Review: Charlotte's Bistro
Charlotte’s Bistro is the sort of place you wish you’d stumbled on unsuspecting, so you could claim all the glory for the discovery. Sadly, that is nigh-on-impossible, simply because tales of this restaurant’s excellence spread far and wide. Such word of mouth something is a double-edged sword for any establishment – its brings in the crowds, but they have very high expectations.
Cosy and moodily lit, we started our evening’s dining with a drink and nibbles in their bar area. We were treated to gin and tonics (the gin selected only after our personal taste preferences were ascertained) and melt-in-the-mouth cubes of pork with a salty, popcorn-ish flavour.
After leisurely sipping our way through the bespoke aperitifs, we were ushered into the main dining area, which was a combination of wooden tables, cushioned booths, and very, very dim lighting. With an abundance of bigger groups, the atmosphere was much more festive fun than romantic date night, though I imagine the décor is designed to cater to both.
I started with the winter soup, which was topped off with cheddar and olive oil. This simple dish was an explosion of good, hearty flavour, the carrots, sweet, kale and other vegetables stewed to al dente perfection and left finely chopped for the texture. My dining partner opted for the beetroot, goats curd and horseradish salad. The flavours, she explained, were mild and inoffensive (even the horseradish) but complemented each other to become curiously refreshing. The bread basket was a tad disappointing, offering a few paltry slices, but it did mean that our starters were nice and light.
We both came over all pescatarian when it came to the mains. I went for the cod, my friend the mullet. It’s no exaggeration to say the chefs’ enthusiasm for their vocation is served up on the plate along with the fishy fare. My cod was dense and slightly chewy, and sprinkled with pretty cockles still in their shells. The fillet had the holy grail of any fish dish – the salty, crispy, pan-fried skin. The brown butter sauce was fragrant and just the right amount of rich, which brought the plain fish to life. My friend’s mullet was tender, and though the white beans were perhaps a bit too firm, the lemony edge added a good bit of zing.
Everything being just as expected, our pudding choices brought the only curveball of the evening. Thinking we were ordering a bakewell tart, we were presented with a filo pastry tart, harbouring a blackberry frangipane bottom, an ice-cream middle and a salted caramel topping. These are not flavours commonly experienced together, but goodness me… they work a treat. Somehow the non-bakewell-bakewell-tart disappeared before we’d really worked out what it was. We also shared a cheese board which had the usual winning combination of hard cheddar, slightly nutty goats cheese, creamy camembert and pungent blue, with a side of scrummy fig jam.
Special mention must go to Matt, the restaurant’s Operations Director, who selected our wine for the evening. Neither myself nor my guest being remotely versed on the nuances of vino, Matt seemed very pleased at the opportunity to go ‘off piste’ with his choice, presenting us with the 2011 Domaine L’Escarpolette Le Blanc. An almost orange, cloudy blend of macabeo and muscat, it was wonderfully textured (owing to not being filtered) and not too sweet. Even my uneducated palate could taste the delicate notes of tangerine and the almost raisiny finish. It is just the sort of treasure you’d expect to find in this gem of a restaurant. Matt works very closely with all of his suppliers and delights in discoveries like these, so it’s well worth asking for his advice.
Our meal left us thoroughly replete, and at £29 for three courses, it’s an absolute steal. Although it is situated in fashionable Chiswick, it is out of the foodie hubbub, which actually works in its favour. Charlotte’s Bistro has a passion for a good old dining experience, demonstrating all of the pizzazz without any of the pretension. Feel free to wander in (by chance or otherwise), expectations enormous – you won’t be disappointed.
http://charlottes.co.uk/bistro
Cosy and moodily lit, we started our evening’s dining with a drink and nibbles in their bar area. We were treated to gin and tonics (the gin selected only after our personal taste preferences were ascertained) and melt-in-the-mouth cubes of pork with a salty, popcorn-ish flavour.
After leisurely sipping our way through the bespoke aperitifs, we were ushered into the main dining area, which was a combination of wooden tables, cushioned booths, and very, very dim lighting. With an abundance of bigger groups, the atmosphere was much more festive fun than romantic date night, though I imagine the décor is designed to cater to both.
I started with the winter soup, which was topped off with cheddar and olive oil. This simple dish was an explosion of good, hearty flavour, the carrots, sweet, kale and other vegetables stewed to al dente perfection and left finely chopped for the texture. My dining partner opted for the beetroot, goats curd and horseradish salad. The flavours, she explained, were mild and inoffensive (even the horseradish) but complemented each other to become curiously refreshing. The bread basket was a tad disappointing, offering a few paltry slices, but it did mean that our starters were nice and light.
We both came over all pescatarian when it came to the mains. I went for the cod, my friend the mullet. It’s no exaggeration to say the chefs’ enthusiasm for their vocation is served up on the plate along with the fishy fare. My cod was dense and slightly chewy, and sprinkled with pretty cockles still in their shells. The fillet had the holy grail of any fish dish – the salty, crispy, pan-fried skin. The brown butter sauce was fragrant and just the right amount of rich, which brought the plain fish to life. My friend’s mullet was tender, and though the white beans were perhaps a bit too firm, the lemony edge added a good bit of zing.
Everything being just as expected, our pudding choices brought the only curveball of the evening. Thinking we were ordering a bakewell tart, we were presented with a filo pastry tart, harbouring a blackberry frangipane bottom, an ice-cream middle and a salted caramel topping. These are not flavours commonly experienced together, but goodness me… they work a treat. Somehow the non-bakewell-bakewell-tart disappeared before we’d really worked out what it was. We also shared a cheese board which had the usual winning combination of hard cheddar, slightly nutty goats cheese, creamy camembert and pungent blue, with a side of scrummy fig jam.
Special mention must go to Matt, the restaurant’s Operations Director, who selected our wine for the evening. Neither myself nor my guest being remotely versed on the nuances of vino, Matt seemed very pleased at the opportunity to go ‘off piste’ with his choice, presenting us with the 2011 Domaine L’Escarpolette Le Blanc. An almost orange, cloudy blend of macabeo and muscat, it was wonderfully textured (owing to not being filtered) and not too sweet. Even my uneducated palate could taste the delicate notes of tangerine and the almost raisiny finish. It is just the sort of treasure you’d expect to find in this gem of a restaurant. Matt works very closely with all of his suppliers and delights in discoveries like these, so it’s well worth asking for his advice.
Our meal left us thoroughly replete, and at £29 for three courses, it’s an absolute steal. Although it is situated in fashionable Chiswick, it is out of the foodie hubbub, which actually works in its favour. Charlotte’s Bistro has a passion for a good old dining experience, demonstrating all of the pizzazz without any of the pretension. Feel free to wander in (by chance or otherwise), expectations enormous – you won’t be disappointed.
http://charlottes.co.uk/bistro