One of the best things about regular trips to Chelsea is planning in a bit of Mother-Daughter time. There is always a spare hour or two to grab a bite to eat before my dress fittings and I couldn’t resist sharing a few pictures from our last trip. The Ivy Chelsea Garden is the ultimate people watching spot for ladies who like to lunch.
The Ivy Chelsea Garden is a lot less businessy when compared with the original Ivy restaurant in Theatre land. It’s supermodel central with the occasional group of yummy mommy and the odd Made In Chelsea star thrown in for good measure. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself dining next to Rosie Fortescue or Natasha Oakley. We sipped a glass of rose while we waited for a table and watched the world go by. Before we even sat down, I had decided that this was my favorite of all the Ivy restaurants in London. There restaurant opens up on to a gorgeous open plan garden where you can sit and bask with a chilled glass of wine.
I went for the seafood option rather than the stodgy risotto that I really wanted (the pea and goats cheese risotto is to die for as is the Shepherd’s Pie) as I try to eat light before my dress fitting but I have to say the bread basket was the highlight for me. The avocado and prawn open sandwich was disappointingly salty but Mum’s prawn cocktail was lovely and left me with a major case of food envy. Marie rose sauce is just too good. I’ve always had outstanding food at the Ivy so I’m going to put this occasion down to making a bad choice. More exciting that any of the food, however, is the jaw-droppingly large bottle of rose wine. I could really do with one of these at home.
If you don’t have to go back to your desk, linger a little longer and try a cocktail. This was a virgin cocktail but I asked the waiter to add a splash of gym and it was truly delicious as well as extremely instagram worthy. The atmosphere is lively and the service is fabulous. Our waiter was more than happy to accommodate even the most demanding requests.
Have you been to the Ivy Chelsea Garden? Did you rate it or hate it?
