Le Cafe Anglais

It has been a while since my last past I know. Bad me. I will try and be better.

I have been to Le Cafe Anglais a couple of times before and have always been impressed by its solid French brasserie style food and attractive Art Deco style dining room.

We were walking around Bayswater one afternoon and didn't fancy the Chinese food we usually seek out in this part of town, so thought we would head to Le Cafe Anglais which is on the top floor of the Whitely shopping centre.

They do a good array of Hors D'oeuvres at £4.50 each so we ordered a selection of them as we thought this would be more fun that just getting a single starter each. I also couldn't find anything deep fried on the usual starter menu, which is what really persuaded me in all honesty.

Parmesan Custard and Anchovy Toast. This is a killer. Strong cheese and salty, umami filled anchovies squashed in between crispy bread. I was using my fingers to scoop out the last bits of the cheese once I ran out of the addictive toasts. Try it.

Rabbit Rilettes with Pickled Endive. This is the first time I have had rabbit rillettes. Similar to a coarse pate or confit, the meat was extremely tender. Although it was tasty, I didn't love this dish. That was until I had the pickled endive which was hiding beneath the toast. The sour and sweet endive had been pickled with a few spices of which I could make out star anise and clove (I think). This went fantastically well with the rich and fatty rilletes.

Salsify Fritters. I admit I couldn't really taste the salsify in here but the batter was delicious and went so well with the expertly made hollandaise that I didn't care. They cured my deep fried cravings, at least for a moment or two.

Le Cafe Anglais seem to specialise in rotisserie style meats. They have a big wall of rotisseries, similar to those you see in French markets. I wasn't in the mood for this though, and went with the skirt steak with red wine and shallots. Slightly gamey and served medium rare, I enjoyed the skirt steak which went well with the salty fries (£15.50)

Feeling indulgent after the Hors D'ouvres, PJ opted for the fish soup which was served with cheese, croutons and a spicy rouille. Initially we felt it wasn't quite "fishy" enough and that maybe some more shrimp heads or similar should have been included in the stock. After adding some more salt however it was suitably fishy but not overbearing as some fish soups can be (£8.50).

Rather than having pudding here, we opted for a gelato from the stall just outside (not bad).

We like Le Cafe Anglais. It's a good place for a lazy lunch on a Saturday or even a bull blown meal with aperitifs and digestifs. It is reasonably priced for French food in London and the service was friendly and efficient.

Monster Munch Rating: 75.00%

Le Cafe Anglais
8 Porchester Gardens
London
W2 4DB

0207 221 1415
http://www.lecafeanglais.co.uk