If you’re heading to London to see the much-anticipated Cirque du Soleil OVO, we have the perfect restaurant to kickstart your experience. 5* Hotel The Kensington, and its elegant restaurant Town House, have teamed up with Cirque du Soleil OVO which is taking place at the Royal Albert Hall, a short walk from Town House.
Designed as the ultimate pre-theatre experience, Town House’s seasonal pre-theatre set menu features two exclusive OVO-inspired dishes, before the short walk to the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil OVO.
Available throughout OVO’s London run until 1st March, Town House restaurant is the ideal setting where you can relax, sit back and enjoy a delicious meal while your excitement for the show builds. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful – large, grand, and with soft furnishings that you sink into. It’s the sort of space where you can dress up into something a little special if you wish, but also not so formal that it feels pretentious and fussy.
Cirque du Soleil is centred around insects and a mysterious egg (hence its namesake Ovo which is Portugese for egg). With this in mind, executive chef Isabela Vaz has created two exclusive courses where egg is the star of the show. For starters, there’s a Scotch egg (cooked perfectly), accompanied by a salt-baked Jerusalem artichoke puree, Iberico ham, and a salad. The other option is a roast pumpkin salad with feta, almonds and pomegranate, a perfect salad that combines a touch of winter cosiness in there too.
For mains, choose between a beetroot gnocchi topped with sage, blue cheese and walnuts, duck leg confit with puy lentils and onions, or pan-seared cod fillet in a white wine, tomato and basil sauce. The dishes are relatively simple, but effective, packing a punch with presentation, and even more so with the flavours. It’s the perfect pre-theatre menu, where you feel full and happily satisfied, but not uncomfortably so, where you want to go home and nap as opposed to enjoy your evening out.
For dessert, there’s a choice of four options, but it’s a no-brainer which you should go for. The Ovo is a direct inspiration from Cirque du Soleil and a show-stopping sweet treat that rounds off the meal perfectly. Made from white chocolate, the egg is filled with a soft plum and grape filling and served on a bed of green cake and designed to look like the outside. It’s utterly divine, light and a fitting touch for the evening ahead. Other desserts include poached pear with vegan vanilla ice cream and a red wine sauce, a selection of ice creams and sorbets, as well as a Paxton & Whitfield cheese board (at a £6 supplement).
If you have time, either pre or post meal, be sure to head to the K Bar for a drink. It’s smart, sophisticated and imbued with a bit of old-school glamour. Plush seating at glass tables lends a cosy yet refined edge and they have a fantastic range of cocktails, wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks on offer.
Located just moments from the Royal Albert Hall, Town House provides an effortless and elegant starting point for an evening of culture and entertainment, where you can indulge in fantastic food in a 5* setting, all with an unbelievable price tag given the location.
The OVO pre-theatre menu is priced at £36 per person for three courses and is available for dinner (5-7pm) prior to evening performances at the Royal Albert Hall. To book, visit https://townhousekensington.com/
The Kensington
109-113 Queen’s Gate
South Kensington, London, SW7 5LP
Book Cirque du Soleil tickets here
Book a stay at The Kensington Hotel here
