London: Tea Time in Wonderland

A stroll through Chelsea. Gaze at the modern art in the Saatchi Gallery, tip your hat to the famous pensioners,  admire the blooms at the Physics Garden, dine on lobster. Then walk along the Thames towards the end of the afternoon to cross the Albert Bridge, recently renovated. Originally a toll bridge, it was quickly nicknamed the trembling lady, shaking under the weight of too many travelers. Even military troops were asked to break step when marching over it.

The structure has since been reinforced and is safe for even cars to use. It has kept this amazing Victorian elegance, pastel colours, fairy-tale like. Very romantic. The best time to cross definitely is at dusk. On the other side is Battersea Park and by the time you have reached the Peace Pagoda, the sky will be painted bright apricot and fushia colours, the architecture looking like delicate lace against it. Retarce your steps to see its 4000 lights being switched on – hypnotising. Three magical atmospheres in a an hour. Unforgettable. Probably my favourite sight in London.

Like diners? You will love Big Easy. Inspired by crabshacks – those casual beach restaurants specialised in seafood and American classics dishes – this address has won the heart (and stomach) of both locals and passers by on King’s Road. Just a look through the window at those fabulous plates and you are hooked. 20 years of success and customers licking their fingers.

Decoration is simple and it is all part of the charm. It has this warm and friendly touch from the south of the US -  the colours, the sense of humour, the welcome, the menu with home-cooked food and excellent prices. People relax instantly -  no need to pretend, businessmen get rid of their tie, families share combos, friends cheer to a beautiful day spent together. A whole mix of people brought together by the atmosphere.

We stopped by at the end of a sunny afternoon and decided to enjoy the blue sky a little longer, sitting at one of the outside tables. It just called for a Pina Colada, the perfect holiday touch, velvety touch of the coconut sweetened by the rum and a generous serving of fresh pineapple juice. The range of cocktail is large, some are served in jugs. Children can enjoy milk-shakes like the fab Graceland (vanilla, peanut butter, banana) and parents an upgraded version spiked with alcohol.  Below is the Pirates of the Caribbean, mixing vanilla ice cream, rum, coconut cream -  the little plus that makes such a difference -  fresh mint. Oh, and it leaves delicious moustaches too.

We could not choose in the long list of starters -  chicken wings with voodoo sauce? Deep fried calamari?  Fresh shucked oysters? Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers? Our waitress came to the rescue, advising the mussels, which fragrance is divine. those have been cooked in a beautiful sauce of onions and white wine, even enjoyable on its own, spoonful after spoonful. Do try the roasted potato skins too, with a fluffy mash enhanced with spring onions and loaded with mature cheddar. Add a little sour cream for extra pleasure. Beware, if you came with kids they will make those disappear in no time so race them!

One of the specialties is a royal dish indeed -  lobster. Oh my, what a treat! The team goes to the market on a daily basis to ensure the best quality and the freshest produce. In top restaurants, you will need to empty your wallet for a tiny piece presented beautifully. Here the deal is much more honest: the whole beast, a 2lb lobsters with fries and salad for only £19.95 (every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5pm). You read that right a whole kilo, the most delicate flesh, almost sweet. Of course, you will have to forget elegance. The whole fun is into using your fingers, crack the shell, extract as much as you can. Greediness will reveal unsuspected dexterity and textures vary whether it is the tender insides, the leg, the claw. A few minutes and you will understand better the plastic bib brought with the plate. Yes, the picture will make your friends smile yet put it on FB with a few words about your dinner and they will all be envious (and probably will try the place within days). The lobster is served with a choice of three sauces -  sweet chili, Hollandaise and our favourite Thermidor with a touch of mustard. Other great ideas -  the possibility to have crab instead or even a plate of both steak and lobster.

Big Easy also is famous for their barbecued meat.  The house sauce is almost caramelised, slightly smoked. Some cross the whole town for it. “We Serve Only The Biggest & The Best”, they say and they do not lie. The portions are gorgeous AND amazingly huge. Still no meat lover would accept to leave a single forkful of it.  The menu offers a selection of back ribs, chicken, combination of both and even a version with grilled shrimps, each with creamy coleslaw, fries (French or thick) and BBQ beans to die for. It has a Western movie dimension to it, cowboys sitting close to a camp fire on a starry night.

Keep some space for dessert, if only to share the waffles. Apple-cinnamon, strawberry-sugar syrup, chocolate sauce, each matched to a crunchy basket filled with vanilla ice-cream. So lovely you will want to order another one. Share? Ah, what a silly idea that was.

Before coming for lunch or dinner, don’t forget to check the deal of the day on the website. On Mondays for example, you can indulge in the “All you can eat BBQ” for £14.95, beer included. I do not know any guy who would refuse such an offer. On some evenings, there will also be live music -  just the perfect place to celebrate life with friends, an address to cherish.

Big Easy
332-334 Kings Road
Chelsea
London, SW3 5UR

Of primroses, we mostly know the basic ones, simple and weather resistant.

However, hundreds exist, all more refined and elegant than the others. They look like jewels, almost painted upon. Fragile however, they suffer easily from too much wind or sun. Gardeners tended to plant them in narrow and higher terracota pots to move them easily. Then came the idea of shelving to shelter them better… which worked out perfectly to present their beauty as well, preferably close to the reading room window. With time, competitions take place. The Theatrum Auriculae becomes a little stage with a black background for the colours to stand out even better.

You can discover a lovely collection till May 06th at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Each blossom is ever so fine, some flowers are double and I can imagine them unfolding ever so gently, petal after petal like the rose in The Little Prince. Even their names are poetic: Old Irish Blue, Cherry Pie, Toffee Crisp…

The gardens are at their best in spring -  wander like a butterfly, discover the greenhouses, get a glass of wine at the café (cash only), take your lunch to a sunny spot on the lawn…

Chelsea Physic Gardens
66 Royal Hospital Road
Chelsea
London SW3 4HS
£8/adult

Also in Chelsea:
- The Chelsea pensioners
- Their elephant
- Partridge’s
- Saatchi

Gosh, so many things coming up you might need to add a few pages to your agenda for the week-end!

- Join me in my week-end celebration: isn’t an afternoon tea with a view ideal?

- Fascinating scientific and robotic creations…

- Kew Gardens turns tropical!

- Brunch in Brixton village…

- The kids will love to learn some Chinese calligraphy… or lanterns…

- Pssst: it’s Nutella world day on Saturday -  get a lovely pancake here!

- Have tea with a legend…

- Where did you put that red nose?

- Frankenstein turns to the theatre stage…

- Meet the new generation of artists… Wait, are those for sale?

- Get hungry @ the V&A Childhood Museum…

- A romantic snowdrop walk…

- Love alternative restaurants? This one can be all yours…

- Come and see dragons dance for the Chinese New Year on Trafalgar! Selfridge’s celebrates it with music…

- Keep it real @ the Whitechapel Gallery…

- Get those little fingers busy…

When you think of a walk along the Thames, where do you go? Southbank, of course, from the London Eye to Tower Bridge. It is easy to forget that there might be other ways along the river.

Chelsea, for example, is a pretty change.

Green, lined with tichly decorated houses, it offers a view of the Asian pagoda in Battersea Park, on the laced inside of Battersea Station, and a lovely view of albert Bridge, probably the most beautiful in the capital (did you know it originally opened as a toll bridge? Not a success, only lasted 6 years).

Passing by a few days ago, how lovely to see that a little of Christmas had survived the holidays:

I had never paid attention to this lampost before -  how amazingly decorated: oak leaves, cornucopias, tridents, wreaths…
They were designed especially for this embankment opening back in 1874. Hats off!

Around:

- Chelsea Physics Gardens
- Les Chelsea pensioners The Chelsea pensioners
- Partridge’s

Why not try to see the Thames differently?

Night falling from 16.00 onwards… First frosts and there are talks of snow… Say no to the winter blues and put fireworks in your life!

- Did you know it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow? We may not be in the US, any reason is good to party! Have a look here and there for ideas…

- It’s also party time in Seven Dials – get 20% off your shopping!

- Don’t forget the V&A late opening on Friday – free workshops to create your xmas presents and a DJ…

- Wander on a rooftop terrasse with a gorgeous view on St Paul. Free public access!

- The adorable Chelsea Physics Garden opens its doors for a sweet Xmas market -  we found so many ideas last year to fill our Xmas stockings!

- Feel like ice-skating? Try an early session @ the Somerset House: for £18.50, and adult and a child can skate for an hour then have a hot chocolate, a glass of champagne and a cupcake. Or try a historical background such as Hampton Court or the Tower…

- Fall for nougat and chesnuts @ the Paddington Xmas Market…

- Escape with these beautiful landscapes…

- But what can girls pack in their handbags? The answer is at Selfridge’s…

- Want a brand new collection of clothes without spending a penny? Learn to swish!

- Be a child again with those illustrations…

- Step in artists’ studios…

- The road is yours! On Saturday, both Oxford and Regent St will be closed to traffic for a better shopping experience. Plus music and entertainement!

- Looking for an original gift? Why not an artwork in this pop-up shop? They even have a landscape made of neons…

- Rediscover Camden…

- Last but not leat… a cocktail served with a chocolate truffle… Cheers!

I’m back! Now, let’s see what’s new in the city…

- On Thursday, don’t miss this aquatic exhibition…

- …or enjoy a free curry!

- This way for a free musical @ Sadler’s Wells…

- A few dance steps @ the Tate Modern… (By the way, time Out has a 2 for 1 offer for the Exposed exhibition)

-… or an alternative village fete, maybe?

- Always a favourite: Notting Hill carnival!

- Feel nostalgic with this exhibition on Jimy Hendrix…

- I never tire of this yearly press pictures exhibition…

- Discover a few secret places in the National Theatre…

- Treat yourself to an afternoon tea with an Asian touch…

- So you think you know London?

- By the way, do you know the story of the Crystal Palace?

- Yes, pubs and opera can be in harmony, who would have thought so!

- Try to get a ticket for this fab underground dinner!

- Fed up with pop-up shops? Why not give this pop-up cinema a go? It used to be a petrol station.

- Get the kids to learn more abour bats!

- Be zen in a Japanese garden… (give this one a try too!)

You’ll find me… strolling through Chelsea Physics gardens… Testing this edible exhibition… Checking out the Natural History Museum’s 8m long knitted squid… Enjoying some retro glamour at the V&A late night… Where will YOU be?

This is a real summer. I am amazed every single day by the lovely temperatures. Makes me feel like dancing and jumping around! Unfortunately,  when you are 3 weeks from giving birth, you look more like a whale, the elegance is gone. Soon snails will overcome me on the pavement. I’m counting on you to tell me about London gems!

- The free ping-pong tables project finally is launched tomorrow. Rush to St Pancras!

- You have until Friday to enjoy the food festival @ the Old Spitalfields market – cooking demonstration and free tasting, yummmy!

- On Friday, the Design Museum goes mad for recycling and green art. You can even try electric bikes. All this listening to a fab percussionist!

- Visit the parliament!

- Why not celebrate the 60ies @ Carnaby Street?

- Time to revise your Picasso knowledge…

- London parks are getting festive too!

- Add a pinch of poetry… and learn about Keats’ life right in the house and gardens where he used to live…

- Summer school holidays are on! Struggling to come up with ideas to keep the kids busy? You’re gonna love O2: mini golf, water games, trampolines…

- Or initiate them to opera with this version of Mr Fox -  only a few pounds.

- Did you know a few falcons actually nest on the Modern’s Tate chimney? Here is a chance to learn more!

- Sushi AND fusion food? Count me in!

- oh, and I’ll have cherry granita for desert…

- Speaking of ice-cream, Ben and Jerry’s launch their music and sweet treats festival this week-end @ Clapham…

- How could you resist a designers’ market?

- Follow Time Out to discover the oldest parts of London…

- Opera, art, walks, a pinch of madness with the in-transit festival….

- Too hot? I know what you need: a water tournament!

You’ll find me having a mocktail with friends @ Vista, a bar on a roof with a view on Trafalgar Square… I’ll also be following my friend Celine, a street-art specialist, to discover some more in London!

4 acres of garden, sheltered by warm terracota brick walls…

You have just stepped into the oldest botanical garden in London. Founded in 1673 by the Society of Apothicaries, it was meany both as medicinal and educational for the novices. The choice was meticulous -  the area was already know for its orchards and its microclimate. You will find the lagest olive tree in  Britain here!

Quite important for the time was the proximity of the Thames. Roads were unsafe and the river provided the quickest way to travel.  Hundreds of smalls boats would have travelled up and down but if you were rich, you would have had your own barge.

Little by little, exganges of seeds and plants were arranged with other famous botanical gardens. Quite a collection here,  I tell you! Although this is now open to visitors, it still remains of scientific importance, helping researchers to collect plants for remedies (even members of the public can leave their own list) and participating in programs with great names such as the Eden Project or the Natural History Museum.

Flowerbeds alternate between elegants  squares or a little meadow crazyness. You’ll glimpse the triangular roofs of houses around the place behind a sunflower or a clematis…

The cafe is quite a place – the locals (golden wallet, smart clothes and all) do love to lunch here on a Sunday. You’ll get to see trays with 5 Cokes and a bottle of champagne! Do book in advance if you want a table. Most people do settle for the wooden benches of the lawn. The food’s great – worth a first class gastropub (duck confit with truffled mash! The mixed salads are a must -  creative and filling). Lavender scones are also found at tea-time… Many families do come with a picnic hamper and settle under the trees. Children love to run around, gathering fallen leaves.

Do take the kids to the big pond! Frogs and tadpoles hide under the lilies. Brown and blue dragonflies dance around, unsure where to stop, bees jump from a water flower to another… Even water snails make an appearance! A fascinating nature lesson for the whole family.

It feels like Beatrix Potter’s garden somehow. Surely Peter Rabbit will appear in the vegetable patch, between the tiger nasturniums and the blushing cherry tomatoes?

Chelsea Physic Gardens
66 Royal Hospital Road
Chelsea
London SW3 4HS

Fee: £8/adult, £5/child over 5 years of age
Alternatively, try the Friends of the garden card! £30 for the year, you and a friend can go free each time: it will take only two visits to get the most of your money.

Pssst: don’t forget to say hi to the Chelsea pensioners! You’ll even find an elephant there. Feeling hungry? Well Partridge’s just a stone away from the modern art gallery Saatchi, always worth a visit.

A few weeks ago ended the largest London safari. No more elephants to be hunted down and photographed, no more surprise behind the corners.

The streets look a bit sadder somehow, they had camouflaged themselves elegantly in this urban jungle, you would always meet one at least on your way.  An emptiness we had not quite anticipated, an absence where we had got so used to see them.

They have all gone to nice new homes, sold to fans with a golden wallet. they will look fab in a private garden or an ultra-modern lounge. We know we’ll see them again, one of those days, in the glossy pages of a decoration magazine…

But, oh, wait, there is one left! Just by the entrance of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, where they last met before being auctionned, the very last elephant is trying to look local…

The Royal Hospital Chelsea
Royal Hospital Rd
London SW3 4SR

Mondays to Saturdays 10.00-12.00 then 14.00-16.00
Sundays 14.00 to 16.00
Free