Bridge Magazine - Part 1

WORDS ROSE BATEMAN PHOTOGRAPHS ISKA LUPTON
5
After a Clark Kent-style transformation,
nip in for a carrot cake at Finns of Chelsea
Green (finnsofchelseagreen.com – 8), then
tarry at Amaia (amaiakids.co.uk), where it
is de rigueur to be found cooing over all the
miniature outfits that roundly prove how the
French are schooled in effortless chic from the
cradle; diminutive T-bar shoes sit alongside
confections of white and pink (1 & 10).
For groceries, head to Andreas (andreasveg.
co.uk). It’s been open just 10 months but
is already such an established part of the
Chelsea Green scene that the owners greet
regulars like old friends (3). Artichokes,
bunches of carrots, trugs of portobello
mushrooms and intriguingly named veg like
Agretti monks beard spill out on to the street,
making even the least artistically inclined feel
8
7
8
10
11
12
ChelSea Green
iS Where the
CoGnoSCenti
SaShay for
GroCerieS – not
to mention
aCCeSSorieS
inspired to reach for the brushes.
Next, nip next door to The Chelsea
Fishmonger, where the owner Rex Goldsmith
(who quips: “I think my mum was expecting a
Labrador”) is always waiting with ready chat
(13). Here you can snap up lobster, caviar and
a hearty helping of good old-fashioned charm
from Rex, who has been at the shop’s helm for
a decade. Aside from a stint as a fish ‘n‘ chip
shop between the wars, the site has been a
fishmonger since it was built in 1906.
For an extra dose of history, dash across to
Felt (felt-london.com), a diminutive boutique
selling an eclectic array of jewels, from
designer pieces to vintage, with price tags
ranging from £10 to £5,000.
All of this darting about is thirsty work,
so make a beeline for The Markham Inn
9
Street FOCUS
13
14
15
(themarkhaminn.com – 11 & 15), where a
cocktail will whet your appetite before a
visit to fish restaurant Geales (geales.com),
the second incarnation of the Notting Hill
institution. Though a baby compared to its
sister establishment, having opened in 2010,
it is already just as much a neighbourhood
favourite. Here you’ll find a sustainable menu
(Geales only buys from small day boats), and a
strong contingent of regulars.
In the words of Ed Mead, director at D&G’s
Chelsea office: “Chelsea Green is as charming
now as 50 years ago. Fishmonger, green
grocer, cobbler and it passes the milk and
newspaper test. It has always been considered
the area’s epicentre, and given that the sun
shines into it and you can walk to Sloane
Square easily, I can see why.”
BRIDGE MAGAZINE 35