London Cafe Series: Élan, South Kensington

New year = a new cafe destination you have to go to. Opening on Tuesday the 6th of December this brunch spot is a wonderful addition to the Knightsbridge area, following the success of the branch on Park Lane. With London's offering of beautifully decorated places and tasty food, this is one to add to your list.

Brunch has become a weekly outing for my flat mate and I, hence the pick up in my Cafe Series posts recently. After hearing about this chic and contemporary hotspot, I knew from looking at pictures this was going to be my kind of place. With my own distinctive colour palette and taste, this cafe almost felt as if it was designed for me. With a flower wall, marble tables, cute coffee quotes, pink chairs with gold plated legs and a blossom tree, I was in my idea of heaven.

The founder Alexandra is passionate about wellness which has clearly inspired the Mediterranean themed menu and her standards of quality has clearly been filtered down in to every aspect of this business. With a healthy and natural food selection the company ethos of well-being is the focal point from what we eat to what we put on to our skin. Alexandra’s background in fashion makes this destination what it is. I feel that she has truly grasped her audience through beautiful styling of all Élan’s food, interior and other offerings it has alongside the cafe.

Following my visit I did further research in to the company, noting their minimum-waste system. For me a sustainable company in this climate is crucial and an important step for business to take. They recycle by-products from their coffee into scrubs and masks for face, body and hair which contain no preservatives or harmful chemicals. Meeting more of my own personal morals, I could not recommend Élan enough for this alone.

Now, just as important, how did this all taste? As the menu was placed in front of us I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive range of beautifully presented breakfasts (hot and cold), soups, hot plates, and desserts. With options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and halal, catering concerns are out the window for all involved.

For drinks, coffee seemed like the best option to go for especially after reading up on the process. However the Flora Tea instantly caught my eye for the pure fact it had a flower in the pot. I discussed with the waitress what I liked in a tea and she recommend that I went for the 'Flower Lover' which reminded me a lot of camomile or a refreshing green tea.

When it came to ordering food, I was tempted to go for the Acaí bowl however changed my mind to the Shashouka. I have never had this before, but have always been intrigued when seeing it on menu's perviously and decided this day was the day to finally give it a go. In case you were wondering, Shakshouka is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. Originated in Tunisia this version came with pitta and hummus on the side, making this filling enough for both breakfast and lunch. As a sweet treat I finished on the Lemon Meringue tart to keep me going whilst I explored the V&A afterwards.