If you’re looking for an oasis of greenery in the heart of London for lunch or dinner, I’ve got the perfect spot: La Goccia, in Covent Garden. And if on top of that, you fancy Italian inspirations, you’ll be in love with this place!
La Goccia is part of the Petersham Nurseries group and shows values of respect for the environment as well as for humans. Stepping inside this restaurant makes you feel better, with all the senses on the lookout 🙂
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON invites you to discover La Goccia, the perfect hidden gem for al fresco dining in London!
La Goccia, Food & Philosophy
When Petersham Nurseries opened La Goccia, they built it “on the slow living values of good, clean and fair and unwavering respect for our planet, our people and sustainable processes”.
The Head Chef’s philosophy consists of “creating delicious and interesting menus with minimal waste, maximum flavours”, as well as “sourcing the best quality ingredients working closely with small and independent producers”. Pleasure AND ethics mixed together on your plates, what else?!
La Goccia’s symbol is the elephant and on the day my friend and I discovered the place we were welcomed by a few elephants standing in the courtyard and bringing an unexpected sense of exotism to this place…
These wooden animals are actually part of the Coexistence Campaign supported by Petersham Nurseries, raising awareness on the necessity to “create landscapes that allow humans and wildlife to live in peaceful coexistence”.
After getting familiar with the surrounding green environment, my friend and I were greeted by the hostess and informed that our table was inside. Ouch. We were a LOT disappointed as we expected to sit in the courtyard (on sunny days in London who wants to eat inside??). What did I miss online not to be able to choose that option?? (I still have no idea).
Luckily, it was still early and we had very little time for lunch so we managed to negotiate to stay outside and leave before the next customers arrive.
While enquiring about the toilets, I met a friendly staff member who explained to me the owners’ passion for art, plants, good food, and support for charities. It was lovely to hear all that and feel that the passion of the owners had been transmitted to the people working there!
En route for the toilets (still, but very determined this time!) I left this really pretty outdoor dining space and discovered the indoor part of the restaurant: a whole new decor made of warm colours, beautiful art, and an open grill, I could not believe my eyes!
Indoors vibrant colours and floral inspiration
On weekdays the venue does not look too busy and I would highly recommend this place to enjoy a lovely drink and dinner and feel miles away from the everyday routine (a feeling of escape is what we all need right now I guess?).
The red, purple, brown, and green colours all mix together perfectly well and create such a warm atmosphere inside. I was blown away by this interior decoration.
The open kitchen also creates proximity with the Chefs who prepare the dishes in front of the guests. Next time, I’d love to enjoy this kind of ambiance.
A room with smaller tables is also available (for the most romantic clients…?). I LOVE the paintings on the wall, they are the perfect addition to this interior decor!
Al Fresco lunch at La Goccia
As I said before, we were quite in a hurry that day, and my friend and I made a simple order: a fruity drink, a rather hearty main, and a coffee.
Given the fact that La Goccia offers an extensive menu of Italian small plates (known as cicchetti) it was a rather limited choice.
But the idea was to get a first impression and come back (especially for the Burrata with Grezzina zucchine –as Aperitivo-, the Bresaola della Valtellina and Mortadella Bologna -as Coccoli-, the Wood roasted St. Mary’s scallops in butter and lemon -as pesce-, and either the Cherry tart with cherry ripple ice cream or the tiramisu as desserts…maybe both!).
I’m already salivating, we’ll have to come back quickly!!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found inspiration here. If you are planning to eat at La Goccia soon, please share your experience and opinion on DOYOUSPEAKLONDON’s blog!
To go further:
La Goccia: 1 Floral Court London, WC2E 9FB
Website
Petersham Nurseries: Church Lane, Off Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 7AB
Website
The Coexistence Campaign website
Comme toujours de belles photos inspirantes et une grande envie de déguster la magnifique assiette de rogatonis
Nice place !!
Nice images…as usual! Next Time, a ” gourmand” dinner there?
Good idea isn’t it ?
@christine Merci Christine!
@olivier Certainement!
Le lieu semble très agréable . Le souci proclamé d’éthique et de respect de la planète est louable.
Espérons qu’il s’étende aux conditions d’élevage (viande , poisson , œufs , produits laitiers ,). Il serait intéressant de leur poser la question.
@myriam Go to their website, they explain how they care about the way animals are treated too!