I wrote about Kima for my first visit in 2024, (You can find it by clicking on ‘take 1’ at the bottom of this review) It was one of my unavoidable restaurants, putting it amongst the absolute best, for the London food scene. We decided to come back here on a whim, without any planning, as we had such a solid meal last time. “Let’s not take any chances tonight” I said. “I am not in the mood for risk taking and potentially a disappointing night!” We already knew it, we already had an idea what we were in for, and we were in fact around the corner, so we took the opportunity to revisit just like this. A lot can happen one year on; it is always a good test to come back and see what is happening.
Unfortunately, the second visit, for some reason wasn’t as impressive as the first. This is not because the food was bad, it just didn’t give us that same impact I remember so well. The service was still excellent, they managed to get us in at the very last minute, without a booking and we didn’t have to wait too long to eat. Smiles all around as usual, but something magical was missing with the food.
The waiter showed us cheerily the fish of the day on offer, and out of this we were able to use it to have several different courses. (Nice idea, to use up all the product, with no waste). They came in the form of a raw, simple, ceviche, fisherman’s soup and we had some fish grilled for the ending. We also added a Greek salad and bread. All of this was more than enough. Nothing was awful, it was just not at the same level as last year, where everything we ate blew us away, as we continued to talk about how we would come back again, making it our regular spot. Sometimes you can’t explain exactly why when this happens, and zone into the details, you just, must take it for what it is. And that could be as simple as, ‘the food wasn’t as good as last time.’ No need to say any more.
The grilled fish, served on a platter was fine, but it was slightly over and not the best it could be, I was expecting better. The soup had acidity, (Too much for my guest) We all know that Greeks love lemon, and lots of it. Despite this, the broth was a good start. The raw platter was fresh and light, no problems here, it was ok. We tested the dessert by taking the same as last year, but it wasn’t at the same level. What happened tonight? The restaurant doesn’t deserve to be put into the same category as my failed nights, but we did notice a significant change in standard. Could it just be an off night? Either way, it has slipped slightly down on the barometer unfortunately, for this flying visit. There might be an opportunity to go back up, but we have to revisit again to find that out. Consistency is always a topic of conversation I am having when it comes to hospitality. It is difficult to keep it seems. For now, I am leaving the door open…
