Tis the season of Christmas do’s and I’ve found my new favourite place for group dining. Brasserie Zedel, a Parisian style brasserie just off Piccadilly circus oozes all of the glamour you’d want for a festive shindig, serves tasty and comforting food, and most importantly for this time of year eating and drinking there won’t break the bank.
The first thing to note about Brasserie Zedel is it’s stunning and plush interior. Soft bright lighting warms the vast space and bounces off ornate marble columns, brass railings and gold leaf features creating a charming golden glow. The concept of serving affordable food in these beautiful settings attracts a mixed crowd and so the place has a nice buzz. When we visited, it was made up of those who hopped off Oxford Street to grab a quick dinner, romantic dates and groups like us who had hunted for somewhere worth dressing up for but informal enough to relax in.
Most of the menu is in French and priced so that the starters are under £5, the mains between £8-£18 and the puds £3.50-£4. They also do a prix fixe menu priced at 3 courses for £11.25. I was immediately drawn to the Salad d’Endive au Roquefort (£4.95) so decided to go a la carte. The salad was composed of crunchy and slightly bitter endive, caramelised walnuts, crumbled strong cheese and an olive oil and chive dressing. It was simple, delicious and fresh.
Steak Hache (pan fried chopped steak, moulded like a burger, £7.95) was rich, pink in the middle and filling. It came served with a deliciously creamy pepper sauce and a portion of pommes allumettes (very thin chips) which were a little limp but nicely seasoned. Some have called this dish nostalgic, I’m going with comforting and knowingly naughty. I liked it.
I couldn’t face a whole pud so our group ordered the Millefeuille à la Vanille (£3.95) to share. The pastry was a tad overdone which made the whole thing a little jarring, but it was tasty and a nice option to share.
The bill for 6 (all having two courses, 2 puds to share and 2 bottles of red) came to £26 a head. An absolute bargain for a pleasing meal in an utterly beautiful setting.
Looks like a very beautiful space!
I was out on Saturday and saw a friend of a friend (Steven Sadi) who mentioned that he works with you – what a small world! :-)