The sleek streets of London’s Chelsea have never ceased to allure the socially elite, notably courtesy of the BAFTA winning MIC (Made in Chelsea) chronicles, which saw wealthy twenty something heirs and heiresses residing within the moneyed SW postcode, living the high life of designer dining nights, martini soirées and Instagrammable brunches.
Centred within the Chelsea heart, a stone’s throw away from Kings Road, rests No. Fifty Cheyne, the graceful Provençal Brasserie restaurant offering some of the most classically, quintessential British classics. Following a successful post covid reopening, No. Fifty launched an exquisite and delicious, free flowing prosecco brunch menu, joining hands in an exclusive collaboration with three of the most sensational names in the luxe fashion and high society world, guaranteed to whet the appetites of the likes of the MIC social set and their ardent, like minded followers.
The one time address of entrepreneur and restaurateur Sally Greene’s charming Cheyne Walk Brasserie, this Chelsea gem underwent a rejuvenating nine month rebirth of the upmost elegance last year, with each space representing their own unique and opulent character from the intimately stylish, jewel coloured settings of The Ruby Bar, to the grand, pastel coloured splendour of the ground floor dining room, which have made this a firm favourite with the affluent locals.
Occupying a leafy corner of Cheyne Walk, overlooking the River Thames, the building oozed simplistic yet discerning bijou in a crisp white and sky-blue colour palette, with a cascading flowering vine abundant with gorgeous, pastel coloured Wisteria.
Greeted by the beaming No. Fifty team, the grandeur of the high ceiling, golden glow-lit dining room was a heightened image of aesthetic pleasure, reminiscent of a lavish country style house. Guests were treated to an optical feast of brown leather banquette seating with light, stripe back upholstery, curtains following the same design, and shimmering crystal drop chandeliers along with marbled wall lamps.
Completing the visual dramatics were beautiful plant encased, thick glass slabs carefully placed between the tables for our Covid protection, a marble bar adopting the same cascading floral theme as the exterior display, and an impressive, open, metal studded extractor hood grill, taking centre stage for the ultimate cooking theatrics.
The contents of the brunch menu of scrambled eggs, Scottish salmon and hearty grilled meats left me salivating. This magnified my already high expectations of the brasserie’s food, given the sterling reputation of the head chef, Iain Smith. He was plucked from the bustling residence of Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House and is known for serving up the best of British fares, brimming with the finest seasonal and fresh ingredients.
As my guest and I soaked up the endearing atmosphere, the exceptionally besuited staff soon arrived, armed with two dainty tulip flutes and a sleek, curvaceous prosecco bottle doused in frosted jet black, autographed with the words Della Vite in intricate gold writing. Pen at the ready for our orders, we chose a brunch favourite of organic truffled scrambled eggs with a side of Hass avocado. Conflicted with the warning of the king size portion yet star studded recommendation, we gave into temptation of the crispy spiced chicken waffles and a beautiful sirloin cut with sides of rosemary fries and garlic broccolini.
Attentions were turned back to the Della Vite prosecco Superiore of icy crisp dry bubbles, embracing citrus herbal hints of fresh ripe apple and mild chamomile. The brainchild’s behind the exciting new creation sat with the fabulous Delevingne sisters – Cara, Poppy and Chloe, daughters of the illustrious Charles and Pandora Delevingne whom all had successfully etched their own name and status in haute couture catwalk, silver screen and golden socialite scene. Made from grapes grown in the solar powered wineries of Northern Italy’s Valdobbiadene, this delicious vegan infusion offered beautifully complex flavour profile that was distinctively smooth and sophisticated.
Bubbles in steady flow, the dishes made their appearance starting with the scrambled eggs. Whilst wonderfully appetising, I couldn’t help notice a lack of truffle and toasted bread as per the menu, when right on queue a staff member appeared profusely apologising for the mix up and the correct dish to shortly be on its way. Feeling awful at the harassed expressions, I insisted on letting it be, the response being a wave of the hands a plate of the originally ordered dish swiftly following.
The eggs certainly raised the bar with the rich, moreish creaminess mixed with delectable flavours of fresh seasoning and green onion, topped with lavish fine shavings of Australian black truffle all resting on a slice of fresh toasted bread, which was complete with the side of soft, butter like avocado.
Next were the mains of the chicken waffles and sirloin. Whilst the beef was certainly anything other than a disappointment with the tender, melt in the mouth prime cut flowing with rich juices with perfectly crispy fries and fresh greens, the waffles were nothing more than deserving for the winning standout title. The succulent chicken strip pieces, dusted in a light crispy light batter were a meal in itself, topped onto a large buttermilk waffle with drops of creamy yoghurt, spicy tomato harissa and a lashing of sweet maple syrup, which together fell nothing short of heavenly. As my guest struggled to catch her breath working through the super-size portion, the restaurant team took great delight in a little playful banter of not allowing her to leave until every morsel was finished, also reassuring that the table wasn’t required for another five hours and cracked open another bottle of Della Vite.
Despite the barely there room for dessert, we found ourselves drawn to the sticky toffee pudding and berry pancake, ordered, of course, for the sake of research. The hot moist sponge lost itself in the generous serving of buttery toffee sauce, finished with a scoop of creamy ice cream that sent us on cloud nine, but the Instagram-worthy pancakes were the one that proved a knockout. Created from a fresh new recipe, the pancakes were unbelievably light and fluffy, topped with plump mixed berries, freshly whipped cream and the beautifully silk toffee sauce; this was washed down with a final glass of Della Vita and a grand applause from the staff team for the successfully clean plates.
In a nutshell
After countless experiences in some of London’s finest dining establishments, No. Fifty Cheyne has secured a firm favourites spot in my little black book. The alluring location, exquisite interiors and tantalising food are only further elevated by the five-star team, who have proved a far cry from the pretentious stereotypes associated with the wealthy postcode. Their sole objectives are purely to make you feel at home, soak in the ambience, and indulge in some playful wisecracks to get you leaving the restaurant grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Factbox
Address: 50 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, SW3 5LR
Phone: 0203 146 2348
Website: fiftycheyne.com
