Best Botanical Garden in East Sheen

"Amazing Kew Gardens in the southwest neighbourhood of Kew is one of London’s most picturesque parks; 132 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses that that house the world’s most diverse collection of living plants. Kew Gardens was founded in 1840 and is today London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with beautiful glasshouses, including the iconic Palm House and its exotic rainforest. There’s a magical children’s garden, the fantastic Treetop Walkway that soars into the tree canopy at a height of 18 metres, and Kew Palace, the former summer residence of King George III."

"The botanic gardens at Kew, in Richmond, were first opened to the public in 1840 after the royal family established the gardens initially and started to bring plants from overseas from 1759. Because of the royal family’s continued interest in Richmond, the areas of Kew and Richmond became one of the most fashionable places to live, especially in the 18th century. Today, Kew Gardens focuses on plant and fungi research whilst housing the largest collection of plants in the world."

"Ok, it’s not technically a park, but it most definitely is one of London’s foremost green spaces. Speaking of technicalities, its proper title is actually Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, but when did anyone last call it that?. However you refer to it, Kew is a glorious day out, and with 300 acres and 50,000 plants, you could go every week of the year and discover something new every time."

"After lunch we stopped at Kew Palace, a 17th century building that was the summer home of King George III in the 18th century. It’s actually the oldest building in Kew Gardens and it has been turned into a museum showcasing the history and bringing to life King George and his wife Queen Charlotte and their 15 children’s lives in the palace over the three levels. There is a perfectly manicured garden out the back which gives a stunning view."

"A trip here offers more than just plants, as you can also visit art galleries, the Great Pagoda, and tour Kew Palace, a former royal residence located within the gardens. You can explore at your own pace or join one of the garden’s guided walk tours that come free with entry. This is a must-see for any garden lover. Kew Gardens are located in outer London and can be reached by public transportation."

"The King George III summer home, Kew Palace is one of London’s lesser-known royal residences and is the oldest building in the Gardens, built in 1631 for a Flemish merchant, Samuel Fortrey."

"Full of rare and unusual trees and shrubs, the Isabella Plantation is a beautiful spot set in the depths of Richmond Park. It’s a green space for most of the year, but in April & May, the azaleas bloom and Isabella Plantation becomes a perfect pink paradise. COVID-19 UPDATE: Isabella Plantation is currently closed to the public."

"Established in the second half of the seventeenth century by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the Chelsea Physic Garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens in England. Included among the London Museums of Health and Medicine, this botanical garden has some unique features attracting tourists interested in botany. Noteworthy mentions are Britain’s largest fruiting olive tree and the world’s most northern grapefruit that grows outdoors."

"Fulham Palace is a site dedicated to tracing its own history. Items found on the palace's grounds date all the way back to prehistoric times; the archaeological finds are part of the museum's impressive collection of artifacts and objects. The site has been a residence of the Bishops of London since 704 and played a major role as a hospital during World War I and a refugee spot during World War II."

"A beautiful open garden, glasshouses, flowers in bloom, and brick walls, all in a place less visited by tourists which make for one great location for a photo shoot or a private event. And if you’re looking for some diversity, just walk a few steps out of Fulham Palaceand you’re right on the shore of river Thames."

"Gardens emerge in the unlikeliest of places, including this tropical beauty atop a railway station. Crossrail hasn’t quite reached Canary Wharf yet, but this stunning spot is open for business—as is the adjacent street food hall!. COVID-19 UPDATE: Crossrail Place Roof Garden is open 8am-9pm daily."

"The Davies Alpine House is a somewhat different greenhouse, it is quite long (16m) and high (10m) and was designed to provide ideal conditions, fresh with natural wind for the best conditions the mountain plants. The collection features a wide range of campanulas, dianthus, small ferns, helichrysum, small lavenders, primulas, saxifrage, thymus, tulips and verbascums along with lesser known species."

"Many of the plants at Kew couldn't survive in Britain's grey, damp climate. The Davies Alpine House supports those that thrive in dry, cool, windy conditions of mountainous areas such as succulents and campanulas,"

"Lose yourself amongst the stone pines, olive trees, and cypresses of this typical Mediterranean landscape. The King William's Temple stands in the middle of the garden, lending a sense of grandeur to the vibrant landscape."

"Uli is the second coming of Michael Lim’s modern Asian restaurant featuring the food of the Chinese diaspora – from regional China through Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The place originally opened in All Saints Road, but Lim retired three years ago leaving a loyal clientele bereft. Now he’s back, with partner Graham Rebak, and they’ve revamped the operation with a bright new identity and lighter cooking for the clean-eating generation."

"Fans of the minuscule Uli Chinese/Asian on All Saints Road were gutted when it shut a few years ago. Two of them, Graham Rebak and Adam Wilkie, decided to relaunch the restaurant, along with founder Michael Lim. It's small but smart and an outdoor terrace adds space."

"Japanese , Chinese"

"Taking south-west France as its focus, this Smithfield restaurant presents simply-cooked and well-sourced meat and fish with creative vegetable accompaniments and sauces. Try such dishes as duck ‘chocobar’ with gingerbread and ‘crazy salt’, or aromatic razor clams with hay emulsion and truffle vinaigrette to see just how creative it can get. Oh, and in case you had trouble evoking those feelings of rural France, the decadent dining room plays out the sound of crickets to help you on your way.Club Gascon, 57 West Smithfield, EC1A 9DS"

"Over 20 years ago, Club Gascon caused a storm on the London scene with chef Pascal Aussignac focusing on the delights of Toulouse cuisine and, in particular, duck and foie gras. But while the ingredients may be trad, Aussignac’s treatment of them is anything but, as anyone who has tried any of his many winning Taste of London dishes will know. So yes, there’s still foie gras on the menu but it’s served as a brulee with mandarin and cocoa dust."

"South-west France is the dining destination here, with seasonal ingredients forming the backbone of the menu. As French restaurants go, this one is magnifique."

"Opened in 1926 by the grandson of an English army general and an Indian princess, Veerswarmy — now London’s oldest Indian restaurant — was an instant hit with the upper classes. After being sold in 1997 to Ranjit Mathrani and Namitha Panjabi (who also own Masala Zone), much of the maharaja-inspired palatial opulence, which first attracted the likes of Winston Churchill to the restaurant, was restored. The traditional recipes from Punjab, Goa, Lucknow, and Kashmir, earned Veeraswamy a Michelin star in 2016."

"Dating to 1926, Veeraswamy is as iconic as they come, being England’s oldest Indian restaurant. We love a curry in Blighty and Veeraswamy serves the best of traditional Indian dishes but with modern flair. VeeraswamyVictory House99-101 Regent StreetMayfairLondonW1B 4RSVisit website: Veeraswamy"

"Cuisine: IndianHalal Options: All Chicken and Lamb is HalalAddress: Victory House, 99-101 Regent St, Mayfair, London W1B 4RS Website: http://www.veeraswamy.com/Nearest Tube Stop: Piccadilly Circus"

"Michelin-starred Pied à Terre is continuing to serve its Vegan Feast, available for delivery. Including a weekly-changing three-course menu of dishes based on the restaurant’s award-winning vegan menus, the Vegan Feast for two is priced at £50, with food arriving chilled, simply needing to be heated at home, complete with easy-to-follow instructions. Local delivery is available on Friday and Saturday, while nationwide deliveries are made on Fridays via DPD."

"Come and see for yourself that you can get superb Michelin star food in central London without breaking the bank. Fitzrovia's Pied à Terre has some amazing lunch and pre-theatre offers under £40. They've been serving superb French inspired food to the likes of Robert De Niro, Nicole Kidman, Kanye West, Brad Pitt and Colin Firth for more than 25 years."

"Pied à Terre has held at least one Michelin star since 1993, making it one of the oldest Michelin-starred restaurants in London. Restaurants need to evolve, however, and with an imaginative young chef at the helm in Asimakis Chaniotis, who mixes classical French and Greek cooking, it remains contemporary."

"Philippe Conticini is a legend of pâtisserie and both of his eponymous Londoncafés are home to some of the finest gourmet pastries on this side of the channel. Paying a visit to Phillipe Conticini is like paying your respects to the butter gods. His Paris Brest is a thing of delicate, complicated beauty; his vanilla flan a reminder of what heights custard can achieve; and his pain au chocolat, a pastry so layered and flaky that it makes all pretenders seem a sham."

"This dog-friendly east London café is certainly one to add to your London vegan food roster. Not only is there a full vegan English breakfast, complete with crispy hash browns, roasted plum tomatoes and grilled sourdough dripping in creamy vegan butter, they also serve seriously generous portions, leaving even the hungriest of customers full. There’s far more than fry ups on offer, though: the spicy coconut ramen is a delightful winter warmer, served with silky tofu, shiitake mushrooms and thick udon noodles deliciously slurped up when drizzled in hot chilli oil."