Daphne’s

112 Draycott Ave, London

Surveying the lively scene at Daphne’s, there’s little doubt that this Chelsea hangout – which has seen its fair share of highs and lows – is back on top. First opened in 1964 by theatre agent Daphne Rye, it became an overnight success, playing host to stars of stage and screen from Alec Guinness to Laurence Olivier. It fell from favour for a while, but the early 1990s saw it bought by Danish playboy-cum-restaurateur Mogens Tholstrup, who ditched the French menu in favour of Italian and turned it into a place fit for a princess (Di, specifically, who became a lunchtime regular). By 2001 though, Daphne’s was again a fading star. Enter Caprice Holdings, owner of The Ivy and Le Caprice, which added the former hotspot to its illustrious portfolio and has returned Daphne’s to its glory days.

Tricked out like a Tuscan villa, with rustic floor tiles and pretty lemon trees, the surroundings combine warmth and elegance, a feeling echoed by the service, which is as obliging as it is polished. There are three spaces: a cosy room to the rear, complete with exposed brick fireplace for chilly nights; the airy central conservatory with its retractable glass roof; and a front room that comes into its own in warmer months, when the concertina doors are pushed open for people-watching straight from the pages of Hello.

The regional menu changes with the seasons, with weekly specials to ensure plenty of variety. Start the show with a salad of immaculate white crab meat, creamy avocado and the bitter crunch of endive leaves; or perhaps a couple of meaty razor clams, beautifully teamed with verdant broad beans and parsley. From the pasta list, there’s rich, toothsome wild boar ragù served over folds of home-made pappardelle, while a grown-up selection of secondi offers the likes of crisp-skinned red mullet with plump mussels in a fragrant seafood broth. Round it off with boozy tiramisù or palate-cleansing blood orange sorbet.
Simply put, Daphne’s has the qualities that elevate a restaurant from merely good to very special. It’s everything a neighbourhood restaurant ought to be – I only wish it were my neighbourhood.