As born and bred loyal Londoner, I recently discovered I’m clearly not that loyal as after years of exploring the capital, this was my first ever time visiting Chiswick House & Gardens and what a beautiful place it is. Lush green, teaming with wildlife and full of old English charm – plus for Summer 2021 there’s a beautiful pop-up dining experience from the team behind Food Show Events.
Set within the beautiful surroundings of Lord Burlington’s 18th century villa, The Garden Pavilion offers peace and tranquility in West London where you can relax in picturesque surroundings and at the same time – enjoy fine dining dishes, served against the backdrop of one of London’s most stunning grounds.
Taking inspiration from the seasons and Chiswick House’s very own Kitchen Garden, the food here utilises locally sourced British produce and as I’m sure you’ll gather from my photos, beautifully plated and equally as exciting in the mouth. To kick off our evening out on the terrace, we started with a couple of glasses from English sparkling producer Coates & Seely and it was delicious. In fact, I’d say it was one of the best examples I’ve had in a while to come out of the UK.
After enjoying that delicious glass of fizz, we tucked into what was my favourite dish from our meal. A foie gras and Gressingham duck terrine, served with pickled garden pears, candied pecans and the most amazing warm brioche. If you visit, don’t leave without ordering this dish as it really will be the highlight of your Garden Pavilion experience and shows off just how capable the kitchen team here is.
Equally as impressive, both in flavour and presentation – was the passionfruit cured organic salmon with a mango salsa and lime crème fraiche. The salmon was as fresh as you could hope for, the mango flavour which was also used as part of the curing process was sweet and delicious and the touch of lime added a much welcomed hit of citrus. This was Summer on a plate, it’s just a shame we had the good old English weather (rain) surrounding us.
Continuing that Summer theme was this pan seared fillet of Cornish sea bass. The fish itself was cooked beautifully, the risotto was rich and decadent, the asparagus oh-so fresh and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano snow added a touch of indulgence. Whilst rich in flavour, this dish was still light, summery and perfectly presented.
To finish, the most delectable “Edible Flowerpot” you ever will eat. The pot itself is made of chocolate and inside you’ll find a generous mix of moist carrot cake, carrot fluid gel, carrot spaghetti, cream cheese frosting and coffee crumble. Admittedly all the descriptors put me off a little at first (carrot fluid gel just doesn’t sound that appealing) but I can ensure you that every bite is pure joy and this dessert tastes just as good as it looks.
We also enjoyed the chocolate and raspberry delice which was filled with a roasted hazelnuts praline and served with raspberry sorbet and cacao nib crisps. Presentation wise, again it was practically perfect, but as for the flavour you’ll just have to find out for yourself as my dining companion wouldn’t even share a spoonful. I guess that’s a good sign (though not for my personal research purposes).
We had such a lovely meal here at The Garden Pavilion and what better way to end it then with one final walk around the stunning grounds of Chiswick House & Gardens. Decor wise, the venue was clearly used for events and weddings (back when we were allowed such things) which aesthetically I wasn’t a fan of, but the food is so good you really won’t care and if anything it was a nice reminder of those big events we all miss and love. Would we come back? Absolutely – but be quick as this pop-up is only running for the Summer!
