20th July 2008
Mais, c’est fantastique
Blink and you’ll miss the Comptoir Gascon. That would be a shame though, as this little bistro in one of the best, hidden gems in Farringdon. The place is tiny, with probably 25-30 covers that can be served at any one time and serves as a deli as well.
It’s frequently very busy. However, if you find yourself with another person and have not booked then ask the staff if you can eat at the bar, which is most often free. It makes for a much more intimate, romantic setting if that’s what you’re there for or a fantastic place to catch up with a friend over some hearty, French food, beautiful wine and a relaxed setting.
I had the oysters with chipolatas to start, which exploded with flavour, although I’d skip the chipolatas next time as they take away some of the freshness of the oyster. We shared some foie gras and as the Cooksister suggest it was superb. Seriously one of the best I’ve tried.
For mains we both had the Beef Onglet with Bordelaise sauce. I was intrigued by the name of the sauce and immediately thought of French debauchery and some interesting background about a Madame offering a special sauce for her clients. However, after a bit of research it turns that (rather disappointingly) Bordelaise refers to someone/thing that originates from the area of Bordeaux. The origin may be mundane, but I assure you the flavour is not. Bordelaise is made with red wine, bone marrow (a chunk of which was also present on the dish), shallots and a rich brown sauce called demi-glace (thank you Wikipedia). It’s rich, intense and will make you pause for a couple of seconds after you’ve put a bite in your mouth to really enjoy all those endorphins having a party in your brain. The meat was expectedly cooked a perfect medium-rare and was full of flavour.
Finally, I have to make a special mention for the chips, or French fries in this case. They were excellent, but the true superstar of the show was the ketchup. Apologies. Ketchup is too demeaning. This is the best chilly, 5-start, A+tomato sauce you can find. It’s Basque and called ‘BiPiA, Euskal Ketxupa, Bazk’ Ona’ . I have taken a picture of it, which you can see above and I’d strongly recommend trying it. Even if you’re not hungry go to Comptoir Gascon and order chips with ketchup.
Minor gripe about the place is that there is only one toilet for boys and girls and it’s a little bit too close to the dining area. I’m sure they would have changed that if they could, but the space does seem to be at a premium.
Next time you find yourself in Farringdon do try this place out. In fact make sure that you find yourself in Farringdon so that you do.
Loading...
Add your comment
Post to facebook
Share with friends
(2/2 found this review helpful)
