Le Garrick restaurant and wine bar is conveniently located in the heart of Covent Garden in London’s West End. It’s a little gem and after just one visit has become my preferred restaurant, my dining establishment of choice and a place I am almost loathe to promote for fear I won’t get a table next time.
Their beautiful website gives a little history. Brendon, who owned Le Garrick for 25 years, has moved on and passed the baton to Dominika and Charles and they seem to be doing a sterling job. Le Garrick is the sort of restaurant that one hopes will never change. It’s a bit like a favourite old uncle who is full of character and is very ‘individual’.
The ground floor restaurant is small but has the advantage of views of the bustling historic neighbourhood of Covent Garden. This is Theatreland and one might spot a famous face from one’s vantage point, and there is always the chance of having a brace of thespians on the neighbouring table. It’s that kind of restaurant.
But go downstairs to discover the real charm of Le Garrick. This space was evidently once a cellar and it still retains alcoves and nooks which create a restaurant which is, just like that favourite old uncle, pleasantly eccentric. The ambiance is intimate, the staff are naturally friendly and the food is simple yet for which to die – French food which is better here than some restaurants I have visited actually in La Belle France!
It’s unsurprisingly a traditional French menu with a host of classics to tempt carnivore and vegetarian alike. It’s the sort of bill of fare that has any Francophile salivating and any xenophobe admitting that those French do have a way with food. It’s the kind of menu that has one promising another visit just to try a little plate of this or a bowl of that.
Escargots de Bourgogne was my starter. Six Burgundy snails (thankfully without shells which are always so fiddly) cooked in garlic and parsley butter. The menu says these are a ’must try!’ and they really are. Some snails can be rather earthy but these were sweet and moreish in a butter-dripping-off-chin kind of way.
Cassolette de calamar à la plancha au piment d’espelette was my guest’s starter. That’s pan-seared calamari Basque-style with a sprinkle of coriander, ginger, and the famous Espelette chilli. These peppers were introduced into the Basque region of France from the New World during the 16th century. They’ve got plenty of heat but rich flavour too. More butter with this dish but I was too busy mopping those juices to worry about weight-gain. This was memorable and just as much a ‘must try’ as the aforementioned snails.
Faux Filet with sauce au poivre was my main course. This was a fairly hefty chargrilled rare-breed rib-eye steak served with fries and peppercorn sauce. I ordered mine medium rare and it was pink and flavourful. This is a standard dish of steak and chips but it’s hard to beat when done well. The wine list here is solid and sensible. A great selection of wines by the glass, bottle or carafe. The Côtes du Rhône was just right, alongside my overflowing plate. Did I mention the generosity of servings here? Petit Pois Grand-Mère – peas with lardons and baby onions – was hardly necessary in addition, but those vegetables were fresh and light and made me feel a bit nobler.
Authentique Cassoulet de Toulouse is the celebrated dish from south-west France. This was my guest’s choice for main course and appropriate for a cold and wet English evening. Lingot beans with duck confit, pork belly and garlicky Toulouse sausage made a substantial plateful which defeated my companion, who was all for asking for a doggy bag for the leftovers. Another spot-on dish.
Crème Brulée was our shared dessert but with a little Canelé by way of garnish. These sweets were the perfect end to an outstanding meal. Le Garrick is right in every regard. The service was professional yet fun, the décor added to the discreet ambiance. The evening is still being talked about and a return is certain in the very near future.
Le Garrick Restaurant
10-12 Garrick Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 9BH
Phone: 020 7240 7649
Email: info@legarrick.co.uk
Restaurant review by Chrissie Walker © 2018