SPRING RESTAURANT IN LONDON
The. Best. Meal. Ever?
Spring Restaurant, located in the beautiful and iconic Somerset House in London is one of the most extraordinary dining experiences I’ve ever had. Head chef Skye Gyngell truly has created “an experience which not only sings on the plate but lingers in the memory.”
The Australian native first gained notoriety for her fresh seasonal cooking style during her tenure as head chef of the Michelin Star studded Petersham Nurseries in Richmond, Surrey. Moving on from the idyllic haven outside of the city, Gyngell opened Spring in 2014 and it has since made its mark as one of the most elegant restaurants in London.
All Photos Courtesy of Spring.
Excited is an understatement when describing how I felt about going to Spring when we were in London last weekend. I hadn’t had the pleasure of eating Skye’s amazing food since my last visit to Petersham Nurseries quite a few years ago. That last time was an unforgettable experience in the most memorable of locations on Christmas Eve day, no less. I also had the chance to meet Skye when I was there and she signed a copy of her first cookbook for me. I was thrilled! More on that experience and the magic of Petersham another time as that place really has a great story.
The Spring project was conceived and is run almost entirely by women, which Gyngell says enables them to focus more on creating an environment and meal to remember, not one to knock you over the head with backflips or over-the-top presentations.
Gyngell runs the show as head chef and owner, along with business partner and operations manager Marie Jackson. Gyngell also brought in her sister Briony Fitzgerald to head up the interior design, which definitely rounds out the magical experience of dining at Spring. I feel like the pictures you see online of the space don’t do it justice. I tried to take my own pictures to show you the mood of the place but even that didn’t work. I think you cannot capture the feeling of a space when it relies on the service, and the food and the energy to create the entire experience. I caught a glimpse of Skye as she passed through the dining room in her chef’s outfit so I know she was on hand that night cooking away. I could taste it!
I absolutely love the porcelain petal installation that adorns one whole side of the restaurant, by Brazilian artist Valeria Nascimento, and the contrasting golden glow of custom bubble chandeliers by Lindsey Adelman. It’s things like these installations that make this experience all the more special to me.
Spring is perfection. A real find and if you are in London, I highly suggest you head there to see what all my fuss is about. It’s clean, delicious, in-season food, presented in a perfect environment that makes you want to stay and indulge, not only in the beautiful ingredients and freshly baked bread, but hand-dipped wallpaper and fine-blown glass. And indulge, I did.