How many times can you say you had cocktails while being surrounded by giant vegetable sculptures in a chic London Hotel? My guess is… not many, if ever.
While being invited to this kind of party wasn’t necessarily on my ‘Sunny bucket list’, it certainly wasn’t an opportunity I was going to turn down. Why? Because like Alice from Wonderland, I was just so damn curious.
Last week I went to the Sofitel St James, 6 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AN for the opening night of an art exhibition. It was pitched to me ahead of time as ‘a stylish celebration of earth’s seasonal bounty with French artist Patrick Laroche.’ Since I had never been to the hotel’s stylish brasserie The Balcon, I was even more intrigued.
Sofitel St James is French owned, so I felt very shi shi foo foo, Sunny friends.
When I arrived, I found a giant vegetable sculpture outside the hotel’s entrance. Waaaaaa laaaa.
I absolutely couldn’t resist my first bad joke of the night. I asked the doorman if that was an asparagus in his pocket or was he just happy to see me. 😉
He found little humor in my joke. But, I was expecting a fairly chilli reception.
After some food and a few cocktails, people started to lighten up and go with the root of the exhibition’s concept.I even got a sneaky picture with the ahhhhhhtist himself, Patrick Laroche! Don’t we just look like two peas next to a pod?
Did you notice the girl’s face over my shoulder? Perhaps she was a bit jealous I got a photo opp with Laroche? Maybe someone beet her in to coming?
Maybe she’d prefer an exhibition that united British with French that was a bit cheesier?
Or maybe she should just yank out the carrot stuck up her…
Anyhow, I much more enjoyed the company of these fellas. They seemed quit amused and… cherry!
There were times during the exhibition that being surrounded by all these giant artistic vegetables made me feel like I was the White Rabbit on a crazy journey to the rabbit hole.
Or maybe it was just all the damn cocktails they kept handing me.
I applaud Sofitel St James and Patrick Laroche for their inventiveness and creativity. Sofitel loves French culture and gastronomy and often organises events and exhibitions at the property. This one lasts from September 18-October 31.
Further, the hotel’s signature restaurant will offer new vibrant, vegetable dishes created by Head Chef, Vincent Ménager. There will also be a ‘Laroche Cocktail.’ It’s a fresh mixture of rosemary and basil cubes, cucumber, Heirloom tomatoes and finished with a signature mushroom syrup.
I encourage you to stop by and see this fun, French exhibition at Sofitel St James. I hope you find it as a-peeling as I did. You just never know who may turnip!
To keep up with all the festivities at Sofitel St James, you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
What do you think, Sunny friends? What interesting art exhibitions have you attended?