When in...Fulham
Fulham Palace, image by Kajsa Kax
Carlyle’s House, image by Arina in London Land
Carlyle’s House, image by Sunday Taylor
Bibendum, image via Google Places
River Cafe, image via Suitcase Magazine
Green & Stone, image by Siobhan Ferguson
Green & Stone, image via Sloane Stanley
Rococo Chocolates, image by Adam Lawrence
Rococo Chocolates, image by Adam Lawrence
When in...Fulham
Neptune Fulham was the very-first store we opened in London. We chose the ground floor of a red-brick townhouse that sits on Wandsworth Bridge Road, nestled between Fulham, Parsons Green and Chelsea. We’re just a hop, skip and jump away from the many independent shops of the King’s Road, surrounded by intriguing side streets to explore, and not far from several historically fascinating places to visit. Here are our recommendations on how to spend your time…
To do
Known as the Manor of Fulham when it was purchased by Bishop Waldhere in 700AD, Fulham Palace is now so-called because it was home to the Bishop of London until 1975 – bishops were once regarded as ‘princes of the church’. Today, it’s free to visit and wander around its museum and gardens (where you’ll find an ancient evergreen oak tree and sculptures by Andrew Frost).
The oldest botanical garden in London, and certainly one of the finest, Chelsea Physic Garden is a 30-minute walk along the Thames from our store, but most definitely worth it. They have a huge collection of edible, medicinal and generally useful plants, in a walled setting that feels almost like a secret garden.
Not far from Chelsea Physic Garden, this house was once home to the writer and historian, Thomas Carlyle, and his wife, Jane. They rented the property at a time when Chelsea was considered unfashionable, but Carlyle would go on to entertain and influence the likes of Charles Dickens, and inspire the opening of The London Library. The National Trust have kept his house much as it was, including the small walled garden at the back, complete with vegetable patch.
To eat
Parsons Green is home to many of our favourite eateries, including Hally’s. This California-inspired café is light and bright – modelled after a beach house – and a wonderful place to while away an hour or two, especially over their ‘bottomless brunch’ at the weekend. They’re dog-friendly too; the owners’ Irish terrier, Arthur, is a regular visitor.
This area of London isn’t short of places to have breakfast, and another we particularly recommend is St Clements. You can stop by for brunch (and let it stretch into lunch or afternoon tea) on any day of the week, and know that your food is wholesome, fresh and, wherever possible, locally sourced. We also suggest keeping an eye out for one of their supper clubs.
Fulham and Parsons Green are ideal for families, with stores like Papouelli and Little Heroes not far away. If you do have little-ones in tow, be sure to stop by Cuckoo Hibou, a place whose ethos is ‘created for children, made for parents’. There’s a café (with menus for big, small and very small customers), a shop selling children’s accessories, books and toys, and a workshop space downstairs where classes are taught in both French and English.
Upstairs from Amuse Bouche – a bar (whose speciality is sparkling wine) that’s also worth stopping at – is Claude’s Kitchen. It’s a small but calm and friendly restaurant, with a weekly-changing menu that’s based around British ingredients. If you don’t fancy a full supper, the chefs also create the smaller, but equally delicious, dishes that are served back downstairs.
At the top of Fulham Road sits Michelin House, the former headquarters of Michelin tyres. Treading the line somewhere between art nouveau and art deco, it’s all decorative tiles and stained-glass. You’ll spot many pictures of the famous ‘Michelin Man’, also known as Bibendum, whose name was adopted by the restaurant that’s housed within this iconic building. Opened in 1987 by Sir Terence Conran (whose shop is just around the corner), Bibendum is now headed up by chef Claude Bosi, and serves French-inspired creations. There’s no denying that this is a restaurant to reserve for special occasions, but it’s worth stopping by to marvel at the architecture.
Just a 40-minute walk (or a 20-minute bus journey) from our store will bring you to the banks of the Thames and to River Cafe. The restaurant itself is colourful and fresh, with large windows that, even on a winter’s day, afford wonderful views and bathe the room in light. The food is all about uncomplicated Italian home-cooking. The menu changes daily, but the extensive wine list (all hailing from Italy), ‘gelati’ (ice cream), and perfectly-aged cheeses (from their ‘cheese room’) can always be counted on to appear.
To shop
This charming store, with its wooden floorboards and mismatch of cabinets, is a treasure trove for artistic supplies. Neat rows of paint tubes and jewel-like bottles of ink line its shelves, sitting side by side with colour-coded pencils, slim drawers filled with watercolour pans, and antique boxes for travelling with all your collected materials. It’s somewhere we could happily explore for hours.
A visit to one of Rococo Chocolates ‘magical emporiums’ is a real delight. They have a few locations across London now, but their Kings Road store was their first and is still decorated with hand-painted murals, just as it was when founder Chantal opened it in 1983. If you can bear to open the illustrated packaging, you’ll find dark chocolate with flavours like ‘Basil & Persian Lime’, ‘Cardamom’ and ‘Violet’; ‘Salted Caramel Superior Seagull Eggs’; and ‘Bianco Lampone’ – slabs of white chocolate studded with raspberries.
This is one of London’s best independent booksellers (they have six stores in the city and even publish their own books). Our nearest outpost is just a short walk into Chelsea; lined with honey-coloured wooden bookcases, antique tables groaning underneath piles of novels, and their signature green-glass pendant lights hanging from the ceiling.
Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
More than 600 different home and garden brands nestle together at Design Centre, offering everything you could possible need – from tassels and fringes at Samuel and Sons, to handmade wallpaper at Fromental. There’s also a bookshop, specialising in interior design, of course.
