As
you may have seen in my last post, a couple of weekends ago, my friend Vicky
had booked a table at Les 110 de Taillevent. It’s somewhere we had been meaning
to go to for a while (and it’s also on my restaurant list) and this had been
planned months in advance. Vicky had been prior to our visit, recommending the
restaurant thoroughly. In case you were wondering, the name derives from the
fact that there are 110 different types of wine served by the glass. This I
cannot vouch for, maybe I’ll need a few more visits first.
Our
table was booked for 7pm on Book a Table’s Star Deal offer – four courses and a
glass of champagne for £35 per person. The set menu consisted of two choices
for each course with its own wine pairing. There were four varieties of wine
for each course ranging in price. Obviously we didn’t get to see the a la carte
menu, but this deal we were on was excellent value for money and I thoroughly
recommend seeking out the deal, if you can.
I
loved everything about the restaurant – it was light and airy; the decor was
sophisticated with dark woods and plush leather; the walls were adorned with
images of Bordeaux’s vineyards and it just screamed French brasserie. The staff
were excellent, the service was efficient and the food came to our table
promptly, but beautifully presented. The atmosphere was warm and although we
were eating fairly early, the restaurant was still reasonably busy.
We
began with our inclusive glass of champagne, as we looked over the menus. Every
drink that was served came with a small card explaining what it was and there
was also a number, so that you could order a specific wine or champagne. I
really wish I had taken note of these, as not only did they look good, but the
champagne we had was beautiful – the second glass (which was paid for), was
much crisper, colder and it was just perfect.
To
eat, I began with the baby artichoke
barigoule with parmesan and rocket. It was a really hearty dish, with
plenty of earthy flavours. The saltiness of the parmesan wasn’t too
overwhelming and the artichokes were soft making it an easy dish on the palate.
Vicky chose the other option – the peas veloute, which was served cold and was
very green!
To
follow, both Vicky and I opted for the langoustine
ravioli with a basil and citrus
butter. I hadn’t had pasta this good since I was in Italy. We were
presented with a giant ravioli, filled with langoustine and red pepper, which
was incredibly light. I could have easily eaten this three or four times over.
The basil and citrus butter was more like a foam and definitely included some
of the seafood stock. Steve chose the other option, which was a lovely looking
risotto, with asparagus – it was like spring in a dish and I think Vicky got
food envy!
We
both then chose the beef tenderloin
medallion with bone marrow, red wine jus and violet mustard. We decided to
try the wine pairing with this dish, which was a full-bodied red (if only I
could remember what exactly it was) and complemented the rich flavours of jus
and mustard well. The beef was excellently cooked – I had mine rare – and my
first experience of bone marrow wasn’t actually that bad, although I still don’t
actually know what it is. We definitely could have done with a couple of
handcooked chips – but that’s me being fussy.
After
a short pause (and another glass of champagne) the desserts were brought to us.
I chose the nougat glace, which was
the perfect end to the meal. It was more like a semi-freddo than an ice cream
and was packed with pistachio nuts. The biscuits around the edge were
incredibly moreish and also acted as a base. The sweet creaminess of the
dessert was met by the sharp contrast of
red berry coulis – and I’m desperate to find the recipe as it was one of the
nicest desserts I’ve ever had. Like everything else we ate, it was also
beautifully presented. Vicky had the chocolate mousse, which would be a hit
with any chocoholic! The waitress even brought over a jug of rich hot chocolate
sauce to pour over the mousse at the table. I think it would have been far too
sickly for me!
The
quality and presentation of every dish was outstanding and as I mentioned
before, nothing could be faulted. The Book a Table was excellent value and the
options available were varied – but I need to return to sample the a la carte
menu and see how much of the wine I can get through!
Love,
Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx