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This review was undertaken on
15th April 2008
 We strongly
recommend to our readers that they do not restrict themselves to
dining in Milton Keynes alone. There are plenty of fine
restaurants to be enjoyed not too far away, it’s just a case of
finding them. If the chance presents itself, a short trip to Le
Sacre Bleu in Northampton is well worth the journey. Tucked
away, this lovely restaurant is not overly easy to locate on
Gold Street. A row of small shops is broken by a small alleyway
and you need to walk to the bottom to find two white doors which
lead you to the restaurant’s bar.
Somehow, and
disappointingly for me, it had been over a year since I last
visited Hamid’s delightful restaurant. As soon as you walk
through the doors, you’ll hear the music, which, although
incredibly varied, is not always to everyone’s taste. A tiny,
dimly lit bar greets you with a spiral staircase to the right
which leads to the upper floor and the restaurant. My guest and
I decided to be seated immediately.
Décor
The chairs are
blue and plastic looking and do not look
overly comfortable. Looks can be deceiving though and at no
point did we feel uncomfortable. The restaurant is situated in
the roof, with slanting, low ceilings, beams and plenty of themed
pictures of frogs in various attire. The tables were not placed
too close to each other which made a refreshing change from
several restaurants you can visit these days. Although the
restaurant was quiet (it was a Tuesday), the music and the décor
blended to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Service
The French
waiters did not seem overly happy, but their service
was first class all the same. The French have never been known
to rush their food and one of the joys of Le Sacre Bleu is that
you can be in the restaurant for hours just eating, talking and
drinking and at no point feel rushed to leave. This is my kind
of restaurant.
Starters
 There are a
wide range of starters to choose from including a variety of
fish. I did not want to try the fish myself, but I was impressed
with the way the menu tells you whether they are hot or cold
starters. It can be an awful experience if you order something
you expect to be hot, and it arrives cold. I chose the French
Onion Soup with flat croutons and melted cheese. I’m not a
massive lover of soup, but this was a fantastic start to my
meal. I wanted something tasty, and tasty is what I got! Served
very hot, the melted cheese blended to perfection with one of
the finest onion soups I’ve ever had. Delightful!
After much
thought, my guest ordered the Deep Fried Brie. This was another
great tasting starter, although it did seem the Chef had tried a
little too hard with the presentation.
Mains
I chose the
Rack of English Lamb (£16.95). A generous Parisian style 4 rack
of lamb, pan-fried then roasted en papillote, medium to well
done, and then served with a sauce gourmande (beer, bacon,
mushrooms & cream), a selection of fresh vegetables, beurre
maître d’hôtel, a salad garnish and the chef’s gratins
dauphinois.
The dish
arrived on one of the largest white plates you will ever. As did
my guest’s Chateaubriand (£19.95) An 8oz portion of the finest
beef fillet, seared on the outside and served with a beurre
maître d’hôtel and a traditional béarnaise sauce, château
potatoes and a selection of fresh vegetables.
We did look at
each other and wonder how they would have served these dishes if
there had been four of us. The two plates took up almost the
whole table. Despite their size, the food itself was beautifully
presented and looked sublime. Quite how they pull this off
without the food looking lost on the plate I do not know.
The lamb
(requested medium) was cooked to perfection. The sauce was
tasty, but not overpowering and the lamb itself was full of
flavour. The only problem I had with this dish was finishing it
and I ate far more than would usually be the case simply because
it was irresistible.
My guest
simply loved the Chateaubriand too. You might look at the price
and think “pricy”, but believe me, you get what you pay for and
it is difficult to imagine the opportunity exists to sample beef
that is tastier or cooked better than this. Simply brilliant,
what more can you say?
There are also
plenty of desserts to choose from, but one stands out for me is
something that is light, tasty, and makes a change from the
norm. Try the Normandy Hole. A refreshing champagne, vodka &
lemon sorbet cocktail, shaken together and served with a straw.
Yummy!
In summary,
Le Sacre-Bleu is definitely the place to go for a relaxing meal.
One of the top dining establishments in Northampton, you might
walk away with a slightly lighter wallet, but you are highly
likely to remember it and will want to return sooner rather than
later. |
