Restaurant: Blue Elephant, London

Mmm, yes, I was supposed to be going to the acrobatics show by La Meute tonight. Sadly, this afternoon, I received an email from the venue to say the show was cancelled because one of the performers had injured himself. They're to be in touch tomorrow about when I can rebook for - I guess they have to see how the fellow is recovering.

Well, it being such a beautiful evening, I decided to take advantage, and my friend Helen suggested I take a boat trip. Unfortunately, the boats are infrequent, and I couldn't make the 6.15 sailing, which meant the 7.20 from Chelsea Harbour. I knew I could get the Overground straight to Imperial Wharf, which is near the pier - otherwise, it's a bit of a trek. So I headed off in good time. Which was a good thing, because I haven't been there before, and it's utterly confusing when you leave the station - there are no signs to anywhere! Just notices about private roads - a lot of very expensive apartments in this area. I figured it out with Google Maps on my phone, after much to-ing and fro-ing. Actually, if I had used my brain, I know the Overground crosses the river just there, and so to find the river, all I had to do was follow the train tracks. Or, more specifically, since the track is elevated, follow the line of the bridge.

I eventually made my way in the right direction, past a barrier - most of the roads around here have barriers, but they're for vehicles, not pedestrians. There was a sign indicating that the only traffic allowed were taxis and chauffeurs. And so I found the pier, and saw the boat times on the indicator. Well, my timetable was slightly off, because I had 15 minutes more to wait for a boat towards town, as was my plan. It was pleasant by the water, and I hung around and gazed at the apartments with river views, most of them with seven-figure pricetags. A couple of ladies were sat on a nearby bench with a glass of wine, until they were moved on by the harbourmaster - no public drinking allowed.

The boat came that was headed west, and it left, and I waited on. And then it occurred to me that the sun had gone in, probably for the evening, and that the whole purpose of the trip was to get a sunny evening on the water, rather than to get anywhere, really. So I gave up on the idea. But I liked it by the river, and decided to eat nearby, if possible. Google Maps said there was a pub to my right - the Waterside - that did food, so I headed in that direction. But when I got there, I saw a Thai restaurant, the Blue Elephant, beside it, and thought - it's been a while. So, despite the lack of a visible outside menu, I decided to go there instead.

It had just opened for the evening, and I had no trouble getting a table. The décor is plush - all hardwoods and exotic sculptures, heavy curtains. The service, as with most Thai restaurants, is flawless. It was with the arrival of the menu (yes, they give you one eventually) that my misgivings started. It just wasn't very long. Which is fine, if the food is good. Anyway, I got a free aperitif, which I wasn't keen on, and a glass of pinot grigio, which took ages to arrive, was smaller than you'd hope for £8, and was insipid. I also asked for a glass of tap water, which arrived non-chilled. Not a great start.

The only starters were spicy soups, which I'm not keen on, so I restricted myself to the mains. Most were priced between £21 and £27, with one at £18. Guess which one I went for? :-) Honestly, it sounded the best of what there was. Chicken with cashew nuts, basically. Add rice, and that was my meal. The dish was attractively presented, in what looked like an edible basket atop a stand. The rice was of the sticky variety. And the meal was terribly, terribly bland. I was glad of it, because I was hungry, but honestly. I have had the same dish, done far better, in other Thai restaurants, and paid less for it. I know I didn't get anything spicy, but there's something wrong if your only choices are hot or bland.

I would have liked dessert, but with the service charge - which I didn't begrudge them, they were terrific in that respect - the bill was already over £30 and Lord knows how much they would've charged for ice cream. So I left it. As I left, I saw someone getting a takeaway.. I wonder whether they actually give out menus, or make you come and ask for one. And in the lobby, they have cases full of things you can buy - sauces, crockery with the distinctive blue elephant pattern. Actually, my bill was presented in a blue elephant with a hole in the back, which I thought was cute.

Not sure about their eating options in this part of town, but they do have the view..

 

 

That was taken with my phone. (Note the private marina in the foreground.) I also managed to take one photo with may camera before the battery died, and with the battery dead, I can't upload it either. Maybe sometime in the future.

 

The way back to the station is easy when you know how - although climbing three flights of stairs to the platform isn't (I was good, I didn't take the lift) - and I was soon home, where I had some decent wine, and chocolate at a fraction of the price. For tomorrow, it's looking like Dark Vanilla Jungle, at the Soho Theatre. Great, my second least favourite theatre - only for the hassle of having to push through the West End crowds, mind. It doesn't look like it's selling out though, so I'm not booking it. After all, might be another sunny evening.. or that acrobat might recover.. At any rate, I'm heading to a Sherlock Holmes play - A Study in Scarlet - with Helen, on Thursday, at the Southwark Playhouse, and on Friday, a play I've been trying to get to for a while - Therese Raquin, by Émile Zola, at the Finborough Theatre. It's been selling out, as plays at this venue often do - it's a small space. Very handy for me though - walking distance from home.