Primrose Hill Perambulation...

Primrose Hill.

Most people would expect me to deride Primrose Hill, but I like it. Always have. For those non-Londoners it is a small area of London, near the zoo, next to Regents Park and along from Camden. It's name suits it. It is Primrosey. Lots of stucco terraces occasionally painted in sweet pastel colours and with little flowery flower boxes. It is all very chi chi, somewhat twee and yet just a spit from the miasma of screaming euroteens, stale patchouli and ersatz bondage gear that is Camden. It reminds me of Chelsea, without the country types, lebanese businessmen and posh toms.

It had become famous for a so-called Primrose set, horrible skank bags who shagged a lot and married low rent pop stars and provided coke snorting space for dodgy models. But it isn't really like that. It does indeed have a high quotient of celeb residents. Various Millibands, Tim Burton and so forth choose to live there. Otherwise there are rather a lot of tanned young Eurorich, fruity middle aged gentleman and their pooches and the odd bad tempered old lady. It manages to be both quaint and parochial yet very cosmopolitan. Perhaps it is the predominance of young tanned european men whose professions and orientations are as mysterious as their fondness for sportswear that looks as if it was designed by a teletubbies. We were there on a hot Saturday and the tribes of the area were in full force, their numbers swollen by lots of nubile Siennawannabes in the park for the day hoping to spot a popstar and wearing dafts headbands.

We were in what is the closest thing the area has to a village centre: Regents Park Road. It does actually have some useful shops nestling amongst the shops selling nick- nacks for the Boden classes.

Apparently call me Dave Cameron was there on Saturday, but not in the Queens pub. I like the Queens pub. It has all the fandangles of your typical Fulham gastro pub yet retains something of the geezer's pub about it. Perhaps it is the telly screens or the obvious interest in sport. There is actually a betting shop on the street which is quite unusual for this kind of area. The bearded one tells me Queens was Kingsley Amis' favourite pub, whatever, I like the Chenin Blanc. They also allow dogs in. Primrose Hill is a dog owner's area and good for dog spotting. I also spotted a stylish Spanish chum in there. Didn't see a single cat, which I regard as a recommendation not liking the little beasties much myself.

Interior of Trojka

Regents Park Road is also blessed with three legendary restaurants, the pretty little French gem Odette's, the redoubtable Greek restaurant Lemonia and Trojka. All have been around for a long time but perversely, considering the heat, we opted for Trojka. Russian food is not necessarily wintry and I feel my starter of blinis with smetana and salmon washed down with prosecco was very suitable. It must be said thought that the interior makes you feel as if you are sitting in a bowl of borscht. Friday and Saturday nights come with free russian music. I have a bit of a klezmer-gipsy-balkan fetish so that is fine with me even if 'Those were the days' isn't strictly speaking a russian ditty. Fantastic place, great food and gluggable Georgian wine.

Bliny loveliness.

http://www.trojka.co.uk/
http://www.odettesprimrosehill.com/