Where To Book For Mother’s Day
IF SHE LOVES EXHIBITIONS: Bryn Williams, Covent Garden
Best-loved for his Primrose Hill neighbourhood restaurant Odette and his beachfront eatery in Porth Eirias, celebrated Welsh chef Bryn Williams opened his first London restaurant in over a decade at cultural hotspot Somerset House in 2018. Your humble five-a-day take centre stage on the British-focused, seasonal menu, and although the restaurant isn’t strictly vegetarian, it’s refreshing to see the focus taken away from fish and meat. The perfect place to drop in after an exhibition at Somerset House – we suggest Mushrooms: The art, design and future of fungi.
Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LT
Visit Bryn-SomersetHouse.com
IF SHE LOVES FASHION: Berners Tavern, Fitzrovia
This Mother’s Day, Berners Tavern at the London Edition has partnered with the iconic Swiss stationers, Caran d’Ache to offer a one-off dining experience for mothers. Diners who book in for afternoon tea will have the opportunity for their portrait to be drawn by painter and fashion illustrator Poppy Waddilove, who has worked with brands such as House of Holland and Jasper Conran. Poppy will invite guests into her colourful world by crafting complimentary family portraits over ten-minute sessions. In addition, Berners Tavern’s Ruinart champagne trolley will be circulating the restaurant to add an extra touch of sophistication to your Mother’s Day experience.
10 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 3NP
Visit BernersTavern.com
IF SHE LOVES THE COTSWOLDS: The Wild Rabbit, Cotswolds
Treat your mum to a delicious meal and overnight stay at The Wild Rabbit, the idyllic pub with rooms in the Cotswolds. Head chef Nathan Eades creates seasonal menus, using organic and locally sourced ingredients from Daylesford’s market garden, just a couple of miles away. If that wasn’t reason enough to book a table, those looking to treat their mum should check into one of the inn’s three recently opened cottages. In keeping with the local Daylesford style, the rooms combine luxury with pared-back simplicity: each cottage sleeps four and is beautifully furnished with a fully equipped kitchen, AGA, living area and private garden.
Kingham, Chipping Norton, OX7 6YA
Visit TheWildRabbit.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES THE THEATRE: L’Escargot, Soho
Conveniently located near Covent Garden’s best-loved theatres, L’Escargot has been at the epicentre of London life for almost a century (famous clients include Coco Chanel, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Judy Dench and Princess Diana). Regularly voted one of the best restaurants in London and famous for its bourgeois French cooking, expect a menu filled with snails and French favourites including lobster bisque, salade niçoise and coq au vin. An excellent wine list offers many reasonably priced bottles, and pre-theatre and post-theatre dining is popular – perfect if you’re also treating your mum to a show.
48 Greek Street, Soho, W1D 4EF
Visit Lescargot.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES THE COAST: The Sportsman, Kent
This critically acclaimed coastal hotspot has held a Michelin star since 2008, and although it might not look much from the outside, the food is exceptionally good. And the best bit: it comes without the hefty price tag. Chef-patron Stephen Harris is “obsessed” with ‘terroir’ – the idea that a restaurant’s menu should reflect its surrounding geography, history and produce – and as such, produce served at The Sportsman is sourced almost exclusively from the land surrounding the pub.
Seasalter, Whitstable, CT5 4BP
Visit TheSportsmanSeasalter.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Moor Hall, Lancashire
Two-Michelin-starred Moor Hall Restaurant is located in a striking Grade II listed building dating back to the 13th century. Located in Aughton, West Lancashire, the restaurant is accompanied by five acres of gardens, with views to the south over a beautiful lake, said to be the remains of a medieval moat (kids will love it). Since undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment in 2015, the accolades have kept on coming. With a menu of produce-driven hit from chef-patron Mark Birchall on offer, guests can expect to sample the likes of Berkshire fallow deer with elderberry, beetroot and kale; and gingerbread with roots and pine.
Aughton, Lancashire, L39 6RT
Visit MoorHall.com
IF SHE LOVES ITALY: Daphne’s, Chelsea
An Italian mainstay for well-heeled clientele, Daphne’s is well known for its people-watching potential and classic country-style cuisine. Inside, expect a vibrant design, from the bright, flower-filled dining room to the rustic conservatory and lamp-lit counter-top dining at the bar. Menus are decidedly Mediterranean – highlights include gamberoni with chilli and garlic; roast cod with zucchini and crab; followed by a light vanilla cheesecake with rhubarb and ginger.
112 Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, SW3 3AE
Visit Daphnes-Restaurant.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE: Sorrel, Dorking
Since opening its doors in 2017, head chef Steve Drake and his team at Michelin-starred Sorrel have been serving modern dishes in a striking 300-year old building in Dorking. Located in the Surrey Hills, the 40-cover restaurant offers fine dining in a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere, drawing upon inspiration from quality local ingredients. When it comes to food, expect the likes of monkfish with lardo, celeriac and lemon miso butter; scallop with lollo rosso seaweed, oyster and lemon thyme; and blueberry, lavender aero and oregano crumble.
Dorking, Surrey, RH4 2JU
Visit SorrelRestaurant.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES CLASSIC COOKING: Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, Westminster
Housed in a grand dining room in the Corinthia Hotel, Tom Kerridge brought many of his team from the Hand & Flowers, The Coach and The Butcher’s Tap in Marlow to recreate his relaxed fine-dining vibe in the capital. A vibrant space that mixes old-school burgundy banquette seating and forest-green walls with modern art and sculptures, here guests can expect to sample some of Kerridge’s famed staples: think fish and chips with pease pudding, tartare and Matson spiced sauce and glazed omelette ‘lobster thermidor’. Expect rich comfort food, cooked to absolute perfection.
10 Northumberland Avenue, Westminster, WC2N 5AE
IF SHE LOVES AFTERNOON TEA: Swan, Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside
Part of the Globe itself, close to the National Theatre and across the river from the West End, this high-end eatery is often the backdrop for working actors to head for dinner following their performance: Mark Rylance, Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry and Jude Law have all been spotted here for a bite to eat. This Mother’s Day, the team will be serving its afternoon tea. Themed on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the tea is inspired by the journeys of the characters: from the pea flower of Oberon’s love potion, the apricots Titania feeds to Bottom and, of course, mulberries from the lovers’ tree.
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1 9DT
Visit SwanLondon.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES GARDENING: Petersham Nurseries, Covent Garden
Petersham Nurseries’ Covent Garden site is located in Floral Court, which combines a traditional country garden with Italian elegance – think Tuscan terracotta pots filled with English fern. Plant life also plays a part in the décor of the two restaurants – the antique mirror-filled Petersham is full of indoor trees and an array of vases full of blooms are used to separate sections of the restaurant. The menu reads like dishes at a country wedding: think varieties of courgette with peas, broad beans and prosciutto; followed by Portland crab and fennel salad with pistachios, crème fraiche and dill.
31 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JD
Visit PetershamNurseries.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES FIZZ: Great Scotland Yard, Covent Garden
Enjoy a special afternoon tea with your mother at The Parlour at recently opened Great Scotland Yard hotel, where critically acclaimed chef Robin Gill (the man behind The Dairy in Clapham) has updated the traditional notion of afternoon tea with spices and aromas, alongside a carefully selected list of teas and tea-based cocktails. For Mother’s Day, the tea will be served with Gusbourne champagne, and mums will leave with a gift – a voucher for a wine tour of Gusbourne Vineyards in Kent.
3-5 Scotland Yard, Covent Garden, SW1A 2HW
Visit Hyatt.com
IF SHE LOVES SEAFOOD: Lympstone Manor, Devon
At the mouth of the Exe estuary, Lympstone Manor is an exquisitely restored country mansion that’s home to 21 hotel rooms, a vineyard and chef Michael Caines’ first restaurant of his own. Make sure to opt for the Estuary tasting menu, which features seven courses inspired by the spoils of the local environment: think Brixham scallop with tapenade, aubergine and tomato vinaigrette, followed by Lyme Bay lemon sole served with asparagus, button onions, white wine foam. Afternoon tea in one of the two beautiful dining rooms offers further opportunity to gaze out the windows and across the Devonshire countryside.
Exmouth, Devon, EX8 3NZ
Visit LympstoneManor.co.uk
IF SHE LOVES A TOUCH OF ECCENTRICITY: Zetter Townhouse, Clerkenwell
With sumptuous interiors by Russell Sage, Zetter Townhouse is an ideal spot to enjoy afternoon tea in the cocktail bar. More like the private home of an eccentric ancestor, the lounge is crammed full of collectibles, taxidermy and plenty of ‘Victoriana’ oddities – in a good way. Treat your mum on Mothering Sunday with a choice of two afternoon teas paired with some delightful tea-infused cocktails.
49-50 St John's Square, Farringdon, EC1V 4JJ
Visit TheZetterTownhouse.com
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