the ivy chelsea garden

i went to the ivygardenfor sunday brunch. the modern british menu includes international dishes and has a comprehensive all-day dining selection ranging from breakfasts and weekend brunches to afternoon tea, vegetarian, healthy and some tempting deserts. for brunch, i had the ivy breakfast with truffled scrambled eggs instead of fried. i also had a side of arancini. my meal was exceptional, as was the friendly service and relaxed atmosphere. the interiors are beautiful and thegardenand orangery is charming. i would love to make this a regular if not for the 3 month wait list for a table. reserve now - it's well worth it!

the vibe

a place with a terrace, an orangery and an ambience described as “approachable sophistication” fits perfectly into this spacious spot on chelsea’s most lauded street. an institution so sure of itself that even evening standard journalists couldn’t name drop their way in, this place is the epitome of discretion and feels truly grown up.

the order

breakfast here feels a little like a five star hotel, without the hefty price tag and egg station. if you’re pre-work, go for a city slick egg white omelette or scrambled eggs with smoked salmon – alongside juices of every colour and a double shot espresso to set you off. those keen to linger longer or possibly luxuriate post night before can enjoy a full english in this most quintessential of establishments.

the game

we went for breakfast but the menu is all day and thegardenis a true delight on warm afternoons and evenings. book ahead – no one in chelsea likes to cook for themselves so the tables turn quicker than the sports cars outside. evening wise, eat first (for fear of missing your spot) then squeeze in at the bar afterwards or cosy up on a sofa. if the weather’s playing ball, a walk to the river after will guarantee delight with the sight of albert bridge all lit up.

the faults

it’s chelsea. very chelsea.

sex factor

4. pure class.

an absolute must visit when in london. i loved the setup, perfect place to enjoy the afternoon tea either with your partner or group of friends. they have a beautiful warm setting indoor and also opengardensitting. i went to this place on a saturday to celebrate my husband birthday and enjoyed the entire experience. book the place well in advance to avoid any waiting.

the kings road has been off my radar for years. i used to work over this side some 10 plus years ago at a hotel near south kensington. i had a friend who worked at reiss on the kings rd, so there was the odd visit to a local pub but nothing much more than that.

fast forward to 2017 and i now work for a company which has a site on the kings road, so i have been reintroduced. so recently i stopped off at the chelsea ivy brasserie which is essentially a chain these days. opening new branches at a dizzying speed, before the paint is dry at one, there goes another one popping up. this will be my third ivy visit having done kensington high street and liverpool street.

this visit was not offensive, but not mind blowing either. whilst good service, decent food and reasonable prices make an appearance, it feels souless. the team hit all the service cues but with little personality. the food is ok, but as it's from the strong original celebrity brand ivy in covent garden, there is an expectation that it should pack more. that said, it is still a nice place to visit every now and then.

to start our dining experience we went for a starter of tempura prawns with green papaya, cucumber, edamame and matcha tea sauce to share. for our main course, i was feeling the pan asian vibe so went for blackened cod fillet, not to be confused with black cod. it was baked in a banana leaf with baby pak choi, shaved radish, toasted sesame and yuzu mayonnaise. the code melted in the  my mouth and its sauce was not too over powering. my guest went for something a little bit more traditional and opted for the fish and chips. the cod was in a very delicate bitter, with chunky chips. what was also quite nice, was the fact that it came with a wee bottle of vinegar. we also shared a side of tenderstem broccoli with lemon oil and sea salt.

it's a big menu, but with a lot of classics from all over the place. not quite british, not just french, not asian - just something for everyone. what you definitely have to check out when you visit is the sprawlinggardentowards the rear. i suspect in the summer this is a beautiful space.

the ivy chelseagardenis a restaurant and a cafe located in kings road. the distinctive and superb christmas decorations on the outside of the restaurant make it conspicuous and easy to be found. it's the breathtaking view that no one should miss out on. thegardenis full of wonderful plants and colourful flowers. the food on the other hand was quite good. the cheese omelette was delicious and juicy. the spinach benedict was good but it had a bit too cream. the avocado toast was a let down unfortunately; it didn't have a distinctive taste. the service was great and the staff were really helpful. the place is more about the view than the food itself.

it’s 9:45 am. we’ve been seated in the spacious and sophisticated interiors of ivy, belied by its rather humble façade on king’s road. the combination of rot iron and shades of green are the more obviousgardenelements in the casual yet elegant styled restaurant. too bad that the outdoor seating is not open yet, because we can see the sun shining through the glass windows at the back, which in london is an opportunity to be seized.

the ivy chelseagardenis a beautiful rose that popped up in a former plot of manure.  it’s so different from the bar/restaurant/blackout location that used to be there, i was skeptical. how could something so awesome exist where so many horrendous smells and bad decisions had come from?. apparently before you get married you need to take every opportunity to drink out of penis straws.

the restaurant has a wonderfulgardenthat builds to it's atmosphere. definitely recommend it for breakfast. don't miss out on the poached eggs with avocado.

was taken to lunch here on a nice sunny london day and it was lovely to be sitting outside in agardensetting . food and service were ok but ambiance great.

if you care about people watching and a great ambiance, the ivy is a great spot for it. even more so if you can score a table at theirgardenpatio which is absolutely lovely. if you love food as much as i do and quality of your meal is the most important element, the ivy shouldn't be your first choice. the food is average and service is ok.

despite having lived in london for over 20 years, i have never been to one of the city’s most iconic restaurants, the ivy. and i still haven’t been however i have been able to try their newly opened, west london branch  on the kings road a couple of weeks ago. occupying what used to be local american style bar and grill henry j bean’s, i visited the ivy chelseagardenon a crisp but very bright april morning with my friend and fellow blogger and photographer giulia aka mondo mulia (her post here). the venue inside has been completely revamped: gone are the dark wood, pub-like panels and the 90s style trestle table i remember. the large dining room is now elegantly decorated in period parisian bistro style with opulence and plenty of gilded mirrors and plants. the bar itself is grand and takes centre stage in the indoor space however the piece de resistance is certainly thegardenat the back. a very large space, it has now been furnished like picture perfect outdoor entertaining areas, with striped cushions, log fire and wide canopies interspersed with shrubs and greens.

the ivy chelseagardenis a beautiful rose that popped up in a former plot of manure. it’s so different from the bar/restaurant/blackout location that used to be there, i was skeptical. how could something so awesome exist where so many horrendous smells and bad decisions had come from?

the ivy chelseagardenopened up last month on the old site of henry j beans on the king's road. i used to be a huge fan of henry j beans as it was where i had my first ever date (many years ago) and also the venue of many fun nights out. however now as the ivy chelsea garden, it couldn't be more different…..it looks amazing! it really has the wow factor - very light, luxurious, lots of green and plenty of mirrors everywhere and the la piece de resistance is the beautifulgardenand terrace at the back.

the ivy at chelseagardenis the perfect place if you want to hang out and people watch in a lovely setting, particularly on a nice day when you can sit outside in the garden. the food is definitely secondary to the vibe and the ambiance and the service is ok but won't blow you away.

i don't like restaurants where you go to see and be seen!
i like good food, good service!
so automatically this rules out all the ivys...
that said i went there for a business dinner, weather was nice so we sat in thegarden(big transformation from what used to be the henry j beans beer garden!
very chelseaesque spot but if you black out this aspect, service was very good, food was very nice even though the menu is similar to that of any sophiscated brasserie!
so all in all spent a lovely evening and would go again, nest summer!