D&D London welcomes spring with its #BlossomCity initiative

D&D London are celebrating the arrival of spring with a range of floral-inspired menus, cocktails and art installations. A feast for all the senses, the #BlossomCity initiative will showcase the vibrant colours and flavours of the new season with a number of D&D Londons’s restaurants taking part to offer a number of stunning dishes and drinks inspired by nature.

From today until June 14, Coq D’Argent will be collaborating with iconic florists McQueens Florist to create unique terrarium installations based on the Coq d'Argent rooftop garden designs of award-winning Chelsea Flower Show designer, Arabella Lennox-Boyd. The installations will use multiple terrariums to present a variety of miniature versions of the restaurant’s garden, creating imaginary scenes using human figurines, fake food and decorations.

Using props originally used for train modelling, the terrariums will seek to reflect Coq d’Argent life from weddings and private parties to kitchen service and everyday operation, all on a minute scale.

The terrariums will coincide with an exquisite flower-inspired menu created by head chef Damien Rigollet. Dishes will include a dry-aged rump of beef, fondant potato, carrot and liquorice purée, watercress, thyme sauce, garnished with daisy flowers; and baked poitou goats’ cheese salad, with hazelnuts, heritage beetroot, honey and truffles served with edible pansies and micro pea shoots.

A striking dessert, served in a terrarium, will also be on the menu and made with coffee biscuit, mousse, sorbet, crumble, fudge with lavender and micro honey cress. In addition to the floral menu, Damien has created a truly unique Granny Smith Apple parfait dessert, which is presented as an exact replica of an apple. Once cut open, however, it reveals a soft parfait center which strikes the perfect balance between sharp and sweet.

Photography lovers will also be welcomed to submit their photos of Coq d’Argent’s terrariums for a chance to win Saturday Brunch for two and a McQueen’s mini terrarium jar to decorate themselves. To enter, guests must Tweet @coqdargent1 and @mcqueensflowers with their image and the hastag #BlossomCity. Whichever entrant receives the most re-tweets will win.

See more images from Coq d'Argent on our Facebook page

*Over in Canary Wharf, Plateau will be collaborating with Castle Fine Art to present a series of original floral artworks by artists Nel Whatmore, Julia Ogden and Kelly Jane. Plateau’s talented bar team will serve four creative cocktails inspired by the works. In Bank, the Royal Exchange Grand Café will be bringing the outdoors in, with a stunning floral installation and living trees throughout the courtyard. Sauterelle will be serving a special floral inspired menu, with a selection of floral cocktails. At Old Bengal Warehouse, Liverpool Street, mixologists have created three floral cocktails.