GARDEN GOURMET
London
May menus are all about the green scene outside: whether fruit and veggies for London Vegetarian Week (21-27 May) or floral-based fare for the Chelsea Flower Show (24-28 May), we urge you to ditch your carnivorous diets and indulge in the gourmet grub the garden has to offer.
The Cinnamon Club
In homage to Kerala — one of the four states of South India, on the Malabar Coast — modern Indian restaurant The Cinnamon Club is offering a ‘Kerala Vegetarian Thali Lunch’ for £25 per person. Championing fruit and vegetables not commonly used elsewhere in India, the menu is the perfect showcase for the cuisine of head chef Rakesh Ravindran’s homeland. Highlights include olan — white gourd cooked with ginger and coconut milk; ulli thogayal — shallots cooked with roasted coconut and tamarind; and elaneer pradavan — tender coconut and jaggery pudding. Delicious and nutritious, the menu provides a light lunch that won’t leave your stomach grumbling come mid-afternoon.
The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU
Tel. 020 7222 2555
Cinnamon Kitchen
Who says meat-lovers have all the fun? Proving that vegetarian doesn’t have to mean flavourless, modern Indian restaurant Cinnamon Kitchen is offering a four-course Vegetarian Menu for £25 per person. Bursting with spice and all things nice, green-loving guests can indulge in dishes like smoked tomato and morel soup with pickled mushroom, coriander and lemon cress salad; stir-fried baby aubergine with cauliflower-stuffed potatoes, curried petit pois and slow-cooked onion gravy; and lemon grass panna cotta with seasonal berries compote and toasted fennel seeds. Whether lunch or dinner, the menu is sure to have mouths watering.
9 Devonshire Square, EC2M 4YL
Tel. 020 7626 5000
Cinnamon Soho
The latest opening by exec chef Vivek Singh, Cinnamon Soho offers modern Indian cuisine-with-a-Brit twist and there are plenty of plates to choose from for vegetarians. Meat-free dishes include starters such as fat chilli paneer; mains like marrow steak with bitter gourd and lentil sauce; and deserts such as carrot hallway roll and cinnamon ice cream. There’s even a range of ‘kichris’ for veggies to sink their teeth into – pickled cauliflower and petit pois included – as well as options on its ‘All Balls!’ menu, including potato bondas and vegetable shikampur. Who said meat-eaters have all the fun?
5 Kingly Street, W1B 5PF
Tel. 020 7437 1664
Morgan M
French chef Morgan Meunier is cooking up a storm in the kitchen at his eponymously-named restaurant in Barbican. ‘From the Garden’ is the fruit of his labour, a £48 menu to be shared amongst the table: showcasing the award-winning chef’s dedication to meticulously-sourced and farm-fresh ingredients, the menu includes delectable dishes such as Israeli cous-cous, fraçon risotto, steamed asparagus and girolle froth; cannelloni of ricotta and spinach with roasted pine nuts and onion soubise; and vanilla rice pudding with orange tuile. And with everything served up in Morgan’s signature sophisticated style, even the bloodthirsty will be tempted to the green side.
50 Long Lane, EC1A 9EJ
Tel. 020 7609 3560
Giraffe
Two is always better than one, particularly when they’re Giraffe-shaped offers! Which is why it’s good news indeed that restaurant group Giraffe is offering two for one on all vegetarian main courses from 21-25 May: meat-free marvels include a burrito stuffed with farm-fresh squash, veggies, pinto beans, feta and herby rice wrapped in a soft tortilla; a falafel burger layered with grilled pepper, beetroot, rocket, halloumi, tzatziki and hummus; and jambalaya risotto with grilled aubergine, peppers and courgettes. All you need to do to indulge in gorgeous green Giraffe grub is print off the voucher from the website. The least expensive dish will be free. A no-brainer, whether you’re a carnivore or not.
Clos Maggiore
French cuisine is not usually synonymous with ‘les végétariens’, but Clos Maggiore is bucking the trend and celebrating with a special three-course menu (£34.95 or £52.20 with wine) that showcases the very best seasonal produce. The four-course extravaganza begins with an English asparagus vol au vent with broad beans and morels etuvee followed by traditional petits farçis Provençaux with summer truffle tarte. Fresh raspberries with vanilla and mascarpone cream, sablés bretons and basil sorbet round the meal off and each course is carefully paired with a wine by the head sommelier. Available from 21-27 May.
Drake & Morgan
Bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan is celebrating another year of beautiful blooms at the Chelsea Flower Show with a fragrant floral flight. You don’t have to be green-fingered to enjoy a miniature Marigold Martini, English Rose or Mandarin & Rhubarb G&T (£9.95), all adorned with edible flowers. Expert mixologists can mix and muddle a medley of three fabulous floral concoctions from 22-26 May. Bloomin’ lovely for a post-work tipple, we say!
Annie’s
West London’s favourite Annie’s is springing into the season of flings and flowers with a dedicated floral menu: sweet standouts include decadent desserts such as lavender and honey panna cotta and strawberry pavlova with edible flowers (£5.95); and a signature Blush Royale cocktail (£7.50), made from champagne, a dash of rose syrup and a sprinkling of crystallised rose petals. And with everything set against Annie’s homely backdrop, the garden has never been more gorgeous.
162 Thames Road, Chiswick, W4 3QS, Tel: 020 8994 9080
36-28 White Hart Lane, Barnes, SW13 0PZ, Tel: 020 8878 2020
Rock & Rose
Bursting with blooms and bulbs, the similarly spring-themed menu at Richmond bar and restaurant Rock & Rose will delight green-fingered foodies: highlights include rose water cheesecake (£5.95) and elderflower and violet mojito (£7.95), with fabulous floral wallpaper setting a suitably spring scene.
106-108 Kew Road, TW9 2PQ
Tel. 020 8948 8008
