Photo: Stem + Stem’s inviting storefront seamlessly blends floristry, wine, and dining, offering a warm, elegant space where seasonal ingredients and beautiful blooms come together under one roof.
Seasonal British Cooking Meets Thoughtful Floristry In A Distinctive Dining Destination
At Stem + Stem, the couple’s foraging spirit and commitment to seasonal produce create a dining experience that highlights the natural harmony between food and flowers in every celebration.
C an’t decide whether to gift your significant other a romantic wine-paired dinner or a stunning bouquet? Well, at Stem + Stem, you can do both—and throw in a wreath-making workshop and a nice candle while you’re at it, because Stem + Stem offers it all.
Life and business partners Ed and Dee founded restaurant, wine bar, and florist Stem + Stem two and a half years ago to seamlessly blend their individual passions and backgrounds for food and flowers. Ed brings over a decade of experience cooking in two- and three-Michelin starred kitchens while Dee honed her refined eye for colour, texture, and contemporary style after 15 years in designer fashion.
During the pandemic, Ed catered for private events that often requested Dee to provide florals alongside his food. The couple soon came to the realisation that their vocations were actually not so different after all. Both food and flowers are ‘grown, harvested, and shaped by the seasons, and both play a central role in how people gather, celebrate, and mark occasions in their lives.’ The pair notes that ‘rather than treating floristry as decoration, we approach it as part of hospitality. Flowers shape atmosphere in the same way food and wine do: quietly, instinctively, and with care. Bringing them together under one roof felt natural rather than conceptual.’
Stem + Stem delivers elegant hospitality, inventive seasonal cuisine, beautiful design, and thoughtful wine pairings in a uniquely welcoming setting.
Self-proclaimed ‘foraging nerds,’ Ed and Dee love to forage for their own ingredients, discovering new plants and exploring how they can be used, while also finding suppliers with similar sourcing ethics who grow both food and flowers—sometimes even on the same plant. Ed’s enthusiasm for using fresh, seasonal British produce and meat is evident in their dishes, while Dee’s knack for design is reflected in the space’s lovely, curated interior.
- Unique concept combining restaurant, wine bar, and florist under one roof.
- Founded by partners Ed and Dee, blending culinary and floral artistry.
- Strong emphasis on seasonal British produce and ethical sourcing.
- Outstanding oyster paired with a crisp sparkling wine.
- Exceptional wild garlic, spinach, and Lincolnshire Poacher cheese croquette.
- Expert use of truffle in the venison croquette.
- Beautifully balanced quail starter with sea plantains and carrot purée.
- Attentive and knowledgeable wine service from staff.
- Elegant, minimalist interior with carefully curated floral touches.
- Thoughtful presentation inspired by nature and seasonality.
- Strong evidence of Michelin-level technique throughout the menu.
- Passion of the owners evident in every aspect of the experience.
Stem + Stem welcomes you in with its breezy, minimalistic yet upscale touches such as white tiled backsplashes, elegant glassware, and lush greenery. Each plate is presented with the same meticulous care, down to individual oysters served on stones and seaweed to mimic their natural habitat. The freshest and smoothest tasting oyster I’ve ever had, by the way, surpassing the ones I’ve had just harvested and shucked right there on the beach. The single oyster was perfectly complemented by a light, dry, bubbly wine that accentuated its briny sweetness.
A must-order is whatever seasonal croquette graces the menu at that moment. I had the pleasure of savouring the wild garlic, spinach, and Lincolnshire Poacher cheese croquette and the smoky braised venison and truffle croquette. Each comes with its own house-made mayonnaise, but obviously not the same kind because Stem + Stem takes no shortcuts. The wild garlic fritter was crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and had a subtle yet distinctive funk from the cheese. A cheesy, gooey fried ball dipped in chive mayo may sound far too indulgent, but the chef expertly added a handful of green onions inside, lending an oniony lightness to counteract the richness. The venison croquette was filled with exactly that—venison and nothing else. Upon first look I had dry expectations, but I was soon proven wrong. Even without the delicious wild garlic mayo underneath, the venison filling was tender and succulent. If you’ve ever watched cooking competitions, you’ve likely seen the judges gasp with dread when a competitor brings truffle to the party. And rightly so, because truffle is often overused and overpowering. This is precisely where Ed’s decade of Michelin experience shines, as he knew precisely how to tame the oh-so-powerful truffle. The nutty umami of the truffle plays with the gaminess of the venison, somehow taming two very pungent flavours into one harmonious and smooth bite.
I followed the oyster and croquettes with the duo of quail starter, featuring two bone-in quail pieces, carrot purée, sautéed spinach, and wild sea plantains all drowned in a quail butter sauce. (Don’t worry, I’d never heard of them either. I’ll get to it). If you haven’t had quail, just think of it as chicken’s wealthy cousin. In fact, it will take some willpower not to pick up the leg and devour it with dripping hands because it’s just that delicious. And honestly, you’re paying £16 for a fancy chicken wing so I personally think you deserve to do what you want with it. But the rules of polite society may disagree. The quail is perched on a bed of sautéed spinach soaked in that killer butter sauce. Transforming spinach into something that tastes unhealthy is a feat of significant proportions in my book. It becomes a vessel to slurp up the sauce, but you get to feel good about it because you’re still eating spinach. The sea plantains add an equally fresh note, akin to the crisp of green onion but without such potency. Pairing two grassy greens with the fattiness of the quail and butter sauce is a clear sign that the kitchen knows what it’s doing, and they top it off with an earthy, sweet carrot purée so smooth it could steal your girl without even trying. Nothing heavy comes without a light counterpoint—a subtle but key sign of a restaurant that operates at a higher level.
My wonderful waiter, Abiola, who memorised my entire order while providing recommendations and wine pairings, suggested the sea bream for an entrée. The white fish came on a bed of wild sea herbs and a generous pour of champagne butter sauce. I was yet again unfamiliar with the bed of greenery provided, and I swear some of the sprigs were plucked straight off a jelly bean succulent (or a sedum rubrotinctum, for you planties out there), but this plate convinced me I would eat grass if it came in a champagne butter sauce. The fish skin was flawlessly crispy, but the thin fillet suffered from the time taken to render the skin, becoming slightly overcooked, thus chewy and dry. But if you got enough of the buttery sauce with it, the cook could easily be overlooked. Seriously, I would bottle that sauce and pour it on my morning cereal. This dish paired beautifully with their recommended full-bodied Chardonnay—the first Chardonnay I’ve ever liked, mind you—enhancing the flavours of the fish and sauce perfectly.
I was very excited to top my meal off with the fig leaf infused crème brûlée, but sadly they took the ‘brûlée’ part a bit too seriously. The sugary top, meant to be a thin, crisp, caramelly brown, was a thick layer, nearly black in some spots and rather bitter. I appreciate a dessert that isn’t overly sweet, but this tipped the scale for me.
Could you visit Stem + Stem just for a bouquet, or for some wine and cheese? Absolutely. But this is no ordinary wine bar, and if you don’t recognise it for what it is, you’re missing out. You know you’ve found something special when you can visibly see the owners’ passion in the presentation of the restaurant and taste it within every bite of the food—and that’s exactly what you get here.
