Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Restaurants / London restaurants / The Imperial, Chelsea

The Imperial, Chelsea

by Jeanne Horak on February 8, 2015 8 Comments in London restaurants

ImperialTitle

When I was still a teenager, the Pet Shop Boys famously sang about East end boys and West end girls.  I had never been to London and I had no idea what the difference might be (other than that they clearly came from opposing compass points!) but I certainly got the sense that the West end girls were the too-cool-for-school crowd.  I was also sure that if I ever got to live in London one day (dreamy dreams), I would definitely want to be a West end girl.  But as we know, life is what happens while you are making other plans, and here I am today – living in London fourteen years now but as resolutely an East end girl as you could wish to find. It’s not quite as bad as feeling I need my passport once the westbound Central Line train pulls out of Liverpool Street station, but it’s close.  So as you can imagine, I need a pretty good reason to be enticed to trek all the way out to SW6!

Such a reason presented itself recently when my friend Giula invited me and a few other bloggers to a dinner to showcase some of the new menu items at The Imperial.  Located in an elegant Victorian building on a corner of King’s Road, The Imperial was formerly a pub known as the Imperial Arms, beloved of Chelsea football fans. But in 2013 it was bought by new owners Alan Turtill and Kate MacWhirter, who completely refurbished and modernised the premises and relaunched it as a restaurant with a bar rather than just a neighbourhood boozer.  Australian-born Kate MacWhirter, part of the team who launched The May Fair hotel’s acclaimed Quince restaurant, is passionate about sustainability and this is reflected in the restaurant’s menu which uses only sustainably sourced, good quality British ingredients. It’s also evident in the sensitive restoration which retained many of the period features and has made the most of the glorious high ceilings. The new owners have had to tread a fine line between retaining some of the old Imperial Arms pub customers, while also becoming a more inclusive, family-friendly space.  This has been done partly by dividing the restaurant into distinct spaces (the front area is dominated by the bar; the back area is dominated by the open kitchen, plus there is a covered garden/courtyard with sofas, a small herb garden and al fresco dining facilities);   and partly by ensuring that the food and drink menu caters to a variety of tastes.  It’s a clean-lined, warm and welcoming space, with an abundance of beautiful features and light fittings (my personal weakness!). On the night we visited, our group was seated at a long table beside the open kitchen to enjoy a selection of dishes from the new menu that head chef Jason Cole has put together.

 

ImperialTable

 

ImperialLights1

 

ImperialLights2

 

After a welcoming glass of bubbly, we were all seated and ready for the feast to begin. We loved being able to watch the chefs at work in the kitchen, and they took the food paparazzi snapping away in very good spirit!  We started off with the prettiest dish of the night by a country mile: confit duck yolk, hay-infused egg white, pickled wild mushrooms, pearl barley and chive puree.  This arrived, prettily plated with a Nordic flair.  I loved the texture of the confit egg yolk (like thick custard), but was less convinced by the egg white which was of a consistency that defied capture with a fork and had very little discernible flavour. I thought the pickled mushrooms were delicious but possibly a little too powerful for the subtle egg but I am a sucker for pearl barley.  Overall I thought the dish was stronger on visuals than on taste, but definitely did not lack for creativity.

 

ImperialEgg

 

ImperialChefs2

 

The next dish was super simple and was my runaway favourite of the night: grilled mackerel fillet, pickled cucumber, onion foam and egg crumble. Why do more restaurants not serve grilled mackerel?  I love its pungent and oily pleasures and here it teamed sublimely well with the sweet ‘n sour pickled cucumber ribbons and a subtle but delicious onion foam. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the egg crumble but it did add textural interest. A truly lovely dish.  Staying with fish, the next course consisted of pan-fried wild sea bream fillet, blackened leeks, cauliflower puree, samphire and kale foam.  Delicate sea bream is another fish that I don’t cook with or see on a menu nearly often enough and here it arrived in another visually appealing and almost sculptural plating. The kale foam was a truly dramatic colour, and the blackened leeks were surprisingly beautiful and striking. I thought the flavours (from the sweetness of the cauliflower to the salty samphire to the char of the leeks) complemented the fish without ever overwhelming it.

 

ImperialMackerel

 

ImperialBream

 

ImperialChef3

 

From there, we moved on to the meatier dishes, starting with braised pork shoulder with black pudding purée, chard, pickled chicory and a beer & pearl barley jus. I knew I would love this dish before I had taken even one bite – I mean, what is not to love amongst those ingredients? The pork was cooked to fork-tender perfection and I really loved the rich earthiness that the black pudding purée provided, while the pickled chicory added a sharp note to balance the richness. A terrific, rib-sticking dish. The last savoury course was served family-style on pretty wooden boards for sharing, signalling a departure from the careful platings of the previous courses and feeling more like gastropub comfort food.  This was the Szechuan glazed whole roast duck, spiced red cabbage, coconut rice, purple sprouting broccoli and red pepper sauce.  This dish suffered somewhat from being later in the menu as we were all quite full by this stage, and despite loving each individual element, I am yet to  be convinced that they all needed to be on one plate. The broccoli was al dente and delicious; the rice was sticky and well flavoured; and I adored the red pepper sauce – but somehow the whole was never more than the sum of its parts. The duck was well-flavoured, but the skin lacked crispiness and the flesh on my piece of duck was rather tough (more from under- than overcooking I think) – so probably not my favourite of the night but definitely one with potential that may well become a great dish in the future.

 

ImperialPorkShoulder

 

ImperialDuck

 

ImperialChef1

 

Dessert was clearly not necessary after all that food, but as every schoolchild knows, you have a separate stomach for dessert so no matter how much you have eaten, you can always squeeze in a little something sweet! The dessert turned out to be one of the more unusual desserts I have had recently: a chocolate pot with barley foam, a barley crisp, and chocolate sorbet. Never thought of using barley in your desserts?  Nope, me neither. But suspend your disbelief because it’s surprisingly good as a foil for the rich, sweet chocolate and the lace-thin barley crisp was very moreish, particularly when dipped into the impressively dark chocolate sorbet. A surprising and delicious end to the meal that was neither too rich nor too sweet, washed down by some fresh mint tea.

 

ImperialChocolate BarleyPot

 

ImperialMintTea

 

Overall, it was a very impressive evening of interesting and thought-provoking dishes as well as a great showcase of what the kitchen can produce, from the delicate to the hearty.  I loved the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant and the clean, modern decor that still remained respectful to the building’s history, and the vision of the owners to create somewhere that is all things to all people: a pre- and post-match pub for football fans; a gastropub for foodies; and a family-friendly all-day dining space that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s also a very beautiful upstairs room that’s available for function hire. And despite my resolute preference for the East end of London, I must confess to feeling a little pang of jealousy for those lucky folk who get to call The Imperial their local.

For a few other accounts of our evening, you can read Rosana’s post, Federica’s post, Jo’s post and Jacintha’s post. 

DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed this meal as a guest of The Imperial but received no further remuneration.  I retained full editorial control and all opinions are my own.

The Imperial Arms
577 King’s Road
London
SW6 2EH
Tel. +44 20 7736 6081

If you enjoyed the restaurant photography in this post, why not sign up for one of the two workshops I am running in Spring 2015 with my fellow-blogger Meeta?  I will be teaching camera basics and low light/restaurant photography in Vienna on 17-18 April, and in London on 1-2 May.  There are still a few spaces available so register now! 

More deliciousness for you!

  • Comptoir Gascon (REVIEW)Comptoir Gascon (REVIEW)
  • Saturday Snapshots #50Saturday Snapshots #50
  • Feta, sage & Peppadew sconesFeta, sage & Peppadew scones
  • EoMEoTE#13 – The nursery rhyme round-upEoMEoTE#13 – The nursery rhyme round-up

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon London revisited [CLOSED]
Exploring Singapore’s amazing cultural diversity »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Kavey says

    February 9, 2015 at 9:05 am

    Food looks lovely and beautifully presented, but oh my, I LOVE their various light fittings!

    Reply
  2. Rosana, Hot&Chilli Food and Travel Blog says

    February 9, 2015 at 9:19 am

    Fabulous pictures Jeanne! When I grown up I want to take pics like you. I really enjoyed the evening too.

    Reply
  3. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    February 9, 2015 at 11:26 am

    Wow – what fantastically presented food. It all sounds delicious too. I also need all of those light fittings haha

    Reply
  4. Fede says

    February 9, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Ah, I can see how in tune we are! agree on all accounts, and great photos. Sitting next to you and discussing photography was an epiphany, so watch out sista! I’ve got a decent camera now 🙂

    Reply
  5. Katie Bryson says

    February 9, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    Love this post Jeanne… i’m definitely a West Londoner – not for much longer mind you but saying that I reckon it’ll always be part of me!
    Another great review… those desserts look incredible and i’m more than partial to a cleansing pot of mint tea that you’ve so beautifully captured.

    Reply
  6. Jo says

    February 11, 2015 at 9:37 am

    What a truly captivating post of our evening Jeanne. Glad to have finally met you and hope it won’t be too long before our next meeting. x

    Reply
  7. Laura@howtocookgoodfood says

    February 13, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    I was firmly a west London girl having grown up there so I am afraid East doesn’t hold many memories for me although 2 of my best friends now live there so I have appreciated it more recently! The food and your photography is so wonderful to look at, this pub does look like a place I would enjoy visiting and I hope to try it one day.

    Reply
  8. Emily @amummytoo says

    February 13, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    *swoon* the presentation is just gorgeous!

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Perfect broccoli and Stilton soup [keto, low carb, GF]
  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Courgettes stuffed with beef mince and cheese

Featured on

Also available on

Baby it’s HOT outside!!! 🥵 So London has surp Baby it’s HOT outside!!! 🥵 So London has surprised us with a last blast of summer in September - 31C in my garden as we speak! What better way to beat the heat than with a delicious lunchtime salmon poke bowl from @sushikatanae16 - a very welcome addition to the local restaurant scene in E16. Excellent ingredients, pretty plating and a huge portion for £17 (enough for 2 meals for me!). Definitely 5 stars from me! What are you feasting on today? Let me know in the comments 🍱🍣
LONDON TIP: When last were you a tourist in your o LONDON TIP: When last were you a tourist in your own city? We have all seen Thames Clippers speeding up and down the river but have you ever taken a sunset ride on a summer evening? Cheaper than a tourist boat and same gorgeous views 😍 Plus you can use your Oyster card or contact less payment card - no need to buy tickets in advance. Routes and stops available on their website  https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map  #thingstodoinlondon #londondiaries #londonby night  #thamesclipper #uberboat #londonskyline #Londonriver #londontips #londontourist
Happy Cap Classique day! 🍾 Did you know that Happy Cap Classique day! 

🍾 Did you know that Cap Classique is the official term for sparkling wines produced in South Africa? 

🥂 For a wine to be able to describe itself as Cap Classique on the label, it has to follow some rules during the production process - most importantly that it needs to be made using the same traditional bottle-fermented method as Champagne produced in France. 

🍾 The first bottle of Cap Classique was produced by Simonsig estate In 1971.

🥂 Although most early Cap Classiques were made from Chenin Blanc, today they are made using the traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

🍾 Cap Classiques require a minimum of 9 months lees ageing but many producers leave their wines for longer, giving them the same yeasty, biscuitty character as Champagne.

🥂 Pictured is my all time favourite Cap Classique - @grahambeckbubbly - available in the UK from Waitrose,  Sainsbury's, Majestic and Ocado. 

Cheers! 🥂
A sunny afternoon in Soho, lunching with the one a A sunny afternoon in Soho, lunching with the one and only @neleen17 at @bocca_di_lupo. Fabulous sakura negronis to start (obvs!) alongside deep fried, cheese filled zucchini blossoms, stuffed olives and sage & anchovy fritters. Then seabass crudo  and a plate of coppa ham & melon. Finally, chicken escallopini with wild mushrooms,  orechiette with tomato, basil & red onion; and the best borlotti bean salad ever - all washed down with super food-friendly Malabaila Le Tres Roero Arneis. A fabulous meal and already looking forward to my next visit! And then a Turkish ice-cream and a little Soho dance as we walked home 💃. As you do.
Last week I went to the @royalacademyarts Summer E Last week I went to the @royalacademyarts Summer Exhibition,  the world’s oldest open submission exhibition – which means that anyone can enter their work to be considered for inclusion. It’s happened every year since 1769 and showcases a wealth of works on a variety of media from emerging and established artists. All works are for sale and prices range from a couple of hundred pounds to 6-figure sums and the exhibition runs till 20 August.  My favourite was the 3D St Paul's cathedral piece "Hemispheres "made of carbon fibre by @peternewellprice
Which one would you buy if you had an unlimited budget? #thingstodoinlondon
[AD] Have you ever tried Nepalese food before? 🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵 If, like me, you hadn't, then you need to get down to The Gurkhas, a new modern Nepalese restaurant between Oxford Circus and Great Portland Street. Right now you can buy a voucher (valid for a year) giving you a 41% discount on their 6-course menu (see below for what's included) - visit @thegurkhas_restaurant or https://thegurkhasrestaurant.com/ for details.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Nepal-born Shrabaneswor Rai, who hails from a Gurkha family. The Head Chef Joe Allen, whose wife is Nepalese and father-in-law a Gurkha, has created a modern take on Nepalese cuisine using authentic spices and the best British produce. Choose between a 4 (£45), 6 (£65) or 9 (£85) course set menu - we tried the 6 course (plus 2 extra plates from the chef marked*) and we had:
1. Jimbu focaccia with fermented greens gundruk butter 
2. Aloo nimki (spiced potato on crispy cracker)
*3. Bara (lentil pancake, beetroot, fenugreek)
*4. Lamb kachila (lamb tartare with crispy bitter gourd)
5. Kukhura ko jhol  momo (chicken dumplings in spicy tomato sauce)
6. Stone bass sekuwa with heritage tomato atchar 
7. Gorkhali pork secreto on turnip atchar with amala (Indian gooseberry)
8. Khuwa creme caramel with sorrel granita 

Highlights for me were the focaccia; lamb (crispy bitter gourd - who knew?!); stone bass; and pork (stunning quality meat and loved the gooseberries).

Alongside the food we also had 2 amazing cocktails, one with blue butterfly pea powder; and a guava fizz topped with a smoke bubble. With dessert we had Tongba, a fermented millet drink (rather like a less alcoholic sake) served in an eponymous wooden container - a wonderful match with dessert!

The restaurant is named after the famous Gurkha soldiers of Nepal who are known for their bravery and  have been recruited into the British, Nepalese and India armies during various conflicts including WW1 and WW2. They are famed for their bravery and former Indian Army Chief of Staff Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw once said: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha."
Ever been to Palermo, Sicily? One of my favourite Ever been to Palermo, Sicily? One of my favourite things about this fascinating is the abundance of street markets. The alleys around the ancient Mercato della Vucciria are full of textile shops with the most amazing colourful fabrics - so hard to resist buying them all 😍😍😍 What's your favourite? Mine is right at the end... 🌵 

#palermosicily #sicilytourism #visitpalermo #mercatodellavucciria #textiledesigns #fabricdesigns #colourfulfabrics
Throwback to last week at @tasteoflondon where I h Throwback to last week at @tasteoflondon where I had the pleasure of drinking one of my favourite French summer wines:  @caveormarine ‘s Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet, a crisp and refreshing white wine made from 100% Picpoul grapes in the Languedoc-Rousillon AOC of Picpoul de Pinet, on the coast south of Montpellier. Did you know…
🇫🇷 the name Picpoul literally means “lip stinger”, a reference to this wine’s zingy acidity
🇫🇷 Picpoul was originally better known as a grape used to make Vermouth
🇫🇷 The appellation was granted AOC status in 1985
🇫🇷 The appellation is one of a tiny handful in Languedoc-Rousillon only allowed to make white wines
🇫🇷 65% of Picpoul wine is exported and the UK buys 75% of that!

So how does it taste? There is a lot of grapefruit, green apple and pear on the palate, balanced by a hint of salinity and minerality as a result of the vineyards’ proximity to the ocean - a perfect match for oysters and other seafood! Available for £9.99 per bottle at @majesticwine 

I also sampled:
- @maisonmirabeau rosé in an impressively large bottle
- @chef_francescomazzei ‘s amazing truffle & Parmiggiano pasta
- fabulous @remeogelato pistachio gelato
- @primetimelager gluten-free low calorie beer
- smoked nuts and olives from @belazu_co 

But the best part is always meeting up with fab friends old and new -  @eatcookexplore @thelondonfoodie @drgeraldcoakley @mecca.ibrahim and (briefly!) @elizabethwinegirl
When the London temperatures hit 30C, there’s on When the London temperatures hit 30C, there’s only one thing to do: grab a bottle of rosé and enjoy a braai (or barbecue if you are English!)

I am not generally a fan of the bland white Pinot Grigio examples that litter wine lists in London - but a Pinot Grigio rosé is a whole other kettle of… erm… grapes! One of my standby rosé wines for everyday quaffing is the Fiore Rosa Pinot Grigio rosé from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, Provincia di Pavia, with its pale salmon colour and fruit forward palate of ripe strawberries and cherries. It nevertheless retains a crisp acidity and a pleasantly clean finish, and pairs well with charcuterie, cheese and chicken dishes. But it also worked perfectly with my barbecued pork belly strips, grilled courgettes and salads this weekend. And for around £8 a bottle, not bad value at all - almost worth buying by the case and keeping on hand for unexpected visitors! 

Looking forward to many more bottles over the summer. Cheers! 🍷
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Bowls of broccoli and Stilton soup
Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2023 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2023 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT