Maggie Jones

Kensington

This former haunt of Princess Margaret remains true to its perfect formula of comfort food and cosiness

From Trump to technology, we seem to be living in a time of flux, so it’s comforting to know that some things are a constant. Maggie Jones has sat in the heart of Kensington since 1964; a bastion of British eccentricity among the swell of expensive clothes shops and over-branded cafés that drift through this area like flotsam.

When it first opened, as Nan’s Kitchen, it quickly became a favourite with Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon for its excellent service and discreet location in an unassuming alley off Kensington Church Street. The pair used to book under the alias Maggie Jones, slip into an intimate wooden booth and order chicken pie. Eventually the restaurant changed its name to honour the royal connection.

The pock-marked front door leads straight into the 1970s. Creaky wooden floorboards and scrubbed pine tables are reminiscent of an Alpine ski chalet, while the walls and ceiling are adorned with what looks like the contents of every curio shop on Portobello Road.

An abominably large Welsh dresser strains under the weight of mismatched willow pattern plates and old kitchen utensils, while everything from cartwheels to baskets of lavender dangle above. The top floor, with its sloping eaves, is the perfect place to while away a November afternoon. However, you’ll need to book early to wrestle a table away from the army of regulars who now consider a roast at Maggie’s an essential element of their Sunday ritual.

It’s fair to say that Martin Anteria Silva – who has been executive chef for more than 30 years – has very little interest in trends. His menu is made up of beautifully cooked nursery favourites such as liver and bacon, given a smart edge for the sophisticated London clientele. Rich onion soup with glistening pools of butter on top transports us to rustic country kitchens, while a huge portion of smoky fish pie with a crown of neatly piped mash is as comforting as a hot bath on a chilly evening. Fluffy bread and butter pudding with intensely spiced raisins and custard is living proof of the maxim that practice makes perfect.

The rates are reasonable for London, but the place would still be packed if they weren’t. The truth is that Maggie Jones has something you can’t put a price on; the ingredient which we all crave now more than ever – authenticity.