foodLDNreview
The Hemsley + Hemsley Café in Selfridges, London.
23.9.16
Sampling the new Hemsley + Hemsley Café in London's Selfridges. Spoiler: it was SO good.
Something that I’ve really enjoyed embracing in 2016 is the art of healthy eating. No restraining, no fad diet and no strict rules but simply choosing a little better, given the option.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Hemsley + Hemsley girls, a sister duo that focus on good eating, two food lovers ‘with a passion for wellness and delicious, nutrient-dense food’. My own sister and I are borderline obsessed with Jasmine and Melissa, watching their Channel 4 show religiously and implementing SO many of their food philosophies into our own eating habits, and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be picking up their cookware and recipe books as soon as we have our own place(s).
This autumn sees the girls open their very first Hemsley + Hemsley Cafe, a beautiful eatery nestled in Selfridges London’s The Body Studio suite on the 3rd Floor. My good pal Sophie met me after work last week and onwards we ventured to sample the menu for ourselves!
Ooft the Hemsley + Hemsley Café is seriously good đŸ‘Œ food filled with unpretentious goodness and wonderful staff on hand too! A photo posted by Michelle Chai | č”ĄčŠ ĺ…’。 (@winyeemichelle) on Sep 12, 2016 at 1:23pm PDT
The cafe is compact but beautiful, an interior-replica of the Hemsley + Hemsley philosophy. From the earthy green chairs to sleek zen wooden tabletops, it truly does make a wonderful place to stop by and fuel up.
Onto the main attraction - the menu! Having recently gotten *totally* into healthier eating and better decisions, I was so excited to sample the menu. It’s not wholly vegetarian or vegan, there are plenty of options for every diet, but the crux of the menu centres around good and simple food, free from gluten, grains, refined sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
(Please excuse this over-exposed shot!)
Sophie opted for the Feta and Black Bean Burger with Lime Slaw and Cultured Ketchup. It looks absolutely incredible, served in their signature flaxseed burger buns and with a delicious looking slaw.
I decided to go for the Salmon Burger served with Chimichurri Sauce and Lime Slaw which I can confirm was truly incredible, wholesome and filling and packed full of flavor. So often fish burgers are totally overdone and are rendered tough to eat but the fish meat broke away in lovely flakes and was brilliantly complimented by their chimichurri sauce and H + H homemade sriracha sauce.
Drinks-wise, we both opted for their Blueberry, Lime and Lavender Mocktail. Not too sickly and not too floral, but it was fairly underwhelming. I’d probably go for a juice next time!
To round the evening off, we ordered dessert (treat yo’self!). I ordered their signature treat, a Paradise bar, which is made of desiccated coconut, raw cacao, sea salt and raw honey. Absolutely delicious and oh so moreish! I seriously need to pick up one of the girls’ cookbooks in a bid to recreate this. Sophie opted for their Cinnamon Banana Bread which looked and smelt SO good; I hear reports that it was seriously yummy and totally filling.
Overall, I was seriously impressed by the Hemsley + Hemsley Cafe! It certainly makes for a great, tangible impression of their brand with wonderful waiting staff, an incredible menu (it’s educational too!), food filled with unpretentious goodness and a zen hangout spot in my favorite place to shop. I’ll certainly be back again soon, and I hope you’ll visit too!
