chicken thighs with a creamy almond yoghurt sauce was another flavour bomb and one of my favourite dishes, with crispy caramelised skin from the wood grill and a complex, layered sauce.
I would go back again just for this chicken, squished into the garlic and herb flatbread and eaten with my fingers as I sit on the terrace with a glass of wine watching the buzzy South Kensington world go by. I’m a girl of simple pleasures, and this one goes straight on the list.
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Chatting Food Contributor: Amanda David
Freelance food writer, copywriter and blogger, Amanda David is dedicated to sharing news about London’s restaurants, bars, exhibitions and general wonderfulness. It’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it.
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