About Time You Tried: Best London Fashion Week MenusBy Angelica Malin
More interested in small plates than catwalks? We don’t blame you. If you’re looking for the best London Fashion Week menus in the capital, the search ends here. From Peruvian delights to one-off cocktails, here’s where to sample the top LFW foodie delights in London:
Eat
1. For a Peruvian Feast: Senor Ceviche
The Lowdown: Located just a stone’s throw from all the action of London Fashion Week, Señor Ceviche in Kingly Court will be offering a special Catwalk Comida menu until Tuesday (20th September) to mark the capital’s annual celebration of all things fashion.
Eat: The Catwalk Comida menu begins with a Guava Beliini perfectly paired with Señor’s signature quinoa and cheddar croquettas with aji ricotto and pineapple salsa. The menu also includes sea bass ceviche with buttermilk tiger’s milk and crispy Jerusalem artichoke; polla a la brasa with coriander yoghurt; and coliflor quemada with aji limo, piquillo pepper, soured cream and black sesame. Don’t forget to sample the sides including quinoa soltera and nikkei greens, and for dessert, Peruvian mess with strawberries, raspberries, pisco, meringue, yoghurt sorbet and chia.
Price: £25 per person
Where: Kingly Court, Kingly St, London W1B 5PW
2. For Fishy Goodness: Pollen Street Social
The Lowdown: To celebrate London Fashion Week, the bar at Jason Atherton’s flagship restaurant, Pollen Street Social, will be offering hungry Londoners a limited edition Fruits of the British Sea sharing dish.
Eat: Designed for two to share and served over ice on a tiered stand, the dish features oyster ice cream, potted Eyemouth crab and Beluga caviar, Orkney sea scallop, pickled radish and jalapeno and a langoustine cocktail. To complement and enhance the flavour profile of each element, guests will be served a glass of Coates & Seely Rosé NV sparkling wine each.
Price: £55
Where: 8-10 Pollen St, London W1S 1NQ
3. For an Afternoon Pick Me Up: Thomas’s Cafe at Burberry
The Lowdown: This season, the Burberry show will take place at a new venue, “Makers House”, which will be open to the public for an exciting programme of events. Thomas’s will sit within the new show venue, offering a set menu using the finest seasonal produce from small farmers and artisan suppliers from around the UK.
Eat: Plates include: Constance Spry’s coronation chicken with rice salad; partridge, duck and leek terrine with pickled vegetables, and summer garden salad with quail’s eggs and girolles. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, opt for the smaller plates, such as garden vegetables with whipped broad beans, Berkswell cheese straws, anchovy straws and truffle crisps. From the sweets and biscuit selection, choose from lemon drizzle cake, Victoria sandwich, millionaire’s shortbread and bramley apple crumble cake as well as a whole host of other edible delights.
Price: Cakes from £2. Smaller plates from £4
Where: 5 Vigo St, London W1S 3HA
4. For Healthy Eats: The Real Greek Soho
The Lowdown: In celebration of London Fashion Week, The Real Greek is unveiling two healthy Greek Goddess lunch boxes. Designed for beauty enthusiasts on the go, the boxes are inspired by the iconic Mediterranean diet, proven to improve both beauty and health. All of the ingredients have been expertly handpicked to keep skin glowing, hair shining and energy levels high the fashion set as they rush between shows.
Eat: The Vegetarian box Demeter features quinoa salad with roasted butternut squash, lemon, baby spinach and rocket leaves, red onion, parsley, mint and dried cranberries in an olive oil and lemon juice dressing drizzled with pomegranate molasses, and topped with crumbled feta. The Protein box Aphrodite, is a summery combination of baby spinach leaves layered with chicken, grilled halloumi, revithia, coriander, fig, pomegranate seeds, lemon, in an olive oil and ground cumin dressing served with tzatziki.
Price: £6 each
Where: 50 Berwick St, London W1F 8SJ
5. For Meat Madness: Mac & Wild
The Lowdown: Mac & Wild, well known for their naughty but oh-so-nice award-winning burger the Veni-Moo have created a very special version in honour of London Fashion Week, the Skinny Veni. For those looking for a healthier but still meatalicious option the brand new Skinny Veni offers this in abundance.
Eat: The iconic burger which has been named the UKs best burger in the National Burger Awards 2016 has been redesigned to feature two venison patties, béarnaise sauce, cheese and topped with caramelised onions. The bun, beef patty and chips have all gone being replaced by a summer side salad (but you can order chips if you wish).
Where: 65 Great Titchfield St, London W1W 7PS
Drink
6. For a Catwalk Cocktail: Beaufort Bar at The Savoy
The Lowdown: For centuries The Savoy has appealed to the fashion elite, with Christian Dior holding his summer fashion show at the hotel during the 1950’s, and following a £220 million restoration Paul Smith showed in the ballroom firmly placing the Savoy as a 21st-century Fashion Week mainstay upon its reopening in 2010.
Drink: Even the Beaufort Bar menu has associations to fashion; the cocktail Coco was made in remembrance of the fashion icon Coco Chanel and the legacy she left after staying at The Savoy in 1924. In homage to her French nationality, this cocktail is based on Lillet Blanc red wine, which also shares some of the same aroma compounds as Chanel no. 5 perfume. It is mixed with Grey Goose Vodka and a Vintage Moët et Chandon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reduction.
Price: £25
Where: Strand, London WC2R 0EU
7. For a Supermodel Tipple: The Strand Palace Hotel
The Lowdown: The Mixologists at The Strand Palace Hotel have carefully created a series of limited edition cocktails celebrating London’s very own alumni of supermodels. The Supermodel Collection features favourite tipples enjoyed by the likes of Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn and Cara Delevigne and are available from the hotel’s Gin Palace.
Drink: The Kate features Kate’s favourite whiskey Jack Daniel’s, Southern Comfort, orange juice and is topped with grenadine. The Cara combines a punchy kick of Langley’s Gin blended with lemon juice, Gomme syrup and is served with a sprig of basil. And the The Jourdan is influenced by Jourdan Dunn’s favourite cocktail a Raspberry Mojito. The Jourdan is a refreshing twist to the classic choice and features Bacardi White, lime juice, Gomme syrup, topped with mint and raspberries.
Price: £13.93
Where: 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ
8. For Cocktails Galore: Archer Street Bar
The Lowdown: Archer Street Bar welcome globe-trotting trend setters to indulge in limited their edition London Fashion Week Cocktail Menu. Inspired by fashion icons throughout the years Archer Street is launching a new cocktail menu for LFW featuring five fashion idols.
Drink: Choose from five new cocktails such as Fine and Gandy, a twist on the classic mojito with Havana 3, Crème de Mure, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup, all churned up with fresh blackberries in a sling glass, off with ting lemonade and My Drink With Marilyn with Tanqueray Gin, King’s Ginger Liqueur, lychee juice, Fresh lemon juice, ginger syrup and just a dash of angostura bitter, shaken together, served straight up in a frosted coupette glass.
Price: Cocktails from £10
Where: 3-4 Archer Street, Soho, London, W1D 7AP
9. For a Boozy Beverage: Corinthia Hotel London
The Lowdown: Corinthia Hotel London welcomes everyone to sashay down the catwalk to the Bassoon, renowned for being one of the most fashionable, stylish meeting spots in London, with its seven-metre long piano bar and decadent, sensual art deco design.
Drink: The barmen at Bassoon have created a special selection of limited-edition cocktails to enjoy during London Fashion Week, featuring a choice of rum, vodka, gin and whisky-based tipples, each aptly named for discerning fashionistas to savour. Cocktails include; Carmen Miranda – Bacardi Gold Rum, Angostura Bitters, pineapple juice, lime juice, pimento, grenadine and a drop of lavender, and Power Dressing, made with Grey Goose Vodka, St Germain Liqueur, lemon juice, sugar syrup and pomegranate seeds.
Price: £16 each
Where: Whitehall Pl, London SW1A 2BD
10. For Global Inspired Cocktails: May Fair Bar
The Lowdown: The May Fair Bar will be serving a new cocktail line-up inspired by fashion weeks across the globe. From the stylish edge of The Londoner and the sophisticated taste of The New Yorker, to the vibrant La Milanese and elegant La Parisienne, the drinks have been specially created by the bar’s mixologists to let guests savour the flavours of fashion’s most famous cities.
Drink: The New Yorker commemorates the big apple as the home of the official start of fashion month with a cocktail featuring a refreshing mix of Moët & Chandon champagne, Malibu, lemon juice, elderflower cordial, jasmine syrup, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Served in a hobster glass with a garnish of basil leaves, dry grapefruit and red peppercorn, The Londoner is inspired by the diverse vibe of London with a stylish edge containing Belvedere vodka, cointreau, egg white, and basil leaves. Shaken and double strained in a chilled coupette, La Parisienne takes inspiration from the elegance embodied by the Parisian city of lights. With unique pairings of Pisco brandy, jasmine tea cordial, tonka beam, lemon juice, Grand marnier, egg white, and a dash of orange bitter the Paris perfectly represents the city that ends a month in celebration of creativity and fashion.
Price: From £14
Where: The May Fair, Stratton St, London W1J 8LT