Alfresco dining can be one of the best things in the world, so long as you’re not bothered by the occasional wasp, sunstroke or gale-force wind. The Clifton Kitchen is a nicely British way of eating and drinking outdoors in great style and comfort.

The Venue
Clifton Nurseries is a famous west London purveyor of plants, trees, flowers and all other things horticultural. It is, in fact, like one great big garden close to Little Venice and the Regent’s Canal where you can stock up on everything from passion flowers to box trees, as you walk around the nursery taking in all the gorgeous scents and beautiful visions of nature in all its glory.

Recently added is a garden cafe with seating for about 50 both indoors and outdoors, where you can enjoy some delicious refreshments in between selecting your plants, shrubs and flowers. When the weather is good you can sit outside amongst the bushes and trees and pick a shady or a sunny spot to sit back and enjoy breakfast, lunch, brunch or afternoon tea.

The Atmosphere
The ambience here is quite unlike anywhere else. It’s quiet with just the sounds of the birds singing in the trees. It feels exclusive and far away from the noise and bustle of London at its most stressful, rather like being in your own garden surrounded by the most admirable collection of plants. The only other sounds you might hear are the rattling of tea cups and spoons.

You don’t have to be a customer of the nursery to use the garden cafe but it is a good place to take a break from browsing, either for a cuppa or a soft drink or even a full meal. Looking at attractive plants and flowers is most congenial as well as therapeutic. The Clifton Kitchen is definitely a place to relax.

The Food
The lunch or brunch menu offers some fairly substantial meals. You could begin with a bowl of hearty soup and a herb scone (£5) or have both with the addition of cheese and salad (£7.50). Otherwise the plated dishes include honey roast figs with Parma ham, salad and artisan bread, organic smoked salmon with beetroot and horseradish salad and baby leaves, a cheese board of Somerset brie, Cropwell Bishop Stilton and Butler’s secret Cheddar with homemade chutney and artisan bread, or crayfish tails with a lemon dressing, rye bread and salad, all priced between £7.50 and £9.50.

A leek and goat’s cheese tart with new potatoes and salad is nicely presented with the tart and potatoes served hot. The mixture of leeks and goat’s cheese is a winning combination in what appears to be nice, crumbly, homemade pastry. The char grilled chicken served with couscous and salad leaves is also quite substantial, with the juicy chicken meat going well with the flavour and the wheaty taste of the couscous.

Brunch offerings include are eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, scrambled eggs with Parma ham or organic smoked salmon (all at £7.50), smoked back bacon or Cumberland sausage sandwich with roasted tomatoes (£5) or croissants with a choice of sweet or savoury fillings (£3.50). Children may have a half portion of any of the special plates with either apple or orange juice for £5.

Homemade cakes and biscuits (£1.50 - £3.50) are a big thing here with some unusual choices including carrot cake, Belgian chocolate cake, orange and lavender cake, chocolate brownies, flapjacks, lemon drizzle cake and fruit scones. The lemon shortbread is buttery, lemony and very moreish, whilst the beetroot and seed cake is an interesting mixture that really tastes of neither, but is very pleasant nonetheless. It resembles carrot cake in its rough texture and has icing too, plus streaks of red and poppy seeds dotted about.

The Drink
At the moment the Clifton Kitchen has not yet acquired its alcohol licence but it has a good range of fruit drinks, juices and mineral waters (£1.50 - £2.75). The homemade lemonade is very refreshing, served either still or sparkling and with optional sugar. There are organic apple and orange juices too but the most lip-smacking drinks are the Belvoir organic sparkling raspberry and pomegranate juice or the Belvoir elderflower presse. They seem to be the perfect choice to have whilst relaxing in a nursery garden.

All the hot drinks (£1.75 - £2.50) are organic and fairtrade, with various styles of coffee, hot chocolate and tea. The last offers English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, camomile and mint, amongst others. The English Breakfast and the Earl Grey seem to be the best accompaniments to the food. If you wish to order one of the full afternoon teas (£4.50, £7.50 or £10), any choice of tea or coffee may be ordered for the Clifton tea (with scone, jam and clotted cream, the Warwick tea (the above plus finger sandwiches) or the Adam Krupp tea (as above with sandwiches and cake). A number of light savoury plates are also served during the afternoon tea period.

The Last Word
The addition of the Clifton Kitchen to the Clifton Nurseries is a real plus, providing a stopping off point for garden customers as well as a welcome source of refreshment for other passers-by. Tea in the garden is such an attractive concept and in these surroundings it’s an unbeatable idea – Maida Vale’s very own particular oasis.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (1) image gallery (3)