Hello my lovelies... What delicious dining experience do I have to tell you about this time?
This is actually a bit of an oldie but I've been waiting for my camera lead to be sent to me because I took actual photos on my real camera, not my iPhone. Shocker! Me and la belle Elaine headed to a lovely little French restaurant called l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon which is about a five minute walk from Leicester Square tube station.
This restaurant is 2 Michelin-starred and definitely deserves its reputation. A doorman lets you into a dark reception, all black, red and glass. Two women stand on the reception and take your coats before leading you into frankly, the most trendy French restaurant I've ever stepped foot into. Again it's black, red and glass and everything oozes style and sophistication. Ooh la la!
The restaurant itself is tiny. I really cannot stress this enough. Most of the 'tables' are side-by-side along the bar which faces into the restaurant. Think sushi without the revolving food. There are about 10 other tables, for 2 or 4 people, and it's fabulous. One of the walls is a hedge and the other walls are mirrors, making the restaurant look much larger.
Elaine and I went for the Toptable/pre-theatre dinner menu which is 2 courses for £19 or 3 courses for £25. Being the piggies we are, we went for 2 courses and ended up having 3 out of sheer greediness! The courses aren't huge - it's not a huge course kind of place - but what you get is exceptionally good.
Most importantly, the food:
For starters, we both had wild boar and foie gras terrine, sweet and sour oyster mushrooms and cranberries. The terrine was really delicate and lovely flavoured, not too game-y and not too heavy. I didn't eat the mushrooms but Elaine told me that they were gorgeous and I'll take her word for it.
We decided to go for separate dishes for the main. I had chicken stew served with seasonal vegetables which was very, very tasty. The flavours were - again - very delicate and it was light and refreshing instead of stolid. It would have been nice to have had a little more of it but it was beautifully flavoured. Elaine had pan-fried hake, parsley roots puree & crunch hazlenuts which was fabulous. I tried some and the flavours exploded on the tongue; the puree was also absolutely lump-free and perfect. I definitely think that Elaine had the better choice here!
For dessert, we once again mix and matched, having the cheese of the day (comte) and the dessert of the day (some sort of chocolate/caramel pudding with lemon ice-cream). We felt a little cheated by the cheese which is the French equivalent to cheddar but it was nice nevertheless. The pudding was delicious and not too rich, perfect for ending the meal.
All in all, it was a great experience even if we had serious food envy for the couple next to us who were having the very special tasting menu (£185 each with prestige wines!). Watch out with the drinks - £12 for a glass of the house champagne! - but otherwise definitely visit. It's a great place to go to, the atmosphere is very sophisticated and buzzy, and the staff are only too willing to help. Upon asking for a menu, I received a little envelope with our menu as well as the other menus inside. Very nice touch!
The Vitals
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
13-15 West Street, London, WC2H 9NE
Tel: 020 7010 8600
Website: www.joel-robuchon.com
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=4346
Nearest tube: Leicester Square
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