London’s Golden After Glow

Spring might have sprung down under, but it’s so warm, balmy and green in London at present that it feels as if  spring is in the air here too. And the celebratory mood is infectious. Everywhere I go, people are picnicking in parks and on village greens, deck chairs are spread out under leafy trees to relax in, and children are splashing around in fountains. I’ve even noticed quite a few people barbecuing, not something I associate with the English. Last night, in Hyde Park, over 40,000 people gathered to participate in The Proms conducted just over the road to another huge crowd in Albert Hall, waving their flags and singing along to Elgar’s Land of Hope & Glory, and the traditional Rule Britannia. You’d swear the Empire was being resurrected. I’ve never known London to be in such a good mood, or to look so good.  Whenever I’ve visited over the past few decades, I’ve found it to be rather scruffy and down-at-heel, but clearly the massive preparations for the Olympic Games, and also for the Queen’s Jubilee, have put a shine on this on everything. The streets are clean, as are the sparkling new buses which are a joy to ride around in, especially on the top deck. Even better, are the regular announcements telling you exactly which bus stop is coming up.  And in major tourist areas such as Russell Square, helpful guides stand outside tube stations to help you find your way. Can’t say I’ve dined at any of the top restaurants – the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay being far too expensive for me – but I’ve stumbled upon some lovely things such as the new tea store located in the Upper Thames foyer of  The Savoy Hotel and a couple of pleasant eateries (Tom’s Kitchen and Fernandez & Wells) at Somerset House. There’s been one big treat. Before leaving home, I’d booked a table at Petersham Nurseries at Richmond where Aussie chef Skye Gyngell earned a One Michelin Star.  Sadly it was this very award which triggered her departure, the stress of maintaining standards and dealing with customer expectations proving too much for her. On a sunny day, the setting here is so magical that’s it’s worth the hour-long trip from London.  Just wandering around the nursery , surrounded by plants and pots and fountains is a balm for stressed nerves. If you don’t want to eat at the restaurant, there’s a Teahouse which serves a delicious range of salads and cold dishes, set out attractively on a long table; or just refresh your energies with tea and cake. Well-known Melbourne chef Greg Malouf is now installed at the restaurant: he has a lovely light touch (see here for one of his recipes), and you can detect his Middle Eastern influences in dishes such as the Haloumi & Spinach Pastries (delicious) and Baked Young Aubergine, Feta, Tomato & Summer Leaves (so-so).   My favourite was the exquisite Salade-Shiraz with Edible Flowers, not unlike the recipe for the Edible Flower Salad I gave last week, though Greg’s also has chopped radishes, radicchio, halved cherry tomatoes and long thin strips of cucumber through it. We also fitted in a visit to Spitalfields and Brick Lane, East London, on a very busy warm Sunday. It was buzzing with people, mostly 20 and 30-somethings. They sat on the footpaths along Brick Lane, devouring plates of take-away dishes from all over the world (Lithuania, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico and Malaysia, to name a few) while the Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants opposite remained empty. Not surprising when you know that this area is where new immigrants from all over the world first arrived and settled. It’s undergone an astonishing regeneration in the lead up to the Olympics and is a fascinating mix of the old and the new and well worth a visit, no matter what your age.