Brasserie Zedel

The Wolseley crew opened up Brasserie Zedel to please the crowds of Theatreland with super food at every day 'cheap' prices. They've done this by opening a VAST ex-hotel space underneath the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus. It's glamorous, beautiful and very French... Imagine art deco, marble and gold, seating 220 people! 

My girls and I booked here at least three weeks ago back in January and we still could only find either a 6:30pm seating or a 9:30pm. This place is as popular as Corbin and King's other haunts, however there are a few places (as always) held back for walk-ins and you can always waste away the time at the two themed in-house bar and cocktail lounges. 

CK and I started as we meant to go on (which knowing my hangover the next day we shouldn't have) and ordered off the cocktail menu a Kir and a Kir Royale and settled into the menu (brace yourself for testing your GCSE French). As always, I had studied this before (and Google translated) however totally forgetting what I had decided upon earlier on Friday I went at it again with fresh thought and settled for Escargots au Beurre Persille (£8.50) to start. CK had the Tartare Saumon (£8.50). Beings as it was evening, we were treated to some mood-lighting so please bear with the photos and some I have borrowed from the web...

My snails were so SO garlicky (luckily Mr D was out) and as good as expected and so not a huge amount to report on as it is a pretty humble dish. CK's salmon starter was a little less rustic and arrived looking pretty on the plate and was a simple and refreshing starter.

Snails (courtesy of terenceanahar)

Saumon Tartare (taken from madolyngrove.blogspot.com) 

LC arrived, chose her main and we sank into our first bottle of Merlot. Doing 'a Michael McIntyre', we chose the second one down priced at a reasonable £19, and a good gossip. Our mains followed  shortly, a Clarrelet Meuniere (pan fried whole plaice in butter and lemon sauce £14.95) with baby new potatoes and a delicious parsley, butter rich sauce which was well worthy of bread mopping and an extra side of their Green Salad in a tangy mustard dressing.

A lover of duck, I opted for the Confit de Canard aux Lentilles du Puy (£11.75). A definite girlie dish with the pulses. This was a yummy winter style dish. The lentils were braised with lardons, carrots, lettice, onions and in a delicious stock. The duck was cooked well although a little crispier skin would have been more to my liking however I did enjoy it hugely. 

CK chose the well priced Entrecôte Beurre Maître d’Hôtel (£19.50)which was a rib-eye steak with a generous amount of parsley butter, skinny fries and another side of their green salad. The chips were perfectly skinny, salty, crunchy and still fluffy on the inside. The steak was cooked as ordered and the parsley butter was deliciously naughty - an all rounder.

Puddings were a must on this occasion, starting at £3.50 it would almost be rude not too... 2 of us settled for the Sorbets au Champagne (£4.75) which was literally as described and seen below 2 scoops of lemon sorbet swimming in a goblet of champagne (you can see where the night went already!) a really refreshing end to a great meal and one easily re created at home which would satisfy any guests - who doesn't love champagne?!

One to never forgo an Ile Flottante (£3.95) CK ordered this and said it was one of the best she has had. As I have never tried the dish, I had a mouthful and really loved it, especially the addition of the hardened shattered caramel.

Ile Flottante - DONE

We finished up our second bottle of wine and were slightly irritated that we were being hurried to leave. Our bill was shoved onto our table before we had finished dessert and they kept coming to take payment before we had even looked at it - their table turning is astonishing! Therefore I would't recommend this for a first date, maybe not even a fourth...go with someone you know well enough to not mind being rushed. If you do want good French food at knock-out prices, speedy service and a great atmosphere then head here. It's not silver service French food, it's just simple great tastes, cooked for the masses. 

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