BACKGROUND
This charming Parisian-style eatery opened in Soho last December and is run by three French brothers – Malik, Maxime and Yannis Alary. Blanchette (the name is taken from their mother) seats up to 60 people in its main ground-floor restaurant, as well 16 in its subterranean private-dining space, the Jungle room.
THE RESTAURANT
Stepping out of the rain on a dark autumn evening into the warmth of Blanchette was a joy – the convivial little restaurant already humming with diners either sitting at the bar or further back at candlelit tables placed intimately close together.
We were led to our table for two, tucked away to the left (I took the side with the banquette), and were introduced to the concept of small plates by the welcoming waitress. “Two to three per person, four to five if you are going to share, or six if you are hungry.” Pretty straight-forward.
The interior design feels homely, as if you are in someone’s kitchen, with exposed brickwork, solid wooden chairs, curios on shelves and in vintage cabinets, and art nouveau tilework behind the bar. We ate off dainty plates painted with flowers.
THE FOOD
The “simple, classic, inventive French food” is created by head chef Tom Storrar (formerly of Bibendum), while the wine is from regions across France. Menus arrived on clipboards.
I started with a Campari spritz and went straight in for a portion of juicy cheese beignets with onion confit – moorish, bite-size pillows of fried cheese in a light, crunchy coating. Delicious.
My friend JLR requested the crispy frog’s legs with bois boudran sauce, which came wrapped in a newspaper poke on a wooden board. Miniature drumsticks, the meat was tender and moist, and the mayonnaise-type dip added just the right amount of acidity and sweetness.
For a handful of pocket change, you could also call for croque monsieur, homemade terrine or duck rillettes to stave off hunger.
The menu goes on to list half a dozen types of charcuterie (Coppa from Corsica, Rosette de Lyon, Ceps Saucisson from Rhone) and cheese (Bleu des Basque, Lavort, Camembert).
Regretfully, we skipped these, instead opting for baked scallop served in its shell, nestled on a mound of salt, steeped in decadent Café de Paris butter and topped in crispy breadcrumb (there is only one scallop so you can’t really share it with more than one other person).
There was also unctuous, flavoursome confit duck leg with silky butternut squash purée (more please), toasted hazelnuts, caramelised slices of chilli and star anise, which added complexity but didn’t over-power.
To complement the richness of these two dishes, and to fulfill my vegetarian requirements (although I did try both the above dishes – sometimes you just can’t say no) we ordered an autumnal salad of roasted beetroot, pickled girolles, cubes of Fleur de Marquis cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, leaves, cress and tarragon dressing; as well as little pile of Brillat-Savarin cow’s milk cheese, finely chopped cucumber, grilled pear, red endive, honey and poppy seed.
Towards the end of the meal, at around the time we ordered the chocolate Marquise with salted caramel, puffed rice and pistachio ice cream, we got talking first to the people sitting the right of us (one woman had fallen asleep on the banquette so we enquired if she was okay – it was jet lag), and then to the couple to the left, who ended up encouraging us to share their cheese plate.
VERDICT
Blanchette is an atmospheric hideaway in Soho, perfect for dates and dinner with friends, but perhaps a little too intimate for entertaining clients. Take your partner instead, and enjoy the approachable, modern cuisine, and maybe even come away with some new friends. It's also good-value for money. I am already looking forward to going back.
OPENING HOURS Mon-Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun until 9pm.
PRICES £3.50-£8.50 per small plate (about two to three per person). Wine from £4.75 per glass, £18.50 per bottle. Cocktails from £9.
CONTACT Blanchette, 9 D’Arblay Street, London; tel +44 (0)20 7439 8100; blanchettesoho.co.uk
Jenny Southan