Reviews Kona

A while back when I visited London, I stayed at my St Jame's Court for a week. During this time, I came to this restaurant several times for the teriyaki salmon dish. I loved the taste of the seasoning and sauce. The salmon was cooked to perfection. The vegetable side and rice were also great. As a food lover with an Asian background, I loved there take on this Asian fusion dish! The deconstructed lemon meringue dessert was however average.

After receiving an invitation to Kona by Zomato I decided to book a table for me and my fiancé. We arrived and were taken to a small room with only 6 tables (of which only 3 were being used). I don't mind dining with lots of people, but it is nice to relax in a calm, quiet environment sometimes. The setting at Kona is a little dated, but this is probably due to their overall aesthetic, and the clientele they are selling to. Our service throughout the evening was exceptional, and gave me hope that we do sometimes get it right in England. As for the food, it was nice. It isn't really anything to write home about, but it wasn't unpleasant. My steak tartare was not the best I've had, which is a shame as it's one of their signature dishes. However my Lobster Thermidor (yes, the menu is a little dated also) was good. My dessert was presented beautifully, however it was the after dinner fudge that made the evening for me. Genuinely the best fudge I have ever tasted. I'd go back for this alone! At £140 for 2 (with a glass of wine each), it is a little expensive. I personally wouldn't go back as I prefer something slightly more contemporary. However I would still recommend Kona.

How would I sum Kona up? The perfect place to take your parents for a nostalgic dinner.

I do love a good taster menu, and for £45 per person, you could do a lot worse than the offering at Kona at the St. James’ Court Hotel. The venue is lovely in the summer – you pass through a charmingly verdant courtyard and an art deco-style entrance on your way in. We started off our meal with a classic – Lobster Bisque, made with Brixham crab and creme fraiche, which was served at the table.

From the moment you set foot into the serene ambience of the Taj hotel, begins an evening of escape from the hectic humdrum of London life. And what better way to spend it than in Kona, the latest restaurant of the St James hotel, offering European cuisine with a contemporary twist?

Kona has a chic, classic decor, ideal for those looking to feast on fine food in an intimate, serene surrounding. The service was ideal, with a member of waiting staff always near enough to cater to our needs, whilst not being stuffy nor overattentive.

The restaurant is split into three rooms, providing diners with a sense of intimacy and cosiness. Whilst not an overwhelmingly extensive menu, deciding your dish can be hard due to the high-quality ingredients and tempting treats on offer. Ponder over a choice of Gresham duck with confit pearl onions, a succulent fillet steak with soft spinach and crispy fries or Gloucester pork belly with sweet apple jelly. 

The king dived scallops were cooked to perfection and served alongside crispy prosciutto, a scattering of broad beans and creamy pea puree. The combination of textures and contrasting flavours was fantastic, each component enhancing the others and being the perfect few mouthfuls to whet the appetite for our main course.

The signature fish dish on the main course is the pan fried sea bass; a crisp-skinned fillet arrives on a bed of salty chorizo and is surrounded by a subtle white tomato and paprika oil. Once again, the contrasting yet complimentary flavours added a smoothness to the meal, and whilst full of flavour, was not at all try-hard or overcomplicated.

The desserts were adorably presented; try the chocolate trio if you're after a sweet fix but not ready to scoff a cake-sized portion, or the yoghurt panacotta for a creamy finish to your dish. Served alongside a fresh berry compote and enhanced with soothing manuka honey, this dish is comfort and class combined.

The soft ambience, stellar service and high-quality ingredients made the evening a wonderful experience. I would say this is the type of place to catch up with an old friend and enjoy a traditional environment, rather than a place for raucous or a gaggle of girls.

You'd be forgiven for assuming that Kona would be in keeping with the opulent design of Taj 51; however, the restaurant is surprisingly modern. Neutral tones give the dining room a light and airy feel, with a variety of paintings hanging on the walls and elegant furnishings providing a sophisticated finish. Tucked away at the back of the restaurant you'll find The Library - a warm and inviting space with plush sofas and armchairs; the perfect place to enjoy a night cap after you've indulged on some fine cuisine. Soft lighting helps to create an informal and relaxed ambience; the perfect setting for a romantic evening out.

Our evening started with cocktails - an off-menu Strawberry Bellini for me and from the St James' Collection, Indy chose the Thanking Lord and Lady Dacre - a fruity number but lacking any real alcoholic taste. This was followed by a delightful amuse bouche of cauliflower soup topped with a soya foam. A perfect creamy texture and rich in flavour, it set the tone for the standard of the cuisine we would be enjoying throughout the evening.

Kona's dining menu offers chef Thomas Cruise's interpretation of the flavours and vibrancy of Southern European cuisine, married with traditional cooking techniques of the Cote D'Azur and Mediterranean coasts. There's a strong focus on fresh, sustainable ingredient across all the dishes which are, where possible, sourced from within 120 miles of London.

Whilst the starters on the dinner menu seem limited, don't let this fool you into thinking decision making will be any easier. We contemplated for some time on what to order and finally settled on the king scallops and lobster bisque. The scallops were the real highlight, lightly seared and tender on the inside, complemented well by a butternut squash puree and light dressing of vanilla powder. Unfortunately, the lobster bisque was a let down. The presentation was fantastic, with the bisque being poured over the other ingredients from a teapot; however, the overly salty flavour and watery texture just weren't that great. 

For mains we ordered the sea bass and Gloucestershire free range chicken. The sea bass was cooked to perfection - a crisp, golden coating giving way to a moist, flaky texture - with the calamari and chorizo orzo adding another layer of flavour. And again, presentation was on point! The Gloucestershire free range chicken was also a delight with a crisp parmesan crust and a tender centre, with Indy declaring it was the best chicken dish he's tasted to date! The panzanella added a Tuscan twist to the dish and complemented it well. Our side orders of broccoli with red chillis and parmesan and creamy mash provided the perfect accompaniments to our flavoursome mains.

No three course dinner is complete without dessert and Kona's dessert options do not disappoint. My previously undiscovered sweet tooth chose the orange and chocolate ganache; a truly indulgent dessert with rich flavours, edible flowers and brandy snaps. I just wish they'd made more use of orange as the chocolate did get a bit overwhelming. Indy's dessert induced some food envy on my part. He chose the thoroughly English fare of roasted apple on brioche with cinnamon ice cream, hazelnut crumble and berry foam. The apples were perfect - sweet and juicy - and were nicely completed by the cinnamon ice cream and berry foam.

Although the restaurant was quiet throughout the evening, service was unobtrusive but attentive, let down only at the end of our meal when we had to request the bill on numerous occasions.

Kona is the perfect venue for a discreet but indulgent dining experience and chef Thomas Cruise has done well in executing such a unique and flavourful variety of cuisine. We really enjoyed our dinner here and would definitely recommend it as somewhere to enjoy a romantic dinner or raise a toast for a special occasion.

Absolutely amazing afternoon tea with great service and staff. I thought it was really well done and a perfect gift. There was a tea and coffee room if you arrived early and the setting was lovely. We had the secret garden afternoon tea. They were great at accommodating halal options!

I can’t help but feel disappointed by the quality of the Jasmine afternoon tea when compared to my visit a couple of years ago. The price has gone up yet the opulence has gone down. Gone are the large pink scones, the huge variety of sandwiches, the rich mango compote and the large flower shaped paneer parcels. In their place was one pinwheel sandwich, 2 small scones, and a rose jam with a grainy texture. You can just see the difference in generosity between the pictures I took today and in the past. Service was professional as expected and the masala tea delicious. Dress code: smart casual Cost: £££ Service: attentive and professional Ambience: Calm

While we enjoyed the theatre and beauty of the afternoon tea, a few things left us disappointed. We were scolded on arrival that a member of our party wasn’t able to join, even though we explained we’d only been informed just before our arrival. Which set a negative tone. The first course was by far the best and finding the key was fun. The sandwiches, scones and cakes were good but not fantastic and for the cost we expected more. What was most disappointing was the slow service and feeling of being rushed! We were told we would only have 90 minutes and at 85 minutes they were clearing the table and bringing the check. I’ve never experienced this and was left feeling that the goal is to get as many people in and out rather than make it a full and enjoyable experience. If I’m spending almost £100 I do expect at least 2 hours and a focus on the experience!

We had the "Secret Garden" Afternoon Tea. My family enjoyed the interactive elements and the detailed presentation of the food at hand. My complaint would be to make the scones slightly bigger and baked properly as the ones we had were more cake-like. The chocolate based desserts were too sweet. However the mango mousse is divine and the sandwiches are yummy!

Had the afternoon tea on a Saturday afternoon. Was a good experience. Nice venue and ambiance. Choice of teas could have been more extensive, but was nice. The sandwiches were nice, not the best. Same with the sweet treats. Overall a good experience, would recommend a visit. P.s. the staff were great.

Incredible! What an experience at the Taj, the Indian Afternoon Tea was amazing the spread that was laid out really made everyones day. Really appreciate the staff bringing out a cake for my wife's birthday classy touch.

Had a lovely Indian afternoon tea at The Taj celebrating a family birthday. The alternative flavours were delicious and thoughtfully put together. Gabriela and the Kona team looked after us really well, especially with the kids - serving them extra biscuits, special sandwiches, and hot chocolate! The portions were very generous, and we had lots of leftovers which the team kindly packed up for us.