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Best French Food in London
By Hilary Armstrong, London Lite 09.10.08
A taste of France in the East End: fresh seafood from Brittany is flown daily to Le Bouchon
Michelin sibling: dining at Le Comptoir Gascon
It could be time to forget about the weekend away in Paris and try some of the best French restaurants in our own capital.
BRITTANY
Le Bouchon Breton
This glossy Belle Epoque-style brasserie opens today. The classics of the French culinary repertoire litter the vast menu, devised in consultation with Michel Roux Jr, with moules marinières, snails, profi teroles and lemon tart all present. But as the name suggests, there's a Breton twist. Shellfish is flown in daily from Brittany and piled on to platters (from £35 for two), or served in La Marmite Breton (£19) - a fish stew including lobster. The wine list covers tipples from all over France, including elegant champagnes and some back-ofthebooze-cabinet liqueurs such as peachy RinQuin-Quin or thyme-flavoured Farigoule, loved by ardent Francophiles. The Breton cider is a must- try and if you've only ever had Woodpecker, prepare to be astounded.
Le Bouchon Breton, 8 Horner Square, E1 (0800 019 1704)
AQUITAINE
Bord'eaux
Chef Ollie Couillaud has taken the entire Aquitaine region as inspiration for his deluxe brasserie at Park Lane's Grosvenor House. The area runs along the Atlantic coast from Spain in the south to Poitou-Charentes, where Couillaud is from, in the north. A canny decision, as it gives him the famous ham of Bayonne, the duck dishes of Les Landes and the wines of Bordeaux to play with. Therefore, he can do sophisticated one minute — foie gras with a gelée of Pineau des Charentes liqueur (£12.50) — then simple and gutsy the next: grilled duck hearts and livers, big chips, béarnaise sauce (£12.50) or salade landaise with poached egg and meat juices (£8/£14). Couillaud's love of the taste of home is evident in the small details such as broyés du Poitou, biscuits made to his grandmother's
recipe.
Bord'eaux, 86-90 Park Lane, W1 (020 7399 8460)
GASCONY
Le Comptoir Gascon
The food of Gascony could almost be made for the English palate. It's rich, earthy, warming and satisfying. Le Comptoir Gascon, the casual sibling of the Michelin-starred Club Gascon, does a great line in the region's cuisine using fresh-from-the-farm ingredients. Delicious crisp-skinned duck confit with potato gratin (£13.50), or the Toulouse bean cassoulet (£12) speak for themselves.
Le Comptoir Gascon, 63 Charterhouse Street, EC2 (020 7608 0851)
LYON
Ambassade de L'Ile
The white leather and shagpile Playboy mansion interior may have elicited a sacre bleu from the critics since it opened this summer, but who says French restaurants have to look like a set from 'Allo 'Allo anyway? The outré interior is a surprising setting for the elegant cuisine of double Michelin-starred chef Jean Christophe Ansanay-Alex. The Lyon region is known for its charcuterie, poultry and freshwater fish, and while some will find the cuisine a little old-fashioned, for those of us who've never tried classics such as pike quenelles (dumplings) with spinach or andouillette (tripe sausage) with mustard, it's an education. Lunch costs £30 for three courses.
Ambassade de L'Ile, 117-119 Old Brompton Road, SW7 (020 7373 7774)
ALSACE
Brasserie St Jacques
Restaurateur Claudio Pulze's new Brasserie St Jacques boasts ¸ber-chef Pierre Koffmann, a one-time holder of three Michelin stars, as menu consultant. The menu itself is awash with long- forgotten brasserie classics such as veal kidney with mustard (£16) and oeuf en meurette (red wine poached egg, £6). But it's the au jour le jour menu that tickles our French fancy. From the roster of regional classics for every day of the week, we love Tuesday's Choucroute Alsacienne (£18), a steaming plate of sauerkraut and cured sausage, a reminder of the Germanic influence on Alsace cuisine. Finish off with tarte Alsacienne aux abricots, £5.50.
Brasserie St Jacques, 33 St James's Street, SW1 (020 7839 1007)
NICE
La Petite Maison
This is the London outpost of Nice's famous La Petite Maison, a favourite of Nicolas Sarkozy. Like 100 Riviera summers rolled into one chic package, the celeb-infested hangout makes you long for lazy, sun-soaked lunches. The juicy lemons, Ligurian olive oil and plump tomatoes that grace each table set the scene for chef Raphael Duntoye's light and healthy cuisine Niçoise, a blissful Mediterranean marriage of French and Italian influences. If octopus in lemon oil (£13.50) or turbot with artichokes (£26) don't brighten up the greyest of days, the wine list will: there's a page full of hard-to-find Provençal rosés (from £22) that are also available at lower prices to take away.
La Petite Maison, 53-54 Brooks Mews, W1 (020 7495 4774).
London's first French Restaurant Week runs from now until 20 October. Go to Londonmacadam.com to see a list of participating restaurants and their special offers.
