Of A Nervous Breakdown, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), Portrait and landscape painter and muralist.
We stayed in The Rembrandt in Knightsbridge (see http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186338-d193667-Reviews-s1-The_Rembrandt-London_England.html) for two nights and the first evening we dined at The Savoy Grill.
We booked for 5:30 and tuned up a few minutes before ... we were shown out (politely) as the staff were still having their pep talk I guess ... Others tried to get in at about 5:30 too but were shown out! We got in a few minutes afterwards. We got a nice table (on the back wall) and I had a champagne galls to start with - though Margaret had water!
The atmosphere and service was excellent but the early evening was let down by the food. My main (liver) was in one grilled piece, tough and tasteless. I had to order extra for bacon and a side of french fried. Margaret's pie was very was better ... perhaps the Chef was having a bad day?
We walked to the Adelphi to catch the show "Made In Dagenham" - we enjoyed it.
The next day we caught the Singer Sargent exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, after a coffee in the Crypt of St. Martin's-In-The-Field.
That afternoon - after a brief "lunch" of tea/scones at the National Gallery (where we went so I could see the Burlington Cartoon again!) we walked to The Mall Galleries and then down to the Millennium Bridge (or properly London Millennium Footbridge) - took some photos.
Then we went to the theatre for the matinee performance of the musical "Women On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown" - which we thought would be a highlight!
Sadly it wasn't. Neither of us enjoyed the musical - it was probably the tunes and the music - though bits were funny and the story line implausible but intriguing. We left a little underwhelmed and went back to the hotel glad that it was not an evening show ...
That evening as dusk fell we walked from the hotel via the Albert Hall and Kensington Road to walk along Kensington Palace Gardens to admire the houses and the gas lamps!
I managed to turn left as soon as we reached the Royal Garden Hotel - going down the first part of Palace Avenue instead of going past the hotel and down KPG!
Still we turned left and managed to get to KPG - though walking down was a bit of a disappointment I have to say.
We walked down left a short part of Bayswater Road before turning left again to walk down Palace Gardens Terrace to Vicarage Gate and then to Holland Street.
We had a booking at 7:45 at The Terrace At Holland Street. This tiny restaurant (about 22 covers!) is something of a hidden gem, tastefully decorated in various shades of grey, with a service that is very friendly and efficient. Their homemade treacle soda bread is a delight. I had a Prosecco to start with and Margaret had water. The cooking was precise and v. good, though the side of triple cooked chips I had was not brilliant.
The course I had was sea bream (a a glass of Italian red wine) and Margaret had salted baked beetroot and Goat’s curd. There was a birthday party in when we were there but not too noisy and what seemed to be a small office party - not too bad. All in all this is a fabulous little restaurant, serves great dishes, cooked well in an informal setting.
We got back to the hotel after we had coffees and Margaret had a dessert - buttermilk pudding with rhubarb. I had a grappe.
Next day we visited the Natural History Museum and The Science Museum.
Then we went to Kings Cross and had "lunch' in St Pancras at Fortnum & Mason's. We caught the train home at 13:35 and got home in time for me to pick up Ginny.
