Marylebone has long been one of my favourite areas in London. From brunching at Providores to a Saturday night tipple at Wicked Uncle Seymour’s recently opened Zetter Townhouse, I can quite easily spend the idyllic part of any weekend here. Another charming spot that joined the neighbourhood ranks earlier this year, is Daylesford‘s organic farm shop and café, cosily situated off Marylebone High Street.
A friend and I popped in for lunch late on a Saturday afternoon, to find the elegant eatery positively buzzing. With its open plan design, there’s almost a cafeteria like feel here, although mind you, this is really far from your average canteen. Marble finishing adds a luxurious touch, while the quietly dignified staff are all seen sporting silk scarves stylishly knotted at the neck.
The all-organic fare served up here is straight from the farm to your fork, with most of the produce sourced directly from Daylesford’s own farm, which sprawls over 2,000 acres in the Cotswold. The farm’s sustainable practices are showcased in a film running on loop in the restaurant; if you’re interested in knowing more, do have a chat with the knowledgable staff – they’re incredibly passionate about the holistic approach adopted at Daylesford, and this really shines through.
We enjoyed a selection of fresh cheeses, served with chutney and sourdough bread, which we later substituted for fresh fruit bread instead!
Light and fluffy, the scrambled egg whites were also pretty perfect…
If I’m being honest, the salads were a tad disappointing. We were presented with a beautiful array – chopped summer vegetables tossed in vegetable oil and cider vinegar… kale mixed with green beans and spirulina-crusted pumpkin seeds in wholegrain mustard… raw slaw with toasted cashews and chilli in a ginger & soy dressing… and a panzanella salad that featured heritage cucumber & tomatoes, red peppers, basil and red onion. Quite a mouthful. But on the whole, I found that they were lacking a moreish burst of cohesive flavours.
We definitely perked up at the prospect of dessert though, plumping for a sticky toffee pud – in this case, I’m happy to report that it tasted even better that it looked – rich, moist yet not cloyingly sweet. It was definitely the most popular dessert of the day, as by the time we ordered one, they had run out of the creamy custard served alongside. Something to save for next time, I suppose.
Well-satiated, we were ready to step out for a spot of window-shopping around Marylebone’s quaint boutiques. But not before we took a twirl around the farm shop first!
Daylesford Marylebone, 6-8 Blandford Street,Marylebone, London W1U 4AU