Nice one Pablo... Drinks at Picasso

If you're vaguely familiar with the Kings Road at all, surely you'll have heard of Picasso. It's a real King's Road institution, having been around 40 years ago as a traditional "caff" when the road was still at the heart of bohemian London, and having survived several decades, several economic booms and troughs and still kept that traditional charm. Indeed, Sarah's mum, who joined us last Friday for drinks at one of her old haunts, remembers hanging out there when she was in her 20s and working locally for Ossie Clark (cue lots of first job envy!). So understandably, there was a lot of local curiosity when Picasso shut its doors this year for a total refurb, and re-emerged under the ownership of the rather swanky Black&Blue group.

However, like a phoenix from the flames, what has emerged from the rubble is a really gorgeous local venue, which hasn't lost any charm and still manages not to be pretentious or ostentatious. With lots of diner style booths, natural light streaming through the glass ceiling and chic Parisian style cafe music humming in the backround, the general ambience is of laid back chic.

As this was an early Friday evening, cocktails were the order of the day. We were excited to try the special Wimbledon cocktail - a light, cleansing cocktail based around lime and cucumber - created by the Picasso team to celebrate the annual tennis event. Decorated with a twist of lime peel which reminded me of the tracks around a tennis ball, the flavours countered each other really well and I wasn't disappointed.

Sarah plumped for the Herbalist, which was zingy, sweet and refreshing all at once. The bitter Tanqueray gin was offset perfectly by the cucumber.

Ann also really enjoyed her Romeo's First cocktail; apparently is the drink of the moment amongst Picasso customers. Based around passion fruit, the mixologist managed to avoid its sweet taste overwhelming the other flavours. The end product was rather aromatic and elegant and not in the least sickly.

Accompanying our drinks was a perfect mini mezze plate of olives, feta and sundried tomatoes - the perfect way to start the evening!

Unfortunately we couldn't stay to sample the full menu, but true carnivores amongst you would be pleased to hear that it's based around steaks and hamburgers which, if the Black & Blue reputation is anything to go by, are bound to be mouth-watering.

Picasso
127 Kings Road,
London
SW3 4PW

Motoring Ahead on the Kings Road

Mare Moto is fast becoming a staple in my SW6 routine. I have grown such a fondness for this Italian establishment and recommend it left, right and centre to anyone that will listen. What is so very special about Mare Moto is that it has many faces-all of which work and cater brilliantly for the target market.

Firstly I feel it is necessary to point out that most of my peers and SW6 neighbours love the Friday nightclub, sugary cocktail, multicoloured dance floor characteristic of Mare Moto, something it does very well which we have already reviewed here. However, as well as providing a fun, safe and cool environment to let your hair down on a Saturday night Mare Moto has leaped ahead in the dining stakes.

Having sampled pretty much every local Italian in SW6 and every restaurant on that strip of New Kings Road I feel rather ashamed that I have overlooked Mare Moto when choosing a dinner location. I feel to begin with I have to gush about the exceptional service- we were looked after by Adriano Webb Carlucci, Executive Restaurant Manager, like we were his own. From New York, but also with Tuscan heritage, Adriano knows his stuff when it comes to the hospitality industry (he has served Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp in LA!). Jess had only just finished telling Adriano that she was about to embark on a two week Italian holiday and before she knew it an extensive Italian wine list with full descriptions of every grape was upon her. Adriano personally recommended something very special, a Tuscan Vernaccia from San Gimignano, a vineyard that he had personally visited.....swoon.

This personalised service was not just for us, we watched as every other customer (the restaurant was full of regulars) were treated like VIP’s and all seemed to be on first name terms with the waiting team, very impressive. The restaurant not only benefits from its prime location but also from being unique in having the front facing outdoor terrace cutely decorated with vines and fairy lights. As dusk falls and the wine flows it is a very magical place to be in SW6.

After much admiring of the modern elegance of the restaurant and sussing out the other diners we turned our attentions to the sophisticated menu. To start we shared the ‘Rotelle di vegetali alla Parmigiana’ and ‘Calamari e Zucchini Fritti con salsa piccante’ and were very impressed when two plates groaning with Italian decadence arrived. For those who appreciate Italian food it really knocks the socks off its competition; fresh, mouth-wateringly good flavours and tastes left us feeling (with some creative imagination) that we could be in Tuscany.

The main courses were yet again huge bowls of steaming freshly cooked Italian pasta; Pappardelle with mushrooms and steak for Jess and Spaghetti Vongole for me. Mine had the perfect quantity of chilli giving it an exciting kick but not overpowering the taste of the clams. Jess said her beef was cooked to perfection and accompanied the fungi perfectly. It was at this point that Jess started to get very excited at the prospect of living on this food for two weeks but also panic at how she would burn it all off! Anyway that didn’t matter, when in Rome we decided to share a dessert and opted for Adriano’s recommendation of the Banoffee Pie. Again like everything that Adriano had recommended we were not disappointed, it was as delicious as everything else had been and as we fought over the last spoonful it dawned on us that we were Mare Moto converts for life.

Mare Moto prides itself on offering an authentic Italian dining experience which also retains the level of service and attention to detail of a top London restaurant. It is extremely reasonably priced; our starters were £5.50 each which is the same as Pizza express! Yet again with every market that they cater for Mare Moto gets it spot on and it’s no doubt that we will be back there again and again- but maybe not straight after Jess’s visit to Italy as I have a feeling after two weeks she may be sick to death of pasta!

http://www.maremoto.co.uk

The Hand and Chelsea Flowers

Surprise surprise our favourite UK April showers arrived later than desired and a ‘summers’ May Thursday evening turned into a sprint for the 22 bus whilst being pelted with hailstones. This was equally timely as one of our most prestigious local events, The Chelsea Flower show, was in full bloom, proving destructive for my hair, the traffic and the poor flowers.

However a rescue remedy was in the 22’s sight and the aptly named Hand and Flower pub immediately offered a basket of warm bread, a comforting wine list and a beautiful waitress named Francesca. I had promised my father- somewhat of a ‘gastropub’ connoisseur living in leafy Surrey- a delicious local dinner that was worth the 80 minute crawl up the A3 from Reigate.

We were immediately seated with ease next to the open plan kitchen where we could spy Head Chef Adam England searing his steaks and pieces of cod- he looked relaxed and within moments so were we. The Hand and Flower is reminiscent of a Victorian Summer house but also has qualities of a Pall Mall gentleman's club  with red velvet curtains, plush maroon cushions and oversized retro lampshades. Contrasting with this opulent decor is a stunning glass ceiling that allows the evening light (May hailstones in our case) to shine into the restaurant enhancing the stylish Kings Road 'strip' and red suede loafers atmosphere.

Adam did us very proud. I went for the full girlie ‘Chelsea Flower Show’ straw hat option and decided on the ‘ceviche of scallops with lime & cucumber’ followed by the ‘baked sea bass with basil oil’. My father, the veteran of many a Greek summer in a certain local taverna in Corfu, unsurprisingly chose the char grilled halloumi to start and then opted for a manly pork chop which he thought could have had more sauce.

We found all the dishes extremely impressive and were instantly relaxed into the swing of the dressed down city boy culture that was emerging around us. You cannot deny that the food is of an extremely high quality here. Head chef Adam favours trendy establishments such as The Gun in Greenwich during his time off and obviously has a real passion for good quality yet sexy and contemporary versions of traditional dishes. He likes “the simple things, done well”- a quality I cannot dispute he excels in.

The prices at the Hand and Flower are very reasonable compared to some of its SW6 neighbours. The wine was perfectly chilled and delightfully fruity, Francesca our waitress was fabulous and we both left grinning from ear to ear. That was before my Dad realized he had to battle with the A3 and A217 whilst I curled up half a mile down the road in SW6, however I do not doubt that he and I will be back.

http://www.handandflowersw6.co.uk/

Gobbling Chelsea, at Duke of York Square Market

Having got a taste for the hustle and bustle of North End Road market, and wanting to take a stroll to enjoy last Saturday's sunshine, I decided to amble along the King's Road to the area's decidedly more 'polished' market. Each weekend, throngs of people congregate in Duke of York Square to meander around the Chelsea food market, sampling global cuisine from Brazilian to Portuguese, picking at all sorts of sweet treats from crepes to cupcakes and enjoying all the treats that the various stalls have to offer.

Whilst the North End Road offers a more authentic local market experience, and real fruit and veg bargains to boot, Chelsea market boasts a variety and sophistication that rivals the famous Broadway market in Hackney, with prices significantly lower than the notorious Borough market. Whether your a health nut or a chocoholic, all bases are covered, and there seemed to be plenty of both present last Saturday - the largest queues were for Rainforest Creations (an exotic vegetarian salad stall) and for the plentiful cupcake and patisserie stalls. 

Also on offer is organic fruit and veg, a variety of pickles, chutneys and conserves, Brazilian, Portuguese (the smell of rocket and chorizo buns gave me hunger pangs all day), Jamaican, Thai, pancakes, fresh juice, fresh oysters, fish, organic meat, pies, cheeses and everything in between. Arrive with an empty stomach: I guarantee you'll find enough to eat lunch four times over!

Taking the Bait

Chelsea offers a wealth of deli-come-restaurants with Walton Street in particular housing the crème de la crème of posh cafes. The old favourite is Jaks, an Italian owned and run chaotic deli and restaurant that has people queuing outside the door at 1pm on a week day. However, a sexier neighbour popped up last December that caused intrigue amongst the yummy mummies and glamour pusses of SW3.

Baity Kitchen was set up by two charming best friends; Christina Mouratoglou from Greece and Palestinian born Joudie Kalla-Anagnou. Christina is the general manager and Joudie is the head chef, together they blend a perfect combination of business savvy and exceptional food. Having walked past Baity Kithchen many a lunch break drooling over the brownies in the window display I decided to try it with my colleague for lunch.

The decor is effortlessly chic, minimalist and contemporary- steel tables are counterbalanced with funky turquoise chairs and sky lights allow sunshine to flood into the restaurant area creating that feeling of outside yet being inside. It is a much less stressful experience than Jacks, firstly due to the implementation of table service for everything (you have to que for up to 10 minutes to pay the bill at Jaks and it can become a bit of a bun fight). As well as the great service the waiters are all embarrassingly good looking, I don’t know if this is coincidence or part of the hiring process but we were certainly not complaining.

I ordered a greek style stuffed pepper with greek salad on the side (might as well stick with the theme!) and Izzy, my colleague, ordered a selection of three salads and said the aubergine in particular was excellent. We were then very kindly treated to a giant choc chip cookie and some tiramisu which I find difficult to put in words how much we enjoyed; we had died and gone to Chelsea deli heaven. All in all a wonderful addition to SW3 and to my lunchbreaks!

www.baitykitchen.com

Cocktail Hour at Beaufort House

After all the champagne and nibbles and the fabulous Bluebird event last week, we weren't too keen to head home right away and decided to head off for a quick cocktail with the guys from kingsroad.co.uk (have a read, it's great).

Sarah had been to Beaufort House "about a million" times before, but amazingly enough I'd never stepped inside. However, this place has always been on my radar - in my younger years I used to make an almost daily pilgrimage from Wandsworth to Chelsea on the mighty 319 bus route (oh yes, those were the days) which turns onto the Kings Road off Beaufort Street. Beaufort House has always been sat there proudly, and temptingly, on the corner - a real Kings Road institution.

So buoyed on champagne, off we trotted for a quick drink. I wasn't disappointed with the cocktail menu - it was extensive and my Raspberry Collins was really delicious, zingy and refreshing. The decor is pretty classic and elegant. However some of the tables were a bit small and the chairs a bit hard for my liking - and being a bit of a theme-obsessive I tend to go for bars with slightly more outlandish decor. The bar excepted (it's a big, glossy, silver wonder) BH plays it quite safe. But Beaufort House doesn't target the yoofs that would be attracted to the likes of Public (or anywhere with a colour scheme just shy of tacky - my favourite!). It is a members club more often frequented by more monied, slightly older types (not old old, but approaching middle age old) and there is a simple elegance and classic charm to the place. That said, it apparently hosted the cast of Made in Chelsea for their viewing party of the second series, so perhaps it is targetting the younger market after all!

Anyway, fab cocktail, fun times. I'd recommend you all to try it out yourself.

Champagne....an SW6 girl’s best friend

I love champagne. I love the taste, I love the fizz, I love the little tingling it gives me after half a glass and I love how perfectly it compliments canapés. Last Thursday night saw some of my favourite things amalgamate making for an extremely fun evening at one of SW6’s favourite haunts, The Bluebird. We were very lucky to be invited by The Bluebird to their terrace/garden opening party, sponsored by none other than Veuve Clicquot. Some locals will determine the official start of Summer by those lurid orange umbrellas in the garden, for me it brings a sense of excitement as The Bluebird really comes into its own during the Summer, especially during Wimbledon (love the novelty giant size tennis balls).

The garden was decked with Veuve merchandising including a Smeg fridge, champagne bottle umbrella covers and ice buckets, all of which were coloured with the distinctive orange that signifies the luxury brand. We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed a summery Kings Road evening not only sipping the delicious champagne but also enjoying an array of canapés from the Bluebird kitchen and outdoor grill. I have eaten at The Bluebird several times before and am never disappointed by the extensive menu, especially the brilliant value for money Evening Standard menu. We munched our way through crayfish, mini burgers and Thai dumplings- all of which received rave reviews.

The Bluebird is the perfect summers evening spot, whether it’s for cocktails, a glass of Veuve Clicquot or an alfresco supper you cannot help but feel relaxed and enjoy the St Tropez-come Kings Road buzzy atmosphere it always exudes.

http://www.bluebird-restaurant.co.uk/



Made in.. The Botanist - Perfect for People Watching.

If you're in the Sloane Square area, and in the market for a mean cocktail, The Botanist has for a long time been your go to place. The bar is always doing a booming trade, as elegantly dressed professionals (for some reason everyone seems to be in a dress or a suit) spill out on to the street sip their Bellinis and Cosmopolitans and watch the (sophisticated) hordes go by. The prime Sloane Square positions makes it popular with bankers and Chelsea socialites (indeed we saw two of the girls from Made in Chelsea dithering outside, having filmed a scene at nearby Tiffany) but there is a vibrant older crowd there enjoying themselves too.

The Botanist treads the line well between elegance and modern sophistication. True to its name, there are stunning bouquets of flowers dotted around and the bar is a grand silver affair. Whilst there is a restaurant area attached, the main reason people come here is for the creative cocktail menu with it's mix of Botanist originals and twists on old favourites.

They weren't cheap (cocktails are £9 upwards) but we were impressed with our Empire Collins and Original Singapore Sling. The barman took the time to mix everything properly, and the garnish was fresh, simple and modern.

There is a lively atmosphere at The Botanist, but due to its popularity and lack of outdoor space (drinkers spill onto small marked areas on the Sloane Square pavement), unless you're there for a quick drink and some serious people watching you'd be wise to arrive early. And if you are there for some people watching... boy have you come to the right place! As well as our Made In Chelsea sighting, the sartorial choices of our fellow drinkers (several in floor length gowns) were definitely worth the trip, as well as a classic "banker moment" in which a Ferrari roared up outside while some model-type tried her best to catch everyone's attention as she got inside. Despite this description, the place feels surprisingly unpretentious. This is probably due to the huge age range of our fellow drinks. On the whole, everyone seemed to be kicking back and unwinding with a good drink in hand - even those in the evening gowns!

Two Greedy Little Buddhas

When I suggested a local Nepalese restaurant, The Greedy Buddha to my best friend Lizi for a mid week catch up dinner she looked very dubious. My boyfriend had recently returned from a difficult, intense and emotionally draining 4 weeks in Nepal throughout which I had been in SW6 with no contact to him. The 4 weeks were really tough and having heard some fairly gruesome horror stories of infected blisters and extreme poverty Lizi was baffled as to my choice of cuisine for the evening.

 However, there was method behind the madness- this restaurant had great reviews and a fantastic location on Wandsworth Bridge Road, with an outdoor bamboo covered garden at the front! (Love anything novelty). It was a sunny evening and I could think of no better location to sit and chew the fat, luckily not literally, with my bestie. Jess had also lent me her taste card and so we were able to totally indulgence in 2 courses and copious amounts of vino.

We had a perfect table at the front to watch the world go by and enjoy the evening rays. Before even ordering our food we had somehow managed to gossip for an hour and get through 2 glasses of wine and several poppodoms.

The starters were really excellent, soft, light dumplings and spicy, crispy king prawns- both dishes were rich in flavour and taste. I was desperate for something spicy so whilst in Rome I opted for the Greedy Buddha special Nepalese curry which was outstanding. Lizi opted for a chicken Dhansak curry which was equally delicious, if a little too filling! Having spent weeks cursing Nepal and its lack of mobile phone networks and internet cafes, The Greedy Buddha converted me- I could eat variations of that dinner for 4 weeks happily, although one dinner left us both feeling like very greedy buddhas so it probably isn’t the wisest idea if I want to keep the boyfriend.

144 Wandsworth Bridge Road
London SW6 2UH
020 7751 3311

Borough what? Hitting the North End Road Market

Having promised myself a quiet (and crucially, cheap) local weekend I found myself waking on Saturday morning and wondering how I could pass a morning productively, fill my fridge and research a blog post - all the while avoiding a deathly dull supermarket trip (Sainsbury's - you're great - but the Saturday morning 'family-shopping' hour is just too hectic).

I rarely meander up to Fulham Broadway of a weekend just for the sake of exploration, and even more rarely venture towards North End Road. However, just I was setting off for a little stroll - namely to satisfy a random craving for frozen yoghurt (more on that later) - I had the good fortune to remember a friend's recent recommendation that I ought to give the North End Road market a try.

I confess, I wasn't expecting much. My most recent memories of the North End Road include seeing an Iceland, various pound stores and (most exciting of all) a shut-down outpost of TOWIE's infamous Sugar Hut. Yet, the North End Road is a rough gem in a borough that often seems a little over-manicured and yuppy. Apparently, most of the market pitches have been in the same families for generations (the market has been running since the 1880s) and the bargains you get are unbelievable. Most of the stalls are for fresh fruit and veg, although the odd home bric-a-bric stall is peppered in and there is also a French cheese monger, a fishmonger and a few fresh juice and falafel carts. The whole street has a wonderful, vibrant hurly burly about it as shoppers jostle their way into rough queues and stallholders hawk their wares and call for refills. The variety of fruit and veg is amazing - and most sell at £1 per medium sized bowl (I found it much better value than the supermarket). Local shops really thrive on market day too, and Dickinson's the butchers had customers queuing half way down the block. I also frequented a really friendly Mediterranean deli.

If you're most at home in the sanitised environment of M&S then the tustle of the market may not be for you, but it's a fantastic way to spend a morning whilst loading up on cheap, healthy food to boot. As for me, I'm thinking of turning it into a weekend ritual. Just look at everything I picked up for just over £10.