Kensington Circus

Great for kids, but the food is nothing to write home about.  I believe they have changed ownership recently which has improved the food from barely edible to decent, which is why I give 3 stars.  The main reason to come here is if you have kids.  They have a great little play area which allows you to sit and enjoy a beer and dinner (and maybe even catch a game if something good is on) while the kids play as you wait for your food.  Wait staff is very nice.  We go here a lot, but it's more for the atmosphere than for the food.

I've been coming here for a few years, and my previous review sums it up.  I was there yesterday for the first time since the change of ownership, and what a disaster.

I sat at the bar as usual, and was greeted by a guy tending bar, who informed me he was a new part-owner.  Didn't like his vibe, and he seemed a little creepy to me (I'm a straight guy).  I was happy to see one of the servers that I have had help me many times in the past, but she didn't greet me whatsoever, and looked strung out, like she had developed a new habit in the past many months.

I was delighted to hear that the kitchen is now offering bacon...the fact that I regularly eat a burger here without bacon is a testament to the quality and experience of this place.  The bartender and I talked long about the new bacon.  I ordered my standard burger, medium rare, with bleu cheese and bacon.  Stoked.  I asked that my order be the last to go in....it was near closing, and I wanted to enjoy as much beer as possible before my food arrived.  The order was to go in at 9:45, and it was 9:35 presently.

The bartender took my order on a yellow post it note.  Major red flag, visions of "Restaurant Stakeout" on the food network.  A moment later, I noticed a burger go on the grill.  "Can't be mine, its got a different cheese."  As I was enjoying my beer, the bartender decided to push the kitchen a little later, and mentioned to me that he would put my order in at 10.  Perfect for me.  He went to specify this to the cook, and a moment later, I noticed that the burger that was on the grill had its regular cheese ripped off it, and bleu cheese was added.  A moment later, my burger was served.  It was about 9:45, and I had gotten through about half my beer.  Tom served me the burger with an oops kind of comment, and that was it.

The burger....was cooked right, and was the same great meat I have come to expect.  Of course, the bleu was cold, and a huge mound of it, so I wiped a lot off.  There was no bacon.  I mentioned it to the cook, and he got me some bacon in about 2 minutes.

Thoroughly unhappy with the vibe and atmosphere, I had finished my burger, and was ready to go.  I asked the bartender for the check, and of course, there was no paper trail.  I reminded him of my meal, and he took my credit card and returned with the receipt, though still no check.

Staff reported to me that the bartender was not a part owner, and that the post-it note antics happen regularly.  I took a picture of the post-it note sitting on the spike by the server station.

I don't mean to throw anyone under the bus, and if you didn't do anything wrong, then nothing bad will happen.  But I've been working in restaurants since I was a teen, and something didn't seem right here.

This place is down the street from my house and I will totally be returning! We came here for an end of the year teacher shindig and they were nice enough to open up their business early for us educators. Thanks! I ordered a fish and chips, which I hadn't eaten in years, and loved every bite! The food was great, he atmosphere was super chill, and the staff was nice. See you soon, Circus Pub!