Dream street: the King’s Road has everything you may need, from Indian meals at Kutir to local market stalls
(Picture: Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd)One of the things I love about Chelsea is that it’s small with a bit of everything. You can have a quiet, nature-filled day in one of the parks or an adventurous foodie and shopping day on King’s Road.
I grew up in Nigeria and now travel around the world for polo matches, but there’s no place like Chelsea with my husband and children.
Eating and drinking
I love No. Fifty Cheyne on Cheyne Walk. It’s relaxed and has really lovely steaks that I order with chimichurri, an Argentine salsa, which looks like a salsa verde and is made with oregano, coriander, olive oil and lemon. Chicama on King’s Road has great rustic meals. The whole grilled fish (you choose the type) with the grilled plaintain side is delicious — a must try.
For Indian food, everything on the menu at Kutir on Lincoln Street is a spice ecstasy. Whenever I’m there with friends or family I order the quail naan truffle, the Guinea fowl biriyani or the dhokla. Sticks and Sushi on King’s Road is the best kept secret for mums in Chelsea because it’s like a day care centre. The staff are so kind and oddly so knowledgeable on how to give a mama some rest while eating out with her children, because they bring them toys to keep them busy.
Where I work out
I go to The Body Lab. It’s a bit out of Chelsea, on Kensington High Street, but it has amazing recovery treatments that are perfect for the sports person, or exercise enthusiast. I do a lot of yoga there during the polo season from April until September. During the winter I incorporate a bit more cardio into my routine. While rowing or cycling on a machine I like to put on a polo game and exercise as fast as I can till the whistle is blown, for example for a foul, as this way my body feels like it’s in the game.
To commune with nature
We love to walk to Battersea Park and spend time in the different gardens. There’s always something fun on in the park. I like to play tennis to keep fit and my son and I are able to do that at the park. My son loves Battersea Zoo, and he goes there a lot with his paternal grandmother. The park is a 10-minute walk from Chelsea and so pretty close by. Chelsea Physic Garden is on our doorstep and another lovely place to relax in nature.
For a culture fix
I go to the Everyman, a cinema on the King’s Road and to The Saatchi Gallery on Duke of York Square, where you can view art for free. The Saturday farmer’s market is just outside and so as a family we like to go to the gallery, see what’s on and then go to the Saturday market.
Grocery shopping
I love to go grocery shopping at The Chelsea Health Store in the World’s End side of King’s Road. My husband is gluten and lactose-intolerant, so I shop there for alternatives that are still yummy, but we can all enjoy as a family.
Getting around
I am a bit claustrophobic, and struggle on the Tube, so anywhere I cannot walk, taxi or take a bus to, I lose keenness.
Dream street
The street we’re on. It’s just off King’s Road and so it’s close to everything.
Something you only see in Chelsea
A mix of everything in a small area, from the numerous art galleries to the little church community selling donated books and serving free cakes with tea on the corner of Milman’s Street. There’s also the Saturday market, where you can pick up everything from French candles to Thai dumplings.
What’s the catch?
It’s perceived as uppity but there is so much culture, vibrancy and interesting personalities who are not uppity at all.
In three words
Eat, Pray, Love
Schools
Primary schools with an outstanding Ofsted rating are Fox, Chesterton, Oratory, a Roman Catholic School and Christ Church, a CofE school. Chelsea Academy, a coeducational secondary school also has an outstanding Ofsted rating.
What it costs
Buying in Chelsea
Average flat price: £1,324,640
Average house price: £4,958,050
Renting in Chelsea
Average flat price, pcm: £3,470
Average house price, pcm: £7,540
