FLORAL COCKTAILS AND MENUS DURING THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

During this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Chelsea in Bloom this May 23rd-27th, celebrate all things botanical with a selection of dedicated floral menus and cocktails at a selection of bars and restaurants around Sloane Street. From delicate pansies adorning salads at Raw Press on Ellis Street, to Gallery Mess‘ exclusive botanical menu and afternoon tea, you taste buds can enjoy the blossoming of spring too.

Here are the culinary floral highlights to be found on and around Sloane Street during the Chelsea Flower Show.

GALLERY MESS

The Saatchi Gallery’s chic Gallery Mess restaurant has created a delicious botanical menu and an herbaceous afternoon tea for the Chelsea Flower Show. Pop in for lunch before heading to the show or enjoy the light and delectable Botanical Garden Menu, available for £34.50 for two-courses or £39.50 for three, including a floral cocktail on arrival from 22nd – 27th May. Expect treats such as a spring vegetable garden with nettle panna cotta or bergamot and juniper-cured sea trout with cucumber and cashew pickle and caviar dressing to start, and incredible mains like the dill gnocchi with burnt lemon dressing, glazed hispi cabbage and chamomile butter sauce.

And after a morning at the show, why not pop in for the Gardener’s Tea, priced at £17.50 per person or £27.50 with a glass of Pommery Champagne. Delicate finger sandwiches will come filled with the likes of beetroot cured salmon with horseradish crème fraiche and chicken and garden herbs. Homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam will be flowered by delicate sweet treats, including, chocolate toadstools with spearmint, floral macarons, and pistachio crisp and apricot panna cotta.

Gallery Mess, Saatchi Gallery, King’s Road, SW3 4R. www.saatchigallery.com/gallerymess

BLUEBIRD

Further down along the King’s Road, Bluebird is introducing the Bluebird in Bloom Afternoon Tea running from 23rd-28th May served in the courtyard and restaurant. The tea will feature a floral feast including the bespoke Bluebird in Bloom Maître Choux éclair, created by Michelin-starred pastry chef, Joakim Prat, who created the sky blue coloured éclair inspired by childhood afternoons spent picking berries and eating creamy yogurts in grandmother’s kitchen.

And, in celebration of Bluebird’s 20^th anniversary and the Flower Show, the restaurant has teamed up with Jo Loves, the new fragrance brand created by Jo Malone, to transform the space into a magical Blossom City. Settle into a lush secret garden, overflowing with foliage, flavour and fragrance, ranging from the exotic to the classic, as bartenders, working exclusively with Jo Loves, the Bluebird bartenders have created a playful and interactive cocktail menu inspired by Jo’s exquisite signature scents.

Head bartender Egzon Kastrati has created a collection of cocktails designed to stimulate the senses. Guests can expect to fashion edible floral garnishes, breathe in scented aroma clouds and even eat their chocolate glassware after they have drained their cup. We can’t wait to try the No. 42 Flower Shop made with vanilla infused vodka, Chambord, lemon, lychee, rose, cherry and rose champagne muddled with dry junipers, pomegranates and raspberries served in a silver watering can and garnished with dried lavender and an edible flower arrangement.

Bluebird, 350 King’s Road, SW3 5UU. www.bluebird-restaurant.co.uk

RAW PRESS

Raw Press, beacon of health and vitality on Ellis Street, will be serving their delectable line-up of fresh salads and nourishing treats with a floral twist. Expect to see pretty edible flowers blooming over your lunch, and be sure to try the exotic Rose and Pitaya (dragonfruit) latte and, if for the perfect start to a day at the show, the Lavender and Blueberry porridge.

Raw Press, 3 Ellis St, Belgravia, SW1X 9AL. www.rawpress.co