World Foodie Guide

Background:

When our Canadian friends visited London recently, I had to think hard about where to take them for dinner. As we’d already dined at The Wolseley, Konstam and Yauatcha with them over the last two years, I wanted to maintain the high standards to which they’re accustomed in London. In the end, I chose Le Café Anglais because I had an excellent meal there nine months ago and had recently been recommending it to other friends.

Please read my previous review for more background detail, as nothing has changed, apart from certain dishes on the menu. This is good news, as standards were still high. The service was as attentive as ever, without feeling too fussy. And I was pleased to be allocated a great table not too near the kitchen, as requested. In fact we were by the window, so I was blessed with plenty of natural light for my photos. Our guests were delighted with the elegant surroundings and enjoyed another excellent meal in London. Even the fussy husband was content.

What we ordered:

The set menu isn’t bad at all (two or three courses, with three choices for each course), but it’s much better to choose from the à la carte menu for an ideal taste of the different starters and first courses in which Le Café Anglais excels. And it doesn’t cost that much more.

Starters & First Courses:

• beetroot and dill (£3.50) – lovely and fresh, though to be honest, I couldn’t taste any dill whatsoever. But no matter, it came with a drizzle of olive oil

• salsify fritters (£3.50) – these arrived perfectly crisp, having been fried in a thin batter. The salsify was young and crunchy, and it was tricky negotiating who should have the last two!

• burrata (£4.50) – this (mozzarella and cream) cheese was creamy, rich and moreish. I would have been happy to eat just this with fresh bread all evening

• Parmesan custard and anchovy toast (£4.50) – an absolute must at Le Café Anglais. It’s a signature dish and always on the menu. The ‘oohs’ and ‘aaahs’ emanating from my fellow diners confirmed that I’d ordered the right dish again…

• pike boudin (£8.50) – the other must at Le Café Anglais, with the same results as above. I’d forgotten quite how sublime this simple dish was

Mains: with gratin dauphinois, Jersey royals, leaf spinach and watercress with vinaigrette

• steamed hake with samphire and lobster sauce (£15.00) – chosen from the set menu. I didn’t try this, but even just looking at it I could tell that it was succulent and something I would really like

• fried haddock with tartare sauce (£13.50) – husband, who’s an expert on fried fish when there’s nothing vegetarian he fancies, confirmed that this was very well executed indeed. I think fried fish is hard to get just right, so top marks for this

• roast skate with sorrel and Jersey royals (£16.50) – I secretly wanted to order this, but having just seen the documentary The End Of The Line, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I just hope it was sustainably sourced…

• chicken breast with mousserons (£14.50) – finally, my dish after much indecision. On hindsight, I should have ordered fish. The chicken, which I rarely order anymore when dining out, was tender enough and I did like the mousserons (mushrooms to you and I), but overall it was just a bit too bland for me

To finish, we ordered two Queen of Puddings because I tried this last time and thought our friends would be intrigued by it. If you’re curious about the recipe, here’s one from BBC Food. It’s a retro pudding British women used to make at home (both the husband and a friend from the last dinner said their mothers used to make it!).

The verdict:

As with my last meal, I found the starters and first courses much more exciting than the mains. Perhaps I keep ordering the wrong mains, (last year it was suckling pig), but no one else I dine with seem to have any problems with theirs. Or perhaps the starters and first courses are so spectacular that they overshadow the mains? In future, I’m going to stick to my rule of ordering plenty of small dishes, so that by the time I reach my main course, I won’t mind so much if it turns out not to be as good.

Overall though, Le Café Anglais is a superb restaurant where you never have to worry about anything, as the service is reassuringly reliable, the decor just right and the food never ceases to please people. I’ve also added it to my list of current favourite restaurants in London.

Dinner for four, including apéritifs, wine, coffee and service charge cost £209.00.

Click here to view the entire set of Le Café Anglais photos.

10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average

All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide

Contact details:
Le Café Anglais
8 Porchester Gardens
London W2 4DB
Tel: 020 7221 1415
info@lecafeanglais.co.uk
www.lecafeanglais.co.uk

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide

Tags: British, dining out, food, French, Le Café Anglais, London, restaurant review, restaurants, traveleating