A feast for the fash pack

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10 April 2012

London Fashion Week kicks off this Sunday so prepare to see the streets of our capital peppered with hip designers, willowy models and women dressed in black wearing very dark glasses.

You might think that food and fashion aren't the most natural of bedfellows, but even fashionistas need to eat sometimes - and, importantly, be seen eating in the right places.

There's a growing trend for venues that combine both food and fashion, so here's our insider guide to the London restaurants with a built-in fashion fix.

HARVEY NICHOLS FIFTH FLOOR CAFE
Harvey Nicks is just a Louboutin's totter down the road from the goings-on at the shows, which take place in the grounds of the Natural History Museum.

If your front-row tickets have failed to materialise then worry not: head up to the store's Fifth Floor Café, where you can watch the highlights of the shows on specially erected screens while enjoying a healthy breakfast of Bircher muesli with apple, banana, raspberries and almonds (£4.50) or a waist-conscious lunch of organic salmon and smoked haddock fishcakes with parsley sauce and fine herb salad (£14.95).109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1 (020 7823 1839)

NICOLE'S
We all know that miniature versions of our favourite dishes don't count, right? Well, at Nicole's restaurant, below Bond Street's Nicole Farhi store, the figure-conscious can indulge in guilt-free miniature afternoon teas featuring bite-sized macaroons, petite pastries, teeny sandwiches, diminutive blinis with smoked salmon, and mini Welsh rarebit (£16.50). And the pièce de résistance - 97 per cent fat-free chocolate cake served with goji berries.

There's also a new calorie-busting tea blend called Pu Erh, reputed to raise the metabolism so your body burns more calories.

But if you fancy something a little stronger, the restaurant is offering a free glass of champagne to anyone purchasing a tea during Fashion Week. Now there's an offer we can't refuse. 158 New Bond Street, W1 (020 7499 8408)

JOE'S CAFE
Joseph's Sloane Street branch houses a secret in its basement - Joe's Café. This super-smart restaurant is decked out in black and white like the store's trademark carrier bags and it's the perfect spot to exchange clandestine gossip after a tough morning browsing the rails in the quest for that perfect pair of black leather trousers.

Start off with beef carpaccio with rocket, shaved Parmesan and white truffle oil (£13) and move on to virtuous grilled chicken on a bed of steamed vegetables tossed in herb lemon dressing (£14.50). Still peckish? Go on, have some chocolate cake (£6.50) - an afternoon trawling the rest of Sloane Street will work off the calories. 16 Sloane Street, SW1 (020 7235 9869)

ROSE BAKERY
Set on the fourth floor of super-hip Dover Street Market, the Rose Bakery shares its space with utilitarian Commes des Garçon's daywear and other labels that only fashion insiders will have heard of - not to mention a couple of cabinets filled with animal skulls à la Damien Hirst.

While you might expect edgy, low-cal, low-carb dishes, the Rose Bakery actually presents a great foil to its surroundings: proper home-made food courtesy of Rose Carrarini of Villandry fame.

Specials include the likes of steamed chicken and vegetables with soya ginger sauce (£8.50) and the sarnies, especially the beetroot and ricotta (£7.50), come highly recommended.

They also do a mean shepherd's pie (£9) and for pudding, nothing beats the gluten-free choccy brownies (£5).17-18 Dover Street, W1 (020 7518 0680)

DKNY CAFE
DKNY'S Bond Street café just screams Manhattan from its brushed-steel counter tops to its snowywhite bar chairs. It's very much a part of the store, so you can even cast your eyes over the merchandise while you munch.

Alternatively, it's a great place to dump the other half while you shop 'til you drop. He'll be glad to know that the sandwiches are legendary. The chicken club - grilled chicken, crispy bacon, cream cheese and avocado purée on toasted onion bread - is a bit pricey at £12.50, but considerably cheaper than a new handbag.

The crab salad with sweet chilli mayonnaise, pancetta, avocado, baby rocket and toasted onion bread (£15) is another good option. But if you're on a liquids-only diet the smoothies are good too - try the Summer Star (£5.50), a heavenly concoction of peach, papaya, melon, passion fruit and apple juice. 27 Old Bond Street, W1 (020 7499 6238)

BLUEBIRD CAFE
The Bluebird was a King's Road institution long before it became a café, restaurant and fashion boutique. Built in 1923, it originally housed the largest motor garage in Europe.

Check out the Shop At Bluebird for cutting-edge labels from Vivienne Westwood to Richard Nicholl and then sample the delights of the ground-floor café.

During the summer, the forecourt takes on a buzzing Mediterranean air with its outdoor tables and there's a rotisserie grill, which serves up posh barbecue fare including grilled king scallops, prosciutto, samphire and vine tomatoes (£17).

Other café favourites include Severn & Wye smoked salmon with pea shoots, capers, brown bread and lemon (£8.50) and Greek salad with organic aged feta (£7).

And while you're there, why not pop upstairs to the Bluebird bar for a Fashion Week cocktail, such as the cheekily named Waif - gin, pomegranate juice and orange liqueur (£8). 350 King's Road, SW3 (020 7559 1000)

A feast for the fash pack

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