I always look forward to a trip to Paris. The elegance of the French and their panache for fine food, and great bistros. I love to wander the streets and see where they take me.
Then a quick trip on the Eurostar and bam, your back in London. The holiday is over and it’s back to work. If your lucky you might find a place that can take you back. Head to Bistrot de Luxe.
Bistrot de Luxe is celebrating 5 years this September. Brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin began the Galvin empire with Bistrot de Luxe. Between the two they have worked at some very well respected restaurants such as, The Ritz, The Lanesborough, Ménage à Trois, Orrery, Almeida, The Wolsely, Chez Nico, The Greenhouse, Oak Room and L’Escargot.
Chris spends most of his time at Bistrot de Luxe. He and Sara (Chris’ lovely wife) want the focus of the restaurant to be one Marylebone locals feel at home in. A place people can pop into during the week or on a Sunday night and enjoy some good french bistro fare at a good price. A set lunch for £17.50 and £19.50 for dinner is excellent value.
The birthday dinner was held down in Le Bar and hosted by Sara Galvin. Having worked at the Savoy, she really had some great stories to tell. Chris also pulled himself away from the kitchen to tell us about the Bistrot and chat about the dishes of the night. The aperitif maison was a classic French 75. The Bistrot de Luxe version contains Calvados, Champagne, lemon, and sugar. A very light and refreshing start to the evening.
Our entree was a dish which was on the menu 5 years ago and still holds it’s place on the menu today. Terrine of Ham Hock and Foie Gras and Onion Confit. Not only did the terrine look beautiful, it tasted rich and meaty. The sweet onion confit balanced out the dish perfectly.
Served with a Riesling ‘Brandluft’ 2006, Domaine Lucas and Andre Rieffel, a fresh mineral tasting wine cut with a lime acidity and mildly sweet.
Wow! Pithiver of Wood Pigeon and Quail, Chantenay carrots and a red wine jus. I think I have mentioned before that I love puffy pastry. Seasonal game of wood pigeon and quail, wrapped in caul and packed inside buttery puff pastry, a delicious dish. This was also a dish on their menu 5 years ago. We were very kindly given the recipe to try at home. What a great intimate dinner party dish it would make. If only I could make it look as professional, practice makes perfect!
A delicious Corbières Classique 2008, Château Ollieux-Romanis, Languedoc was served to complement the richness of the pigeon. A blend of Carignan, Syrah and Grenach to give a soft full bodied wine.
Dessert needed to be some thing light. Roast Figs with Lavender Ice-Cream was just that. The figs were so so soft and sweet they left my plate in no time at all!
I have eaten at Cafe a Vin and was impressed with the great value, fine food they served. I was equally impressed at Bistrot de Luxe. Jazz Sunday (the first Sunday in every month) at Bistrot de Luxe also sounds like a fun way to end the weekend on a high note.
Happy Birthday Bistrot de Luxe! I’m sure you will be around for many many more!
Ms Macaroon was invited as a guest of Bistrot de Luxe.
Vintage Macaroon 