Wildflower Café

8^th February 2014

Xi Weng

Xi Weng

8 February 2014

A stone’s throw away from Westbourne Grove, the aptly-named Wildflower Café is a quaint café-cum-restaurant residing inside a beautifully laid out florist on Chepstow Road, tucked away past some well-established local eateries. Open since November 2013, this new café features stunning arrays of fresh hyacinths and blossoms married perfectly with some similarly elegant dishes.

With a simple menu that features just three choices per course (one meat, one seafood and one vegetarian), the café offers an uncomplicated and uncluttered approach to food. Unsurprisingly, given their alternative life as a florist, the menu also has a strong emphasis on fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit throughout, which results in some very refreshing dishes. The café also caters well for vegetarians, with an impressive-looking rustic French Onion Soup, served with a Cheesy Sourdough Crouton. Alongside this, a perfectly-executed Panko Fried Calamari is both crunchy and well-seasoned, complemented by a side of fresh pea shoots and a punchy homemade aioli.

Moving onto the mains, an imaginatively modern Open Lasagne catapults beautifully crisp Romanesco Cauliflower and Sweet Caramelised Red Endive to centre stage amongst a hearty gorgonzola sauce, whilst a pistachio pesto gives the dish an extra dimension with a tangy lift.

The Pan Roasted Cod Loin also showcases some beautifully translucent, fresh cod balanced by a slice of prosciutto ham. Served on a bed of deeply aromatic lentils, the simple dish is both comforting and light and even a slightly overpowering caper sauce does little to devalue an otherwise superb plate of elegantly presented food. Portion wise, each course is perfectly balanced, whilst presentation is clearly important at Wildflower – each dish is also served with an edible pansy on the plate, lest you forget where you are.

From blooms draped along the walls to graceful displays of flowers on the main communal table, the café does well to show off its unique setting, with the distinctly fragrant aura of fresh flowers adding an extra sensory quality to the dining experience. Add this to delicious desserts – such as a wonderfully plump Sour Cherry and Walnut Brownie with an accompanying cardamom cream, or a gloriously yellow Lemon Tart – and you have a winning combination of food and flowers which is perfect for quick weekday suppers or lazy weekend brunches.

Food: 16/20
Drinks: 14/20
Service: 17/20
Wildflower Café: 47/60

Xi Weng
Photos: Daniela Valla

To book a table at 108 Chepstow Road, London W2 5QS, call 0207 792 9594 or for further information visit here.