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We arrived half hour early however, they accommodated this without any problems. Although we were advised, on booking, that there was a 1.5 hour turnaround on the tables, we were not prepared to be rushed. However, we did feel a little harassed at first but once they realised we were going to move at our own pace, they backed off a little. We started with a cocktail which tasted a little weak and I have definitely had better. There was no wine list given initially but when we did order it the wines were fairly pricy. Having asked what the house white was, we were brought the bottle and poured for us. 'OK, so we will have that then shall we?' The bottle arrived with no label so still not too sure what we drank there. It was just about passable. We had the goats cheese and beetroot salad for starters. The goats cheese was light and creamy so was not overwhelming the dish as it can do sometimes. The starter was nicely presented. I then had my main of cod and puree pommes. The cod was cooked nicely. Soft and flakey and smooth puree potato. I enjoyed this dish. My friend had the lamb which was lovely and tender however, the potatoes were not and so undercooked that couldn't be eaten. This was the only let down on the meal. As always, I had to have dessert. They had a great selection of desserts which was a challenge to decide. However, I think I opted for the right one and ordered Paris Brest -Choux pastry with praline cream. This was yummy, yummy, yummy and would definitely eat it again! One of those desserts where you want to savour it and eat it slowly however, you don't because you want to keep on putting more and more in your mouth. Yummy! It certainly finished the meal off nicely. Serving staff were pleasant enough. Given we overstayed our 1.5 hours, we were not moved on or made to feel like we had overstayed our welcome. Not sure what is going on with the stairs to the toilets as we notice at least 2 people stumble on them with on lady left on her knees in front of our table! They might need to check something there! All in all an OK evening but need to be prepared to pay a little more on the drink front. The restaurant is far enough away from the busy Covent Garden and Leicester Square but close enough to feel part of it. It is close to Embankment and Charing Cross station so easy access home after a night out.
It was a fairly busy Saturday night but we managed to get seated promptly. Very nice interior design, very 'Art Deco'. Their margarita is quite good! I ordered the 'foie gras terrine' with toasts and chutney, and we shared the 'rib of the beef, off the bone' with one of my friends. The beef was excellent, perfectly cooked and tasty. However, their French fries lacked flavor, and the foie gras was below average. On top of the average food, the service was slow. I would rate it a 3.5 stars.
French style bistro in the heart of tourist land. The quality of food is of the highest standard. I would highly recommend the snail and bacon pie as a starter. The fish of the day was hake served with perfectly cooked (slightly crunchy) asparagus, beautifully prepared and extremely tasty. Service is excellent and value for money is good. A 3 course meal for 2, with a bottle of house red will cost you around £100 inc VAT and service. Well worth it in my opinion.
For me the best part of the lunch at Les Deux Salons was the service. I wanted to like the place but I was a bit underwhelmed. I feel a bit like I'm the only one who feels this way reading how happy others are with the place. As much as I loved my meal at Arbutus for me Les Deux Salons was just OK, sometimes good, but never more. Where were the sparks? I demand sparks! Well, at least something extra for the price I paid. The autumn wild mushrooms and clarence court poached egg on toast as a starter really made the meal for me. Maybe because I grew up with mushrooms and just love them and also that it reminds me of the breakfast I normally make for weekends, just a thousand times better. As for the main, having heard about the Josper I wanted to try how the food cooked in it would be. I settled for the bavette of scottish beef with shallot sauce. Now, I have to say, excellent meat, nicely cooked, really tasty sauce and excellent presentation. It's just that the word to describe it was nice. Wish it had been more than that. One problem in general was the lack of seasoning. Les Deux Salons, you don't have salt?! The place is fantastic, the food is very good and the service I got for the lunch service was almost flawless. In the end it comes down to whether it was worth it and for the set menu it could be but I didn't feel it was for à la carte.
The third in the family from Anthony Demetre, the chef behind low key Michelin starred joints Wild Honey and Arbutus, was always going to get my interest. I've had some great meals at the other two and was excited to hear about the plans for a larger, more classically French bistro just off St Martin's Lane. Like one of my other big current favourites, the Dean Street Townhouse, Les Deux Salons is housed in a former Pitcher and Piano and my god, is it an improvement. While they may not have the deep pockets of Caprice Holdings, the team behind Les Deux Salons have done a great job turning the large, cavernous space into an elegant French bistro. Deep red banquettes, blacks and whites and elegant brasses go with the formality of the linen table cloths and the bustling smart floor team. It's a big room, with further covers on the mezzanine level, and they'll have to go some to fill it on every service, but on this showing, I think they're in with a fighting chance, even if the mezzanine level isn't open often. It's a classic bistro menu, with a large nod to their Josper Grill (an ultra hot Spanish machine drooled over by chefs nationwide) and a Gallic sneer towards the vegetarians - a couple of salads and a solitary (though very fine) pasta dish complete the meat free line up. A particularly fine looking bavette (or flank steak) arrives on the next table, joining a Scottish beefburger that comes in at £12 and pretty much guarantees my return visit. We go for the very good value £15 set menu and slip in the orecchiette pasta as a shared course after the starter. It's almost a step too far. The white bean and smoked duck soup I start with is OK, but to be honest, it's nothing special. I can't taste the duck at all and the bean is a little chalky. The Vole's chunky country terrine is a much better option, full of flavoursome nuggets of melting fat. Fresh orecchiette pasta comes in a creamy sauce with artichokes, pecorino, kale and pine nuts and is exceptional. Well cooked, well seasoned and with individual flavours that really shine through. Simple but very well thought through. Even more simpler is the braised shoulder of venison served with a parsnip puree that follows as my main. It's a big portion of gamey melting meat served with a smooth puree and a rich jus. The meat was obviously on the go before I was this morning, and has been caramelised around the edges with the Josper. It's sweet and meltingly tender. I feel thoroughly sated. The chocolate fondant was acceptable, good even, but almost too much after the previous courses. It wasn't too memorable, but I did spy a Rhum Baba on an adjacent table with my name on it for next time.
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