Spring is here and, for Londoners at least, nothing epitomises this more than the Chelsea Flower Show. This year it’s from the 20th to the 24th of May and, as always, in Royal Hospital Gardens, the lovely park that surrounds the home of the Chelsea Pensioners, built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1692.
The grounds were originally pleasure gardens with a Rotunda used for balls and where the young Mozart performed for the fashionable 18th century crowds. The Rotunda is long gone though there is a blue plaque on a nearby house celebrating the child genius’s stay in Belgravia – at the time this area, now considered to be central London, was regarded as the country!
The whole of Chelsea is in bloom during the Flower Show with shops and restaurants decorated – in some cases, entirely covered – with flowers as part of the celebrations (this year the theme is “Flowers in Fashion” and it’s just as much a part of the fun as the show itself).
The Sloane Place Restaurant (just one block away from the Flower Show) is no exception to this and not content simply with the floral decorations, it has already launched its spring all-day dining menu, fusing European influences and seasonal British ingredients under the careful guidance of Head Chef George Scott-Toft, formerly of the Greenhouse, Serge et le Phoque and the Mandrake Hotel.
Enjoying the airy dining room and its huge windows looking out on to the street soon to be filled with thousands of flower-lovers, the Major and I considered the menu. He opted to start with a classic Beef Carpaccio with walnuts and slivers of Tête de Moine cheese cut into tiny fans. I was tempted by the Tartare of Yellowtail with avocado and a zesty chilli dressing but in the end chose (it wasn’t all that spring-like a day in mid-April) a roasted celeriac soup from the daily specials menu which was quite delicious with added olive oil stirred through before serving.
The daily specials are very tempting – there was roasted lamb leg and a beef bourguignon with wild garlic on the board – and there are wines of the day, too. I chose a special, too, as my main course, a mustard glazed halibut fillet with asparagus and heritage tomato salad and this was just perfect and, indeed, suitably spring-like!
The Major went for Wein Schnitzel, a veal schnitzel with brown butter, capers and anchovies with a side order of two kinds of broccoli. These were both very generous (especially the schnitzel!) but, bearing in mind this is an all-day menu, you can go for smaller dishes such as a classic Croque Monsieur (toasted brioche, shaved ham and a blend of Emmental and Comté cheeses) or Burrata with tomatoes, olive oil and basil.
They have, rather delightfully, dessert cocktails – salted caramel espresso martini sounds pretty irresistible. Even more so, perhaps, is their signature dessert the Chocolate Hazelnut Marquise with hazelnut ice cream and a hot caramel sauce poured over the top. Luscious.
I can’t think of anywhere nicer to step in and away from the Flower Show mayhem – but if you’re going during the show itself, I’d recommend booking super early. If you want to make it more of a party, though, there’s a lovely private dining room here that takes up to 20 diners or for an even bigger party the Art Deco basement base, The Hideaway, can take up to 60.
Sloane Place is not, though, just the go-to spot for the Flowers Show. It’s just as nice the rest of the time – a little oasis of calm in the heart of Chelsea.
Sloane Place, . For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.sloaneplace.com.
