Restaurant recommendations near Kensington Marriott on Cromwell Rd.?

We enjoyed the Hereford Arms. It’s a block from the Gloucester tube stop. My sister was recently in London and said the Stanhope Arms, across the street from the Gloucester tube, had good fish & chips. Both are pubs. If you wanted afternoon tea and pastry, we liked Fait Maison on Gloucester road (walk down to Gloucester road and turn left, then walk a few blocks. It’s on the left.)

I second the Hereford Arms - it's our "local" when we are in London. Also recommend Dishoom if you like Indian - it's right by High Street Kensington tube station - very lively and the food is good and not too pricy by London standards.
For lunch - Pret a Manger (locations all over London) is a good option. If the weather is good, Marks and Spencer Simply Food has great takeaway sandwiches and salads and is also relatively inexpensive.

Check out ASK, an Italian chain place in the Gloucester Arcade, above the Gloucester Road Tube Station. It's been awhile since we ate there so I can't vouch for what it's like now, but I recall a couple of nice light pizza meals there. Nothing fancy, but I thought pretty good.

There used to be some kind of chain faux American place in that arcade - called Wetherspoon, maybe? - which we visited a couple of times on different trips. I never was served an edible dish in that place no matter what I ordered. It lives on in my memory of horrible experiences. I think it's long gone, so you're not at risk of wandering in there. Good riddance.

There used to be some kind of chain faux American place in that arcade - called Wetherspoon, maybe?

Wetherspoons is a chain of pubs, nothing faux American about them, just cheap pubs. The food is awful though.

Wetherspoons is a chain of pubs, nothing faux American about them,
just cheap pubs. The food is awful though.

Later edit: Okay, Laura has suggested it might have been Garfunkel's and I think she's right. Sorry to have slandered Wetherspoons.
It was a long time ago. I probably remember it as 'faux American' because they had some American-ish items on the menu. I ordered a hamburger. I would have been impressed at the scope of its awfulness if I hadn't been so blinkin' hungry when it was served to me.

Now, I am by no means a food snob. My idea of hell is to spend time in the company of foodies yammering on about the precious details of meals they have consumed. A lesser hell would be to be trapped in a room with cooking/food shows running on a TV and the volume couldn't be muted.

I patronize drive-throughs. You might find grease-stained paper bags in my trash can.

After almost a year of not doing so, I'm back to drinking Diet Coke.

As you can see, my standards are not high.

I've eaten in some sketchy places in my long life, including some dive bars back in my hard-drinking youth. And I swear, that was the only burger I've ever encountered that was utterly inedible. My traveling companion chose that place again on a later trip. Thinking that I just needed to avoid anything American-ish there, I chose something else from the menu. It was also memorably horrible.

They must serve great cheap booze if they are still in business.

They must serve great cheap booze if they are still in business.

At the risk of sounding a snob there is a certain clientèle that frequent Wetherspoons and decent food is usually not their forte. It is the favourite haunt of alcoholics because many open at 9 am on the pretence of serving breakfast and coffee but we all know that it's mainly to cater for the alcoholics.

The beer is cheap because they manage to keep their prices down in other areas, food being one of them! Most of the food is prepared off site in factories and distributed to the pubs to be reheated and served. I think I've eaten in them twice, one being at an airport where their queue was the shortest and I don't intend to eat at another.

To be fair they do sell some decent cask ales so I'm not averse to drinking in them if there isn't a better option nearby however food is never on my radar there except perhaps a packet of crisps or nuts.

Suz, I think you must mean Garfunkels. I’ve never eaten there (and have no desire to ever try it).

Erick, there are lots of chains in that area, I like Masala Zone (Indian) on Earl’s Court Road and Nando’s peri-peri chicken with chips is my guilty pleasure. If you walk up to Exhibition Road, there is a Fernandez and Wells which is more of breakfast / lunch place (fried egg with harissa and yogurt, chorizo sandwiches, good coffee) and a Brindisa (Spanish). For a quick sandwich, there are Prets right by both Earls Court station and Gloucester Rd station

Across the street from Prets on Earls Court Road (which is next to the Earls Court Station entrance) is Pauls. Their sandwiches put Prets to shame.

Lots of restaurants and pubs on Earls Court Road.

If you want to go to a real local pub that is only a few minute walk away...walk west on Cromwell Road until you see Cromwell Bupa hospital. Cross Cromwell and take the street west of the hospital (Marloes Rd) up a block or two to the Devonshire Arms. (It will be on your left.) It's a pub that caters to the real locals. Very good.

If you want a quick and cheap sandwich near Gloucester Road Underground, I'd suggest the Sandwich Shop at 54 Cromwell Rd. Always packed at lunch with workers and students from Imperial College, their sandwiches are cheap and freshly prepared. Not too well known by tourists yet.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/sandwich-shop-london?utm_medium=reroute&utm_source=apple_maps

Suz, I think you must mean Garfunkels. I’ve never eaten there (and
have no desire to ever try it).

Omigosh, I think you're right. Thank you! I looked them up. They are still there. My recommendation, obviously: avoid.

Sorry to have slandered Wetherspoons. Although I don't think I'll be trying their cuisine either. :-)

And, I also have a weakness for Nando's. I found it when staying near Earl's Court Road in London, then enjoyed dinners at Nando's in Glasgow and York on later trips. Yum. Although now that I've confessed to my low standards, I probably shouldn't be recommending any eateries, lol!

Just to clarify, the Earl’s Court tube stop is probably less than a 10 minutes walk from your hotel. The Blackbird pub across the street from the tube is a nice place to have a drink.

Omigosh, I think you're right. Thank you! I looked them up. They are still there. My recommendation, obviously: avoid. Sorry to have slandered Wetherspoons. Although I don't think I'll be trying their cuisine either. :-)

Yes, Garfunkels is crap too. Don't worry, you haven't slandered Wetherspoons, their denigration is entirely justified. This is the problem with chains, in an effort to provide conformity they have to rely on outsourcing of cooking which inevitably leads to a degradation of quality. I avoid chains at all cost except when I'm with the kids who would baulk at the idea of a seven course tasting menu! On such occasions we rely on Zizzi's, Prezzo or Nando's. With that in mind I have been known to indulge in a dirty kebab or two after a night with mates.

Often the hotel's employees and taxi drivers can be a good source of current restaurant info, too.
Hope you have a good trip, Erick.
-Alison