If you thought the hearty roast was reserved for Sundays only, you’d better think again. Come with us as we travel to a flower-covered, pastel-blue restaurant tucked away in a particularly gorgeous part of West London. Say hello to No. Fifty Cheyne Chelsea.

The No. Fifty Cheyne photos are a sight for sore eyes.

The two-floored venue had all the feels of a cosy, upmarket pub, but elevated into a gastronomic paradise; think leather seats, grand chandeliers and Victorian curved windows. Those sitting on the far side of the restaurant would be able to see the Thames, including the glistening Chelsea Bridge. Our visit coincided with the Chelsea Flower Show and Chelsea in Bloom festival, so we literally couldn’t escape the petals, but even as a long-standing hayfever sufferer, I couldn’t complain as inside No. Fifty Cheyne was drop-dead beautiful. There was foliage everywhere, including indoor trees and plants trailing from the ceiling; providing a nice contrast with the industrial open grill near our table. It was the right amount of busy inside, enough to create a buzz without being stuffed in like sardines. In fact, top tip, make sure you book ahead as we saw people being turned away.

You may have heard about this oasis as the owner, Sally Greene of Ronnie Scott’s fame, took over in 2019, and has since given the space a massive refurb. As for the No Fifty Cheyne menu, Iain Smith (formerly at Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House) has put together an extensive offering of modern British plates, using the finest, locally sourced ingredients. We couldn’t fault the service we received here too, from the great recommendations to making sure we had all we needed.

Keep reading our No Fifty Cheyne review to get the full lowdown.

To our delight, we sat opposite an actual cheeseboard trolley, fully stocked with a wide variety of options (covered in chic glass domes) and all the trimmings, like chutneys or grapes. While I pondered if I could fit one into my own home (I can’t), the first drink arrived. The Terre Antiche gavi di gavi (£15) white wine started things off in style; crisp, elegant and instantly refreshing. But as you know, the real reason we were here was to test drive the famous roast dinners, but on a Saturday. After conversations with the charming team, my dinner date picked out the 40-day aged sirloin (£39.50), a fattier, more popular option than the other beef dish there. This juicy slab of meat was cooked perfectly medium rare, and while he enjoyed tucking in, the stars of the show were the fluffy yet crispy beef fat roast potatoes.

The sides were similar across both of our plates; towering Yorkshire puddings, herby glazed carrots and a really tasty hispi cabbage, served sliced in half. Although we loved the charred flavours of the latter, it would have been handy to have a sharper knife as it was tricky to eat. My well-seasoned roasted cauliflower (£25), the vegetarian option, was standout; the amount of flavour they packed into this humble veg was incredible. Gone are the days of bland florets, that’s for sure. Double cauli? That’s not a problem in my book, as the gooey, indulgent leek and cauliflower cheese with milk crumble (£6) proved to be a great twist on the classic. 

Not just for the Made In Chelsea lot, this restaurant welcomed us with open arms.

Unfortunately, one of my olive oil-roasted tatties was underdone, but the other two were wonderful and I wish I had more. Moving onto the stuffing, the succulent bean mix was nutty but not dry; a really nice change from the usual sage ‘n’ onion variety. To top everything off? Gravy, of course, and ours were thick, rich and glided down the mound of food like a dream.

As I sipped on a lovely and zesty Greywacke sauvignon blanc (£16) and my partner devoured a creamy cappuccino (£4.74) our dessert arrived. Needless to say, we were suitably stuffed after our meal, so decided to share the dark chocolate fondant (£11). It was a triumph; the silky salted chocolate sauce drenched the perfect pod, housing a soft hazelnut centre that oozed out when cut. Want more? The heavenly praline ice cream and dainty butterfly tuile brought it all together. 

The DesignMyNight Digest

Previously a local secret, it's clear that others are now getting in on the action at No. Fifty Cheyne London and we can totally understand why. We enjoyed our time here; the roast dinners and photo-worthy surrounds have put this gem on the culinary map (i'm still craving that divine cauliflower main). If you’ve looked up No. Fifty Cheyne on Instagram, you’ll also see it’s properly dog-friendly; indeed next to our table was the happiest of pooches, sat in a bed provided by the venue. Can't argue with that.

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