Tag Archives: restaurant

NAC, Mayfair

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It was the delectable photos I spied on Instagram that first alerted me to NAC. North Audley Cantine, as it is more formally known is moments from Oxford Street, a French style bistro with delicious food, an enjoyable ambience and a trendy new cocktail bar downstairs. The restaurant was founded in 2013 by the insightful and enthusiastic young Frenchmen David Bellaiche and two childhood friends, Gabriel Cohen-Elia and Jeremy Coste.

The menu is a cunning collection of simple but innovative dishes, served bistro-style in petite portions on pretty plates. Intrigue led me to choose the entire cauliflower, roasted and torched, seasoned with just sea salt and olive oil. Concealed in a baking paper case, I unwrapped it to discover a wonderfully soft and flavoursome charred vegetable. We also sampled the Squid Carbonara with egg yolk, bacon and chives. This unusual invention creates a super thin spaghetti with shredded squid topped with a creamy yellow yolk and salty bacon. It is an acquired taste and texture but no one can deny this is a clever take on the Italian classic.

Main courses use big flavours but are prepared in a refined way. I tried the Grilled Free-range Chicken with Cajun spices which had a freshness that reminded me of the Provencal markets I am so fond of. Dry-aged Scottish Hanger Steak with pepper sauce was tasty too, though the meat was slightly chewy. We enjoyed the creamy spicy pepper sauce for chip dunking.

I was like a child in a sweetshop when it came to choosing desserts: overexcited and indecisive. Our quiet but kind waiter surprised us with a selection of three, the very same trio I had been debating about. A thoughtful but fattening gesture!  This is the section in which NAC really excel. The pastry skills in the kitchen were illustrated in the three plates in front of us: exquisite churros with chocolate sauce and popping candy, French toast with berries and Salted Caramel Profiteroles with ice-cream. It was a luxurious display of sweet treats, and we loved every mouthful.

A cursive neon red sign notifies guests of the ‘Chez Chow’ cocktail den downstairs. A lavish and opulent room, with dimmed warm lighting and comfortable velvet armchairs, it would be easy to while away a whole evening here. I highly recommend the Popcorn Sazerac, a smoky bourbon based drink with a buttery nutty hint. It was one of my favourite cocktails I have tried in a while.

A hidden haven for bistro food and delightful cocktails, I don’t know how this place stayed unknown to me for so long… the perfect pit-stop after a Selfridges spree.

More information and book a table here: www.naclondon.co.uk

Big Fernand, Percy Street

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A new hamburger has landed in London. Big Fernand are known as one of the burger frontrunners in Paris, with long queues of dedicated fans waiting patiently at their door. Now they are ready to try their luck in London, opening their first UK restaurant on Percy Street last week.

Big Fernand has four venues in France, and seems to be steadily growing with more branches planned in the near future. The London venue has 60 seats split over two floors, including a very unique living room experience on the top floor. Downstairs there is the option to sit down at a casual table or take away (the chefs deliver your burger to you at staggering speed).

The burgers are made using the same special recipe as the original Parisian outlets, with a few minor amendments. There is no forgetting that this is a French company, with a vast number of stripy shirted staff, it is a stereotype which brings a smile to customers’ faces. Inimitable French unpasteurised cheeses have been imported to give that indulgent flavour to the burgers, but the beef is British. I was pleased to see the menu is almost identical to the French version… featuring my favourite Bartholomé at the top of the list. This burger is not dissimilar to a bacon and cheese, though the components are far finer and the flavours more subtle.

The sauces at Big Fernand are winning additions. These ultra-thick and creamy homemade delights are delicious in the bun or as a dunking dip. I loved the garlicky spicy mayonnaise, and the cocktail and BBQ sauces are also very popular. Various fresh herbs are optional in the burgers, a lovely fresh touch which adds texture and seasoning to the baps. The meat is cooked medium rare and is delicious, aged to perfection and roughly ground. Paired with the oozing caramelised onions, it is the ideal combination.

The Fernandines (French cut fries) are made in house and double cooked to give extra crunch. They are coated in a magical spicy salt, that tastes like paprika, and are particularly delicious dipped into the homemade mayonnaise. There is a little work to be done on the soft seeded bun which currently overhangs the meat and fillings droopily. But what’s inside easily makes up for this.

Burgers are priced around £12, or £15 for the meal deal with a punnet of Fernandines and a bottle of French beer.

Vive le hamburgé! Visit Big Fernand and let me know whether you prefer fabulous French fare or British butties.

More information here.

WY Brussels

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Considering Belgium is a very small country, it has a very long list of Michelin starred restaurants. In Brussels I was lucky enough to get the chance to experience a very special eatery, concealed within Mercedes House, the posh car showroom. The unlikely location and layout of this venue makes the inventive food and inspired wine choices all the more surprising and exciting.

WY Brussels is the newest project from star chef Bart De Pooter. The showroom is situated at the Sablon in the heart of Brussels, surrounded by top chocolatiers. The Mercedes brand is sleek and elegant and this eatery evokes that classic style. The room is designed by Belgian designer Franky Claeys; the simple modern décor has a red and black theme that makes the dining room feel masculine but glamorous, matching the refined virtuosic cuisine of De Pooter.

The kitchen focusses on dishes that use regional and ecologically sourced produce, the plates created are vibrant and original. For guests who enjoy the drama of the kitchen there are cameras installed so you can watch the show from the comfort of your table. The atmosphere is relaxed and we found the staff to be incredibly friendly and thoughtful.

We were treated to some of the WY specialities. Following a glass of exceptionally fizzy Bollinger, we received some delicious miniature mouthfuls: savoury onion and date canele cakes, and rosemary coquettes. Next came a shot of smooth and sweet pumpkin soup with quinoa seeds and freshly baked bread.

The first course was spectacular, Bacon and slow cooked cabbage. The green and pink ingredients were assembled attractively across the plate, a brilliantly modest but very tasty dish. The thick bacon was salty and sweet paired with charred cabbage, fresh greenery and kale crisps. Our waiter brought us glasses of Chardonnay from North Italy, a fresh wine with a buttery rounded taste.

After a short break a glass container was brought grandly to the table – the waitress, with a cheeky smile, lifted the lid to allow a puff of rosemary smoke to escape. The finished dish soon arrived, Rosemary smoked duck liver with béarnaise sauce and parsnip presented in three ways. The mixture of flavours may sound strange, but the smooth luxurious liver with the sweet fresh parsnip and creamy sauce actually worked surprisingly well. The smokiness miraculously infused the food, an unusual and strong flavour. I found the course size a little overwhelming, but my companion certainly didn’t complain as he scraped up the final drop of sauce.

We had spotted a few steaks passing us by, and we hoped we were next in line for a hunk of appetising meat. A little while later we were presented with plates of Tenderloin steak with aubergine and goat’s cheese. The steak was a smooth but thick cut of meat, a breed called Holstein from Northern Holland, it is one of the oldest breeds in Europe. Again the inventive pairing surprised and delighted us. I was pleased to have a vegetable accompaniment to the opulent meat. The aubergine had an almost nutty flavour, contrasted with the cheese sauce.

Dessert was thankfully light: a complex construction of pineapple, coconut, caramel and pina colada. The dish had been carefully balanced with the sweetness, tangy fruitiness and a touch of spice with a crystallised jalapeno pepper. We were full but not too full for a warm mini madeleine, the best way to end a meal.

A hidden treasure in the heart of Brussels, WY is for foodies who appreciate a dining experience that is a little unconventional.

More information and book a table here.

Thoroughly Modern Milly travelled with Eurostar.

·         Eurostar operates up to 9 daily services from London St Pancras International to Brussels with return fares from £69.

·         Tickets to any Belgium station start from £79.

·         Fastest London-Brussels journey time is 2 hours.

·         Tickets are available from eurostar.com or 03432 186 186.