Mon Plaisir Restaurant, Covent Garden

Mon Plaisir is apparently the oldest French restaurant in London, and from its quaint, authentic interior I can believe it. Located on Monmouth Road, a cobbled street in Covent Garden, you could almost be in Paris.

It is a treasure trove of trinkets inside; through a little archway, we were seated in the main area of the restaurant, red checked tablecloths cover the tables and pretty little pictures decorate the walls.

Both the daily lunch menu and the a la carte were on offer, and we chose to mix and match. I chose the very seasonal Veloute de Potiron et Huile de Noisettes (Pumpkin Veloute with Hazelnut oil) to start: it was absolutely delicious, creamy and velvety, sweet and filling and served in a lovely little tureen. My dad chose the Salade de Canard sauvage aux Mangues (wild duck and mango salad) which was served with a little too much raw onion for our taste, running the risk of distracting from the smoky duck aroma and flavours.

For mains my Perdreau roti en croute (roast partridge in a pastry crust) was a typically French dish, and though it had lovely flavour and was beautifully prepared, I found it too heavy for a lunchtime meal, perhaps a poor choice on my part. The bird was served with a confit of cabbage and a very delicious rich and creamy Celeriac gratin. The Limande grillee sauce béarnaise ou poelee avec un beurre meuniere et pommes ratte (Lemon Sole served grilled with potatoes) was gratefully received and polished off by my dad, who admitted it was one of his very favourite childhood dishes. The large impressive fish lay regally on the plate, wonderfully cooked, even with his high standards, he seemed very satisfied with the Mon Plaisir version of this famous, familiar dish.

For desserts it was the tarte du jour that won our vote, a caramelised apple slice made with soft fruit and custard and encased in crumbly pastry, just as it should be. The chocolate mousse was nice too, not too rich and very airy though it wasn’t special enough and perhaps needed an extra dollop of cream. We finished the meal with wonderfully strong coffees.

I felt almost surprised to walk out into Covent Garden, London after our lovely long lunch in Mon Plaisir. The place, food and character is all so reminiscent of France, a country that I am so fond of, it is like a second home to me. But if nothing else it was a lovely déjà vu... and luckily with a trip to Paris just round the corner I don’t have long to wait for the real thing.

Visit the Mon Plaisir website to book here.

Bistro du Vin restaurant, Soho

After attending the new Bistro du Vin restaurant opening in Soho, I was invited for supper last week to try out the menu. We went along on a Sunday evening to find the restaurant surprisingly empty, then again so is most of Soho at the end of the weekend. I was unable to see the design at the busy opening, but can now confirm the decor is elegant and refined, a bright and airy layout that I’m sure will entice people in either just for a drink at the plush bar or for a relaxed meal in the main restaurant.

This is the second Bistro du Vin restaurant, after the success of the first in Clerkenwell. The menu is one of British classics, with a focus on high quality meat and fish. The restaurant boasts a collaboration with ‘La Cave a Fromage’ a wonderful cheese supplier who works hard to find the very best French and British cheeses. So with that in mind, it would have been a sin not to try out the display of fine cheeses! For a starter we shared a selection of the artisan cheeses and finely chosen charcuterie. Our friendly waitress sweetly asked which flavours I preferred before bringing us a well rounded assortment of their current seasonal stock.

The cheese and charcuterie arrived beautifully displayed on two rustic wooden boards, along with a variety of fresh breads. All the cheeses were good, some were sublime... I remember thinking that cheese would be my luxury for a desert island, if the cheese I could take was this good. The finest salami and hams came amongst a bed of salad and figs, my favourite was the flavoursome Iberico ham, matured for 30 months.

As the name suggests Bistro du Vin has an enviable expertise in wine, and an awesome hand picked array is on display in the central glass room. A lovely sommelier came over to our table and suggested a white that would complement our starter, Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner (Lossterrassen, Kremstal, Austria 2010). It was one of the most drinkable, light and refreshing white wines I have ever tasted.

After sampling the Donald Russell sourced beef on offer at the opening party, I was keen to choose a dish from the grill section of the menu. From the choice of cuts, I decided on Sirloin - priced at £24, my steak was lean and tasty, a wonderful cut of meat with a delicious chargrilled taste from the Josper Grill. To accompany I had a rich creamy peppercorn sauce and a portion of crispy pomme frites. We ordered a tomato and onion salad to share; I was delighted when it arrived to see the tomatoes were multicoloured, a group of bright orange, red, green and yellows. My friend chose the BdV Burger with bacon, gruyere cheese and grilled mushrooms on the side. A perfectly cooked stack of burger components, served with frites.

Before dessert, I asked to try a summer cocktail of the expert bartender's choice. The waiter delivered to me the sweetest peach-flavoured creation, a drink made specially to suit my request. For dessert, with our aromatic fresh mint tea we ordered the Belgian waffle, fresh strawberries and Valrhona chocolate sauce. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the waffle had just been homemade by the pastry chef in the kitchen; it was crispy and scrumptious with the darkest bitter hot chocolate sauce and sweet red fruit.

Soho is home to a wealth of tempting restaurants, but at Bistro you will find a little pinch of extra sophistication.

Visit website here to book and find out more.

Bistro du Vin Clerkenwell wine and Miller Harris fragrance pairing

With nose and tastebuds at the ready I took myself off to the Bistro du Vin wine and Miller Harris perfume pairing, a civilised evening hosted by the bistro in Clerkenwell. A group of stylish girls gathered at 6.30pm... we were handed deliciously crisp champagne and offered numerous tempting canapés: hot arancini balls, steak tartare and smoked salmon blinis. The evening was relaxed and friendly and was the perfect chance for me to chat to a few other bloggers and compare notes.

Having recently visited the Soho Bistro du Vin, it was intriguing to see this other branch of the chain. The decor here is sophisticated and smart, but also feels snug and comfortable, thanks to the warm lighting and plush sofa seats. After an enthusiastic welcome from the head sommelier Romain Audrerie and fragrance expert Robert Gorman from the Miller Harris team, we sat down for the tasting and smelling session. It was lovely to be at an event and learn about two luxuries that we all enjoy in ours lives; all the way through I felt very much like our needs were at the forefront of the discussion.

We were presented with six pairings, first a glass of wine and then an accompanying scent that had been picked for its similar qualities. Here are the selections we tried and tasted:

1) Scent: Noix de Tubereuse Wine: Verdejo, Rueda ,Spain
2) Scent : Figue Amere Wine : Pinot Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
3) Scent: Encens de Bois Wine: a special bottling, Chateau Musar, ‘Hochar&Fils’, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon HIM
4) Scent : Feuille de Tabac Wine : Fiano di Avellino, Campania, Italy
5) Scent: Vetiver Bourbon Wine: unique blend, Veneto – Corvina/Syrah from Allegrini
6) Scent: L’Air de Rien Wine: Vina Ardanza, La Rioja Alta, Northern Spain

Each fragrance and wine had been picked for their special character and matched to complement one another. I am no wine expert, but have been to tastings before... this selection was far superior to those I’ve tried previously. I have always preferred white, but at Bistro I truly began to understand the merits of good red wine - the colour, smell and different tones, where the vintage was made and how the climate and surroundings can affect the taste. I found as the presentation went on that I could gradually recognise the different flavours, some more obscure than others. The Verdejo, Rueda from Spain was particularly delicious with a light and slightly sweet taste, it was paired with a scent that had sensual tones of orris and amber, a mysterious and exotic smell with a girly sweetness. Of the reds I preferred the Vina Ardanza, La Rioja Alta - a rich mature red, with a rustic feel; this was matched with the L’Air de Rien a very individual smell that reminded me of incense.

The perfumes were all exquisite, high quality fragrances with real personality. It was very interesting to hear about how a perfume changes once it is on your skin, from the zingy initial top notes to the lasting base that stays with you for the whole day. Apparently scents are suited in relation to your skin tone, hair tone and even temperament. Miller Harris offer a bespoke service, for £8000 you can have your very own perfume made, including three days with Miller Harris creator, perfumer extraordinaire, Lyn Harris. This fragrance is then exclusively for you and cannot be created or sold to anyone else. One exception is the scent, L’Air de Rien (‘Air of Nothing’) made for icon Jane Birkin - this perfume has an eccentric but beautiful mix of flavours that has become one of Miller Harris’ most successful sellers. We tried it last and though I was initially shocked by the unconventional and nostalgic blend, after it settled on my skin I found it the most alluring.

With our new found knowledge, my friend and I left Bistro du Vin with lovely Miller Harris goodie bags on our arms... a really special and informative evening, I just feel sorry for those on the tube who must have been intoxicated after my excessive perfume sampling!

Visit the Bistro du Vin website here, and Miller Harris here.

The Square Restaurant

The Square is one of the select restaurants in London to have retained two Michelin stars for a substantial length of time. With a fabulously reasonable weekday lunch menu, £30 for two courses or £35 for three, this culinary experience is now more accessible for the average foodie. No-one should miss out on food of this standard.

The restaurant must be doing well to remain comfortable in such a pricey location. The Square sits on Bruton Street, just off New Bond Street, blissfully (or dangerously) near to the top luxury shops. There were four of us on our visit to the Square, all food lovers, eager to try.

The restaurant is very light, which is definitely preferable for dining; I always like to be able to see what I’m eating. Set out clearly in an open plan room, the decor is plain and inoffensive. When we were seated, just after 1pm the restaurant was relatively empty with just a few business lunches going on around us, making the ambience feel more corporate than intimate. The waiter was attentive and brought us freshly baked bread from the oven (all made on the premises) with our glasses of bubbly. Note to butter lovers – salted AND unsalted butter were brought to the table!

Wine arrived, a Provencal Rose, of the prettiest pale peach shade: it was one of the best glasses of wine I have ever tasted. We all opted for the set lunch menu, cleverly designed with nicely contrasting choices. Everyone chose three courses except for me. I only had two to avoid overfilling and therefore under-enjoying, and anyhow food always tastes better when ‘borrowed’ from another’s plate. Before the starters arrived we were treated to a tiny shot glass of foie gras with raisin and parmesan foam. Once I’d forgotten it was foie gras I managed to really enjoy this entree, a delicate mousse with a deep flavour.

SET LUNCH

Tuesday 25th January 2011

Tartare of Aged Beef Fillet with Truffle and Pickled Mushrooms

Sea Kale and lobster claws

Fillet of Cod with Crushed Root Vegetables,

and a Vinaigrette of Cockles, Clams and Winkles

Coq au Vin with Creamed Potato and Glazed Carrots

Chocolate Fondant with Milk Ice Cream

Walnut parfait with poached spiced pear

Or

Cheese

(£10.00 Supplement or £15.00 as an extra course)

The dishes were presented in a no fuss fashion - none of that splattering of sauces that can often make high quality food look naff. As a non fish eater I didn’t try any of those options but was assured by my companions that both fish courses were ‘delish’. Coq au Vin is a classic dish that I often avoid in restaurants, bullying myself that it is too boring a choice. On this occasion I tried it, and it was far from dull. The perfect portion of chicken with a deep red sauce that was so scrumptious I was very tempted to lick my plate. The silkiest creamed potatoes made an ideal accompaniment and the veg were deliciously cooked too.

Pudding wasn’t AS good as the main, but it was still good enough to finish and want more. I preferred the chocolate fondant that was light and airy with the gooiest of middles. The walnut parfait was a comforting dessert with warm and spicy flavours. The extra fresh pastry on the side was a sweet touch. Much to my delight our coffees came with a generous portion of mini pistachio nougats, chewy and sweet, dusted lightly with icing sugar. On seeing the plate cleared, the kind waiter brought along a second plate, which he sweetly packaged in miniature square takeaway boxes when we couldn’t finish them all.

I really admire a top notch restaurant that avoids stuffiness, and in this respect the Square achieved top marks. The service was impeccable but very discreet, which I definitely appreciated – I cannot bear it when the main course is disturbed constantly with enquiries about whether everything is okay. My friend visited the Square for her birthday supper a few nights ago and it was interesting to compare our experiences. Dinner costs £80 for three courses, which seems like a grand step up from £35 for lunch, but when I heard about her meal it sounded 100% worth the extra pennies! I felt strong food envy particularly hearing about the complimentary little chocolate lollipops they were given at the end of their meal.

Careful attention to detail and exquisite individual touches make the Square truly outstanding in its field. With unfaltering service and such delectable food, I now understand why the Square is consistently rated one of London’s finest dining experiences.

Book your meal at The Square here.