Brasserie Blanc, Charlotte Street, London

We visited Brasserie Blanc on Charlotte Street, a charming area just a short walk from Oxford Street that has quickly become a trendy evening spot flooded with cafes and eateries.

Upon entering Brasserie Blanc, you are immediately greeted by Natasha, the Assistant General Manager who, with her large, genuine smile, makes sure you are sat comfortable and attended to tout de suite!

Brasserie Blanc is the brainchild of Raymond Blanc, who previously opened the two Michelin starred Les Quat’Saisons in Oxford. Staying true to his style, there is absolutely no compromise of quality anywhere.

The interior, bedecked in wooden panels, is lit up in warm, intimate lighting, and a smooth blues music lingers in the background.

The seasonal menu is a hommage to authentic French cuisine and the comprehensive wine list supports it nicely. With tantalising options such as the ‘eighteen hour venison casserole’ or the ‘saucisses aux lentilles’ are enough to entice you to return and sample each dish.

We started with Raymond Blanc’s newly launched Rose Mousseaux, a subtly sweet, smooth and utterly delicious sparkling rose. We recommend starting with a bottle of this! Our anchovies appetiser consisted of an irresistible combination of anchovy butter, anchovies, sourdough – the perfect induction into our French evening.

Our entrees were the outrageously divine Baked Queen Scallops with tomato butter. The marriage of tomatoe and butter with a slightly baked scallop  – served on a shell no less – was exquisite. Slightly salty and fat, it was the perfect induction to the evening.

The picpoul from the Languedoc-Roussilon (domain Saint-Anne) was our drink a choice, a fresh, mineraly young wine with citrus notes.

These were followed by the roast hake fillet with saffron and seafood and with poached Shetland mussels, squid, new potatoes, wilted kale & saffron sauce and the cornish fillet steak with frites. The delicately cooked hake, on a bed of kale, was marinated in a smooth saffron sauce – a smooth, healthy dish. The cornish fillet steak, cooked medium-rare, was an utter treat, melting in the mouth, as any good steak dish should.

Our desserts were nonetheless spectacular: the ginger crumble with mango purée and caramel souffle with rum and raisin ice cream providing a fruity punch and a warm, gooey sweet treat, respectively, were a tribute to the culinary prowess the French yield in their puddings.

And if our review hasn’t convinced you to visit the Brasserie Blanc, the queue of reservations ought to do so: not a single table was free when we dined there and that in itself is a sign of an excellent restaurant.

 

 

Tags: best french restaurants london, brasserie blanc, brasserie blanc review, charlotte street, French cuisine, french restaurants london, raymond blanc