Her friends may have long talked about their love of French food, but Tina Banerjee always wondered what the fuss was about. So La Brasserie had a bit of a challenge on its hands when she showed up at the French café restaurant in London's South Kensington.
Established 35 years ago, the eatery adamantly insists its success is down to delivering classic French fare amid authentic surroundings.
So imagine my surprise when I walked into La Brasserie and discovered it lived up to the hype.
A long, well-stocked bar, globe lights, ceiling fans, French posters, red-leather chairs paired with acres of dark wood, a chalk board bearing the day’s specials, wood-panelled mirrors and waiters with wonderful accents all evoked a charming slice of a Parisian café. For atmosphere, it certainly ticked all the right boxes. However, would the food be as equally enticing?
Charming manager Majid Barka led my husband and I to our table where we sipped a glass of champagne as fresh bread and olives were delivered by the waiting staff. My only gripe? The absence of side plates to prevent a rapidly crumb-strewn table top.
Scouring the menu revealed traditional staples from French onion soup to escargots and steak tartare, while French and New World wines peppered the extensive wine list. Overwhelmed, we asked the ever-beaming Majid for help, who recommended an excellent bottle of Sancerre.
For starters, we plumped for half a dozen rock oysters served with the usual accompaniments of shallot vinegar, tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. Not that there was much need for such embellishments. I discovered that the salty, straight-from-the-ocean parcels were best slurped with a dash of lemon. An impressive start.
Next came the mains. Although the vegetarian options were sparse, I decided to opt for a trio of dainty seared scallops on a bed of creamy pea and mint risotto. It was satisfyingly tasty, although a more generous portion of scallops wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Meanwhile, murmurs of appreciation emanated from my carnivore-loving husband, who was plunging his knife into a well-presented, melt-in-the-mouth lamb shank, accentuated by bourguignon sauce, mushrooms and a creamy mash.
By now, the 150-seater restaurant was almost full – surprising for a wet autumnal evening. Our fellow dinners consisted of well-dressed locals, a smattering of suits enjoying post-work dinners, couples savouring a romantic meal and opposite us, retired newsreader Anna Ford – all proof of the restaurant’s reputation.
Polishing off our plates, we turned our attention to our final course. I drooled at the tempting selection, which included crème caramel, poached pear in sauvignon wine, accompanied by chocolate sauce and ice cream and buttermilk panna cotta with berries compote. Which one should I go for?
My other half decisively opted for his favourite: profiteroles. They were delicious, filled with light-as-air cream and drizzled with rich chocolate sauce. Eventually, I chose crème brûlée, and discovered it was close to perfection: a flourish of creamy custard and candied stem ginger restrained by a thrillingly brittle caramelized sugar crust.
La Brasserie proved to be revelatory. Inspired by my evening, I knew my discovery of French food had only just begun.
La Brasserie
272 Brompton Road, SW3
Tel: 0207 581 2089.
Website: www.labrasserielondon.com
Price: Our three-course meal for two, plus bottle of wine and two glasses of champagne, cost around £107.
