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I have been living in London for over two years now and my older sister has been talking about Petersham Nurseries as a foodies delight for most of that time. Now while my sis doesn’t share the same cooking passion as Anita and myself, she does appreciate a tasty meal. And believe me, this cute little cafe at the back of a garden centre was gold!

The nursery is in Richmond and encourages visitors to travel by bike, public transport, or foot in an effort to reduce the impact to the grounds caused by cars. So this requires a bit more effort than just jumping in a car. Not that we have one anyway, but I think it complements the whole ‘one with the earth’ vibe out there!

The cafe itself is out the back of the nursery so requires a leisurely stroll through the plants, garden furniture and pretty candles. My mind was purely on the food though. No surprises there.

Aussie Skye Gyngell heads up the kitchen. She is so talented and has such good taste as evidenced by her menus and cookbooks.

We settled into antique furniture and didn’t think twice about ordering the Rose Prosecco. The menu changes every week at the cafe based on what’s in season so even though you can check the website that week, you could still be in store for a menu surprise…something that usually makes me nervous, but in this case I was happy all round!

My tomato, cucumber and bread soup was amazing. So fresh and light it had me dreaming of the Med. Even though it was a ‘soup’, it was mostly veggies and a small amount of broth, which made this even better. I may even attempt to re-create this some time.

My grilled seam bream with artichokes, white beans and romesco was a delight. It seems like such simple cooking, yet so flavoursome and special. I just love it when you make a good menu choice!

The other ‘no red meat’ option was a chicken breast with saffron and tomato. I think I am missing some key ingredients but I did have a taste of this and it was delish.

Of course we made sure we had room for dessert and again, my choice was right on the money. A gooey chocolate tart that was pure decadence. It was served with jersey cream but didn’t need it.

My dining companions has the Italian apricots (which have a special name which I have forgotten) with a thick lemon clotted cream.

There is also a tea house behind the cafe that sells an assortment of cakes which of course I had to check out, and while I claimed I would be able to do cake as well, I had clearly over-estimated! We caught a cab home and enjoyed a nap. Ahhhh the life!

The cafe at Petersham nurseries serves lunch Wednesday – Sunday from 12.00 pm to 2.30 pm. Reservations are essential and taken one month before (020 8605 3627 or  020 8605 3627).

Find them at on Church Lane, off Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 7AG.

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