The Sloane Club has quite a history. Founded in 1922 by Princess Helena (daughter of Queen Victoria) as the Service Women’s Club, it was exclusively a place for women for decades – men were finally allowed over the threshold in the 1970s. It remained a club with members-only access until relatively recently when it grew across the corner of Lower Sloane Street, opening a restaurant, bar and hotel, Sloane Place. Its latest addition is the opening of the Roof Terrace Restaurant with, just until the end of August, a lusciously green space dedicated to celebrating summer.
Now it has to be said that when I visited, on the eve of Wimbledon’s finals weekend, the summer in London was not experiencing the heatwaves currently to be found across southern Europe. It was cool and damp and the big umbrellas and awnings that had been intended as sunshades were doubling up as vast umbrellas. With appropriate British spirit, diners and staff rose above the unreliable British weather – as did Kylie Price the singer/guitarist who entertained all evening with a sweetly mournful voice, reminiscent of Norah Jones. There are musicians every Friday and Sunday, in fact, in this small flower-filled space – with just 80 covers, it’s an intimate one too – a little haven just around the corner from Sloane Square.
The Roof Terrace has teamed up for the summer with Whispering Angel who specialise in rose wines and so it seemed rude not to start with their Pale Rose (they have three featured roses on the wine list) and this turned out to be a good choice – crisply dry, delicately fruity and, indeed, very pale in colour. The menu is very summery with lots of fish and seafood though there are steaks and burgers for dedicated carnivores.
I began with tuna tartare with a warning from my charmingly chatty waitress that it was a little spicy. It was just right for me (though admittedly I didn’t eat the extra slivers of chilli), the fish very fresh and with a scattering of coriander. The Major went for foie gras, served with rhubarb (“just the right amount of sharpness to undercut the richness of the terrine” he announced) and scattered with pistachios and tiny violets.
I had determined on a fishy night but wanted to find something a little more unusual, so my main course was Stonebass Fillet served with a zesty fruity salad with the sweetness of apple, mango and pear balanced by tangy cranberries and an underlying spicy dressing. Tiny curls of brown shrimps almost melted on the tongue and the fish itself was firm and full of flavour. The Major in the meantime had also opted for fish – in his case, goujons of Cornish lemon sole with tartare sauce and skinny fries. “Delicious,” he declared. “There’s just the thinnest coating of breadcrumbs and the fish is full of flavour.” I didn’t manage a third course but the Major rose to the occasion with “the best Bakewell tart I’ve ever had”. I think that had something to do with the fact that it was sitting on more of that rhubarb that “takes it to another level altogether”.
All we have to do now is hope for a change in the weather…
Sloane Place, 60 Lower Sloane Street, London SW1W8BP. The Whispering Angel Roof Terrace restaurant runs through the summer. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.sloaneplace.com.
