I’ll whole heartedly admit I love French food. The fresh crusty bread, the well seasoned dishes and their more unique style of cooking. Over the past few years, I have visited Paris at least once a year because I love the city so much. I almost want to bring a part of Paris home with me every time. Struggling to my piece of Paris in London, I almost gave up.
When I was meeting up with my friends from uni for lunch and I was given the task of picking the venue. One of my friends is French herself, so I thought it would be nice to find something that reminds her of home. A small, effortless gesture. I remembered of my last trip to Paris, it was a group press trip where I had met the lovely Katie from The Hostel Girl who recommended a restaurant I had to try when I went back to London. “You will absolutely love it Aftab, I promise” said Katie. I had that vision in my head, so I felt like I should honour her recommendation and visit Brasserie Zédel.
Approaching Brasserie Zédel from Piccadilly Circus, you would think it’s just a small underwhelming cafe. However, when you enter and ask for the restaurant, you’re guided to the elevator and told to go down two floors. As soon as you leave the lift, you suddenly see the amazing interiors of Brasserie Zédel. The old yet super chic interiors, the massive food haul turned into an elegant restaurant, complete with handsome waiters with buttoned up waist coats and a fresh bread bakery inside. A long lustrous bar, with the finest bottle of alcohol sitting in rows. Copious amounts of wine, matched with red wine coloured booths.
I think I found my piece of Paris in London… Pinch me.
So pretty, so Parisian chic. Marble pillars, gold detailing, bar dining and cute little tables laid out true Parisian style.
Starting off with a woven basket of fresh bread, accompanied by two of my favourite girls – I was in for quite a treat!
Abi ordered the Céleri Rémoulade for her starter, which is raw celery root salad. It had the same taste of celery but more concentrated. The dish had a lovely fresh crunch to it and was seasoned so well. Simple yet delicious!
Lizzy and I went for the steak hash, which I felt like was just a bun-less burger in a peppercorn sauce, with more lean meat though. It was light and enjoyable, especially with some crispy fries and a glass of red wine.
Abi had the Beef Bourguignon which was more of a hearty dish with extremely tender beef. Served with mashed potato, chunky carrots, mushrooms and onions in a thick gravy topped with a sprinkle of parsley. It was definitely appropriate food for the cold winter like weather out at the moment.
The dessert selection was truly glorious. So many yummy things to decide from, but we finally got around to choosing. Lizzy went for the profiteroles which was drenched in yummy hot chocolate sauce. Abi went for an Ile Flottante which translates to floating island, which is just a meringue floating on crème anglaise. I went for the usual creme brûlée but sadly it wasn’t the best i’ve had. I have to admit, none has beaten the one at Roux At The Landau, Langham Hotel yet. Of course, the brûlées in Paris are on an another level.
I would say the atmosphere and decor at Brasserie Zédel is what really made the whole experience enjoyable. The service was good, but not fantastic and I feel the food could be improvement too. However, I guess you get what you pay for.
Star Rating for Brasserie Zédel:
Until next time…
