NEW OPENING: April’s Cafe

Pablo Flack and David Waddington, the ultra-cool minds behind Bethnal Green hotspot Bistrotheque, are bringing a dose of East London verve to Sloane Street with the opening of April’s Café at Boutique 1.

Opening out into the peaceful shaded terrace adjacent to Pavilion Road, the café seats up to 36 guests and is open now for breakfast, lunch, cocktails and champagne, and coffee, tea and cakes. And it was inspired by another Chelsea icon: the Physic Gardens.

Already one of the most stylish new openings in London, April’s has ambitions to become the place for lunch on Sloane Street. The menus curated by Blaine Duffy, head chef at Bistrotheque, will be constantly evolving, complementing the changing seasons, with options that are clean and fresh, as well as moments of substance and indulgence. Breakfast will include polenta bread with maple butter, granola, strained yoghurt and London honey, soft boiled eggs, labneh and dukkah, plus cold pressed juices, Allpress Coffee and Rare Tea Company infusions.

The daytime menu (Monday to Saturday, 12:00-19:00) sees dishes including: caramelised tomato tart and burrata; pink beef, heritage tomatoes and wild garlic; crayfish, chicory, blood orange & fennel salad, and pannacotta, poached apricots and toasted almonds. And there’s a harmonising selection of excellent quality wines to accompany the food.

For something lighter, those celebrating a new purchase can enjoy a glass of champagne or an April’s house cocktail with some parmesan and shallot crisps. Alternatively, a mid- afternoon pit stop for a slice of cake and a cup of tea is the perfect remedy to revive shoppers or simply somewhere to contemplate a pre-purchase.

“April’s has been born out of the desire to give the Boutique 1 customer a fully rounded experience while they shop in our store,” said Ziad Matta, Boutique 1’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “Bistrotheque is the perfect restaurant partner for us, offering top level culinary innovation and service that our customer demands, while simultaneously creating a cool, relaxed ambiance.”

“It’s great to be starting a new project in Chelsea, a part of town which has kept a sense of eccentricity and charm. April’s was inspired by the Physic Gardens, the local grandees and a playful spirit,” explained Waddington. “The cute terrace will be a place to while away afternoons with lunch and a glass of champagne or two.”

As for the very chic look of the café, it was designed by Halstead Leong, which was briefed to balance a respectful appreciation for the heritage of Sloane Street whilst also creating something decidedly fresh. Green marble sits alongside stainless steel, with cherry wood table tops accented by yellow enamelled metal, while planting populates a wooden structure behind the bar making an impactful visual statement.

Seating is a combination of banquettes, stools at the bar, a large communal table and an outside terrace, which is both heated and covered to make it a versatile option in London’s unpredictable weather. With its indisputable modern edge, April’s has been designed to engage the eye of both stylish locals and visiting fashionistas, with plenty of available plug sockets to assist those who fuse business and leisure.

Open now at Boutique 1, 127/128 Sloane Street, London, SW1X 9AS. PH: +44(0)20 7118 0111