THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
After a Middle Eastern sojourn, I'm back!!! Just in time for the tube strike :( 2 buses, a train, a walk and 2 hours later, I found myself in St. James for my first food review of '22. Boy was I hungry!
Richoux first opened in 1909. Renowned for its patisserie and brasserie fare it expanded, opening branches throughout London and the Middle East. Sadly, it was unable to survive the pandemic and closed its London shops. Chefs Jamie Butler and Lewis Spencer have now reopened the Piccadilly restaurant. It is beautiful!
They've kept the tea parlour look, with the opulence befitting its location and mounds of sweet treats in the window. As night falls, the lights dim and it takes on a slightly clubbier feel, with small shaded lamps on each table and soft jazz in the background. The baby blue leather banquettes are gorgeous and the original scalloped floor is a marvel. Even more marvellous are the prices. Nothing on the food menu is over £20. That is great value.
Butler and Spencer have amazing backgrounds in Michelin-starred restaurants. Tasked with maintaining the Richoux brand and keeping the low price tag doesn't quite give them room to show off their star-laden skills, but they do offer top notch ingredients and excellent execution.
Mini baguettes were perfect. Warm and crusty, they kept a tequila and grapefruit from going to my head. A chocolate Old Fashioned was another delectable drink. Nearly a dessert.
Beef fillet carpaccio with rocket and parmesan (£11.95) was pure classic. Very good quality but no innovation from the two chefs. Crispy duck salad with candied cashews, watermelon and hoisin dressing (£8.95) was absolutely delicious. The duck was beautifully prepared and had a great balance of sweet and savory. The little jewels of it had me hankering for the whole bird!
Ribeye steak frites (£19.95) was exactly that. Good meat and superb frites. Lamb striploin (£19.95) was the highlight of the meal. Cooked to perfection and paired with cannellini beans, pesto, cherry tomato and mint. Basil works wonders with lamb. As does a French Pinot Noir!
A side of Dauphinoise potatoes was exceptional. Pure butter, after my own heart!
The chefs are keeping up the Richoux reputation in the patisserie department very well. Meringue gateaux with mascarpone Chantilly (£6.75) is a sweet but divinely light layer cake. It just dissolved in my mouth but surprisingly took up no room in my stomach! Apple Tarte Tatin (£7.95) is another well executed classic. The caramelization is right on the edge, exactly as it should be. A dream with vanilla ice cream.
Service throughout was very attentive and friendly. The evening flowed seamlessly.
Thankfully, it was a dry night. I walked to Trafalgar Square and the 29 bus that takes me all the way home. Except it didn't. It dumped me at Finsbury Park where I waited for three more 29 buses before I could get on one.
Another Cinderella moment in the life of a foodie!
