Kimberly Tyson
We had one night in London and landed on a reservation here (definitely get a reservation). The only con was that they probably needed one more server on, but everything else was perfect. The hostess was fantastic and accommodating when we got stuck in traffic and I heard her giving great descriptions of wine. The atmosphere is so cozy/romantic (some of the tables are quite close but not all). Everything we ate was absolutely delicious and we couldn’t get over the prices, was expecting a lot higher. Would definitely recommend for a date night or group of 4 out!
Maud Hu
Went in for the lunch menu, and thought it was really worth the price and quality! The atmosphere is cute and rustic, the bread and butter was amazing (just too bad it was extra cost, unlike in France) and served warm. The mussels were very generous! Not all of the dishes were French, some were a bit more Italian inspired like the pea risotto or the Bhaji appetiser, but everything tasted delicious!
Laszlo Sifter
Food is in good quality but nothing exceptional. I’d say it’s a simple restaurant with beautiful decorations. The pink table we got stand out from the others. I’d change that similar to the other classy wooden tabletops.
Services was great. That french girl told us some historical background. She was friendly and open very engaging but not intrusive at all.
The background music is the first thing I would change to something traditional French old music that matches the ambient.
Dr Amir Hamid
Great food. Good service although server was a little rushed off his feet. Lovely ambience. Will definitely return and can recommend.
Malika Mikki
We found this spot as we scooted around london and wanted to dine alfresco. The seabream and cured egg yolk tartare was a really perfect dish so while it’s on the menu please go get it! The duck was decent, with the skin glazed and roasted well. Seabass and heirloom tomatoes was a refreshingly tasty main. Good food, not spectacular, but enjoyable. I’d would say the best part was the delightful French brunette host that greeted and served us that evening. A real pleasure!
Matthew Anthony
What a find, will be back. Wine, food, service, atmosphere - all on point. Not terribly expensive either. Went with friends and we all ordered different dishes to see how they came out - and every one was sublime. A good concept of ‘French tapas’ style dining that encourages sharing and tasting of the many flavours on offer. And it all tastes better after a bottle of Côtes du Rhône doesn’t it?
sarbool
Nice small restaurant in Soho. The food was amazing mainly the best braised beef cheek I ever tasted and the honey cheese was great too. Special thanks to Lina who was nice and professional and suggested for me the food
sarah Ash
Popped in for a quick set lunch. Loved it! Authentic French experience in the heart of soho. Good food and wine and the set menu was good value as well as delicious. Looking forward to coming back!
claudia tam
🇬🇧🇫🇷
little parisian-style bistro with fantastic and gorgeous French sharing plates ✨
⭐️Blanchette Soho⭐️ is a hidden gem around the soho area, serving excellent food and great drinks 🍾 the bistro is so likable and charmable, which serves a great selection of bites! my favourite has to be their dessert 🤩 the slight bitterness is perfectly balanced by the sweetness carried by the caramelised hazelnut. the incredible dessert comes in a perfect size for sharing between two persons, but trust me, it’ll leave you craving for more! the intimate yet relaxing atmosphere makes it a good place for celebrations! 🎇
Oliver Woodford
We had the fixed price weekday lunch - two choices of starter and main, one of dessert. We tried all the dishes and they were all excellent. Mussels were exceptional. Service was great. Lovely ambiance. ❤️
Caroline
Lovely French food and friendly staff. They also have a selection to try before theatre. But hopefully could extend dining time to 2 hours.
Esin Akdeniz
The food was great. We started with bread and butter and sea bream tartare. Finished them in minutes. If that doesn’t explain how delicious it was I dont know what does. Then ordered stoned bass as main course. Finalized with desserts. A real fête de l’estomac.
Bread and butter: 10/10
Sea bream tartare: 10+++/10 - the best entree I ever had
Stoned bass : 9/10
Dessert with cofee icecream and bun :10+++/10
Ryan Small
YouTube video recommended this in a top 10.
They were spot on. I had the starters and cheese along with a cheese plate. All were a top tasting quality. The cheese dish I was familiar with but still impressed. The BBQ prawns blew me away, and the lamb croquettes were also excellent tasting but took a second seat to the prawns which is saying a lot.
The drinks including the Negroni were done about as right as one can expect.
The atmosphere being lunch in SOHO was peaceful despite being near major streets.
The people were nice and helpful.
All of the above including the price made me consider going back which was a tough call because I wanted to try so much in London.
I highly recommend Blanchette.
Sunil Bhatia
Great brunch place live the rustic feel didn't even know there was French tapas. We shared a few dishes so we could try more but nice place even to have a coffee and a natter with friends. Even the cheese and bread on its on was satisfying. Would come again.
Tigershout
Absolutely love Blanchette every time. Service can be a tiny bit slow but the servers are always very polite and helpful.
The food is always delicious. House wine is fine but I'd try something different next time.
We got a few dishes to share. Stand outside were the monkfish and corn fed chicken breast, and a delicious green bean salad side. The frites & Béarnaise sauce are also a must! The duck breast was good but slightly chewy.
For starters, we had the cheese beignets with onion confit, which were disappointingly dry, and the slither of Morbier was impossible to share between 3 it was so small. The Saucisse Sèche was delicious but would try a different range of starters.
Overall, a consistently good destination for good sharing food that leaves you wanting to come back immediately!
2 bottles of wine and 9 dishes between 3 was £50 each.
Anton Kobakov
Delicious fine food and wonderful ambience. We ordered the non-veg meals, which were all very interesting and delicious (duck, lamb and chicken based). Of the starters, we chose the seabream tartar, which was also excellent. Wine list is compact but offers some good options too (mostly French, of course, but also some Moroccan and Italian).
William Rogers (Will)
French style tapas, at about £10 or slightly more per plate. We had 8 plates, 3 desserts and 4 drinks for £140. The food was generally very good, and the service was prompt and friendly. Favourite dishes were the leeks, the squid and the ratatouille. It isn’t too busy, so we managed to book the night before too. Good soho option.
RaphaEspíritoSanto
Amazing place in London. I love the food. can’t wait to come back here again. Congratulations to the staff.
Priyanshu
ate at Bazar during a business conference not realizing it was chef Jose Andres from El Bull, so I was in for a nice surprise. Amazing food and wine selection as well as service. Several selections of delicious ceviche and steak. Highly recommend this restaurant!
Fadi
@blanchettelondon was a place I heard hood things about offering french tapas in #suho #london so I decided to give it a shot , unfortunately it didnt stand upnfor the expectations I had except for the nice fluffy cheese donughts and great and welcoming service.<br/>That's the problem with having high expectations usually , you rarely meet it
Rosie Alittlelusciousness
It's so good when I finally get round to visiting a restaurant that I've been meaning to go to for ages and it lives up to the high expectations I had of it - always a relief....!! Emily and I went to check out the cutesy little French restaurant Blanchette, in Soho, that I'd heard so many good things about but still hadn't got round to going to. Blanchette is a French bistro on D'Arblay Street that's beautifully romantic/lit by candlelight/awful for photos and serves up small French family dishes alongside charcuterie, cheeses and excellent French wines. You're encouraged to order for the table and share dishes, though there were so many utterly delicious plates, I really wanted to eat all of some of them myself!We started with one of their signature dishes - crispy frog legs with Bois Budran sauce - whole frog legs that had been breaded and deep fried, which were actually a little tricky to eat. As the leg is whole, it's still on the bone. I'm not sure if we tackled them wrong, but we both ended up with mouthfuls of frog leg meat and bone. Not our favourite but luckily not a sign of things to come as the rest of the plates of food that came out were spot on.
L Wilkinson
It was way back on Bank holiday Monday evening when I finally managed to catch up with two of my lovelies whom were proving hard to pin down. Exhausted of all my ideas I asked F to book and Blanchette in Soho was her (excellent) choice, a place on my hit list to tick off!<br/><br/>We arrived at the cutesy French bistro just after 6:30pm to find it already pretty full and dimly lit by candle light, hence my photos being rather terrible! Immediately ordering some ginger ales after our boozy weekends and settled into choosing our sharing plates and nibbles. <br/><br/>We practically wanted everything and 2-3 plates per person, as suggested, is just right. <br/><br/>Order the Cheese beignets the minute you sit down! Served with onion confit these little morsels are like savoury doughnuts. Incredibly light, irresistibly tasty I could have had bowls of them.<br/><br/>Once ordered, food started to arrive sharpish and the waitress staggered our order with the lighter of the plates coming out first... <br/><br/>A refreshing green bean salad with Comte cheese, shallots and walnut dressing - one I would eat over and over again. It had crunch, sourness and a good amount of sweetness, one to recreate at home. Savour some of this to have with the meatier dishes to come... <br/><br/>Rare grilled tuna, avocado, orange and endive salad. Not a huge fan of the accompanying 'bits' it was all too many sweet flavours for me. Still, the tuna was cooked to a perfect pink. <br/><br/>Grilled duck breast with peach and beetroot remoularde was served very rare and sadly I found it just 'ok'. The duck sadly, seemed tough and stringy. <br/><br/>Grilled pork belly with Palourde clams, Brittany sea blades and vermouth was perfectly cooked with a crisp crackling, decent charring and incredibly juicy meat.<br/><br/>Braised lamb shoulder with anchovy, rosemary and soubise (onion) sauce was my favourite of the evening. Tender succulent lamb sat atop generous amount of plate lickable soubise - what's not to love?<br/><br/>Sea bass with crab bisque, peas and samphire. Was another exceptionally good dish. That crab bisque was packed with shellfish yumminess so much so, we found ourselves mopping it up with everything else on our table. The fish cooked with a brilliantly crisp skin and flaky flesh. <br/><br/>Courgette and aubergine tart with goats cheese and basil. Not the prettiest to picture - in fact half this meal looks dismal but,this was utterly more-ish and they managed to keep the pastry crunch-crisp even with such an array of vegetables piled on top- bravo!<br/><br/>Puddings were a little of a mixed bag we shared two between the three of us. Passion fruit vacherin was full of that irresistible sourness you can't get enough of. Whilst the hot chocolate fondant, sadly, was a little dry. <br/><br/>If you want a little bit of French romance without the heavy French food then Blanchette is your ideal place to cosy up and have some grub... a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
L Wilkinson
It was way back on Bank holiday Monday evening when I finally managed to catch up with two of my lovelies whom were proving hard to pin down. Exhausted of all my ideas I asked F to book and Blanchette in Soho was her (excellent) choice, a place on my hit list to tick off!. We arrived at the cutesy French bistro just after 6:30pm to find it already pretty full and dimly lit by candle light, hence my photos being rather terrible! Immediately ordering some ginger ales after our boozy weekends and settled into choosing our sharing plates and nibbles.
Got To Be Gourmet
French cuisine is one of my favourites in the world. It's usually meaty, creamy, cheesy and decadent! But the techniques involved in French cooking are normally quite traditional. I've previously written about our visit to The Waterside Inn, one of the only UK establishments to maintain three Michelin stars. And while the food is absolutely superb, it's very 'old school' in style. You can tell that Alain Roux has been cooking like this for a long time and it clearly works very well. So when I met Yannis and Maxime at a recent Teisseire event, I was intrigued to learn that at their French restaurant in Soho, Blanchette, they serve French cuisine 'with a twist'.
Chen Man
Blanchette stands quietly in the rather crowded, in more ways than one can imagine, Soho scene. On a Saturday lunch the place was filled with a mix of families, couples, girlfriends, all sorts, tasting Blanchette’s version of French sharing plates. The Parisian-styled bistro has its niche polished to perfection from the front of house staff down to the details in the decor. The atmosphere does work a pseudo-Parisian charm and can easily be classed as a romantic little getaway with its flickering candles.
Nomface
We planned a last minute New Years trip to the capital and after a frantic search for somewhere to dine that wasn’t charging an arm and a leg for a ‘special’ menu, we finally settled on Blanchette in Soho. A cosy bistro serving French small plates and not a set menu in sight which was welcome, at short notice we managed to bag ourselves a table for four for an early dinner before heading off to find a good location to see the fireworks.
Kinoutz
Perfect. Very busy and popular restaurant . Concept of plates of french quality food that you share. Everything we tasted was exceptional. Nice choice of wines too. Highly recommended.
Ted
I don't like this place at all! Food is pretty average. Some wines are ok, but no big deal!<br/><br/>Worst thing about this place is the service! The french guy and his stuff are very rude. My wife and me had to wait more than an hour for the food and when I asked him he answered in an very ignorant way and didn't feel sorry at all!<br/><br/>!!DON'T GO THERE!! <br/><br/>If you're looking for a top french restaurant go to "la petite maison" (Brook’s Mews, London).
Fatthomas
Blanchette is like walking into your mum’s living room in Provence. While overlooking the Mediterranean Sea you are having a glass of cool Rosé, smelling her food simmering on the stove in the kitchen . If you don’t have a french mother, grandmother or even relatives just make them up. You feel at home, comfortable and hungry. And happy, so very happy.
SilverSpoon London
I'm always looking for interesting little places in Soho and when I heard the amazing reviews Blanchette was getting, I was keen to visit. Blanchette has even described as 'incredibly likeable' by famous food critic, Jay Rayner, praise indeed. So one sunny Saturday Mr S and I headed down to the French bistro with the hope of having a similar experience to Jay. When I walked in I knew I was going to like the place. Exposed brick work gave it the feel of a rustic French Kitchen. Artifacts scattered around the room made you feel like you were in the warm and welcoming heart of someone's home. And there's one thing that bloggers love... Tiles...and Blanchette had some very pretty brightly coloured tiles behind the bar. And some cute ones on the floor. Personally I'm more interested in food than tiles...but each to their own ;) Crusty French baguettes were served in a paper bag with a good slab of butter. Fab to start nibbling on while we looking at the menu made up of charcuterie plates and French tapas, made for sharing. A warming bowl of steamed mussels was our first dish, perfect for dipping in our crisp bread and mopping up all the delicious garlicky sauce. My one criticism of the otherwise brilliant Blanchette was that we received the mussels first and we took our time to enjoy them, but then the next three dishes came out all at once. I would have preferred a more staggered service. Salmon tartare is a firm favourite of mine, and Blanchette's is served with cucumber, dill and creme fraiche. A lovely, light and refreshing dish. Chargrilled beef fillet with courgette and peppercorn sauce, was delicate, soft and rare with perfectly crisp potatoes. Seared tuna with broccoli and ratatouille was our other perfectly cooked seafood dish. We loved the food so much and were feeling a little greedy so we ordered one last plate. Grilled chicken with puy lentils and wild mushrooms was the perfect final choice. I don't often order chicken in restaurant because it just seem
Wrap Your Lips Around This
Blanchette is a sweet little bistro on the less trodden D’Arblay Street in Soho, but it may as well be a world away.
Emma Blanc
For mains I chose the warm confit of salmon with duck, puy lentils and herbs. The salmon was seared and lightly cooked but still pink in the middle and tasted so fresh - my only complaint was the pieces of duck were minute and so you couldn't really taste them. It was still all delicious though.
Littleladyeats
Blanchette was a dream come true. The waiters were my friends, the food comforting, and the drinks? Well, they just kept on coming. And let’s not forget the company – Crump Eats , The Edible Woman and handsome Steve Jones (sitting on the table next to us). I loved it from the start. The pretty dining room was filled with quirky French ornaments, colourful tiling, brushed wood and exposed brickwork. The memory will inspire when I decorate my dream home. Everyone had that Thursday feeling, so we started with a round of cocktails, olives and baked St Marcelin with bruchetta and large caper berries. An indulgent start that couldn’t have been more tasty. The menu had a ‘French Tapas’ theme as everyone in our city loves to share. We ordered as we ate, starting with succulent Braised Octopus with radish, tomato and a Verjus dressing (£7.50), along with a Roast Quail, Jamon Sec & Herb Croquette (£7.50). The dishes were totally different, but both were matched in impeccable presentation and tas
Bub Chinpilas
Who would have thought that French cuisine can adapt the style of sharing through tapas sizes. The restaurant is run by three brothers: Maxime, Yannis and Malik. The partnership of this restaurant with Salt Yard Group has really shine through. The food comes in small portions and categorised into nibbles, charcuterie, fish, meat and vegetables. To start I order bread and butter (£2.50) This was amazing. Bread is soft, slightly chewy and have a nice crunchy crust. The butter is creamy rich and well salted. Must order. For the vegetables I got green bean salad with foie gras, shallots and walnut dressing (£6.75). The beans were crunchy and fresh, the dressing was zingy and refreshing but the foie gras somehow was lost. Still it was a good start to the meal. The meat section was also super tempting but today I guess I want something abit more light like warm confit of salmon with duck, puy lentils and herbs (£6.50). The salmon was nice and tender and
Cocktailsandcaroline
...my favourite dish by far was the black pudding with pork belly. The combination of the flavours on that board was just fantastic and I could have eaten a whole main course of it. I didn't even know I liked black pudding!
Jeanne-Marie B
After several attempts which failed before Christmas to go to the new French bistro Blanchette in Soho, last week I managed to go there and had lunch. The decoration and atmosphere as soon as you arrive makes you feel in France, with a lot of French objects from a Bécassine doll to the G érard Depardieu cookbook (I didn't know he wrote one before I saw it there). T iles at the bar are painted with an Art-Nouveau style frame like Nover from the 1900's, and on the counter you can see some fresh products such as French baguette, saucisson, charcuteries and cheese. The details I really like was red bricks wall, it reminds me my hometown, the Pink City: Toulouse which is famous for wall with 'la brique toulousaine'. Picture from Blanchette website The concept is based on the idea of sharing small French dishes. You can see their menu HERE . Price are from £2.50 up to £8. It is a very good value, 7 dishes without wine for 2 person, £39.66 (service included). From all the new opening restaura
What Joanna Ate
But overall I loved Blanchette with all its Frenchness. The music is brilliant (one of the three brothers who has set it up is a founder of a sound design company), along with the wine and sweet interior. An excellent addition to the already very long list of great places in Soho.
Gingle Lists Everything
Blanchette feels a bit like a little country cottage - with little wooden tables, slightly distressed cabinets, and the water even comes in a cute little pottery jug. It was all very cosy. Perhaps a little too cosy - serving 'small plates' means bringing quite a lot of them to the table. We barely had room for all of ours at once and we only ordered four. And the tables are quite close together - I nearly swept someone's food off their plate as I tried to negotiate the space between tables as I was leaving.
FoodiesontheProwl
A while back three French brothers (two of whom used to be part of the Salt Yard group) decided to open a French bistro, et voila, London is now blessed with yet another brilliant French bistro. One of the best French bistros in London at the moment (with Brawn, Androuet, Casse Croute and 10 Cases). The dishes are imaginative and very well executed. Total bill: £110 (including service charge and wine) The food rating: 8.5/10 The service rating: 9/10 The overall rating: 9/10 (The overall rating is based on personal taste, opinion of the ambiance and price)
A Spoonful Of Sugar
I have a new favourite restaurant… Blanchette on D’Arblay Street, Soho. If I was ever to own a restaurant, this is exactly what I’d want it to look like. Its almost as if they’ve taken my dream restaurant from my head and popped it into the middle of Soho. Even better, its just a 10 minute walk from my office. Blanchette opened in December ’13 and is run by the three Alary brothers, Maxime, Yannis and Malik. They also have Salt Yard Group co-founder Simon Mullins and chef director Ben Tish on board as consultants and stakeholders. With all these guys at the helm, its no wonder it has been such a success in the short time its been open. The rustic and quaint interior is decked out with decorative tiles and exposed brick walls adorned with antique mirrors and shelves filled with junk shop paraphernalia, albums and books. Mismatched furniture, crockery and cutlery make it feel like homely, at least to me, as that is pretty much what my fla
Laymytable
The most aesthetically pleasing was the octopus. This came thinly sliced with a beautifully creative salad mix in a light, refreshing dressing. It was absolutely out of this world....This place is romantic, it’s cosy, it somehow seems perfect for both summer and winter and it just embodies what I always crave; somewhere with personality, somewhere independent in spirit, in cuisine and that serves incredible food.
Samphire And Salsify
The food we ate at Blanchette wasn’t without its faults but on the whole everything was very tasty and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening. It was the ambience and atmosphere however that really made us love the place. I may have been sat in the middle of Soho but I felt like I was on holiday – and that’s never a bad thing.
The Hedonist
The interior is quite dark and decked out with brick walls, decorative tiles and wood with seating either at the bar or at tables. It is tricked out with junkshop ephemera, a signifier that the past is being reframed to make it speak to the present. Tapas style, you can order bar snacks, some fromage or charcuterie and then there are small plates of meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Faerietale Foodie
The bar is clearly the focal point, and deservedly so, wooden and blessed with many bottles, a giant burnished chalice is filled with more, and beautiful hand painted tiles pretty things up. As a short arse, I struggle at first getting into my sprung wooden stool, but once perched, they’re much comfier than they look. There’s romantic looking spots in the front window, candlelight illuminating ethereally lovely place settings and more of the
Editor
The first is the room. Which is really, really, really Zoolander good looking. There’s a super cute back room, all exposed bricks and assorted paysan (but chic) furniture. The bricks, by the way, feel organic and comforting, rather than forced and trend chasing. At the front, a bar area is replete with rather a gorgeous mural on the walls and a decorative tiled floor. I thought it a very enjoyable place to sit.
Andy Hayler
Blanchette opened in December 2013, a French bistro owned by three brothers in partnership with the founders of Salt Yard. The head chef is Tam Storrar, previously senior sous chef at Bibendum. The dining room has the ubiquitous exposed brick walls, mismatched chairs and bare wooden tables that are de rigeur for London restaurants these days. The menu is similarly à la mode, being the “small plates” format that lead to the higher than expected bills beloved of restaurateurs. - See more at: http://www.andyhayler.com/restaurant/blanchette#sthash.US4F5Mo5.dpuf
Laura Fitzpatrick
I absolutely adored everything I ate that night, and the whole thing would have been a steal had it not been for the £100 we spent on champagne, but we had an amazing time and I can't wait to return and try everything I didn't get chance to eat on the first occasion. Especially the charcuterie and cheese selections.
Jesse Audubey
Best for... a date or catching up with a group of friends.<br/><br/>I stumbled upon Blanchette last night totally by chance. I’m so glad I did, the food is outstanding, the atmosphere really nice and relaxed and at under £30 per head including wine, dessert and service, it’s definitely a place I’ll come back to.<br/><br/>Blanchette is nicely hip without being pretentious, buzzy with people and music without being too loud, and one of those venues where you want to linger on after your meal. <br/><br/>This is what we shared between the two of us, and I loved everything tremendously:<br/><br/>First up, a mix of starter plates which were still decent enough in size to both come back to it a few times: some Cheese Beignets with Onion Confit (£3.75), Rosette de Lyon (£4.5), a Baked St Marcelin (£4.8) and Bread and Butter (£2.75) to accompany, which proved indispensable to finish the oozing creamy St Marcelin cheese. Yum.<br/><br/>We continued with two slightly larger mains (but bear in mind that they are still tapas size), the Octopus with Burnt Clementine, Fennel and Pistachio (£7.50) and the Braised Lamb Shoulder with Anchovy, Rosemary and Soubise Sauce (£8.75), both exquisite dishes. The octopus was fresh and zingy with the wonderful nuttiness of the pistachio counterbalancing the flavours and the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender. Great great food.<br/><br/>Finally, we wrapped it up with a Hot Chocolate Fondant with Salted Caramel Ice Cream (£5.95) which was pretty good, especially the ice cream. <br/><br/>We had also picked the very reasonable Bergerie de la Bastide 500ml carafe (£13.75) to accompany our meal and it’s a very decent option if you want to stay reasonable. If not, you’ll be pleased because they have an extensive wine menu.<br/><br/>Blanchette is a five minutes walk from Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road, booking is possible and they also have a private “Jungle room” for parties of up to 14 people. <br/><br/>We waltzed in about 9pm on a Friday night without reservation though and we had a table just under 20 minutes after. If you do the same, it’s likely you’ll get a seat at the bar or at the window, but it still makes for an enjoyable experience so I’d recommend keeping it in mind even as a last-minute option.<br/><br/>Considering it’s bang in the middle of Soho, the excellent quality of the food and the very reasonable pricing, Blanchette shot straight up to my favourite restaurants in central London.@
Tess Ward
Ever wonder where to go for traditional French food, crispy frogs legs and the works? Well, your gonna love this, because I have found just the place.<br/><br/>Nestled away in Soho, just around the corner from its Italian neighbour Polpetto and Spanish compadre, Ember Yard, is Blanchette. An eclectically decorated french bistro with some of the most delectable, old classic dishes on the menu that two foodies could hope to stumble upon. After a week at my mum’s in Oxford, I had been recipe testing like a little beaver, I came back down to London well in the mood for of something tasty, warming, classic and a little bit butter laden. There is such a thing as being to healthy don’cha know.<br/><br/>I never tire of Soho, its nooks and crannies, cute shops and rickety cafes never fail to charm. Even the raging black cabbies tring to run you down have their certain allure. It also never tired to entertain with its endless restaurants, and vibrant hustle.<br/><br/>Sundays are certainly a better day to go, if you are planning a trip down on the weekend. The crowds are generally sparser, in town. Even so I would certainly advise any weekend dwellers to steer clear of the bright Oxford Street lights. Unless you want a whacking great (probably fake) Vuitton to smack you one round the chops. Thats certainly an unwelcome experience to put a damp towel on a lovely boozy sunday lunch.<br/><br/>Just look how charming this place is. Sort of a cross between a giant dolls house, a vintage shop and a french bistrot. Anywhere with cute mismatched crockery and I am on board.<br/><br/>As you might expect, sharing plates are the way they roll at Blanchette. Lots of yummy things, rather precariously balanced on their small tables, to nibble, crunch and scoff down. We began rather decadently with the foie gras tartines and crispy frogs legs.<br/><br/>Sourdough tartines with spicy rolled foie gras slabs, topped with armagnac soak prunes were rather righteously HEAVEN. Not followed far behind by the surprisingly large crispy frogs legs and a creamy dipping sauce. The battered part of the frogs leg I cared for the least, but the tender meat, with a hint of crunch and the sauce was delicious and tasted not at all dissimilar to a very succulent drumstick of chicken.<br/><br/>Next out was the octopus and burnt clementine and the tuna tartare. Never before have I had tartare and tapenade, but most pleasingly fish and black olive work wonderfully together, especially paired with the slick of yellow rouille (a rich olive oil emulsion, not dissimilar to mayo). The octopus too was delicious, but possibly the least spectacular of the table.<br/><br/>Finally we had the Ox Cheek bourguignon and the chicory and pear salad to round off our nearly satiated appetites. The ox cheek, I feel needs little explanation. Slow cooked, red wine, melt in the mouth pretty much sums it up. The fact that we ordered two even more so. The salad was also wonderful. A classic pairing, with the right balance of sweetness and bitter leaves. Fortunately for me this wise chef thought against using blue cheese or any other derivative in the dressing. I am not really a fan of the free penicillin in my cheese! Who knows why it is so popular as an addition to chicory and pear?! Just feast your eyes on these beauties…<br/><br/>If you are looking for a cute little spot to transport you to rues of Paris, where you can dine and slurp and eat to your hearts content, be it midweek eve or weekend lunch, you can find the details of Blanchette here and their menu here<br/><br/>The three brothers, who own the place, have certainly succeeded in revamping and regigging classic french fodder into something as quirky and charming. They could do with heading over to Le Cordon Bleu to show them how to shake it up a bit. I would have been damn hoppy to have learnt to make frogs legs.
Food Diaries London
My friend and I wanted to go eat at Bocca Di Lupo but since it was full (should’ve booked!), the lady there suggested we try Blanchette. I was a bit apprehensive. I wasn’t in the mood for French food and I was starving. After a mini pit-stop at Gelupo (only the most amazing ice cream I’ve ever had!) I thought why not give Blanchette a go. The place wouldn’t have been recommended if it wasn’t good so we made our way there. Luckily! they had a table for us and it was right by the window. The weather was so nice that sitting by the window whilst enjoying our dinner was the perfect start.<br/><br/>Blanchette is located on D’Arblay St in Soho. Their staff is so nice and welcoming. The music is charming and staring out at the street, for a while, you do feel like you’re not in London.<br/><br/>I’m a huge fan of tapas style menus and sharing food. You wouldn’t normally associate tapas style with French food. The menu is young, fresh and fun! So all my apprehensions were already gone. This is a huge credit to their head chef Tam Storrar.<br/><br/>We ordered various small plates and a dish or two from the fish and meat section. The cheese beignets were so moorish. Little pockets of cheese served with onion confit- mmm keep em coming! Salmon Tartare was fresh and combined with cucumber, dill and creme fraiche turned out to be the perfect summer dish. The seared peppered tuna was cooked to perfection. It had a silky texture and melted in your mouth. The ratatouille was a perfect accompaniment and anything more would’ve just overshadowed the tuna.<br/><br/>Moving onto our meaty dishes- the braised lamb shoulder was a beauty to watch. It was constructed so well- it pained me a little cutting it in half! :P The soubise sauce kept the meat moist and gave a really nice flavour to the lamb.<br/><br/>Braised beef shin with spring vegetables was okay. The meat was a little too chewy for my liking. The star of the show had to be the “Roast Quail with Jambon Sec and Herb Croquette, Peas and Mustard Jus”. But it pains me to say I completely forgot to take a photo as I was too busy stuffing my face with it. One thing I do recommend you have to order is this quail dish.<br/><br/>All in all a great evening filled with music, decadent food and great company. Merci!
SilverSpoon London
I'm always looking for interesting little places in Soho and when I heard the amazing reviews Blanchette was getting, I was keen to visit. Blanchette has even described as 'incredibly likeable' by famous food critic, Jay Rayner, praise indeed.<br/><br/>So one sunny Saturday Mr S and I headed down to the French bistro with the hope of having a similar experience to Jay. When I walked in I knew I was going to like the place.<br/><br/>Exposed brick work gave it the feel of a rustic French Kitchen. <br/><br/>Artifacts scattered around the room made you feel like you were in the warm and welcoming heart of someone's home. <br/><br/>And there's one thing that bloggers love...<br/><br/>Tiles...and Blanchette had some very pretty brightly coloured tiles behind the bar.<br/><br/>And some cute ones on the floor. Personally I'm more interested in food than tiles...but each to their own ;)<br/><br/>Crusty French baguettes were served in a paper bag with a good slab of butter.<br/><br/>Fab to start nibbling on while we looking at the menu made up of charcuterie plates and French tapas, made for sharing.<br/><br/>A warming bowl of steamed mussels was our first dish, perfect for dipping in our crisp bread and mopping up all the delicious garlicky sauce.<br/><br/>My one criticism of the otherwise brilliant Blanchette was that we received the mussels first and we took our time to enjoy them, but then the next three dishes came out all at once. I would have preferred a more staggered service.
JC
A great little find from me in soho few months ago. The concept of the restaurant is French tapas. The food was to die for. I tasted the best french fries in the world- made in duck fat. Perfect for a romantic evening or fun meals with friends.
What Joanna Ate
Sharing food is good. I don’t like eating with people who don’t share. And of course there's the all important rule that you can’t all order the same thing. <br/><br/>There are many places in London with their small plate offerings, perfect for me (not so for the many who like guarding their own food). One of my favourite is Salt Yard, with their delicious Spanish/Italian flavours, tucked on Goodge Street. They have consulted for the newly opened Blanchette on Soho’s D’Arblay Street, which also has perfect little plates with interesting yet still classic flavours.<br/><br/>The menu is made up of snacks, a great selection of charcuterie and cheese, then dishes split between fish, meat and vegetables. From the fish, we had warm confit of salmon on puy lentils (£6.50), which has crispy shreds of duck mixed in (the combination sounded a little strange, but was great).<br/><br/>From the meat, firstly the smoky chargrilled chicken on white beans, savoy cabbage and smoked aioli (£6.50), then the beef onglet (£7.25), pink with snails en persillade (garlic and parsley). This also had an intriguing cigar shapes, from just suidgy salsify, wrapped in a crispy kind of pastry – it’s a shame this vegetable isn’t on more menus. We also had the braised lamb shoulder with anchovy, rosemary and a sticky soubise (onion) sauce (£8) – do try stuffing anchovy fillets in your roast lamb, as it really does work.<br/><br/>The frites (£3.75) were skinny, crispy and very salty (perfect), with a pot of tangy béarnaise sauce – definitely a new must-have chip side. We also had the Jerusalem artichoke and potato gratin (£5.50), with the fabulous melty Reblochon cheese (it’s the sort used in the brilliantly comforting yet heart-stopping Tartiflette). Finally, a little greenery with the leeks vinaigrette with frisee and wild mushroom (£5.00).<br/><br/>The only snack we tried was the croque monsieur (£4) – a great example of the toasty French classic, with a good mustard kick. It’s the perfect place to perch at the bar with a few of their snacks (they also include baked St Marcelin cheese, cheese beignets and terrine) and a glass of red wine.<br/><br/>The only little quibble was the order was a little sporadic, and we were nearly left with just the vegetable dishes at the end. And it felt a bit much to ask us to move from our table to the bar 20 minutes before the 7pm sitting. <br/><br/>But overall I loved Blanchette with all its Frenchness. The music is brilliant (one of the three brothers who has set it up is a founder of a sound design company), along with the wine and sweet interior. An excellent addition to the already very long list of great places in Soho.
Gingle Lists Everything
Blanchette is a charming little bistrot with backing from the Salt Yard group whose restaurants serve small plates with a Spanish feel. This time they're applying the small plates ethos to French food and it is done very well. The restaurant feels like a rustic French cottage, in the heart of London, with its distressed cabinets and cute crockery.<br/><br/>The food was super - an artichoke and potato gratin with a nice bit of bite but also a good balance of cream and cheese, and we also had the steak, the gurnard and also the camembert. It is all very reasonably priced and that includes the wines - we had four plates between us as well as some bread and only spent 25 each.<br/>
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