A real treat.. What a great little place this is. The duck rillettes was outstanding, the pig cheeks tender, the service charming, and the whole experience on a Saturday lunchtime a delight.
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A rustic bit of South West France. Lunch at Comptoir Gascon felt casual & relaxed. Service was pleasant, efficient & concise, yet knowledgeable when asked about the food. I enjoyed a pure tasting & velvety pumpkin soup - it was very well creamed, turning out a colour of bright sunshine yellow instead of the gourd's natural orange. I also tried a seasonal special of white asparagus from Landes but felt it lacked sweetness as I've tasted more flavoursome spears in Paris. Another special of bbq duck burger was well made - dense, succulent, pink, well seasoned & flavoursome, but felt the artisan bread could be fluffier. Fries were good, cooked in goose fat I believe. 'Citrus Mystery' was a fun dessert - lemon mousse with a grapefruit centre topped with meringue balanced sweet, sour & bitter well.
On a return visit for dinner, we ordered more from the daily specials. We praised the rich black pudding with well thought combination of apples. The fish terrine, made using sturgeon, salmon & pollock looked like a whipped and creamed amalgam of all 3 fish without allowing each to be distinctively identified, either by sight or taste. All 3 fish are available on the menu as separate dishes, so suspicion grew if the terrine was a way to use bits that were of less than stellar freshness.
No complains for both the following mains. Bbq magret (breast from a fattened duck for foie gras) was plump, tender & moist, nicely cooked pink and had a deeper flavour than normal duck breast. It was paired with some mushrooms that added earthiness to the dish, although slightly over seasoned. The Cassoulet Touloussin from the standard menu was a flavour packed & hearty dish - the haricot beans were cooked separately and served with a confit duck leg, Toulouse sausage & crackling on top, instead of a typical all-in-one stew. This presentation was very welcomed and ate with no monotony in texture & flavour.
Home-made ice-creams were a mixed bag - some were melting faster than others. The tangy yoghurt went very well with the rich chocolate. Vanilla was average by comparison. But the melon sorbet was full of good, fresh melon fruitiness. Like before, service was pleasant & efficient but I felt it could be warmer & more engaging to match the rustic setting and food.
It seems that specialising in Gascony culinary, this is a kitchen that really knows how to treat & serve up a piece of duck. In fact, their standard menu has a small section devoted to this yummy fowl. Also, one side of the bistro lays a deli counter (their website generously calls it a food hall…) where pastries, bread, cheese & jar goods like jams, duck confit, rillette & foie gras.
When I moved two years ago around Smithfield market I didn't know I chose the best area for a Southwestern French girl to live. The surrounding area of Smithfield market is like being in my hometown Toulouse with Club gascon, Cellar Gascon and Comptoir Gascon around.
Lucky me I have my three local pubs to remind me I am living in UK.
Sometimes a nice restaurant is the simplest one. Compare to its sister restaurant Club Gascon, Comptoir Gascon offers simpler and traditional dishes from the Southwest of France.
Last time I went for dinner I shared a platter of piggy treats with my friend, I just find a bit weird they didn't include any bread with this dish. If you want some bread you have to pay an extra £2.
Everything was very good, it was great product. However I didn't like their terrine.
I am always wondering why they don't do a duck treats platter with for example crispy duck skin scratchings, duck mousse, rillettes, magret séché and foie gras...That would be for sure my d
All food is fresh and tasty, though it might need a touch more seasoning if you like to be heavy-handed with your salt. The only real shame about le Comptoir is that not all the tasty products for sale in the delicatessen are not on the menu at one time. Though, what is available you’ll really enjoy. Don’t expect swift service, staff are relaxed and take their time, which suits the style of the restaurant.
Gingle Lists Everything
+4.5
There is nothing like rich, moist, fatty duck with which to celebrate, even a minor occasion such as Valentine’s Day. And duck happens to be a speciality for Comptoir Gascon so of course we availed ourselves of it, twice over for me! Comptoir Gascon is a French bistro in Clerkenwell, the more casual, much cheaper sibling to Club Gascon over the road. Stephen and I wanted to do our usual of going out for a nice meal pre-Valentine’s but we didn’t want to go overboard on the spending this year. Comptoir Gascon perfectly fit the bill, and we had a really delicious, hearty meal. We started with a glass of bubbly, and then rather greedily ordered a whole bottle of juicy red wine as well. We weren’t sure we would be able to finish it all in the time it took to eat our meal but we needn’t have worried – it was so easy to drink we polished it off without much effort. To start, I had the duck rilletes which came with sourdough toasts. This was gloriously fatty, shredded duck which I was happy to plough into on its own, as well as piling it upon the bread. More bread would have been nice but eating it on its own was no chore, especially with some crunchy cornichons to lighten it a little. Stephen had the ‘piggy treats', which I warned him didn’t come with any bread. He said he wouldn’t need any but then regretted he had none for his pates. Still, it was quite filling so from that point of view bread was probably unnecessary. There was so much there I can't quite remember it all - charcuterie, pancetta, terrine, black pudding - even pigs' ears. A treat indeed (maybe not so much the ears, still find them weird). Stephen had the cassoulet and I had the confit duck with garbure. My vibrant sauce was very garlicky and salty and I very much enjoyed swi
Comptoir Gascon London offers diners a chance to experience a slice of authentic French Basque / Gascon food porn. It reminds us of some other great dining experiences that we’ve had in France and the meals at Comptoir Gascon are just as great. Duck rillettes (9/10) Piggy treats (8/10) Crackling soft duck egg & mushroom fricassée (8/10) Foie gras burger (8.5/10) Comptoir Gascon is part of the Gascon emporium of restaurants all located around the picturesque location of Smithfields Market near St. Pauls. One of its sister restaurants, Club Gascon , operates with a Michelin star under its belt and we love the food there. However, Comptoir Gascon offers a totally different type of dining experience consisting of what is essentially French soul food. Chicory salad (7.5/10) French fries cooked in duck fat (7/10) Courgette risotto (8/10) Duck burger with foie gras (8/10) When we visited Comptoir Gascon: Piggy treats (8/10) Duck burger with foie gras (8/10) Crackling soft duck egg & m
We were in the Smithfield area, heading for another venue when we strolled past Comptoir Gascon, had a quick look at the menu and decided this was the place for us. Not having made a booking we were lucky enough to get one of the last tables and were made to feel welcome by the staff as soon as we arrived. Comptoir Gascon is part of the 'Gascon' group of restaurants and bars (including Club Gascon and Cellar Gascon) and as such continues the south west France theme. The menu is duck, game and offal heavy - we really were spoilt for choice. In fact, one of the things we agreed was that it took so long to place our order simply because there were too many delightful sounding dishes to choose from! We eventually made our choices and asked for a little advice on wine. As we were heading for a meat feast red wine was the order of the day, so we enquired about a Marmandais, a wine unknown to us. After advising us that might be too light to complement the food or
...a charming and intimate venue, small tables, bare plaster and a smattering of old wood all adds to the fantastic ambiance. I would go so far as to say it is the ideal place for a date
These days my burger list is not as big as in the old days. However, there are still some options to try around and also new comers in the next months opening in London. This time I decided to visit Comptoir Gascon . A nice French bistro and delicatessen in Farringdon, with food and wine sourced from Southwest France, and a Bib Gourmand award from Michelin since 2006
I have a penchant for all most things French. French food, French wine (although I'm a particularly cheap date on vino), the French language and I'm pretty sure even the humble macaroon hails from the romantic shores of France. The jury is still out on Fr
We had an amazing meal, if anything we ordered bit too much meat (but managed to clean the plates of course). The pig cheek was seasoned with interesting spices. I’d like to try more seafood next time. I had the squid as starter and it was excellent.
The dessert was the highlight for me. The apricot was amazing.
The food was great, as always. The foie gras starter and burger is super. I'd recommend the shank though, my friend had it and it tasted superb.
Really good south-western (?) french restaurant with a great selection of duck!
Prices are fair, especially lunch seems great value
Funnily shaped place, they really make the most out of the area they have and give it great atmospheres, only one toilet too!
The portion is just right for ladies who don’t eat much, high quality food and great service.
Delicious food and good selection of wine, some of which is available to buy from the deli section. Staff are friendly and the atmosphere is upmarket relaxed. It's in an interesting and historic part of London, close to.many bars and restaurants. I have always enjoyed working and socialising in this area, and this restaurant is definitely one I will return to.
Good quality food, typical French service.
Well decorated, good atmosphere room with wood and planty natural furnishings
Starters tasted fantastic - chicken and piggy treats, but the chicken was served on a precariously large plate. It was a jigsaw fitting it on the table.
Mains were pretty good but the potatoes with the confit duck were exceptionally, burn your tongue off garlicky and the sausage in the cassoulet was extremely dry
Waitstaff were attentive and friendly. Overall a nice experience, but I expected a bit better.
Great French food for a good price. The staff were very friendly as well.
The fois gras burger was great, but not exceptional. A bit too fatty for my taste. However the duck confit was exceptional and just like what you would get in France
Excellent food and service! French cuisine.
Proper french food and quick service. They often have free tables for lunch early in the week, otherwise better to book.
Their set menu is excellent value, highly recommend.
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