London
has always felt a great amount of envy towards its culinary superpower
across the channel. While the French sipped their cafe au lait and
nibbled warm buttery croissants; Brits shoveled down ham and cheese
toasties washed down with milky tea. We have always been defensive about
our traditional cooking, the French usually guffawing at our attempts
at bold flavours and delicate desserts. London has been hit by the food
revolution and it seems we have more French restaurants than Paris.
Typically, the market is skewed towards Café
Rouges and Chez Gerards - serving over-cooked, toughened steak frites
and pre-made deserts straight from the fridge. The top of the market is
well-catered for by the Rouxs, Ducasses and Koffmans. What has been
missing is the simple, passionate cooking reminiscent of the brasseries
and auberges. Recently there have been some strides in the right
direction such as Brasserie Zedel dominating the Piccadilly area.
The
Green Man and the French Horn is nestled down in St Martin in the
Lanes, a stones throw from J.Sheekeys and Asia de Cuba with Le Garrick
just round the corner. It's somewhere I've had had my eye on ever since
reading The Perfect Trough's review.
The venue was formerly a pub and it has the usual narrow entrance which
makes for a slightly awkward wasted space. The interior isn't too far
off some of the auberges of the Loire region, each table is different
design and the plates seemingly odds and ends. This is a deliberate
design plan, not a lack of money (the owners are behind Terroirs and Soif), however it still has a sense of charm. The ambiance suffered
due to it being midday on a wet and cold January, but when full during a
dinner service, it would undoubtedly be a cozy bolt-hole busy with
chatter.
The menu is traditional rustic French fare. Rustic is usually synonymous with lazy, "Oh no, its meant to look like that. Didn't you know, its rustic." Here however it is a celebration of home-style cooking. Ingredients are restricted to three, four at a push, shown some love and simply plated on those beautiful plates that remind me of my grandmother. And when food reminds you of your grandmother, its never a bad thing.
Rillette
was soft and creamy, one of the better I've had in London, but paled a
bit in flavour compared to the duck rillette we had recently in Paris.
The rillion was superb; warm pork belly is one of those things that
speak to my soul when the trees have discarded their leafy coats. The
mustard endive was a classic accompaniment giving both warmth and bite
to the fatty belly. Id also echo Perfect Trough and say that the higher
meat to fat ratio makes for a lighter starter. Its a dish that January
was made for, and I couldn't stop smiling.
 |
| Pork Rillette with Cornichons |
 |
| Rillons with Endive, Mustard and Chives |
The
braised oxtail stew was another warm blanket of a dish. Deeply meaty,
with fresh parsley to give it a push towards spring. The sauce was a
little thin, but it made the dish a little easier on the arteries. Bread
mopped the last drops of sauce. The humble gurnard is a fish that long
ago fell out of favour but has made a comeback in last few years and so
have its prices. However, £14 for two medium-sized fillets is pretty
reasonable. It's a firm white fish that has a blander flavour than cod
or turbot. The fennel and parsley sauce was fresh, and helped lift the
fish without being too overpowering. The dish didn't exude the usual
summer feel usually associated with simple pan-fried fish and felt
perfectly in step with January.
 |
| Gurnard, Fennel and Green sauce |
 |
| Braised Oxtail, Root Vegetables & Mogette Beans |
Dessert
choices were most certainly not pre-sliced fridge jobs, with tarte
Vigneron, a bitter chocolate and meringue number, and a cremet Nantais.
We shared a poached pear in salted butter caramel and sable biscuit. The
pear was sweet and almost meltingly soft, with a little surprise of
piped cream in its bottom. The caramel was a little overly salty but
addictive and perfect dunking for the butter biscuit.
 |
| Pear, Salted Butter Caramel, Sable Biscuit |
Overall,
this is a gem: French cooking at its simplest. Traditional dishes
actually done traditionally and served without fanfare. Its somewhere
that I will no doubt finding myself back there again and again when my
stomach starts rumbling in the heartland of awful restaurants that is
Leicester Square.
How much: Starters £6-9, mains £12-18. Meal for two with beers - £65.
Where:
54 St. Martins Lane, WC2N 4EA, London - 0207 836 2645
Food: 8/10
Drinks: Wine list was varied and reasonably priced. Can order quite a few by the glass, carafe and bottle. 7/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 9/10
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