Lakwatsa in Kensington and Chelsea

My 2nd time dining here. Please make a booking reservation.Along the road and just near a bus stop. Very accessible.You wont miss the avocado yellow color, very eye catching.Interiors - lush, staff - awesome, food - great.They solve my Filipino food cravings as Im away from home.So as we were choosing which food to get, they gave us complimentary pandesal (Filipino bread roll) warm and fluffy with butter on the side.Gambas al ajillo - was our appetizer but I couldnt resist pairing it with rice 🤣 huge shrimps, plump and juicy, flavor was awesome, came with a side of pickled vegetables and pandesal crostinis as vessel for your shrimpsCrispy pork hock (crispy pata) - crispy crackling skin oh so lovely and succulent meat. It came on a bed of mung bean and moringa "soup". Contrast of texture was evident there.Beef and oxtail kare kare - *FOOD ALLERGEN WARNING* a classic Filipino favorite. Oxtail and beef that has been braising for hours was fork tender. It was swimming in a peanut sauce with a drizzle of shrimp paste/oil. It has an orange hue because of the annato oil/seed they used in cooking kare kare. It was loaded with vegetables like aubergine, beans and bokchoy to make it a balanced meal.Char grilled stuffed squid - the squid was really tender. It was grilled perfectly. It was stuffed with tomato cheese onion and garlic goodness. Sitting on top of a bed of black squid ink rice that ties the whole dish together.Braised rib of beef ( crispy tadyang) - rib of beef that was slow cooked. Contrast of textures from a crispy exterior to a tender cut of beef. The flavor was amazing. A soy glaze that had a balance of sweet and spicy -- what a way to encourage my appetite. 🤣 There is a side of pickled vegetables with perfect crunch and just the right amount of tang to cleanse your palate.

I was impressed with every dish that came out. The food had authentic flavours with a modern touch.

I think this is a fairly new Filipino spot which has a really good vibe to it. The service was alright, not great but not bad either. We ordered the spring rolls, which we did not think would come out like that. It’s in a peanut sauce but I always thought spring rolls had a crispy batter, this one was not that but it was still nice. We also got the prawn starter which was really good, We loved the oil dressing it had. For the main we got the steak, which was over cooked (we ordered medium) but it was still decent, the portion was however small. It also said it would come with sweet potato which I thought was mash but it was a little tree trunk sweet potato which was not ideal. The lack of sauce was also present. We also got the seafood medley. On the menu it says it comes with noodles which is true but it’s very creamy and it’s more like spaghetti. They also don’t provide the lobster cracker which will help to eat the lobster so it went to waste. The food is quite expensive especially for what you’re getting, I think two starters and two mains cost roughly £70.

Tried several starters and mains. The chicken sizzle starter was excellent full of flavour. Had high hopes for the mains ordered 2 pork variations and chicken. The ingredients seemed to be fresh and good quality but lacking in sauce and seasoning. The pork was also quite dry. This place has a lot of potential. Was a bit confused as it was set up more like sharing style but when plates came out were plated more towards individual dining.

Came here this evening ,where do I start.Ok starters the veg pancakes were so obviously frozen and then left to thaw out they hurt my teeth they were so cold I raised this with a member of staff who subsequently removed one of them from the bill , not good enough as I ordered 2 and they were equally freezing and tasteless.Pacifico beer requested a COLD beer got a warm beer having asked again next beer came also barely cold anyway we move on.Mains a wide selection of fairly average food that all pretty much tasted the same this is definitely more Cafe than restaurant.Total cost )£160 for 3 adults and 2 children who hardly ate inc £20 service which was fairly painful and not particularly polite ,, please look at my many other reviews I am not a complainer in fact quite the opposite , but sadly this Cafe was distinctly average and we will not return .

Great tasty food with a new twist. Excellent service and cosy and calming atmosphere. I will be back. Please make sure to try sisig and the braised beef 😍😋 and also the local Filipino beer Red Horse 🍻

Celebrated my birthday and tried this restaurant for the first time! Everyone was saying the food was so nice. They were indeed! Especially the truffle pork adobo. Would definitely come back especially when I miss Filipino food. It was affordable too! 😊BTW: Thank you for the birthday surprise! 💋💖💖💖

Modern Filipino cuisine. Food is great and there’s a lot of options to choose from. Staff are nice and service is good. I would highly recommend!

Delicious Filipino food, traditional staple dishes with a modern twist.Very friendly service and great value.Dishes are tasty and well presented.Remember to leave some room for the desserts, which are fantastic!

Great selection of food, the starter and the halo halo was great we loved it. The main was a bit blend to our taste but again this might be us. Overall it was a good experience trying out new food. Staff was super helpful with selection of dishes and very friendly made us feel welcoming.