$$$$ • Scottish • Chelsea
A Wonderful Evening at The Ivy Chelsea Garden – Exceptional Food and Genuine Hospitality!
We visited The Ivy Chelsea Garden to celebrate my husband’s birthday, although we deliberately kept the occasion to ourselves, respecting his wish not to make a fuss. We hadn’t mentioned his birthday when booking or to anyone at the restaurant, which made the exceptional warmth, attentiveness and hospitality we received all the more special. It was simply genuine, outstanding service from beginning to end!
From the moment we arrived, we felt genuinely welcomed. The lovely lady at reception was exceptionally professional, warm and beautifully presented in a stunning tapestry-style jacket, with colours reminiscent of autumn leaves. Such a lovely first impression!
We were escorted to a wonderful round corner table in the main dining room, possibly table number five. Although we have visited The Ivy many times, we had never sat in this particular area before. What a revelation! We had a beautiful view across the entire main dining room and the magnificent long bar, yet our table felt wonderfully private, with generous space between neighbouring tables. No feeling of dining on somebody else’s lap!
We chose the Cool Britannia set menu, and the food was absolutely delicious, beautifully presented and remarkably generous.
I started with the French onion soup, followed by the sausages and mash, while my husband enjoyed the smoked fish pâté and minute steak with peppercorn sauce. Every dish was thoroughly enjoyable.
Our wine, a lovely Montepulciano, was served at just the right temperature, beautifully ready to drink, reasonably priced and as dependable as ever.
But what truly made our evening exceptional was the service.
A very special thank you to Costas and Ella!
They were simply wonderful ~ attentive, professional, charming and blessed with a great sense of humour. They understood our mood perfectly and joined in the laughter without ever compromising their professionalism.