The London borough of Chelsea in South-West London is one of the city’s most iconic and affluent areas. Historically, it was a quaint riverside village famous for its association with artists and writers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the mid-20th century, it became the hub of the Swinging Sixties, with the buzz of the King’s Road at its heart.
Many legendary figures including Oscar Wilde, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix called the area home at one time. Today Chelsea is an affluent, sought-after and stylish neighbourhood with luxury real estate, traditional pubs, world-class bars and restaurants and designer shops. And it’s one of those eateries we’re going to sample.
Sloane Place is a boutique hotel just a stone’s throw from Sloane Square and is home to the restaurant of the same name. It’s an elegant light-filled establishment that serves a mix of European and Asian dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. The menu is comprehensive, offering a selection of tempting starters, salads and meat and fish dishes, including a grill section.
The soup du jour today is French onion, a soup that cannot (and should not) be resisted. It’s packed with the softest of onions, has a wonderful depth of flavour and is topped with the melting joy of a large cheesy crouton. And the prawn cocktail is bright and fresh, served topped with avocado and halved cherry tomatoes. How I love classic dishes done to perfection.
For mains the Malaysian chef was proud to present another special of the day – teriyaki beef. Slices of tender fillet coated in a beautifully sticky and rich glaze and served with rice. A great dish. And then there was the Wiener Schnitzel. I can’t say no to a schnitzel, to give you an idea of how much I love them, I ate one every day on a trip through Germany and Austria and still couldn’t get enough. Today’s breaded veal cutlet off the bone was more classic perfection. Light, yet crispy breadcrumbs encased the flavoursome, piping hot veal and I polished the whole thing off.
Sloane Place is a relaxed sort of restaurant and we were so comfortable we didn’t want to leave. Not yet anyway, so we had to have just one more course. An indulgent gingerbread creme brulee arrived topped with soaked fruit confit and pan D’espices toast.
And as someone with absolutely no sweet tooth I was delighted to tuck into an Artisan British cheese platter with sticky fig relish. The perfect ending to one of the most delightful meals I’ve enjoyed in some time. Chelsea’s reputation of excellence is undoubtedly well-founded.
Sloane Place is at 60 Lower Sloane Street, London SW1
Words by Sandy Cadiz-Smith