Comptoir Gascon

Comptoir Gascon, Smithfield: London's Wholesale Meat Market and home to some of the City's best meat restaurants (think St. John and it's nose-to-tail ethos).  But on a rainy Saturday we are at Comptoir Gascon for Brunch, and it's all about eggs.  Oh, and the best croissants this side of the English Channel.  Trust me, there are none better, not even Paul* comes close to these buttery, flaky pastries and one mouthful transports you straight to the heart of France.  Even the ones we grab for Sunday's breakfast at home lose nothing overnight and are just as delicious - every last flaky crumb swept from the plate.
Back to the eggs though.  Omelettes and scrambled eggs are made with 5 or 6 eggs per person - are these extra small eggs we ask?  Quails eggs maybe?  No, is the answer, though I suspect they are Bantam eggs which are naturally small.  Full  'English'  comes with home-baked beans which are a touch undercooked - the only misstep - and Toulouse sausages with a nice garlicky hit.  A fifth dish is ordered for the table - more Toulouse sausage with pureed potatoes, their orange-yellow colour coming from sweet mustard.  A flavoursome combo that's perfectly hearty for this cold damp morning. 
Back to the eggs - mine, scrambled with Chanterelles, are served in a deep bowl and are oozing with butter.  Sublime scrambled eggs that are so rich it's impossible to finish without enlisting help.  The forks come diving in within seconds and the bowl is cleaned.
Did I mention the chips?  The Gascon folks are renowned for their chips (so renowned that they regularly win the 'Best Chips in London' award) which are cooked in duck fat, so we simply have to have some.  They do not disappoint - the perfect relationship between crispy exterior and soft interior - and the plate is soon emptied.
With tea and coffee, the bill for four is a bargain £50. 
We've been in a corner of Gascony for the last hour and a half, so it's almost a shock when we emerge back into Smithfield, but the City of London is blissfully quiet on the weekend, and the rain has dampened the spirits of all but the hardiest tourists so with eyes half closed we can believe for a while that we're still in France. 
*Paul is an outpost of a French bakery/patisserie chain with many branches throughout London.
http://www.clubgascon.com/