Konstam at the Prince Albert

Everyone around here in Kings X uses the other Green Restaurant around the corner, because it's much better?

The food and menues at Konstam never hang together well as if the chef has no empathy for the diners or for food itself, really, service is ametuerish at best, slow at worst; how many well-meaning smiles and shrugs (let alone the old just being ignored trick) can a diner take at those kind of prices? Decor is dungeonesque, but a good ad for the Brother in Law who has a studio in the area.

Apparently according to the main chef River cottage is a middle class self indulgence, well, everyone else locally in Kings X seems to think that restaurant is the same, ironically enough, built as it is on a trust fund. Not even a series on the Beeb really helped and despite the connections. Hence no one really useing Konstam any more, after all, not even the Soil Association approves of it, and neither does the Kitchan train underpriveleged people, like the other onbe around the corner does?

I know whom I would rather spend my money with, and that would be anywhere else apart from Konstam. It just doesn't seem right (or value for money).

What would you say if you saw an Emperor with no clothes on?
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Pedro Navaja
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, December 21, 2007

We had a really lovely evening, really welcoming atmosphere, stayed much later than intended. The food was particularly good, everything tasted as it should. I had a much more enjoyable experience at Konstam than in many of the restaurants I am more familiar with in west London, at a much more reasonable price.

Looking forward to returning
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Jack Turnell
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 17, 2007

We had a really lovely evening, really welcoming atmosphere, stayed much later than intended. The food was particularly good, everything tasted as it should. I had a much more enjoyable experience at Konstam than in many of the restaurants I am more familiar with in west London, at a much more reasonable price.

Looking forward to returning
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Jack Turnell
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 17, 2007

Me and my girlfriend at here recently. The athmosphere was very warm and welcoming. But I found the service very slow and disorganised. We waited over 30 minutes between courses. The menu was not easy to understand, for example, it says 'side orders', when I asked what they were I was told that this meant anything on the menu that wasn't meat? Food itself was just ok. Wouldn't recommend or go back sadly.
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Robbie
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4
Thursday, December 13, 2007

Great food, great setting, especially when it's cold and raining outside... and to top it all, great value for money.
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Emelia Music
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, December 09, 2007

Last Friday I was packing my suite case for a weekend in London with my Italian husband an friends. I had the tv on and catched pieces of a special slow food program in which they interviewed the chef of Konstam and how he came about setting up this restaurant. I was intrigued and we passsed by the restaurant on Saturday afternoon to see for ourselves. We found out they don't do lunch but were able to get an early reservation for the evening. All of us were very pleased with our food and ambience. We all had different dishes and not one was boring or disappointing. We are used to very good italian food at home (we all live in Italy), and the dishes at Konstam are interesting and prepared with lots of attention to the basic tastes of the ingredients, the secret of italian cuisuine. Also at Konstam you taste what you are eating, the products they use are very fresh and every bite is unique. Very highly recommended.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 03, 2007

This restaurant is totally in line with my own eco-beliefs so I couldn't wait to try out the food. It was however slightly disappointing but i'd be willing to go back in a few months in the hope that i'd just hit a bad night for the kitchen.

Our starters - chicken liver with gooseberry sauce and mackarel and cauliflower - were delicious and raised expectations for the mains. The sea bass had gone by the time I ordered so they replaced it with brill, which was a shame as it was pretty flavourless, but my boyfriend's duck was rather good.

The real disappointment came with the puddings (usually my favourite course). My boyfriend had the bread and butter pudding, and as amateur cooks we've some experience of knocking up this dish at home, so we were amazed to find it so bland - It's not that hard to get right! I had the orange and treacle pudding which was so bad I had to send it back uneaten. In fairness the waiter was solicitous to know why I wouldn't eat it, but it takes a greater nerve than mine to sound off about a dodgy pud when its esteemed creator is standing 3 feet away (the open kitchen is slap bang in the centre of the restaurant).

As I said though, I'm going back in a few months with fingers crossed for a better experience.
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Ella
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, November 07, 2007

We started with the ox tongue which was tender, light and delicious, it reminded us of foie gras without the guilt. I think this is a Rowe signature dish and so we felt we had got off to a good start. My Essex sole with braised nettles carried on the good work and went down well with the very reasonably priced and pleasing English white. My partner was also loving his pork. To end we shared a mint cheese cake with rhubarb compote and felt very happy. The bill came to sixty eight pounds for two which wasn't bad considering the food had been good quality. It was reassuring to see the chef and sous chef cooking away behind the bar, nice and clean and everything fresh. I woold definitely recommend this restaurant - the only potential hiccup was when the smiling waitress told me that there was no sign on the computer of our reservation. I explained that a friendly chap who said 'fantastic' all the time had taken my booking. The waitress knew who that was, and smiled at the forgetfulness of the charming but naughty boy. Happily there was a spare table for two and we spent an enjoyable foody evening in rapidly changing Kings Cross, no longer a den of hookers and spivs but a valley of gastros and organics.
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Deano
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The atmosphere and the wine were the best bits of our visit in August 2007. The lamb although cooked well was tasteless the duck was OK. The plum and almond tart was on a par with the duck. We feel like giving it another try because of all the rave reviews it has had. There was a problem with the ovens the night we ate there so service was very slow.
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Beverly Richardson
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Sunday, September 09, 2007

I was disappointed with the ambience, food and value for money that Konstam offered. I went for dinner with some friends yesterday evening and found the decor depressing and the ambience lacking. The food was fine; similar to what I would expect at a half-decent dinner party but the prices were ridiculous. Main courses around £15 and puddings for £7 is serious money, even when you factor in the USP of local food.

I had really hoped for more.
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Sasha - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, August 21, 2007