Where To Soak Up The Atmosphere Of The Chelsea Flower Show
100 Queen’s Gate Hotel
South Kensington’s 100 Queen’s Gate Hotel is celebrating the Chelsea Flower Show by transforming its traditional afternoon tea into a floral flourished tribute. Inspired by the gardens shown at Chelsea, dishes will feature ingredients such as sweet pickled heritage baby carrots, baby beetroot and courgette flowers, alongside a selection of botanical-inspired pastries. Cakes will be served on a bed of edible chocolate soil, and a selection of savouries will include gin and tonic smoked salmon and cream cheese served on flower-shaped dark rye.
100 Queen's Gate, Kensington, SW7 5AG
Visit 100QueensGate.com
Bluebird Chelsea
Crosstown is bringing its famed doughnuts to the Kings Road for a limited time as the team partners with Bluebird Chelsea for a floral-inspired afternoon tea. Bluebird’s will be serving a three-tiered afternoon tea pilled with Crosstown doughnut bites, cakes, scones and sandwiches. The company’s vegan orange blossom dough bite will take centre stage on the tea stand accompanied by a selection of floral cakes from Bluebird’s pastry chef. Expect red velvet and rose petal cupcakes; caramel mocha choux buns; neroli blossom and strawberry macaroons and a flower pot of dark chocolate mousse with yuzu curd and chocolate soil.
350 King's Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UU; 21st-25th May
Chelsea Barracks Kitchen
Acclaimed chef Ollie Dabbous has opened a pop-up kitchen for the duration of the flower show. Set in the gardens of the prestigious Chelsea Barracks development, located just moments away from the event, this temporary dining experience will offer fine dining, an all-day deli and a bar with seating inside and out. The fine dining menu at Chelsea Barracks Kitchen will celebrate the very best seasonal produce, with a clear nod to RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the culinary garden it sits on. Mirroring Dabbous’ signature style at HIDE Restaurant, the dishes will respect the integrity of the ingredients and showcase them in an organic manner. The site is a short walk from the show and will be serving Michelin-worthy meals from brunch through to dinner.
1 Garrison Square, Chelsea, SW1W 8BG; 21st-25th May
Visit RHS.org.uk
Corrigan’s Mayfair
Both Corrigan’s Mayfair and Dickies Bar are taking inspiration from Chelsea Flower Show with flower-topped dishes and floral cocktails. Corrigan's menu will feature a starter of roast veal sweetbread with artichoke, wild garlic and asparagus; followed by rabbit wrapped in parma ham with red wine raviolo of braised shoulder and carrot puree; and gariguette strawberries with a choux bun, strawberry mousse and sorbet. Meanwhile, the team at Dickies Bar has created two floral cocktails: ‘Avianca’, a Peruvian twist on an aviation with pisco, Italicus, lemon sherbet, dry vermouth and violet; and ‘Temperate House’, named after the tropical greenhouse at Kew Gardens, with Kew Gin, Kwai Feh, Ciaociaro, lemon, grapefruit sherbet and egg white.
28 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, W1K 7EH; 18th-25th May
Visit CorrigansMayfair.co.uk
Daphne’s
Daphne’s has partnered with Wedgwood to create a special dessert and floral installation inspired by the Wedgwood Wild Strawberry Collection. Guests visiting the restaurant during the show can enjoy a special set menu which features the ‘Wild Strawberry’ dessert, a light cheesecake topped with wild strawberries and served on a Wedgewood Wild Strawberry plate. For those in the mood to celebrate, the team recommends adding a glass of Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé NV to pair with the dessert. To complement the event, Daphne’s façade and the space above its bar has been transformed with a beautiful floral installation inspired by the wild strawberry theme.
112 Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, SW3 3AE; until 25th May
Visit Daphnes-Restaurant.com
Ella Canta
Martha Ortiz has brought a taste of the Mexican countryside to London with the launch of her wild flower-inspired menu at Ella Canta. Guests will begin their six-course culinary journey with a ‘Mother Nature’ cocktail, a combination of citrusy, aromatic and gentle flavours. This will be followed by ceviche rosa de atún (pink tuna ceviche), fideos secos con chile morita y aguacate (fideos, crème frâche, avocado, morita chile sauce) and pastel de maíz y vainilla, helado de queso, cajeta (corn and vanilla cake, cheese ice-cream and Mexican cajeta). Although the space is always resplendent in flowers, for the duration of the festival, Ella Canta’s window display will be overhauled to match the ‘Wild Beauty’ menu, incorporating elements of Mexican flora.
Park Lane, Mayfair, W1J 7QY; until 31st May
Visit EllaCanta.com
No. Fifty Cheyne
Newcomer No. Fifty Cheyne is celebrating its first spring, creating an indoor ‘vineyard’ complete with green grapes and vines spreading out across the bar and dining areas. Head chef Iain Smith and bar manager Max Berrington have each created a menu full of the flavours of spring, showcasing the best seasonal produce and ingredients. Smith’s menu includes salmon tartare, avocado, ruby grapefruit, fennel and apple salad with a lemon dressing; poached chicken breast with spring vegetables and a truffle and roast chicken broth; and lavender panna cotta with summer berries. The sensory experience continues with Berrington’s cocktail menu: the ‘Wysteria Hysteria’ is made with home-made wisteria syrup, Taffel Akvavit and amalfi lemon extract; while the ‘Pavilion Sour’ comprises of Silent Pool gin, Madagascan vanilla syrup, cranberry, grapefruit bitters and lime, scented with Roja Dove Enigma Pour Homme.
50 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, SW3 5LR; until 25th May
Visit FiftyCheyne.com
The Ivy Chelsea Garden
The Ivy Chelsea Garden’s façade has been transformed into a wild flower meadow. The installation features an abundance of blooms, incorporating seasonal pastel tones of yellows, soft pinks, light blues and lilacs, interspersed with green foliage. Passers-by will be encouraged to help themselves to wild flower seeds, spreading the trail of wild flowers across London. The restaurant has also added two floral cocktails. The ‘Silent Sparkle’ features Silent Pool gin, ginger and lemongrass cordial, lime juice and Ivy champagne, garnished with fragrant dried lavender, while the ‘Camomile Garden’ incorporates Silent Pool gin, honey water and Fever Tree Indian Tonic, complemented with a spritz of camomile aromatics and garnished with kaffir lime leaf and orange.
195-197 King's Road, Chelsea, SW3 5EQ; until 28th July
Visit TheIvyChelseaGarden.com
Maitre Choux
This May, Maître Choux Chelsea has created its Instagram-friendly ‘Flower Room’, a picture-perfect space adorned with pink flowers. Within, guests can delve into pastel-coloured éclairs, choux and chouquette pastries. Hits from the deliciously decadent dessert menu include the team’s signature Spanish raspberry pink éclair and salted butter with homemade caramel éclair. Guests can pop in after a visit to the neighbouring show to sample the ‘Sweet Pink Afternoon Tea’, which comes with a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne.
59 King's Road, Chelsea, SW3 4ND; until 31st May
Visit MaitreChoux.com
Polpo Chelsea
Polpo Chelsea is celebrating Chelsea Flower Show and this year’s ‘Under the Sea’ theme by creating an octopus installation made with thousands of brightly coloured flowers. Created by award-winning florist Hayford & Rhodes, the sculpture includes orange sedum, celosia, succulents and sea urchin shells, while textures and subtle colour changes lend themselves to shading and highlights. Guests will also be able to choose from a range of special dishes to enjoy on the terrace – where the octopus resides – including risi e bisi, the classic Venetian pea and mint risotto; grilled asparagus, goat’s curd and speck bruschetta; fennel, orange and mint salad; and strawberry panna cotta.
81 Duke of York Square, Chelsea, SW3 4LY; 20th-26th May
Visit Polpo.co.uk
Sexy Fish
Sexy Fish is marking Chelsea Flower Show with its own ‘Shell-sea Flower Show’. The restaurant’s façade has undergone a floral transformation, with a giant blue and metallic mermaid tail decorated with flowers and shells while the restaurant’s uniforms will also take inspiration from the floral hues of the installation. A ‘Shell-Sea Flower Show’ cocktail menu has been created in collaboration with Bombay Sapphire English Estate gin. The cocktails include ‘Bloomed in Chelsea’, made with Bombay Sapphire English Estate, yuzu, rosé sparkling wine, chrysanthemum and orange blossom, and the ‘Three Bees’ featuring Bombay Sapphire English Estate, basil, fennel, mandarin, bergamot and suze.
Berkeley Square, Mayfair, W1J 6BR; until 2nd June
Visit SexyFish.com
Sketch
As usual, Sketch is doing something slightly different: Mayfair Flower Show. A selection of leading florists – including Thierry Boutemy, Rebel Rebel, Jam Jar and Tony Marklew – has each transformed part of the popular Mayfair destination into a visual spectacle. In addition, the team has developed a range of floral-inspired menus featuring an array of botanical dishes and drinks. In the two-Michelin-starred Lecture Room & Library, Pierre Gagnaire has worked with head chef Johannes Nuding to create a floral-inspired set lunch menu which features wild and seasonal ingredients soured from the UK’s forests and seas. In the Gallery, afternoon tea has had a floral makeover: the special edition includes botanically-inspired cakes and pastries including an elderflower and lemon tart and rose flower religieuse.
9 Conduit Street, Mayfair, W1S 2XG; until 27th May
Visit Sketch.London
Sushisamba Covent Garden
Sushisamba has partnered with Fleurs de Villes and florist Ricky Jackson to design a floral sushi bar installation and mannequin sculpture at its Covent Garden restaurant. Using trailing greenery, the design incorporates Brazilian-inspired rainforest vines, black and white flowers and colourful tropical leaves to create a one-of-a-kind installation. In addition, the restaurant has created an ‘In Bloom’ menu. With a focus on wellbeing and sustainability, Sushisamba’s new edible art menu showcases five custom creations curated by master sushi chef John Um: think spicy crab, salmon, shrimp, avocado, edible flowers, squid ink and tapioca crisps followed by tuna, salmon, yellowtail, seabass, butterfish and edible gold.
35 The Market Building, Covent Garden, WC2E 8RF; until 5th June
Visit Sushisamba.com
Trishna
Marylebone’s Trishna has transformed its façade with a beautiful array of exotic flowers to celebrate the launch of the restaurant’s new ‘Tea Garden’ collection of cocktails, made in collaboration with The Rare Tea Company. From Sri Lankan lemongrass to Nepalese cherry blossom, The Rare Tea Company’s cold-brew teas have been blended with the finest ingredients to create the new range of drinks. On 22nd May, the restaurant will be throwing a one-off dinner with The Rare Tea Company where diners will get to experience the cocktail collection alongside a four-course paired menu. Tables are available from 6pm onwards, and tickets are priced at £65pp.
15-17 Blandford Street, Marylebone, W1U 3DG; 22nd May
Visit TrishnaLondon.com
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