RESTAURANT REVIEW: BRASSERIE BLANC, THE IDEAL PLACE FOR GOOD FRENCH FOOD

If you fancy some exceptionally well-cooked French food, then Brasserie Blanc is a restaurant you’ll want to visit

Raymond Blanc. As if his restaurants need any more good press. Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has just retained its two michelin star status in the 2016 guide and after scouring the internet, we could find nothing but rave reviews about him and his empire. Raymond is undisputedly one of the UK’s most respected chefs.

Amongst other endeavours, our favourite Frenchman owns a chain of restaurants offering French cuisine under the name of Brasserie Blanc. 

Restaurants by celebrity chefs like this either live up to your expectations or they don’t. There’s no inbetween about it. And Brasserie Blanc in Southbank lived up to all expectations and to be completely honest, even exceeded some.

Idea

To be a French restaurant at it’s very best.  Brasserie Blanc aims to feel as authentic and as warm and welcoming as Maman Blanc’s home, with a comfortable space where guests can gather & savour all the various moments of the day.

Location

Situated between Waterloo Bridge and the Royal Festival Hall, this Brasserie Blanc is in the perfect spot for commuters, tourists and those who are in the area to soak up all the cultural delights that Southbank has to offer.

Style and Ambiance

Even though this place is ultimately a restaurant chain, somehow we don’t see it as a restaurant chain. It’s not in the same league as places like Cafe Rouge or Cote, and we mean that in a good way. To start, the service is perfect. Our waiter was one of the best waiters we’ve ever had. He was friendly, without crossing that line where he pretended to be our new best pal and was really knowledgeable about the menu.

The food is authentic and warming. They only use freshly prepared seasonal ingredients, unlike some chains who simply warm up ready made food – if you’ve ever worked in a chain restaurant, you know what we’re talking about. And even though it’s an upscale brasserie, it still has a relaxed vibe. The restaurant is sylish and well lit. It’s one of the best dining experiences we’ve had, and we’re not even using hyperbole.

The Food

The menu harks back to Raymond’s childhood and is all about classic French cusine. It’s packed full of dishes you will have heard of and probably already eaten, but they are done well. Here’s our food rundown.

STEAK TARTARE ‘MAISON’

An excellent steak tartare. It’s made with plenty of capers and the balance of flavours is spot on. 

BŒUF BOURGUIGNON

This dark, rich, deeply flavorful concoction of beef is a good thing. They say that the secret to making an excellent Beef bourguignon is to use all wine and no stock and we really want to know how they make it here. The dish is served with a smooth mash. It’s the type of mash that will wow you – we also want to know what kind of potatoes they use.

DUCK LEG CONFIT WITH BLACK CHERRY SAUCE

Here at IDEAL we love the way slow-braised French dishes fall off the bone. That’s why we love duck confit – tender meat with crispy skin to us is perfection.  This classic dish is an exquisite combination of duck and cherry sauce. Order it.

ESCARGOTS

Order it if you’re into snails. They aren’t served in the shells, which we kind of missed. This dish was meaty, garlicky and delicious.

PISTACHIO SOUFFLE

This dessert is simply wonderful. In terms of dessert souffles, it’s not quite as good as the one at The Sportsman, but it’s up there.

IDEAL dined as a guest of the restaurant and received a complimentary meal