I adore Chelsea.
Long before MIC was ever a thing, I lived there and loved every moment.
I’ve now moved out of “Central” London and am out in Zone 6 (nosebleed territory, I know) but am lucky enough to be able to stay in SW6 whenever I need to, in a gorgeous flat overlooking the Thames. I’m doing my best to make the most of it. Autumn is a fantastic time for it too; I love to walk routes I don’t know yet, finding new boutiques, spas, coffee shops, bars and restaurants I’d never known about and learning more about the areas I do.
Last week, we decided to try a new restaurant and were lucky enough to be invited in to try Gallery Mess, the restaurant set slightly back from Kings Road on The Duke of York Square. It’s part of the Saatchi Gallery, and while I’ve known it was there for some time, I’d never been in before. I’ll be honest, I had a pre-conceived idea that perhaps it would be a bit “stuffy” for me, with wealthy art-collecting Charles Saatchi clones getting a bit fighty with their wives over dinner.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The first thing we noticed as we entered the restaurant was the beauty of the building. It’s a stunning space, with high vaulted ceilings, exposed brickwork and modern art (of course) everywhere you look. A long cocktail bar occupies the initial section, and a friendly team greet you before you enter the dining area. It’s relaxed, comfortable, bright and gorgeous and as I watch the plates of food go by to other tables I’m genuinely excited as they look sublime.
We’re seated towards the back of the restaurant by some big French doors overlooking the green in front of the gallery. Above us is a piece of neon art that I comment on as we sit down. Ten minutes later my date asks me if it really is a woman on all fours with stars blowing out of her….well. Yep. Definitely not stuffy here.
Our fellow diners are an interesting mix. To our left there is a group of young girl friends, celebrating something with bubbles and laughter. An older party are to our right; well-heeled, well-spoken and extremely friendly (the lovely lady stopped her conversation to tell me my bag had fallen open on the floor). A lone businessman sat eating his dinner, a couple on a date and a few more mixed groups made up the clientelle, a long way away from what I’d originally expected.
We started with a Champagne cocktail as we perused the menu. It’s the kind of menu I’m always pleased to see; one page, varied but uncomplicated, with price points to suit most pockets. It was genuinely difficult to decide what to have as almost everything appealed to my palate, from the Steaks to the Seafood Platter. Between us we finally chose the Black Pudding Scotch Egg and the Superfood Salad to start, and half a Lobster and the English Pea, Shallot and Goats Cheese Tortellini for our main courses.
One of the lovely team, Tom, recommended a wine to go with our starters. Red for me (Les Amandiers) to go with the Scotch Egg, and a Chenin Blanc for him to match his salad. It’s lovely to see such a good choice of wine by the glass here, rather than being pushed towards ordering a bottle which might not work so well with all dishes.
Now…that Scotch Egg. I am literally in love with it. Nothing about that dish could have been more perfect, from the presentation to the proportions to the taste. Oh, the taste. the egg was perfectly cooked with a slightly oozy yolk, the black pudding was delicious and the pea shoots cut through everything just enough to freshen it up. It was rich and delicious…to the point where I told my date it was the best thing I had ever put in my mouth EVER. He was slightly horrified when he asked to taste a bit and I gave him a piece about a centimtre big. There was no way I was giving away more than that!
I didn’t taste the superfood salad but the portion was huge and the huge, extremely athletic man I was with said it was really filling. So much so he wanted a break before our main courses. However, the second he laid eyes on his lobster he changed his mind and tucked straight in, oohing and aahing over every mouthful. After the protestations over me not sharing enough of my starter – the cheeky blighter didn’t even let me have a mouthful of that lobster, saying it was too good to share!
My pasta dish was also delicious and the first few mouthfuls were heavenly. After a few more however it did become a little bit heavy; the portion was big and I just couldn’t finish it all. I’d thought it would be a nice light option after the richer starter but on reflection, I think I’d have been better with the Line-caught cod instead. I saw it go past to another table and it looked incredible!
After our mains, we decided to take a little stroll outside to stretch our legs. It was a beautiful evening and there was a private function happening in the main gallery next door, so we had a little nose, dreamed of owning a townhouse off Kings Road and talked about our food before going back in for round 3. I rarely order dessert but had spotted the Lemon Curd cheesecake before I’d even ordered my starter. After a bit of to and froing I decided to refrain and promised myself a bite of his instead (he ordered the same). Brilliantly, when it arrived at the table it was accompanied by a mini portion, made especially for me! We were blown away by this special touch, and even more so by the flavour. The cheesecake was deconstructed and the cheesy, creamy, lemony section was dotted with little biscuity bursts that offered an element of surprise, as well as some fantastic texture. There were also fresh blueberries that burst with flavour and cut through the rest of the dish perfectly. We really couldn’t have been happier.
Everything about the restaurant was lovely. The staff were remarkable; friendly, passionate, knowledgeable and funny, The food was out of this world, and some of the best either of us have eaten in some time. The location couldn’t be better – set back from my favourite London road, in a gorgeous building (that was the original mess hall of the army) and the interior is, as you’d expect next to the Saatchi Gallery, sensational.
As we left after the perfect evening, I commented on the fact I was genuinely upset with myself that I’d never been to Gallery Mess before. I’ve been missing out on something special. If you haven’t been yet? So are you.
(I’d fix that as soon as you can!)
Gallery Mess Café/Bar
Saatchi Gallery
Duke of York HQ
0207 730 8135
Gallery Mess Opening Times:
10:00am-11:30pm, Monday to Saturday
10:00am-7:00pm, Sunday
