This month gardening enthusiasts will head to the Chelsea Flower Show to see what the Royal Horticultural Society has on offer for 2016. If you need a bite with extra flower power to round off your stroll around the blooms – try one of the following floral-inspired menus or cocktails on offer in and around Chelsea…
Available 23-29 May
Rivea London will pay homage to the Flower Show with two exclusive desserts crafted by Alain Ducasse protégé Alexandre Talpaert – each a playful nod to the quintessential British garden.
Wild Strawberry and Poppy Pergola (£8): A light and fresh option, the shortbread is laced with lemon zest and topped with an airy poppy mousse, wild strawberries and a refreshing strawberry sorbet, sitting beneath a dainty chocolate pergola.
Chelsea Flower Show Planter (£8): The epitome of a perfectly formed miniature flower bed, bursting with fresh berries and flowers and combines zesty lime and smooth vanilla cream in crisp dark chocolate casing.
Available 25-28 May
This year The Botanist Sloane Square has teamed up with BLOOM Gin to create two delightful, floral and botanical cocktails alongside a truly ginspirational pop-up. From Wednesday 25-28 May, noon-8 pm, their carnival-inspired pop-up on Sloane Square will be serving refreshingly fruity concoctions.
Chelsea de Janeiro (£10): A blend of BLOOM Gin, Kings ginger, kiwi, hibiscus, grapefruit bitters, pink grapefruit and pineapple syrup. Classic gin and tonics will also be available, as well as Joseph Perrier Champagne, wine, beer and soft drinks.
Botanist Floral Spritz (£12.50): BLOOM Gin, Belsazar White, Kamm and Sons, St Germain elderflower, lemon juice and a dash of Angostura bitters, topped with soda and garnished with cucumber, dill and an edible flower.
Available until 31 August
Sophie Michell’s Belgravia hotel restaurant has launched a botanical afternoon tea to celebrate the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This oh so English treat is made up of fresh garden flavours and perfumed floral scents, served with either Veuve Cliquot or a botanical gin tea pot for two.
The menu includes: Danelion, Burdock & Honey Seared Salmon with Pickled Cucumber; Orange Blossom Infused Cream Cheese & Smoked Duck Crostini; Elderflower and Blue Cheese Doughnut; Raspberry, Rose & Lychee Macarons; Honey Bee Financiers and Violet Scented Eclairs sit alongside classic scones with jam and clotted cream.
The Botanical Afternoon Tea is priced at £35, £45 with champagne included or £50 with a botanical gin teapot for two.
Available 24-28 May
To celebrate the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Gallery Mess will be featuring a floral cocktail, ‘The Lavender Paloma’ alongside a dedicated set-menu of fresh dishes to put a spring in your step. Situated just off the King’s Road, the Saatchi Gallery restaurant is very handy for show visitors.
The Chelsea Flower Show menu is priced at £19.50 for two courses or £24.50 for three, including a glass of wine or their special, floral cocktail. The Lavender Paloma: A fruity mix of tequila, grapefruit juice, house-infused lavender syrup and topped with a spring of lavender, drawing inspiration from the beautiful blooms of the iconic Flower Show.
To celebrate London’s most famous floral festival, the Chelsea Flower Show, Rabbit restaurant will be growing their very own edible garden featuring an array of edible flowers and a variety of vegetables. Head chef and co-owner, Oliver Gladwin, has created a floral feast and the restaurant will serve a floral daily looser (cocktail) over the show period.
Dishes include: Wild duck and bacon salad with wheat berries with blackcurrent and a blossom vinaigrette and to finish there will be home-made shortbread with fresh home-grown strawberries and clotted cream ice cream.
Available 23-29 May
Tom’s Kitchen has teamed-up with renowned florist – Lavender Green Flowers – to create floral installations at the restaurant’s Chelsea townhouse home with hops draped around the pillars and rustic containers of flowers and greenery placed throughout the ground floor. The first floor tables will have small terracotta pots for centrepieces filled with edible herbs and flowering plants like nasturtium, elderflower and lemon basil.
Floral dishes include: Marinated Loch Duart Salmon with grapefruit and nasturtium; Poached Chicken Lemon Risotto with lemon basil and marigolds; and Sweetened Ricotta with elderflower and rose poached rhubarb.
The restaurant’s signature Chelsea Garden cocktail will also be on offer made with Hendricks Gin, elderflower, cucumber and apple juice.
The Rose Lounge, Sofitel St James SW1
Available for the month of May at The Balcon and with afternoon tea in The Rose Lounge.
Head to this hotel brasserie and bar to sample a bouquet of delicious new desserts in honour of RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Poppy velour: A vanilla sponge cake with a heart of strawberry compote, poppy mousseline cream and a pink chocolate spray on a poppy seed crunchy base, the
Rose tartlet: Sweet pastry tartlet shell, filled with rhubarb and grenadine compote with rose water cream petals, the Daisy macaroon: macaroon filled with daisy diplomat cream, decorated with chocolate daisy flowers and the Jasmin religieuse: choux buns filled with jasmine diplomat cream and icing.
And a delectable floral-inspired cocktail will be served in the The Rose Lounge only during May. The Chelsea Flower Show: Vodka, elderflower syrup, fresh lemon, rose liqueur, topped with rosé champagne.
You can also feast your eyes on a floral installation in The Rose Lounge by Carla Gottlieb, founder of Still Life Flowers.
Available 4-31 May
£34 pp (£44 pp with champagne)
To mark the start of the summer season, Harrods will celebrate all things floral with its Whatever the Weather campaign in May. The luxury department store will launch a partnership with landscape gardener Diarmuid Gavin – who has designed the Harrods British Eccentrics Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 – and unveil Harrods Floral Afternoon Tea in the classic setting of The Conservatory at The Georgian restaurant.
On the menu: Lavender and peach macaroons; jasmine and orange chocolate mousse; hibiscus and strawberry jellies with summer fruit; lemongrass yogurt mousse with white chocolate and thyme; and lemon madeleines.
![Chelsea Flower[1]](http://www.hardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Chelsea-Flower1-e1462551626972.jpg)
Available 24-29 May
£43.50 pp (with a Chelsea Blossom cocktail)
Luxury boutique hotel Flemings Mayfair will unveil a beautiful Chelsea Flower Show afternoon tea later this month, in honour of the most famous celebration of all things floral.
Guests can enjoy a selection of traditional finger sandwiches, along with fresh scones served with clotted cream and jam, followed by decadent mini cakes including exotic pineapple choux, opera cake, homemade Victoria sponge and strawberry macaroons, all decorated with edible flowers (naturally!).
Accompanied by a Chelsea Bloom, a vodka-based tipple featuring elderflower and blueberries topped with champagne. To book email thedrawingroom@flemings.co.uk.
