Christmas Tasting - Bistrotheque Review
Bistrotheque has long been on my list of places to visit, I’ve just never had a reason to make the journey to Cambridge Heath.
Where is Cambridge Heath you ask? Just east of Shoreditch and north of Bethnal Green so not in the usual area you’re likely to visit unless you’re local.
Usually on the list of must visit places in East London, Bistrotheque is inspired by French bistros and focusses on good, local British food, combining the two cuisines in the dishes offered.
Luckily, our work Christmas Party is being held at Bistrotheque in their private dining room and, as organiser, I had the chance to taste the menu on offer before making our meal selection. All of the dishes are on the a la Carte menu as well so figured I’d tie in a review at the same time.
The Location
Across the road from Cambridge Heath overground station and a ten minute walk from Bethnal Green station, it’s not the most well connected of spots, so on the way I was hoping the food and venue would make up for the trek.
The restaurant is located down a dark side street, and feels like you’re walking into an industrial estate. So much so, I thought Google Maps had got the location wrong. But no, I was guided to the front door by the brightly lit entrance, providing a rescue from the winter darkness. Turns out, it is actually located in a converted clothing warehouse which explains the industrial estate setting.
The Space
Walking up the stairs and entering the restaurant, it immediately screams “date night”. The lighting is low, with candle-lit tables, dark furniture and white walls that give it a clean, minimalist look. The music is slow and rhythmic, along the lines of The XX, which all adds to a laid back ambience. There’s also an open kitchen in the corner which is a clever use of the large floorspace.
The grand piano in the corner adds a touch of class, adorned with a large bouquet of flowers. There is a resident pianist who plays during brunch at the weekends, which adds another great reason to go.
The Food
The menu is a jumble of different sections scattered across an A3 page, but sticks to the standard three course format. Starters range from £8 to £15, Mains £12 to £25 and Puddings £6 to £8.5. There’s also a Prix-Fixe menu available before 7pm Sunday to Friday which offers good value at £25 for any three courses.
The starter options for our Christmas menu were Cured trout, remoulade and crispy capers (£10.5), Chargrilled kohlrabi and sesame mayonnaise (£8) or Crab, leeks, chestnut and tarragon (£15), so we began with all three.
The cured trout was the pick of the three starters; the trout smokey from the curing process, whilst the celeriac remoulade (strips of celeriac mixed with Dijon mustard and lemon juice) added texture with its crunchiness. If you haven’t heard of celeriac, it’s a root vegetable similar to a turnip, so can be prepared in similar ways. The parsley sauce and capers finished off the dish, adding a freshness to the plate. Combined together, the dish was a light, refreshing starter.
Next, the chargrilled kohlrabi (another root vegetable), served with a sesame mayonnaise, shaved celeriac and a similar parsley sauce to the trout dish. The kohlrabi, paired with the creamy mayonnaise, worked well, with the nutty taste from the sesame matching the grilled flavour of the kohlrabi. The kohlrabi also had a good bite to it, adding texture to the dish.
Last up for the starters, the crab. Surprisingly, the dish was served cold which I wasn’t expecting. The crab meat was served over the leek, with grated chestnut on top and a tarragon sauce. Tarragon isn’t my favourite herb due to it’s liquorice / aniseed flavour, so paired with the cold leeks the dish and flavours just didn’t work for me.
For our Christmas Dinner, we’re having the obligatory turkey main, which wasn’t available at the tasting, so we opted for the other offerings to see what we’d be missing out on; Salmon, dill sauce and Onuga caviar (£23) and Leek pie, wild mushrooms and white truffle oil (£22).
The salmon arrived and you could instantly tell it was cooked perfectly. The skin was crispy with a small mound of caviar at one end, while the fillet was pink and flakey. The salmon was also seasoned well, with the caviar adding a salty luxury to the dish, warranting the higher price. The dill sauce complemented the rest of the plate as well; salmon and dill is a well known pairing for good reason.
The leek pie, a golden dome of pastry in a sea of truffle and cheese sauce, with wild mushrooms scattered on top, is the dish you’d want on a cold winter night. Warming, hearty and rich, it’s definitely not the choice if you’re looking for a light meal. Breaking through the pastry, revealed the creamy leek filling, which paired nicely with the truffle and cheese sauce.
On to desserts. The two options were Chocolate fondant with chestnut cream (£8) and Pannacotta, pomegranate, pistachio and mint (£8).
If you ask anyone what you want to see when you order a fondant, they’ll respond with “a chocolatey gooey centre”. This one didn’t disappoint! Cutting into the centre, the chocolate oozed out. The chestnut cream was light, adding a nutty flavour to the chocolate. Rich and delicious.
The pannacotta was also great. Creamy vanilla pannacotta, mixed with crunchy pistachio and pomegranate seeds, what’s not to like. The pistachio and pomegranate added texture to the smooth pannacotta, with the mint pairing well with all the flavours. A lighter dessert but just as good as the fondant.
The Verdict
Cost ££/£££ (out of ££££) Was the trip to Cambridge Heath worth it? Definitely. The quality of food was high, incorporating interesting ingredients you may not have come across before. The setting is very relaxed, and the minimalist look and ambience makes it a perfect date night location. Brunch with a jazz pianist accompaniment also sounds great.
Downsides, well it’s not the easiest location to get to if you’re not local which may put some people off. Some of the dishes may not be to everyone’s taste either so think through your choice of dish.
As to what ended up on the menu for our Christmas Dinner, the cured trout and kohlrabi will both make an appearance, the leek pie as the vegetarian option, and both desserts as well. Can’t wait!
23 Wadeson St
London
E2 9DR