Where to eat when visiting the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Published 14 May 2024
If you’re wilting after a day in the sun (or need a retreat from the drizzle) our selection of restaurants near the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will offer you the best food, drink and hospitality in the area, from characterful pubs to top fish counters and elegant neighbourhood bistros.
High-end Chinese cooking, alluring flavours and bags of creativity
Since 2012, Andrew Wong’s Pimlico restaurant has re-defined high-end Chinese dining not only in the UK but, arguably, for anywhere outside Asia. The no-choice, 30-dish tasting menu takes inspiration from far and wide –… Read more
Since 2012, Andrew Wong’s Pimlico restaurant has re-defined high-end Chinese dining not only in the UK but, arguably, for anywhere outside Asia. The no-choice, 30-dish tasting menu takes inspiration from far and wide – Hong Kong for the dim sum, Shaanxi province for the bao, Anhui for the fermented wild sea bass – but the result is unmistakably Wong’s own vision, not least in its striking presentation. A martini glass suspended over ice, for instance, contains finely chopped green beans spiked with wasabi soy encased by a quivering shell of osmanthus jelly, while ribbons of tofu wave in a limpid soup like the fronds of a sea anemone.
At its best, Wong’s cooking melds astonishing creativity with the most alluring of flavours and sublime contrasts of textures, everything held in a delicate balance by the surest of touches. Consider a candied walnut stuck onto a trio of honey-roast roast pork slices, each daubed with gravy to glue onto shavings of frozen foie gras, grated as finely as sherbet; or wagyu tartare, presented in a caviar tin and adorned with shards of crisp potato, its chilli heat balanced by the citrus jolt of yuzu when dolloped onto a barely-there ‘pancake’ of pear.
Wong’s contemporary interpretation of Chinese cooking is so compelling that when a faultless nugget of sweet-and-sour chicken arrives (an affectionate nod to his parents’ Cantonese restaurant, Kym’s), it feels like an uninvited old friend gatecrashing the party. At £200 a head for food, however, it is not unreasonable to expect this level of perfection throughout, and our most recent meal fell short of that. There were basic errors (prawns not properly shelled) and some dishes tasted of very little at all – even if they looked lovely (cheung fun refashioned as an inside-out wafer of pork or an al dente roll of Peking duck, for example).
Overall, we longed for more nuance to the flavours rather than an insistent, unremitting savouriness. These criticisms might have been easier to stomach had there been more charm to the service. Empty plates were whisked away with lickety-split haste, a neighbouring table was brought Pouilly-Fumé not Fuissé, and being moved to the empty bar to eat dessert in solitude seemed ungracious while our seat upstairs was filled with the next round of punters.
Perhaps we visited on a rare off-night; certainly, the advance planning required to secure a table here (or a seat at the counter, with its direct view into the kitchen) indicates there is no shortage of takers.
With its colourful stained glass windows depicting M Bibendum, better known as the 'Michelin Man', Claude Bosi’s spacious, elegant dining room in the landmark Art Deco Michelin House merits that clichéd foodie description, ‘a… Read more
With its colourful stained glass windows depicting M Bibendum, better known as the 'Michelin Man', Claude Bosi’s spacious, elegant dining room in the landmark Art Deco Michelin House merits that clichéd foodie description, ‘a cathedral of gastronomy’. But there is nothing clichéd about Bosi’s food. It may be underpinned by peerless classical technique, but a meal here will always take you down the culinary path less travelled. Consider, for example, a main course of Brittany rabbit, a re-working of a Bosi classic. Previously paired with langoustine, this latest iteration features freshwater eel in several guises. A small piece, barbecued and glazed with mustard sauce acts as a richly flavoured condiment for the various preparations of rabbit that include a tiny, expertly trimmed rack (roasted to perfection and seasoned en pointe), two pieces of tender loin and a puffed-rice tempura nugget of the leg. A hollowed-out new potato is stuffed with an eel and rabbit farce and the whole thing bound together with two sauces – a rabbit jus and a smoked eel/mustard sauce poured at the table. A side dish of kombu custard topped with braised coco beans, mustard sauce and tarragon oil nearly steals the show. It’s complex, clever and memorable but, more importantly, it’s a joy to eat. That holds true of everything that arrives at the table, from exemplary cloud-like aged Gouda gougères and superb sourdough bread to a three-part interpretation of peach Melba that includes a white chocolate shell filled with a jelly of the peach poaching liquor topped with diced peach, vanilla cream, toasted almonds, lemon thyme and raspberries, plus an ethereal amaretti biscuit and a third dish of fresh peach slices with Vin Santo ice cream. A meal here is not cheap. Expect a hefty supplement for the signature duck jelly with smoked sturgeon and caviar or the roast chicken 'de Bresse' (served from a spectacular silver domed trolley). As for wine, the extensive wine list is dominated by bottles priced at three or four figures (although we did find several more-than-decent choices below £40). Bosi's singular culinary vision is a given, but factor in exquisite crockery, cutlery and stemware, as well as excellent old-school service (delivered with a smile by a smartly suited-and-booted team) and you have something worth paying all that money for.
More than three decades after the conversion of Michelin House, the building still looks fresh, plying its trade via a gorgeous first-floor dining room (Bibendum) and a ground-floor Oyster Bar – both now run by the chef… Read more
More than three decades after the conversion of Michelin House, the building still looks fresh, plying its trade via a gorgeous first-floor dining room (Bibendum) and a ground-floor Oyster Bar – both now run by the chef Claude Bosi. The latter is impressively high-ceilinged with unique mosaic flooring and Edwardian racing scenes on the tiled walls. It offers all-day foyer/forecourt dining, the smart long-standing florist at the front now acting as a curtain for a proper little kitchen where chefs prepare hot dishes alongside seafood. Fans of oysters get to choose from six different types, although the full repertoire takes in native lobsters, Cornish crabs and 'grand plateaux de fruits de mer', as well as fish soup, pâté en croûte, the famed crab quiche, grilled mackerel, even fish and chips. Steak tartare (‘very good’), fillet of beef with rocket and Parmesan (with 'Pierre Koffmann' fries) and a Bibendum burger look after the meat-eaters. Expect proper Gallic technique from the kitchen: that fish soup delivers a deeply savoury, dark, crab-infused bisque complete with rouille and cheese; skate wing is accompanied by classic brown butter and caper sauce with perfect little butter-fried croûtons adding 'some greatly beneficial crunch’. Ice creams and sundaes dominate the dessert menu, but there’s likely to be a sneaky clafoutis or crème brûlée to please the local Lycée children and their families, the parents of whom will also be happy with the almost exclusively French wine list.
Cosy, intimate and a ‘true home from home,’ there aren't many settings more desirable than this. Tucked at one end of an exclusive mews, Dinings sports a lovely courtyard for alfresco meals, plus a bright high-ceilinge… Read more
Cosy, intimate and a ‘true home from home,’ there aren't many settings more desirable than this. Tucked at one end of an exclusive mews, Dinings sports a lovely courtyard for alfresco meals, plus a bright high-ceilinged dining room with a mezzanine, a bar at the front, a wooden fireplace at the far end, a marble sushi counter, and small wooden tables with tan-leather seating. The atmosphere is lively, and it's topped off by chef/owner Masaki Sugisaki's innovative bite-sized Japanese dishes, which offer ‘an exquisite fusion of artistry and gastronomy,’ according to one devotee.
‘Meticulously crafted’ sushi takes pride of place here, and fans insist that it’s some of the best in town – from Cornish sea bass with bottarga or cured yellowtail belly with preserved spiced yuzu zest to first-rate hand-rolls such as smoked eel tamaki with cucumber and sweet soy. Elsewhere, dry-aged turbot is served on the bone with ceps, violet artichokes and preserved lemon while ‘shio-koji’ cured venison loin (from Windsor Forest) is embellished with glazed fig and red pepper ketchup.
As expected with an SW3 postcode, the menu is pimped up with deluxe ingredients – from a mini-burger of wagyu beef cleverly paired with teriyaki and spicy sesame aïoli to grilled Scottish langoustines with confit garlic and preserved lemon vinaigrette. Less pricey items such as roasted beetroot with tahini miso are also treated with due respect. Matcha ganache with chestnut ice cream is an enticing way to finish. Service is super-friendly and bursting with ‘genuine warmth’, while sake heads the expensive drinks list, with wines from £55.
Since teaming up in the late noughties, chef Phil Howard and restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas have rolled out a series of sophisticated yet informal neighbourhood eateries – and Elystan Street follows their blueprint to the … Read more
Since teaming up in the late noughties, chef Phil Howard and restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas have rolled out a series of sophisticated yet informal neighbourhood eateries – and Elystan Street follows their blueprint to the letter. The mood is one of unbuttoned luxury, Chelsea style, with pared-back interiors, large monochrome prints, a mix of peach and grey seating and lots of natural light flooding in through large windows. ‘Hospitality’ is one of the keys to the success of this place, notes a reader – although locals are here to sample the kitchen’s masterful and cleverly nuanced modern food. Expect ‘seasonal dishes cooked with skill and precision’, overlaid with a perfect sense of balance and a true respect for ingredients. Highlights from one recent visit included ‘moreish’ hand-cut strozzapreti cooked in buttery chicken stock with a dressing of summer truffles and aged Parmesan, as well as a 'lovely looking' plate of sea bream, with perfectly crispy skin and a colourfully exotic mélange of baba ganoush, apricot harissa, a charred Padrón pepper and a drizzle of basil-infused olive oil. If meat is your preference, there might be tartare of English rose veal ahead of saddle of lamb served in sunny Mediterranean style with pesto-baked aubergine, roasted San Marzano tomatoes, garlic and balsamic. British and French cheeses are kept in tiptop condition, while ‘classy’ desserts might bring a millefeuille of raspberries with vanilla and lemon verbena cream – ‘a summer treat’. Ever-attentive staff spend ‘quality time with their guests’, which adds to the relaxed, informal vibe. Lunch is good value for the postcode, and the knowledgeably assembled wine list leans heavily towards Europe, with around 20 by-the-glass selections and bottles from £35.
On-trend dining complex housing an evolving line-up of cool eateries
With two dozen or so catering outlets spread over its eight floors, Harrods looks set to become an on-trend restaurant complex with a department store attached. The latest phase of its dining-fuelled renaissance (and its most ambi… Read more
With two dozen or so catering outlets spread over its eight floors, Harrods looks set to become an on-trend restaurant complex with a department store attached. The latest phase of its dining-fuelled renaissance (and its most ambitious project to date), is the lavishly renovated Grade ll-listed Dining Hall – a stunning centrepiece to the ground-floor food halls. A cool amalgam of several counter-dining eateries, it has quickly become a classy destination in its own right (booking is recommended, especially at weekends).
Our own favourites include Sushi by Masa from Masayoshi Takayama (chef/proprietor of highly acclaimed Masa in New York) where we watched the preparation of delicate, outstandingly fresh sushi and sashimi, including ‘signature bites’ of opulent toro tartare with caviar, and hamachi with crisp potato julienne and thin slivers of green chilli. Prices throughout reflect the impeccable raw materials. Part of Masa's original site is now occupied by Jason Atherton's global ‘haute dog’ concept, Hot Dogs by Three Darlings – look out for the celebrity-endorsed dogs, the milkshakes and the Martinis.
Over at Kerridge's Fish & Chips, a plate of Cornish day-boat fish in crisp gluten-free batter was a whopping £37 when we visited, but if indulging in small treats rather than splashing out on a designer frock is one of the joys of shopping in Harrods, then this is the place to be. There are some conventional tables, but it’s always worth bagging a ringside seat to watch the action, especially at another favourite spot, Harrods Grill, where chefs wrangle hefty cuts of prime beef over charcoal. We had leftovers from our rotisserie chicken and 200g slab of tender, flavoursome US prime rib, which we had teamed with smoked béarnaise, Koffmann fries and creamed spinach – and were delighted when the cheerful, on-the-ball staff happily packed it up in a Harrods carrier bag to take away.
Elsewhere, Kinoya Ramen Bar (an offshoot of Neha Mishra’s acclaimed Dubai restaurant), lays claim to be the most popular spot in the room – the chef’s tonkotsu with 12-hour rich pork broth, bacon-flavoured katsuobushi salt, anchovy oil and torched chasu (pork belly) is exclusive to Harrods. The current line-up also includes Pasta Evangelists by Perbellini, while the space previously occupied by Mediterranean Grill by Assembly is now home to Dim Sum by China Tang, a 25-seat counter serving savoury and sweet morsels.Each restaurant has its own drinks list. Note that the ratings relate to the overall Dining Hall experience, not individual restaurants.
Bullish homage to best-in-show grass-fed British beef
If you take your steaks seriously, you'll likely know about Hawksmoor, the group that started in London, expanded to various UK cities and is now a success story across the pond in New York and Chicago. This Knightsbridge address,… Read more
If you take your steaks seriously, you'll likely know about Hawksmoor, the group that started in London, expanded to various UK cities and is now a success story across the pond in New York and Chicago. This Knightsbridge address, just off the Brompton Road artery, is a big old space with a moody Art Deco finish that looks the part for a high-end steakhouse where prices are steep (especially for those with big appetites) and chips of various kinds are extra.
The menu includes an illustration revealing where each cut of beef comes from on the animal – from ribeye to D-rump – and blackboards display what's on offer by weight on the day (1kg T-bone anyone?). The beef itself is from British farms, grass-fed, dry-aged and cooked over coals, but there are other options if you're so inclined such as South Coast monkfish flamed over those hot coals, and one veggie main course (ricotta dumplings with peas, broad beans and asparagus, maybe). Fresh British seafood is well represented among starters: half a Dartmouth lobster with garlic butter, Shetland mussels cooked in white wine, charcoal-roasted scallops and so on.
Hawksmoor's highly rated Sunday lunch is as classically appealing as you might hope for (complete with perfectly timed, succulent meat carved from a whole rump of aged beef), while desserts might range from sticky toffee pud to yoghurt and lemon cheesecake. The wine list will appeal to high rollers with its selection of fine vintages, although there are slim pickings below £40 for the rest of us.
Claude Bosi's assured homage to classic bistro cooking
Josephine is that rare combination, a classic-looking French bistro that serves its neighbourhood well but is also worth travelling across town for. The fact that the driving force behind the operation is chef Claude Bosi makes it… Read more
Josephine is that rare combination, a classic-looking French bistro that serves its neighbourhood well but is also worth travelling across town for. The fact that the driving force behind the operation is chef Claude Bosi makes it easy to see why news of its repute has spread far and wide – the dining room is regularly packed to capacity, humming with noise and activity.
The menu is classic French through and through, with a focus on bistro classics and regional Lyonnaise specialities from Bosi’s home town. Though the food stays in familiar territory rather than going adventuring, everything is produced with great assurance – as one might expect, given Bosi's elevated reputation. Indeed, one sign of a good kitchen is what it can do with humble ingredients. Consider, for example, the soupe à l’oignon, widely copied although we’ve yet to eat one that comes even close to this version.
Many staples are here (terrine, filet de boeuf au poivre, lapin à la moutarde, gratin dauphinois) – dishes that people really enjoy eating. And judging by the elegant simplicity of leeks vinaigrette, or skate wing in a brown butter and caper sauce, or even a light, puffy vol-au-vent filled with chicken and morel sauce, there are never too many tastes on the plate, either. Like the cheeseboard, desserts are resolutely Gallic – think oeuf à la neige, prâline rose, and tarte au citron meringue. The good value of the daily plat du jour and the short-choice set menu offered at lunch and dinner add to Josephine's allure.
With Lucy Bosi overseeing front of house alongside general manager Will Smith (the ex-Arbutus/Wild Honey frontman lured back from Scotland), it's clear that all aspects of running a restaurant – buying ingredients, cooking, ambience – have been brought together without fuss or ostentation. House wines are available bouchon-style (you only pay for what you have drunk), and the full list is an oenophile's tour of the Rhône Valley.
Compellingly creative Indian cuisine in tasteful surroundings
The Sanskrit word ‘kutir’ means ‘a small cottage in the middle of nowhere’; in fact, Kutir (the restaurant) occupies a luxe Chelsea townhouse not a million miles from Buckingham Palace – although insp… Read more
The Sanskrit word ‘kutir’ means ‘a small cottage in the middle of nowhere’; in fact, Kutir (the restaurant) occupies a luxe Chelsea townhouse not a million miles from Buckingham Palace – although inspiration comes from India's wildlife lodges ('away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life'). There's no doubting that chef Rohit Ghai's cooking is transportive, with its compellingly creative take on Indian cuisine including ‘expedition’ tasting menus (with optional wine pairings) that can ‘surprise and delight’.
Pressing the doorbell to gain entry adds to the sense of exclusivity, as does the smart decor which references India's stunning natural world. The atmosphere is ‘perfect for special occasions’, helped by staff who can be guaranteed to deliver ‘great service’; there’s also a delightful terrace for summer dining. Traditional ideas get decidedly modern treatment, as in a duck starter that is fruitily embellished with cranberry, kumquat, pickle and chutney, while the tandoor yields such esoteric, smoky delights as paneer tikka with sorrel, lime murabba, tomato salsa and crispy rice or a quail naan with truffle, masala scrambled egg, mince and oil.
Seafood also shows up well when it comes to main courses including wild jumbo prawns with coconut and curry leaf or pan-seared sea bass with jaggery and yoghurt rice. Guinea fowl arrives in a biryani, while desserts might feature a take on crème brûlée involving heritage carrots, reduced milk and orange. The globetrotting wine list has slim pickings below £40, although there’s a decent choice by the glass or carafe. Otherwise, drink Indian lager, IPA or something from the innovative list of Indian-inspired cocktails.
‘An unassuming restaurant in an unassuming location,' noted one reader. Katie Exton is now the sole proprietor, with Graham Brown (who has worked at Lorne since opening) promoted to head chef – although you won't notic… Read more
‘An unassuming restaurant in an unassuming location,' noted one reader. Katie Exton is now the sole proprietor, with Graham Brown (who has worked at Lorne since opening) promoted to head chef – although you won't notice any change when you walk into the dining room. Simply furnished with Scandi-style, pale wood furnishings, orange leather booths, potted plants and colourful modern art on white walls, it feels calm and relaxing. As for the food, flavours are fresh and distinct. A recent lunch kicked off with a tartare of sea bream partnered with diced kohlrabi, cucumber, salty dashi jelly and a topping of crunchy beer batter, ahead of thinly sliced veal rump teamed with fondant potatoes, courgettes, goat's curd and Parmesan. To finish, a chocolate crémeux, partnered with milk ice cream, cocoa nibs and a coating of warm chocolate foam ‘looked like a splodge but tasted of heaven’. Warm, smiley service goes out of its way to make sure everyone has a pleasurable time. The wine list (from £28) is one of the more interesting and moderately priced in town, featuring new discoveries as well as more established labels. Katie Exton is a highly regarded sommelier, so seeking advice from her can bring rewards. 'Such a lovely place, it's difficult not to stay here all day,' concluded one happy diner.
Pavement tables and a terrace overlooking one of the leafier stretches of the King’s Road make this hospitable but urbane Chelsea favourite a fail-safe on sunny days – although there’s also much to enjoy in … Read more
Pavement tables and a terrace overlooking one of the leafier stretches of the King’s Road make this hospitable but urbane Chelsea favourite a fail-safe on sunny days – although there’s also much to enjoy in the long, narrow dining room with its muted colours, distinctive green banquettes, contemporary artworks and blossom-laden artificial trees. Chef/co-owner Joe Mercer Nairne learned his craft at Chez Bruce in Wandsworth and it shows in his fondness for gutsy, full-blooded Franco-European flavours. His signature crab raviolo with leek fondue and bisque sauce is an ever-present delicacy worth savouring, as is the rich duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip purée, lardons and sautéed duck hearts. After that, the kitchen stays true to its remit, serving accessible, serious, muscular dishes with bags of finesse: rump of Belted Galloway beef with Café de Paris snails, shallot purée and béarnaise sauce; chargrilled calf’s liver with new season’s garlic, potato galette, crispy bacon, Tropea onion and sherry vinegar; monkfish and squid in partnership with sauce vierge, coco beans and sea aster. The kitchen goes that extra mile when it comes to dessert, fashioning eclectic, multi-part creations such as canelés de Bordeaux with pistachio cream, Argentinian garrapiñadas (sugary caramelised peanuts), tonka bean and spiced drinking chocolate. Similar dishes are available on the flexible fixed-price lunch menu (have one, two or three courses). The wine list is a knowledgeably curated and ever-evolving compendium bringing together the great, the good and the undiscovered from all quarters of the viticultural globe. By-the-glass options are generous (bolstered by top-end Coravin selections), while bottle prices start at £38.
Textured walls and a striking terrazzo floor add something a bit different to the Chelsea branch of Yotam Ottolenghi’s café/deli group, but there’s no mistaking the familiar white counters, the overflowing displ… Read more
Textured walls and a striking terrazzo floor add something a bit different to the Chelsea branch of Yotam Ottolenghi’s café/deli group, but there’s no mistaking the familiar white counters, the overflowing displays of cakes and pastries or the bowls of colourful salads and other Middle Eastern-inspired creations. Breakfast and an all-day lunch offer might bring anything from Dutch pancakes or scrambled harissa tofu with sweet potato crisps to roast chicken with ral el hanout, sumac and chilli. A fascinating drinks list includes Coalition beer and natural wines as well as raw, unpasteurised libations from the London Fermentary. Walk-ins only; not open for dinner.
After a quarter of a century, you could forgive Gordon Ramsay for turning his fine-dining flagship into a culinary jukebox of his greatest hits. Such is his enduring worldwide fame, he’d be assured an audience for whatever he se… Read more
After a quarter of a century, you could forgive Gordon Ramsay for turning his fine-dining flagship into a culinary jukebox of his greatest hits. Such is his enduring worldwide fame, he’d be assured an audience for whatever he served up. But, apart from the crowd-pleasing signature lobster, langoustine and salmon ravioli that’s been on the menu since day one, the kitchen’s elegant and sometimes playful dishes are resolutely modern. Take a main course entitled ‘100-day aged Cumbrian Blue Grey, panisse, cosberg, pontac’, described by one of the smartly suited waiters as ‘our take on steak and chips’. Despite the long ageing, the perfectly medium-rare piece of rare-breed sirloin had a mild flavour and was oh-so tender, while the garnish (a nugget of beautifully rendered fat) delivered a delicious whack of gamey, savoury funk. The crisp, refreshing cosberg was also a revelation: a cross between iceberg and cos, the lettuce heart was glazed with dashi vinegar and garnished with a multitude of pickled shallot rings, wild garlic ‘capers’, herbs, flowers and tiny croûtons. Its palate-cleansing freshness counterbalanced the pastrami spice-dusted, crinkle-cut panisse chips served on the side, and the umami pungency of their accompanying black-garlic purée. Needless to say, classical saucing is of the highest order here: pickled mustard seeds added welcome acidity to that beef jus and red wine-based ‘pontac’, while brown butter lifted the ‘jus noisette’ served with a roast veal sweetbread to another level of deliciousness. This was our dish of the day – a generous piece of precisely cooked, honey-glazed offal, encrusted with puffed grains and allium buds, all bathed in a velvety macadamia ajo blanco. Heavenly. Everything delights and every single item we sampled was faultless, from an ethereal gougère filled with smoked Montgomery Cheddar (one of a trio of stunning canapés) to a benchmark cherry soufflé with coconut ice cream and a selection of petits fours including a wonderfully full-flavoured, cushion-shaped blackcurrant pâté de fruit. Chef-patron Matt Abé (namechecked on the menu cover) and head chef Kim Ratcharoen are doing a fine job, not just by protecting the jewel in Ramsay’s crown but also by expressing their own highly attractive and accessible culinary creativity. After a decade, it is perhaps time to refresh the intimate dining room's rather dated lilac and grey interior, although it still feels like a special place in which to dine. Regulars may also lament the retirement of charismatic maître d’ Jean-Claude Breton in 2022, but the quality of service remains undiminished and is arguably the finest in the capital (perfectly paced and perfectly judged). We felt like royalty, even when we asked for tap water – which was poured with as much care and ceremony as a vintage Bordeaux. As for the wines themselves, don’t expect to see anything under £50 on the exhaustive and opulent iPad list, although there are some relative bargains that will ensure the bill doesn’t spiral into the stratosphere.
This King’s Road institution has new custodians in the shape of JKS Restaurants, the go-getting group behind such destination venues as Gymkhana, Lyle’s and Trishna. It turns out they can do pubs too. The Cadogan Arms … Read more
This King’s Road institution has new custodians in the shape of JKS Restaurants, the go-getting group behind such destination venues as Gymkhana, Lyle’s and Trishna. It turns out they can do pubs too. The Cadogan Arms looks ravishing after its refresh, with stained glass mirrors at the bar, an embossed ceiling, velvet upholstery and grand displays of dried flowers and peacock plumes. With culinary director James Knappett and exec chef Alex Harper (ex-Harwood Arms) overseeing proceedings, the kitchen delivers ‘pub grub’ of a piece – both prawn cocktail with iceberg lettuce and marie rose sauce, and an XL chicken Kyiv are unapologetically retro. At one meal, ‘humble ham and eggs’ turned out to be 'a fleshy piece of ham served on the bone' with fat chips and a sticky pineapple jam, while fried buttermilk chicken with hot sauce was simply ‘lip-smacking’. Or there could be roast turbot on the bone with brown shrimps, seasonal vegetables and chilled bagna cauda, while a nostalgic rhubarb trifle with a huge dollop of cream has been declared a ‘successful reboot’. One needn’t scale the three-figure reaches of the wine list to drink well. Leave the Latour for the well-heeled locals; for the rest of us, there are cask and keg beers, reasonable wines by the glass and fun ‘cocktail chasers’.
‘Charming, precise and delicious’; ‘an almost perfect experience’ – just two glowing verdicts on Taylor Bonnyman’s discreet and eminently civilised little restaurant tucked away in a quiet Chels… Read more
‘Charming, precise and delicious’; ‘an almost perfect experience’ – just two glowing verdicts on Taylor Bonnyman’s discreet and eminently civilised little restaurant tucked away in a quiet Chelsea street, which is celebrating is 10th anniverary in 2023. With its warm lighting, widely spaced tables, rich upholstery and smartly dressed, punctilious staff, it feels classy but classic with touches of elegance and formality that belie its neighbourly disposition (even if that neighbourhood is SW3). The whole show is ‘superbly organised’ and a fitting backdrop to Bonnyman’s seasonal culinary adventures. Much depends on produce from his specially designed and professionally tended organic kitchen garden in Sussex, which add vivacity and freshness to a host of intricate constructions noted for their cohesion and limpid flavours. A lot happens on the plate, as in a three-part combo involving roasted scallops with collared greens, a serving of broccoli stems with ginger broth, and a scallop roe/radish dumpling. More robust dishes also feature prominently, although there is always something unexpected underpinning prosaic-sounding ideas such as roast lobster tail with braised chard or saddle of fallow deer (from the Sussex estate) complemented by earthy swede and fragrant meadowsweet. Meals revolve around an eight-course tasting menu (six courses at lunch), concluding with a brace of contemporary desserts – perhaps blood orange sorbet with buttermilk followed by a tartare of rhubarb with rose cream redolent of an English garden. The diverse wine list includes ‘fabulous options across all price points’, with stellar contributions from reputable producers worldwide, plus an impressive contingent of English sparklers and around 20 highly appetising by-the-glass selections for those who want to explore without splurging.
*Chef Leandro Carreira has left and the kitchen is now overseen by Ezra Dobbie (formerly sous-chef at The Sea, The Sea Hackney).*
On an appealing pedestrianised road a short distance from Sloane Square, The Sea, The Sea (inspired… Read more
*Chef Leandro Carreira has left and the kitchen is now overseen by Ezra Dobbie (formerly sous-chef at The Sea, The Sea Hackney).*
On an appealing pedestrianised road a short distance from Sloane Square, The Sea, The Sea (inspired by a poem by Paul Valéry and a novel by Iris Murdoch) opened in 2019 as a fishmonger-cum-restaurant. It's a tiny, inviting room with plenty of contemporary touches (marble-top counter, ash-wood flooring) and the bonus of tempting displays of fresh seafood.
At lunchtime, seating is limited to wooden stools at the fish counter or at tables outside (perfect for people-watching). In the evening, the counter is removed to accommodate 20 covers. who are served a daily changing menu full of surprises.
Expect attractive small plates (too small, according to some reports) of sparklingly fresh seafood: octopus with a sticky aromatic glaze infused with fennel seeds, anise and garlic; crisp skinned trout, dry-aged for a firmer texture and deeper flavour, set atop a piece of daikon over a clear dashi broth; a pair of tiger prawns served with a warm broth thickened with almond and amaranth and heady with fresh coriander.
There is just one dessert, perhaps vanilla cream with rhubarb and jam, while cheeses are from London Cheesemongers across the road. Service is friendly. Fish-friendly whites (from £36) dominate the wine list, with eight offered by the glass.
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