Apero in Kensington and Chelsea

After trying disappointing breakfast places in the surrounding area (Farm Girl comes to mind) none of which took cash, opted to have breakfast at The Ampersand hotel's restaurant because it did take cash (what a novelty) and i did not have to go out in the cold lookind for a subpar experience. The positive experience has changed my #1 rule of not eating at the same place I am staying in. Cozy atmosphere, with great offerings that covered the gamut, including gluten free. The Scottish salmon with scrambled eggs was outstanding, as were the homemade ricotta pancakes covered with berries, and the granola with same ( bear in mind I did not have all on the same day!). The service was uneven as the staff changed frequently all with different levels of training. After coming in for four days in a row by myself,I was only acknowledged by the bartender who remembered what kind of tea I liked. The servers looked at me like they had never seen me before. I came back two days after checking out, with a friend newly arrived and after asking if we could sit in their small private nook, the same server I had had two days before answered curtly that we could but, we would be asked to move if a larger contingent arrived (it was already 9:30 am, the place was almost empty and the nook would have bursted if a party of four had been ushered in). Not the most cordial welcome for anyone That cold kurffufle aside, I enjoyed everything I tried from their menu.

Visited for the Jurassic afternoon tea, and while the service was fine (the waiters were all very nice, although they didn't seem to be allocated to particular sections), the food was absolutely not worth the final bill. The four mini savouries were mostly a bit bland, apart from the salmon blinis (about the size of a 10 pence piece sadly) which were salty and delicious, although the mini quiche was nice as well. The desserts were similarly inoffensive, but nothing to write home about (the inevitable macaron, a mini baked alaska, a light mousse and a "dinosaur nest", but lacked a little polish in the details. The scones were...fine, although it wasn't clear why the lemon curd (which was more like a custard) was served in a tube, and the clotted cream won't satisfy anyone expecting proper, thick Cornish clotted cream. There were some little added extras (test tubes of toppings to add to the scones) but they weren't gamechanging from either a taste or experience perspective. One thing that is quite good is the cocktail bundle - an additional £15 for 3 cocktails, which were all rather tasty. One waiter did come round and asked if we wanted a refill on any of the food but seemed surprised when we took him up on his offer, and despite asking for extra blini and quiche, only a single blini eventually turned up. I hate to say discourage people from going to eateries especially when it's really difficult to run a restaurant of any kind at the moment, but this is an expensive experience and unfortunately as nice as the cocktails were, it was not an £85 per head (rounded up when it came time to pay) experience in terms of the amount or quality of food served. At that sort of price point, you can get excellent, filling multi-course meals in any number of restaurants, including in some of Soho's most popular venues. Children might enjoy the look, and the little "surprise" extra at the end of the meal, but adults will probably be counting the cost.

Came here to round off my dino-themed birthday, and it was quite the treat! You get everything listed on the menu for each afternoon tea, and while at first it may just look like small portions each thing is super delicious and by the end we were totally filled up and satisfied 😄 The staff were super friendly and the concept was explained to us in good detail, so we could progress up the tiered plates from savouries to dessert. The last plate was super inventive and all of the flavours felt really unique. The actual tea was also delicious and they had a good selection. My friend was happy to see that the vegetarian option was also almost identical to the standard so we had essentially the same quality experience. I'd highly recommend this place. It is quite expensive but certainly worth it as a special treat!

The Jurassic afternoon tea was fabulous. We were a party of 7 celebrating a birthday (5 adults and 2 young children) including a gluten free requirement. Our group was age range 4 to 71 years old and everyone loved it. The gentleman serving us today (25th August) was fantastic, as was the food, drink and attention to detail. It is quite expensive but we all felt it was thoroughly worth it. Highly recommend.

Amazing experience, went for the Jurassic afternoon tea and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Was very welcome into the restaurant, thoroughly enjoyed the food and the staff and atmosphere was spot on and always happy to help us!

Nice staff and lovely place but very quiet and food was very average, not worth it.

Went for the jurassic afternoon tea: amazing food, so whimsical, the servers were the nicest and offered second portions of whatever we wanted. Reasonably priced considering the quality (£59pp)

Perfect!!! LOVE the atmosphere, the food and the music! What a find!!!

Very nice atmosphere, wonderful service and it was very pleasant.

I stumbled upon Apero on a Friday night. Their service was excellent, but I think it would be nice to see more lighter options in their menu.

If you're in London, Afternoon Tea is a "must do"! The Apero was fabulous! Not only is it posh and lovely, they can cater your experience. Since I was visiting with my young grand daughters, we did the dinosaur themed tea. Definitely an experience not to be missed.

Went here for my partner's 30th birthday and we absolutely loved it. Perfect for Dino lovers and the food was delicious. Everything was amazing, especially the service. Lovely night, cannot recommend this enough.

Our family had a great time doing the Jurassic afternoon tea. Our toddler enjoyed it and us adults did the à la cart. Everything was good, worth doing for kiddos.

We were told there was no space for a drink as they were fully booked- even though the restaurant was mostly empty. When we asked for a table for one drink the manageress said we must vacate it in 30 mins. After 30 mins the restaurant was almost completely empty, so I queried her approach- no apology, sticking firmly to her approach that all the tables had been booked but no one showed. How hard would it have been to say sorry- we got it wrong?

The food is surprisingly good. The beef ravioli and the lobster linguine were both delicious. And their desserts are to die for!!! We had the white chocolate cheesecake and the chocolate mousse with apricot sorbet. Sooo good!!!! You need to come try it. It is not really obvious from the outside where the restaurant is because it is in the basement of a hotel. So once you find the main door, you’ll just walk downstairs. It is a cute place for a date!

Mohammad was the best waiter, he was prompt and polite. The best waiter I’ve had in years!

we came as a group of friends to celebrate our christmas lunch. we had booked in person a table for seven . when we arrived, no table was booked at our name , the lady who received us was extremely rude and unhelpful. after complaining, we managed to have a table for four even if it was seven of us , we had no time to look for another place. the lady told us the restaurant was fully booked therefore that’s all she could do . we stayed until 13h45, apart from a table of six and a couple, nobody else was there . tables were empty. you can imagine how disappointed we were , the food was good but the reception from that lady was extremely bad and unacceptable.

Loved the set menu, cocktails, service and ambience here. Great value for the area

Came to Apero on a rainy day to experience the Jurassic Afternoon Tea with my son. Very unassuming from the outside but very nice restaurant with excellent staff. We came in early to get out of the rain and to our surprise the staff sat us 30 minutes before our reservation. Our server was wonderful and explained the whole process to us (first time tea goers). The tea was delightful as was all of the food. Plenty of treats that were much appreciated by my son!

Went here once years ago. The cheese-stuffed pumpkin flowers and the lavender roast chicken were both delicious!

We had visited previously for a birthday where they'd made a mistake so they offered to cover another visit to make it up to us. They certainly succeeded! We had a lovely meal and the kids were thrilled with the volcanoes and boxes especially (I won't ruin the surprise). We ordered a mix of afternoon teas and savoury as we find the afternoon tea to be a bit too much sugar for the kids. It was all delicious and the afternoon tea especially is a work of art. I'd recommend Jurassic for younger children and science for older. In apero you can also order a la carte if you can't quite manage a full afternoon tea. It's also very handy for the museums so we were able to roll out there after and burn off some of the food. Special shout out to Tryfon for the customer service and we will definitely be back!

Amazing, quiet gem near the V&A and South Kensington! Apero is located in the basement of a hotel and has an amazing ambiance. The decor is tasteful, the lighting is dim, and there are small nooks for seating. Food is very good, with options for snacking, sharing, or for a full meal. Drinks are also very good, with a nice list of cocktails. Service was good as well. Definitely worth a stop

Great food and great service at a fair price. They had a very creative menu and we enjoyed it immensely.

Un restaurante pequeño, pero muy acogedor. Buen servicio, y tiene varios puntos a favor, comida buena, servicio excelente, lugar agradable y lo ultimo los platos llegan todos al mismo tiempo. Mi risotto estuvo bien. (Not marvelous, pero bien) el Cordero que pidieron estaba maravilloso, un pescado que no conocíamos, resultó ser un descubrimiento. Recomendado!! Totalmente.

A delightful hotel restaurant and bar. Good location.

Amazing service. Incredible food. We had the Jurassic Tea and it was 100% worth the price. So much attention to detail and you won't go hungry for sure! Would recommend to dinosaur enthousiasts of all ages.

Table for 8 in front of the bar, lots of traffic and noise from the bar. The restaurant was very stylish but the ambiance was spoilt by the two old ice-cream tubs on the bar. The food however was beautifully presented, hot, and tasty although one person's meal was later than the rest. I should add, I had the full English but declined the beans. It appears they doubled up the tomatoes and mushrooms and both were yummy.

Table for 8 in front of the bar, lots of traffic and noise from the bar. The restaurant was very stylish but the ambiance was spoilt by the two old ice-cream tubs on the bar. The food however was beautifully presented, hot, and tasty. I should add, I had the full English but declined the beans. It appears they doubled up the tomatoes and mushrooms and both were yummy.

We called in for cocktails at this wonderful bar whilst staying at the Ampersand hotel, the drinks were divine and the staff were all so lovely, nothing was too much trouble for them. We had an apero full English breakfast the next morning which was so tasty and well prepared! Thank you all so much for making our London visit so special! 💖

It looks anonymous and rather boring from the outside, but Apero is a beautiful little hotel restaurant with a surprisingly good kitchen. I had Full English breakfeast, something that everybody can do, but few do well. This version was remarkable. Except for the beans that were boiled, not heated, each part of the dish was well above expectation.

My 3rd or 4th visit to this great restaurant in the cellar of the Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington, opposite the tube. We invited friends (Londoners) who didn’t know of the hotel. They loved it as we did and return there each time we visit London (we live in France). The service is exemplary and the food so fresh and simple and yet so yummy. We’ll return on our next visit.

Wonderful experience for our afternoon tea! The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Would always repeat it!

We opted for the sharing menu which was delicious and seemed like amazing value - 3 courses/ 7 plates for just under £30 each. Service was friendly and attentive and the ambience was chilled but had a nice buzz. Highly recommended.

I visited with my 3 year old son to experience the Dinosaur afternoon tea and we both had a wonderful time. The team was very attentive and we look forward to going again.

I was a bit disappointed. I came here 4 times in May 2022 and decided to visit again. It took 25 mins to get a simple cocktail and my food (steak) was undercooked and cold. Granted they were a bit busy but not an excuse. The short rib croquettes was yummy. The cocktail was ok as it was a bit too watery and warm.

It was quite on Tuesday evening, nice atmosphere ,good service. Food looked and tasted amazing. Didn't wait long.Definitely recommend.

Lovely & excellent Service 💯💯👏👏👍👍

Absolutely disgraceful. Had a booking today with a wheelchair user and it stated so in my booking. The restaurant confirmed there was a lift to make the restaurant accessible for my sister, only to find that we arrive there with the lift not working. On top of this, the staff member who came outside asked why she wasn't able to walk up the stairs even after we told him she was in a wheelchair. This made my sister feel discriminated against and it seemed that no solution was even discussed or looked at. Considering I had called in the morning to move my booking to a later slot, with the wheelchair requirement included, yet no one mentioned the lift had been broken all day.

We came here for breakfast as we were staying in the hotel. They didn’t have enough tables, and after finally ordering we waited for at least half an hour. Other people were complaining about their wait as we were there. Then they only bought half our order. Finally the bill was completely wrong, with the missing item and the cost of the adult size rather than kids portion. The only saving grace is that they sorted out the errors in the bill quickly and the people were lovely, just rushed.

Awesome restaurant located in the bowels of the Ampersand Hotel. Great staff that’s very attentive. Food is delicious and the ambience is excellent. Fully recommend.

Excellente adresse d un restaurant en sous sol très cosy. Assiette de pâtes aux cèpes et fromage succulente. Bons vins et bons fromages. Personnel très attentionné et souriants avec une attention surprise pour notre anniversaire de mariage. Musique d ambiance style piano bar. Tout a été parfait.

I visited today for the dinosaur afternoon tea. We went for the option which included 3 cocktails. Everything was lovely from the tea itself, cocktails and most importantly the service. I think it’s great value for money and a great experience. I love an afternoon tea and I highly rate this one for value and variety.

Poor service and attitudes Do not order the seafood here!!! Stink!!!!! Do not tough the steak, tough as a cloth!! Stay away from fish!!! The manager who doesn't feel shame about their food quality.

Jumped in just before close of breakfast, excellent accommodations with minutes to spare, kitchen whipped up this storm.

We had lunch for two people. We each ate a starter mine was (3 small fish cakes) my guest had the patatas bravas we followed that with a main in which we both chose the ravioli. It was again 3 small raviolis in a heavy gorgonzola cheese sauce. Without any wine but 3 fuit drinks and mineral water. The total bill came to 82 pounds. Quite shocking really for food that was just average I could have bought it in a supermarket for under 7 pounds in total without even any bread or dips. The table was tiny and the environment was basically a cellar without any windows. We can understand the price if the food & experience was amazing. Save your money and go elsewhere.

We had lunch for two people. We each ate a starter mine was (3 small fish cakes) my guest had the patatas bravas we followed that with a main in which we both chose the ravioli. It was again 3 small raviolis in a heavy gorgonzola cheese sauce. Without any wine but 3 fuit drinks and mineral water. The total bill came to 82 pounds. Quite shocking really for food that was just average I could have bought it in a supermarket for under 7 pounds in total without even any bread or dips. The table was tiny and the environment was basically a cellar wigthout any windows. We can understand the price if the food & experience was amazing. Save your money and go elsewhere.

Fabulous lunch so reasonably priced for such quality .Staff absolutely charming .

Amazing restaurant, totally recommend. Will visit again.

Went in for a late dinner, it smelt very good in the restaurant but didn't have much atmosphere. We shared the pardon peppers, which were fine, the zucchini croquettes were tasty. I had a tortellini dish which was so over-salted it was hard to eat. To be fair, I didn't tell them because it was getting late, maybe they would have replaced the dish.

Just back from an amazingly creative Jurassic themed afternoon tea that I can’t recommend enough. Restaurant is informal and intimate. Sometimes going for afternoon tea can be quite stuffy and you are paranoid you’re bothering other diners if your kids get overexcited. Staff were incredible - very helpful and friendly. Food was impeccable. The Jurassic theming was great but the children’s tea has extra attention to detail - dinosaur shaped cake stand, make your own hot chocolate, mini excavation set to “dig” for your own fossils, and little test tubes of toppings do you could personalise your own meal and mock tails served in a dinosaur egg. Great event for a date with grandma to celebrate her grandsons 5th birthday.

Went to dinner, with high expectations! The ambiance is lovely, modern and cozy. Great drinks. Food was good, we both chose pasta dishes, tasty and delicious.

Had a long very enjoyable lunch with a girlfriend. Great location, good food and friendly staff. Will definitely be back

Fantastic service (including recipe inspiration and suggestions), great shared plates and drinks, and a fun environment!

Came here today for their premier Jurassic Afternoon Tea. It was well worth our time and all the calories! I must say that the afternoon tea concept is a success. Kudos to the Chef and staff in the kitchen who made all the delicious food! Not forgetting all the staff who attended to us and served the food and drinks. I must mention Jennifer whose hospitality made us feel very welcomed and happy to be there. All in all a superb experience and a memorable one!

Ordered the barley caponata and cod fillet. Food was good but the portion size was so small. Not really worth the value for money

Fantastic place, incredible food and service, will surely visit again next time I'm in London.

Great lunch, food outstanding, service discreet, wine list great, would definitely go back😁

Very good Antipasti Board for sharing. Authentic Italian pasta and wine. Friendly, great service. Only downside is that the tables are a little cramped.

There’s a nice ambience and the food and drinks are great. The staff are also very friendly. However, they stop serving food at 9:30. We ordered some food and it didn’t arrive. We asked and we were told that it was missed or forgotten by the chef and he’d left already. It was a bit funny but not so much for our friend who had to go home rather hungry.

Lovely, tasteful food. Interesting new things I’ve learnt from the menu. Highly recommend! The baked aubergines was exquisite! Service was impeccable! 💥 Will always come back here.

Totally cool atmosphere, lively but not crowded, and excellent and responsive bartenders. We spent both late nights while in London in Apero having cocktails and playing cards, and really enjoyed the experience.

Nice restaurant at the Ampersand hotel. The hotel is situated in a nice bit of South Kensington. The food was very tasty and the cocktails far too good!! All in all I can’t fault this place, the staff, food, drink and value for money were...

Great food and cocktails, super fast and attentive service

Pleasant start to the day with an Smoked salmon eggs and avocado 👌10/10

Hidden gem. Much quieter than the tourist spots around the station

Place looked nice. I saw 3 open tables in my vision but they told me it was an hour wait. Pretty sure I was discriminated against because I was wearing a hoodie and baseball cap. As an American, I shouldn't be turned away by how I'm dressed even if you were being polite. Correct me if I'm wrong Apero.

Very creative dishes and healthy food 👍

Came as a visitor for breakfast. Not a great experience. Took a while to get served despite there only being two other tables in. Asked for an oatmilk latte and vegetarian breakfast. Coffee took 10 minutes to arrive and when it did I was told...

The food here is very good and well executed. I was there for lunch several times rather than for dinner. Nice ambiance and friendly service, though it could be they were a little understaffed on my last visit. Prices are not cheap, but not silly...

Pretty good Mediterranean food! This place offers very lively setting and is best for a dinner during busy work weekdays. Service is good, staff is attentive and courteous. Do try harissa prawns and salted ricotta tortelloni. Very delicious.

Very disappointing. The menu displayed outside was not the menu they were offering inside because it was a Sunday apparently but there was no warning. They were very inflexible - I asked if I could have one item off the set menu as my main...

Oh dear, ….. had great expectations that didn’t happen. Food order wrong twice, questionable cooking time with the chicken ….. and I found it expensive. Would not recommend. Perhaps we just had a bad night.

Had the three course sharing set menu and it was absolutely delicious. Every meal that came out had great flavour bringing out richness of tiramisù against the starting freshness of the grilled peppers. I very much reccomend the steak which was cooked to perfection. The place has a lovely atmosphere and decor set up which makes for a good environment for a conversation over food. The staff are very attentive to your needs and food comes relatively fast. Overall would definitely reccomend checking it out.

Delicious english breakfast ! Especialy smoked bacon 🎉

Overall a decent experience. Stopped in here after seeing the Cirque de Soleil show Luzia. in Royal Albert Hall. It’s a quaint brassiere located in the basement of a Graded building. Didn’t know it serves as essentially the cafe of boutique hotel Ampersand. Caveat emptor! Do be prepared to be slapped with a hefty service charge on top of the bill….

Really enjoyed our brunch here - got a cosy room. Fantastic spot under the hotel and everything was fabulous. Service especially friendly and helpful. Will be back

Nice place, almost hidden off the corner around the V&A museum. Good decor, great host, quick and friendly service. We only came in for a quick drink but ended up having 2 and staying for some food as well as the place started to fill up. Cocktails were first class and really not that expensive; great looking and tasting. Also try the antipasti board, very good quality meats and cheese. Nice work guys 👍👍👍👍

served aperol spritz with flat Prosecco...twice. pasta hard. very expensive for what it was. disappointing night out. wont be going back.

Nice place, good food, great service

Decor and setup is lovely, staff is friendly. The menu is simple - breakfast / brunch and burger mostly and yet the output is very average. Burgers are over cooked and food is pretty slow. A good backup option but would not come back.

I've been here a couple times and decided to write a review because it's really great - atmosphere is super cosy, food is tasty, tapas-style, so perfect for sharing and suits both for a light eat but also full dinner if you wish. Cocktails selection is excellent and price-quality ratio is very good, especially for the area. Location-wise it's pretty good also. One thing I would say is that while the service is good (polite and friendly), it can take a bit of time to grab the waiter's attention. Didn't really spoil my experience though, because of the food.

Careless, unprofessional and rude! Booked 4 weeks ago (12 Jan) for a late dinner at 9.45pm after a show this evening ie TONIGHT. Have JUST been called to tell me the kitchen will be closed! When I asked why leave it until now to call...

I booked a table for my friend’s birthday on 1st February. I asked staff that ‘ I can take the balloon and choose the table. She said yes. She was very helpful and friendly and help me to set up the table. It was a...

Stunning spot, great service, delicious food, tiny portions

Delicious food with fabulous service. Great place for early dinner before a show at the Royal Albert Hall.

AWFUL SERVICE!! went for a birthday lunch and was such bad service. Two vegan burgers were bought out as meat burgers, they did not take into account any allergies, had to wait ages to be served and forgot some parts of the dishes. Really unfriendly...

Great food, great staff! Highly recommended!

Loved brunch at Apero. Extremely well priced for South Kensington and great food - would have posted more pictures but it was so good that we started eating as soon as food came! Relaxing atmosphere and great decor. They also have two private spaces that would be great for a dinner with friends. Service was so friendly and efficient, and importantly they didn’t judge when we ordered the same things twice 😂 Hope to be back soon and strongly recommend if you’re in the area.

We went in to Apero on spec today and really enjoyed the lunch special menu. Delicious food and wine, great service and very reasonably priced. The bar is cosy with modern med. decor and our Spanish waitress was super efficient, attentive and friendly. Highly recommended and we will definitely be back! Thank you to all the team at Apero for a great experience.

I love this place! We visited a couple of days ago to escape the cold and rain. They served a very nice aperol spritz and some very nice snacks. The staff were the friendliest and so welcoming. The atmosphere of the whole place was great. Will definitely seek it out again when I'm in London!

Everything good except for breakfast. It took us one hour to have a Continental Breakfast.The waiters had too much work for the people attending the restaurant. Not only us, everybody was waiting too long

The smell of smoke.. they need to fix the kitchen ventilation - As a client you leave brunch with a heavy Smokey smell otherwise. Shame!

We booked for breakfast for this restaurant in the basement of a hotel. The menu sounded attractive but the food was just overcooked too much. The hash browns were hard and the bacon had burnt bits from the pan they had been cooked in. Having...

Fantastic food and perfect service, had a great night thanks. We will be back

Nice range of cocktails. Friendly staff.

They sat me at a table for 10 minutes with no menu. Then nothing I wanted to order was available but not communicated. I was there for 40 minutes and served nothing so walked out. Don't go if you expect any service. Really disappointed. Wouldn't go back unless you have 4hrs to spare.

Great service, and fresh, tasty food. Recommended.

Incredible food/drinks, attentive/friendly service, wonderful atmosphere/decor...highly recommended! Will be back for sure.

What a great place - food was bloody marvellous, with a relaxed atmosphere, full of a total variety of people. The cocktails are superb and the staff lovely - very highly recommended.

Wonderful evening spent at Apero. The food is absolutely delicious, fresh and extremely high quality and the cocktails are delicious.