I used to go to Brasserie Blanc on London’s Southbank regularly years ago. I don’t think it lost favour for any particular reason; I just tried other places and moved on. But last night, I went back. And I’m so glad I did.
I’m a regular theatregoer. Of all the cultural things I enjoy, great theatre is what excites me most and many of the most memorable plays I’ve seen over the years have been at the National Theatre. Last night I was there again with friend Louise to see The Visit, starring the brilliant Lesley Manville. I was slightly alarmed when an email from the theatre a few days ago let me know the play was four hours long. Four hours! Not even Shakespeare goes the four hours’ length. But it appeared this revival of a 1956 play by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt did. So, I suggested to Louise that we needed a good meal and glass of wine to set us up for the evening! And Brasserie Blanc came to mind. Apart from the restaurants actually in the theatre, you can’t get much closer, so it’s an ideal location.
You step down at the front entrance into a huge basement area, which has been well designed to create a sense of being in a sophisticated French brasserie. I was shown at first to a table close to the till where the staff were hurrying back and forth so asked to be moved. That was no problem and I was given a table a little further in. Louise arrived, menus were brought, and I let the waiter know that we were going to the National and the play had an early start – 7pm – so we only had an hour to eat. I have to say that their response to our timing was excellent; it couldn’t have been better. All the staff who came to our table seemed to know we were on a tight schedule and everything came quickly but without us feeling hurried in anyway. Of course, offering a pre-theatre menu so close to the theatre means they should be well practised at this but in my experience that doesn’t always play out as well as it did last night. Our main waitress nicely joked that she was sure we’d have time for dessert if we wanted it – and we did!
The Pre-Theatre Menu is served 4.00-6.30pm and offers 2 courses for £16.50; 3 for £20. There was a special offer of a non-alcoholic cocktail offered with it, which sounded very good, but we were definitely in the mood for a glass of totally alcoholic wine to set us up for the long evening ahead.
There was a choice of 3 starters and Louise had Potted Ham Hock Terrine, Apple & Prune Chutney, Garlic Croutons. It looked good; a nice chunky terrine and Louise enjoyed it.
I had Braised Beetroot, Pear & Winter Coleslaw Salad, Walnut & Balsamic Dressing. I like salad starters and this was wonderfully fresh tasting with a nice combination of crunchy coleslaw and sweet, tender braised beetroot. (It felt – in a good way – very healthy too!)
Louise’s main course was Smoked Haddock & Saffron Risotto, Poached Egg, Lemon Butter, Grana Cheese. It looked fantastic and she was very enthusiastic about how delicious it was. The poached egg was perfectly cooked and broke open to a gorgeously runny yolk in the middle.
I chose Spiced Lamb Meatballs in a Roast Tomato & Garlic Sauce, Sauté Potatoes, French Beans. I wouldn’t immediately think of matching spicy meatballs with sauté potatoes … yet it was all so delicious that it worked and I enjoyed the dish. The spicy tomato sauce had a nice hot kick to it and my only slight complaint was that I would have liked a little more of it.
Yes we did have time for dessert, just as the waitress had promised. Louise chose Blood Orange Posset, Crisp Vanilla Biscuit. She was very enthusiastic about this course too!
I couldn’t resist Chocolate & Almond Torte, Crème Anglaise. It was gorgeous. The torte was wonderfully light as well as chocolatey. I had an espresso with mine.
We drank house wine at £5.15 for a 175ml glass. The final bill, including wine, was just under £30 each, including service. We thought this very good value for the meal we’d had. It had been a thoroughly successful and enjoyable return to Brasserie Blanc on the Southbank. Good food, excellent service and great value. I won’t leave returning so long again!
As for the play, sadly we didn’t last the 4 hours … we found it too one-dimensional; painfully slow and laboured, and decided to head home at the 2nd interval.
Quick off the mark, as ever! I would definitely go there again, and despite mixed feelings about the lack-lustre play (although Lesley Manville was still an eye-stopper) it was a great evening. Thanks Kay, as always, for such reliable recommendations.
Thank you, Louise. I very much enjoyed the evening too!
Dear Kay, Excellent review of Brasserie Blanc – and very useful indeed for regular visitors to the National.
The Visit was on my list for when I’m getting about again but I wonder if it was the production that was off. I actually saw the London production which starred the famous American acting couple, the Lunts, Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontaine, and it was riveting.
Mind you, I’d been spending quite a lot of time in Switzerland ( don’t ask- romance with someone I nearly married but at that time Swiss women didn’t even have the vote) so I found the picture of small town Switzerland and its hypocrisies and money worship, very telling. Still, they did start the Red Cross, though perhaps not the inhabitants of the particular place in Durrenmatt’s play.. Your trip to Malaga sounded great. Cheers. Doreen. P.S. Don’t for goodness sake, sink into post-Brexit gloom. Life goes on. As one paper’s columnist astutely observed, Bojo now has to stop clowning and play Prince Hal to his own Falstaff….. we’ll see if he can double the parts.
Thank you, Doreen. I think the Brasserie will become a regular again for me pre-theatre. The play had been transported to post-war America, a small town outside New York. The play had lots of potential for exploring themes of revenge, loyalty, the power of money, etc., but none of it was really explored properly – hence me saying it was one-dimensional. Such a shame. It’s only just opened so will be interesting to see the reviews.
The food sounds good, too bad about the play.
It’s a great place for a quick and reasonably priced pre-theatre meal. I go to the theatre a lot so inevitably some plays are disappointing – but then I saw one of the best ever the following week (Tom Stoppard’s LEOPOLDSTADT).