Bistrot Bruno Loubet
On our way to the über-chic Zetter Hotel in trendy, arty Clerkenwell we pass a retro '20s Hendrick's Gin pop-up cocktail emporium that's occupying the space of a former petrol station - proof we've landed in the heart of hipness. While Clerkenwell is close to being upstaged by Shoreditch as the art crowd move ever east, for now it still has the edge.
Although Bistrot Bruno Loubet is connected to the hotel, it has the feel of an independent restaurant, important when it's your name above the door. For 20 years Chef Loubet cooked in restaurants in and around London, before leaving for an 8 year stint in Brisbane, Australia. Since his return, he's been feted with the kind of critical acclaim that greets a rock star coming out of retirement, and as we missed his first incarnation we are happy to have the chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Seated at a table facing on to St. John's Square, we are opposite the lovely Tudor entrance to the Museum of the Order of St. John and the original grounds of the Priory of the Knight's Hospitalier established in the 12th century. The restaurant has an inner core housing a curved bar and a semi-open kitchen and the dining room follows the same arc, with a lot of wood and a touch of shabby chic - antique stripped down armoires and decorations of early 20th century desk lights.
There's a misunderstanding regarding the festival participation - it turns out BBL only offer a festival menu for dinner, not lunch as we had thought - which throws us initially. However, looking at the everyday menu, it seems we can stay within our budget if we stick to 2 courses only so we decide to stay rather than walk to nearby St. John (Fergus Henderson's nose-to-tail eating) on the chance they a) are participating in the festival and b) have a table.
In the end, I'm glad we did stay, but it's touch and go there for a moment especially as management don't handle the situation as well as they could. The menu is certainly intriguing in its lack of cookie cutter dishes, and we choose boudin of guinea fowl in pea soup 'a la francaise' and Mauricette snails and meatballs with a royale of mushrooms to start with. Good crusty bread is brought - why no side plates we wonder, when it's so messy dealing with crumbs and butter and still juggling a menu? I get the fact that we're in a bistro rather than a restaurant - the paper top over the tablecloths are a giveaway - but please, give me a plate for my bread. For entrees we decide on a herb stuffed rabbit leg with carrot purée and baby vegetables and a trio of lamb with smoked aubergines. And a small carafe of Cotes de Roussillon - a Rhone syle red blend that should pair well with both dishes.
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| Boudin of guinea fowl in pea soup |
The boudin is light, velvety and subtle and floats on a pond of partly crushed peas and pea soup, with lardons providing the counterfoil. There's a pronounced flavour of nutmeg in the boudin, and a few too many scallions in the 'soup' for my liking, but overall the dish is a success. The crowning glory in the snail dish is the quivering royale of mushrooms - a warm souffle of earthy flavours (some truffle oil too, I think?) that is a meal on its own. Here it competes with a smoky tomato sauce that naps the snails and meatballs, and the dish is a sum of its parts rather than a medley.
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| Trio of lamb |
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| Stuffed leg of rabbit |
My trio of lamb is a loin chop garnished with a tomato and fennel salad, a rolled breast which has been lightly breaded and deep fried and sits on a disc of crushed peas, and an 'osso buco' of the loin which is paired with the smoked aubergines. The chop is a bit humdrum, but the other two pairings are delicious, especially the osso buco with the creamy aubergines. The leg of rabbit has a herby stuffing and sits happily in a bed of baby vegetables as though it had never left Mr. MacGregor's garden. Sweet carrot puree works well with the herbs and the rabbit is perfectly cooked, as well as being a healthy size. Indeed both dishes are generously portioned so we do not feel too bad about passing on dessert.
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| Henrick's Gin Pop-Up |
A small gesture of apology comes in the form of a pair of cocoa dusted chocolate truffles which are presented along with the bill, though it might have been more generous to offer to comp a dessert. There's a touch of preciousness about this bistro that belies its suggestion of a humble cafe and there's also a hefty dose of Michelin ambition without all the little touches that brings (amuse bouches, mignardises etc.), and although we've enjoyed the food we feel a touch disappointed. Lucky for us the Hendrick's bar is still serving its distinctive cucumber gin and tonics when we head back to our parking spot so we stop and try one. Oh yes, that's what that meal needed, a touch of spontaneity and fun.
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