Back in May, I was invited up to Buckingham Palace Gardens to collect my Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. This was an important day for me, as it had taken a lot of time and effort to get through the entire award! I’d actually completed the requirements more than two years previously (they’re very busy). Going into Buckingham Palace through the main gates in front of crowds of tourists made me feel very important – hah!
The ceremony wasn’t particularly momentous – there were a lot of recipients to get through and as the D of E himself has now retired and Prince Harry was otherwise engaged (more’s the pity), we only got a brief moment of Prince Edward’s attention. I never pass up an opportunity to spend a day swanning around London, though, and it was the perfect occasion to wear my favourite pink suit from Jigsaw, which rarely gets an outing, so I was happy. We were also allowed to spend an hour or so taking in the gardens, so it wasn’t over too quickly!
After the ceremony, we went for a celebratory lunch at The Wolseley restaurant on Picadilly, and it was
As it was a celebration, we had Champagne – pink of course! The bread – the mark of quality in any restaurant – was chewy with a good crust.
To start, we shared a portion of the asparagus with hollandaise sauce – definitely a highlight, I love a good hollandaise – and one of perfectly delicate seared scallops served with lashings of garlic and parsley butter.
Next, I had roast chicken, which was served with potatoes dauphinoise and a rich gravy. The chicken was beautifully tender, and the potatoes creamy and not too heavy, even on a hot day.
My mother opted for salmon – apologies, I can’t remember what this came with, and as it was
The portions were generous, and we were too full for dessert, but on hearing I’d received an award the waiter brought me a special sweet treat…
Marzipan! Which I happen to love. And although they clearly keep some on hand, it tasted fresh.
It’s not a huge space, so I wouldn’t go there with a big group, but they offer dishes suitable for any time of day – next time I’d love to go for an afternoon tea, I think it’d be perfect for a girly birthday outing! All things considered, I highly recommend The Wolseley for a celebration in the capital!
The Wolseley 160 Piccadilly St James's London W1J 9EB
