‘Go ‘down into the jungle’ at a hidden gem London restaurant with the wow factor’

I went to Zuaya, a new restaurant in Kensington which serves Latin American food and delicious cocktails.

The restaurants’ chic and exotic interiors feature three distinct ambiences – including an outside terrace – which provide the perfect oasis for lunch, drinks or dinner.

I sat in the downstairs area for dinner, and as I headed down I was met with a sign which says ‘welcome to the jungle’.

Zuaya Kensington (Image: Immy Share, Newsquest)

I was naturally intrigued, but as I headed downstairs I became immersed in the jungle theme of the restaurant, covered greenery and leaves which make the place look beautiful.

I was sat in a cool corner which was embellished with a mirror on the wall and lit with a lamp.

It felt intimate, private and also very upmarket.

We wanted some small bites to start with, so chose from the starter tapas section of the menu.

My boyfriend and I shared a tuna avocado taco and the burrata on peruvian corn cake.

Zuaya Kensington (Image: Immy Share, Newsquest)

We have a bit of a habit of getting burrata in every restaurant we can – and this is one of the nicest I’ve had.

I am guilty of saying that after every single one, but I’ve never had it with a corn partnering before and I really enjoyed it.

We paired these each with one of Zuaya’s signature cocktails.

The one I chose was the Black Forest with tequila, wild berries, apple, lychees and grenadine, and my boyfriend had the London to Lima cocktail.

Mine was perfectly sweet for someone with a sweet tooth through and through.

For mains I had the tuna tiradito with yuzu and mango, and this was divine.

Not only taste-wise, but it was so beautifully presented with each aspect of the poke bowl chopped up into small bits.

It was genuinely yummy, and I enjoyed every bite.

I paired this with the wok of vegetables, which were also delicious and so big in portion size.

My boyfriend had the milk-fed lamp chops with the patatas bravas, which he also absolutely loved.

I must admit, I am usually an Italian or Japanese cuisine type of girl, but I really enjoyed trying something new and I will definitely branch out more often.

I was full, and had absolutely no room left, but dessert is eaten by the heart not the stomach, right?!

I couldn’t resist, and chocolate is my guilty pleasure, so I ordered the chocolate fondant.

It’s made to serve, so took around 15 minutes, but every single bite was worth the wait.

I left the restaurant with a full stomach, a full heart, and a desire to try new cuisines and discover some more of London’s fabulous hidden gems.