|
Brasserie Blanc is
Raymond Blanc’s small chain restaurant which aims to create
French cuisine at a reasonable price. Currently there are 6 of
these themed restaurants with plans for up to 20 more.
Décor: the
restaurant is clean and very French in all aspects, the seating
is fairly cramped but this is the style desired. There is a
lovely shop area as you enter where you can buy lots of Raymond's
books and favourite foods and wines.
Atmosphere: we
arrived without booking to a packed restaurant and luckily for
us there was a cancellation. The place was buzzing and the staff
were under pressure constantly but at no point did they seem to
be bothered.
Food: we chose from
the two different menus available. My wife chose the
set menu priced at £15.00 for 2 courses or £20.00 for 3 courses
and this price includes a glass of wine. I chose the ala carte
menu. Each menu offered seasonal dishes and a creative twist on
old favourites. The meal was superb, my wife had crab fishcakes
and risotto fishcakes followed by slow cooked beef and
horseradish mash. I chose the Spring Vegetable Risotto and the
salmon and smoked haddock fishcake and both were delicious. If I
was to give any criticism I would say that you need to be aware
that you need to order vegetables and potatoes or salad. We
followed this by sharing a plate of selected cheese’s mostly
French but with one smoked English cheese. To drink we enjoyed a
bottle of Entre De Mere a delicious white Bordeaux which was
lovely with the food we had chosen. The value for the set menu
is exceptional and will delight anyone who has this for lunch or
dinner.
Wine: The list is a
mixture of classic and unusual. There are lots of stories to
each wine and you get the feeling that it is a hand picked list
with lots of food matching in mind. The prices are very fair and
this is very refreshing to see. If more restaurants took this
approach they would naturally sell more wine.
Service: On arrival
we were greeted by a lovely young lady with a big genuine smile
who quickly checked and brought us to our table. We then met our
waiter Pascal who was quite possibly one of the finest waiters I
have ever met. He was prompt, efficient, friendly but not
overbearing and ensured that we will revisit the fantastic
establishment again and again.
Overview: In
summary I would say that Brasserie Blanc offers Central Milton
Keynes the restaurant it has been looking for. If you want an
excellent meal with great atmosphere and at a superb price then
you need to go there.
|
