French – The Cultural Exposé

Les Deux Salons launches breakfast menu

Matilda — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 06:56:08 +0000

I was kindly invited to a blogger’s breakfast yesterday morning to experience the new breakfast menu at Les Deux Salons, the chic Parisian brasserie in Covent Garden which recently reopened following an extensive refurbishment this summer. They’ve done a gorgeous job with the interiors and it’s the perfect setting for their early morning delights including viennoiseries (croissants and pastries), pain per du (french toast) and oeufs however you like them. The breakfast is now available Monday to Friday from 7.30am to midday (or from 9am) at the weekend but you can find out more about it on the Les Deux Salons website.

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What we’ve been up to (in Paris)… Le Bistrot du Pientre, Le Tibourg and Chez Janou

Matilda — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:00:35 +0000

We’ve got much to thank the French for when it comes to gorgeously good food – so it was our pleasure to discover three places in Paris last weekend that lived up to that reputation:

Le Bistrot du Pientre

This classic Parisienne bistro has lovely staff, beautiful décor and the yummiest crème brulee I’ve ever had in my life! My friend couldn’t stop praising their tartare de boeuf (beef tartare) while my poulet fermier rôti avec frites et salade (hearty roast chicken with fries and salad ) was just a generous as it could be. All this deliciousness came at a higher price than we expected, but there’s no denying we got what we paid for.

116 Avenue Ledru Rollin, 75011 Paris, France. Closest station: Bastille. bistrotdupeintre.com

Le Tibourg

Le Tibourg could easily be written off as a tourist trap given the locality, but the food inside this trendy hotspot in Marais didn’t disappoint. A delicious club sandwich was twice the size I expected, and my friend also gave her burger a two thumbs up. The TripAdvisor consensus might tempt you to avoid this spot if past reviews are to believed – and to be fair, the service was frustratingly slow at times – yet overall, I couldn’t fault it. The prices were reasonable, the food was on point and I would happily visit again.

19, rue du Bourg Tibourg – 75004 – Paris Closest metro: Hotel de ville www.yelp.com/biz/restaurant-bourg-tibourg-paris

Chez Janou

On a last minute hunt to find an amazing French restaurant for Sunday dinner, Chez Janou was recommended to us by a local pharmacist. His reasoning – “great food, not too pricey”, and he even drew a little map on a Post-It note for us to get there. He wasn’t kidding; Chez Janou is one of those quirky neighbourhood spots that are so highly revered, you actually need reservations to eat there – and by the time we left, there was a short queue to get in. Luckily enough for us, we managed to secure a table for two and enjoyed an evening of great wine, charming service, and really, really, really good food. This included the petit chevre roti au romarin (a warm tomato sauce topped with goat’s cheese that we polished off with bread); magret de canard au romarin (an exceptional roast duck with rosemary potatoes); and pot-au-feu (a simple yet exquisite beef stew). With wine, all this set us back a mere 62.50 Euros (£44.60) for two – a bargain for a night that was nothing short of fine dining. I can’t wait to return!

2 Rue Roger Verlomme Closest metro: Chemin Vert chezjanou.com

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Somewhere you should go… Le Gothique Restaurant and Bar

Lucy Palmer — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:00:24 +0000

Wandsworth definitely has a reputation as a yummy-mummy destination than a cool location for bars and restaurants – but tucked away and hidden in the centre of Wandsworth Common is Le Gothique, which bucks the trend. While perhaps best known as a popular wedding venue, Le Gothique has far more to offer than just for brides and grooms. Their French chefs provide an excellent menu including traditional favourites such as moules frites (steamed mussels and fries) and another highlight has to be their wide-ranging cheese platter, the perfect accompaniment when sitting in their garden with a glass of red. The wine selection is another plus, mixing quality with reasonable prices.

Le Gothique is housed in the beautiful Royal Victoria Patriotic building in a location which has had a rich and varied history from its original beginnings as a girl’s orphanage and later being taken over by MI5 during World War 2 who kept Rudolph Hess there for two nights upon his arrival in England. Though a French restaurant is a much tamer use for the building, it’s certainly retained its atmosphere and charm. So now that it’s summer, Le Gothique is great venue to head to for a relaxed drink in its tranquil surroundings. (Words: Lucy Palmer)

For more info, visit: www.legothique.co.uk

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Somewhere you should eat… La Giaconda Café Bar Restaurant

The Cultural Exposé — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:00:57 +0000

Pop-ups, sparse menus, theatrical dining clubs… all wonderfully on trend experiences in the city, but after a while you’ve got to spare a thought to those ever dependable restaurants which still take reservations and will most certainly be there when the fanatical hype has settled. At least, that seems to be the case with La Giaconda. Housed on Denmark Street, the “French-ish” restaurant was once a 60s hangout for the likes of Bowie and The Kinks, and now after a few refurbs later, is still a fabulous destination where effortlessly good food is king and the secret, restaurant room (fronted by a more modest looking cafe) earns extra points for being the kind of surprise that’s bound to impress. Snag a cosy table on a Friday – the room sits less than 30 – and tuck into a quality selection of wines (which start from £3.50), before working through everything from scallops with straw potatoes for starters to a unforgettable lamb steak. The prices are great too. Check out pics below from our recent visit but for more info, visit: www.giacondadining.com

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What we’ve been up to… 28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen

The Cultural Exposé — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 11:00:19 +0000

When 28-50 arrived in Fetter Lane in 2010, critics hailed it for resurrecting the once ubiquitous wine bar – and it’s easy to see why. Their infatuation with the classier booze (the restaurant is named after the degrees of latitude where vineyards can be found) meant there was no less than 30 varieties on the menu, wine tasting events were frequent and you could even cop a glass for as little as £2. But their ability to expand to two more branches within three years has to also be credited to laidback vibe, sexy decor and quality food, which we thoroughly enjoyed last Friday at the Maddox Street branch in Mayfair.

It’s all French-fusion here, so we began with a moreish starter of warm aubergines, stuffed with courgette, marinated peppers, lemon and creme fraiche, and a dill-seasoned salmon gravlax which was simple, but nearly as generous. Equally, the mains didn’t fail. The Duck confit – as naughty as it is – was full flavoured, served with bacon and hearty white bean casserole, while the fish pie was as sound and tasty as a fish pie can be. We were pretty stuffed at this point, but lemon tart with yoghurt sorbet and pistachio creme brulee were not only irresistable, but proved to be the perfect way to polish off a meal at classy spot (after a few well-rounded glasses of the Torre de Oña, that is – it goes great with the duck!).

For more info, visit: www.2850.co.uk

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Somewhere you should go… Soho Diner (NOW CLOSED)

The Cultural Exposé — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:00:09 +0000

Once the clock strikes midnight, your culinary options in the West End are usually limited to greasy kebabs, McDonalds or those suspicious looking hot dogs being fried up on certain corners – so the fact that the new Soho Diner serve their stellar Franco-American menu until 2am on the weekend is pretty much a cause for celebration. It’s just one of the many highlights that makes this new restaurant – from the Soho House group – one of the best openings in the last couple of months.

On a recent visit, we soon discovered that not only is it a great pit-stop if you’re in that neck of the woods afterhours, but the prices are fab, the surrounds are a beaut and the food is generous and simple, just like its west London counterpart Electric Diner, which still continues to be a hit with the locals. Go for the grilled ham & cheese fingers (£5) and the honey fried chicken (£5) if you want to graze – but if you’re after something more lunch or dinner, the philly cheese steak sandwich (£8), grilled salmon with tomato vierge (£11) are both good picks – and for drinks you might want to get a cocktail (on tap!), like the delicious Root to Mule.

The only downside to Soho is, like most of the popular places to eat in town, you can’t make reservations – but there’s still plenty of pluses to give this place a whirl.

For more info, visit: http://www.sohodiner.com

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Somewhere you should go… Paris Seen By… Film Season at the Institut Français

Apostolos Kostoulas — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:47:15 +0000

With the British sun playing its traditional hide and seek for yet another summer, cinema’s ability to transport the viewer to idyllic places from all over the world should be fully exploited. So if you are interested in a quick trip across the pond, Ciné Lumière promises to offer you some of the most beautiful depictions of the City of Light ever to appear on the big screen.

Hôtel du Nord

The Paris Seen By…. season is a compilation of an eclectic list of films shot by French, European and American directors that highlight the impeccable romanticism of the French capital which has given birth to millions of love stories throughout the centuries. Take for example, Marcel Carné’s Hôtel du Nord, a masterpiece of the French poetic realism. It uses the titular hotel on the banks of the Canal St. Martin, whose main occupants are crooks and prostitutes, as the background for two powerful love stories, one concerning a gangster and a prostitute and the other, a young couple who have checked into the hotel to carry out a suicide pact. French Cancan, by the great Jean Renoir, transfers us to a more glamorous locale: in the late 19th-century Montmartre, theatre impresario Henri Danglard (Jean Gabin) turns a lovely young washerwoman called Nini Françoise Arnoul into the star of his new club, Moulin Rouge. The Gallic director shoots this archetypal “rise to stardom” story with his characteristic visual flair, presenting us with an irresistible view of that era’s nightlife.
Another heavyweight of French Cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, gives us a more modern look into the grey Parisian suburbs, with Bande à part, offering a handful of classic scenes like the one where the three main characters run through the Louvre. That scene is referenced in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, a love letter to Paris in the sixties with an incredibly photogenic cast that includes Eva Green and and Louis Garrel.

Midnight in Paris

The winning formula of Paris + beautiful stars had already been applied with great success by Hollywood during its classic era. In Charade for example we have Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn falling in love in the French Capital. Add to this an engaging sense of suspense that brings to mind the best Hitchcock’s offerings and you have a truly enjoyable romantic thriller. Another iconic American film star, Gene Kelly, plays the role of Jerry Mulligan a former GI who comes to the City of Light to pursue his artistic aspirations and finds love in the shape of Leslie Caron in An American in Paris. It’s arguably the best musical ever made with the glorious music of George Gershwin reminding us what love is all about.
The essence of love and romance is also at the heart of two more recent films. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris – undoubtedly his best film in years- uses the plot device of time travelling in an intriguing way ( in Paris after midnight you can be transferred to the 1920s and the 1980s and socialise with Zelda Fitzgerald, Picasso and Dali) posing the question whether romance is dead in the age we live in. Finally, for those of you who prefer your film couples to express their love for each other through interesting conversations – rather than being all googly eyed – you must do yourself a favour and follow the romantic story of Jesse and Celine. Before Sunset is the middle part of the critically acclaimed trilogy that follows the lovely couple of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as they stroll along the Seine and share some fascinating discussions about love, hopes and reality.
Enjoy then a season of escapist love stories in the most romantic city of the world and remind yourself whenever you are feeling blue the immortal words of Bogie: “We’ll always have Paris”. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)

Paris seen by. takes place at Ciné Lumière from 20 June to 20 July. To accompany the screenings an exhibition entitled The Discovery of Paris, Watercolours by British Artists opens at the Wallace Collection on 20 June. For more information go to www.institut-francais.org.uk/cine-lumiere/whats-on/festivals-series/paris-seen-by

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Somewhere you should go… Bouchon Fourchette, Mare Street

Matilda — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:03 +0000

In the last two months, Hackneyites may have noticed that among the fried chicken and chips, kebab shops and Chinese takeaways that litter Mare Street resides a new and unlikely French cafe that’s become an instant hit with the locals. Bouchon Fourchette serves easy French faves as casually as they can come, unlike the pretentious-style you’d come to expect from those restaurants that may offer up authentic coq au vin, steak tartare and duck confit, but without BF’s effortless cool. Interiors are modest, staff are warm and friendly, Marvin Gaye plays in the background, while on the menu, escargot is simply called “six snails in their shell”. Plus, you won’t pay more than £12 for a beautifully-presented main. “I wanted to show the simple side of France – on a plate,” says the owner Dorothee Gaschignard. “It’s about that rustic, feel-good food you’d eat at home.”

Friday and Saturday nights are pretty road-blocked here, but if you’re in the area, pop in on a weekdays for their £7.99 lunch special, or for Sunday dinner when it’s a little bit quieter. We loved our simple ham and cheese sandwich with a side of frites, but promised to come back for the baked camembert de Normandie (which has got us written all over it!).

For more info, visit: www.bouchonfourchette.co.uk

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Something you should do… breakfast at the Electric Diner

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 11:00:14 +0000

It’s very rare we extoll the virtues of breakfast on TCé – and considering all the adventuring we get up to, we should! – so we happily accepted an invite to try an early morning meal at Electric Diner, a new restaurant on Portobello Road. The collaboration between Soho House and renowned Chicago restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff has resulted in a venue that feels distinctively Americana with its red booths and cliché interiors, but features a menu injected with a French influence we picked up when we tucked into the open-faced ham, cheese fondue and fried egg (£9) (a pleasure so guilty we tried to pretend it was lunch).

Here, you’ll find a breakfast menu that is modest and relatively inexpensive considering the generous portion sizes, so other honourable mentions include the avocado on toast with a poached egg, sides such as the buttery mushrooms (£3) and hash browns (much crunchier than expected, but went down well with the fondue) and the Berry Boost smoothie, which was light and refreshing (£4).

But we were much too full to go in on the Electric Donuts, with flavours as varied as maple bourbon and bergamot orange, but it’s given us a reason to return – especially on the weekend when we wouldn’t mind a place to escape from Portobello’s infamous hustle and bustle.

Electric Diner
191 Portobello Road,
London, W11 2ED (££)

For more info, visit www.electricdiner.com. Click here to see more pics of our breakfast!

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Somewhere you should go… 20th French Film Festival UK

Apostolos Kostoulas — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:37 +0000

It was 1992 when a small film festival first appeared in two Scottish cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow celebrating the rich cinematic tradition of our Gallic neighbours. Fast forward to 2012, and the French Film Festival is now one of the UK’s most enduring and exciting film festivals. Major cities across the UK such as Manchester, Bristol and London are now participating in this fête that showcases the best offerings of francophone cinema’s past, present and future – and for its twentieth anniversary, the FFF has assembled a typically eclectic list of films that will undoubtedly entertain cineastes of all ages.

Opening this year’s festival with the latest cinematic adventures of Astérix and Obélix,was undoubtedly a crowd-pleasing choice. Uderzo and Goscinny’s comic characters are much loved by generations of readers who grew up with the stories about the little Gallic village that resisted the roman occupation and the previous four film adaptations were all box-office hits. Add to this the exciting premise behind the title of the new entry in the franchise – Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia – and the intriguing casting of legendary actress Catherine Deneuve in the role of the Queen of England and you have a definite winner.

Ducoboo is also based on a popular comic series whose titular character is an eleven-year-old dunce who finds inventive ways to cheat during school exams but always gets caught in the end. For the definite capture of children’s mischiefs however, look no further than War of the Buttons, the latest film adaptation of the classic novel by Louis Pergaud about two rival kid gangs in a little village of post-war France who cut off the buttons from the clothes of their adversaries and keep them as combat trophies.
Various films in this year’s FFF reminds us French cinema’s knack for producing delightful and sophisticated romantic films. Happiness Never Comes Alone (pictured) offers the winning combo of the sublime beauty of Sophie Marceau and the timeless soulful melodies of classic Motown hits, while Paris- Manhattan is a love letter to the genius of Woody Allen. A hopelessly romantic pharmacist is obsessed with the works and general philosophy of the New York auteur and much like the typical Woody character, she is unlucky in love. As for My Worst Nightmare, the names behind and in front of the camera (the film is directed by Anne Fontaine, responsible for BAFTA-nominated Coco Before Chanel, and stars Isabelle Huppert, winner of two Best Actress awards at Cannes) should be enough to attract every cinephile’s interest.
Mathieu Kassovitz, whose uncompromising film La Haine still lingers in the mind of everyone who’s seen it, returns with Rebellion that tackles another controversial subject, the 1988 Ouvéa cave hostage taking incident. Elsewhere, the fest sees The Minister, another gripping political thriller. Having won 2 Cesar awards (for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor) as well as the 2011 FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, it should make for essential viewing.

The FFF not only highlights the extremely healthy and exciting state of contemporary French cinema but also reminds us about its glorious past. The whimsical universe of Jacques Demy is celebrated with the screening of five of his most beautiful films (the academy award nominated musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is his most famous work but Bay of Angels is arguably his finest masterpiece). Then there are two bonafide classics that you do not see often on the big screens: Georges Franju’s atmospheric horror film Eyes Without a Face and René Clément’s extremely touching Forbidden Games. Finally, there is Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon, the 1902 film that is regarded by many as the first ever science fiction film and whose use of state-of-the-art effects paved the way for all those Hollywood’s special effect-heavy blockbusters like Star Wars and Avatar – another example of how something small can grow up into something huge. (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)
The 20th French Film Festival UK runs until December 2nd 2012 in various cities across the UK. For more information go to www.frenchfilmfestival.org.uk/FFF2012

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