{image source; Brasserie Blanc Website}Sunday just gone, my lovely family; mother, father and sister, drove down to see me for some quality family time on Easter Sunday. The day started beautifully; a wonderful Easter Celebration service at Church in the morning, and lunch and wine in the afternoon.
The restaurant we chose for lunch was Brasserie Blanc, one in a chain of restaurants first started by French chef Raymond Blanc, with the other restaurants being in Berkhamsted, Bristol, Cheltenham, Chichester, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth and two other locations in London.
Upon arrival we were kindly greeted by staff, who politely asked for our reservation name before guiding us to a table. We sat upstairs, actually directly opposite the table in the photograph, with a nice view outside on our right. The only complaint I would have about our seat would be the noise of the kitchen; it would have been nice, if possible, to be offered the choice of where to sit, but where we sat was cosy, and had a nice private feel to it.
Brasserie Blanc have excellent lunch and dinner offers that run throughout the week. The lunch offer allows you to choose between three options for each of the courses at a price of £11.50 for two courses, or £13.95 for three; and the dinner offer is much the same at a price of £14.00 for two courses or £16.45 for three.
I was very impressed by the number of options available from the offer menu, as well as the add-ons that were available for little extra cost.
The starters were Spring Vegetable Soup, Beetroot and Watercress Salad, and Potted Smoked Mackerel with Horseradish Cream. My dad, like myself, had the Potted Smoked Mackerel which also came with a small salad. I loved the Mackerel, however I found that the salad that came with it was a little warm, but once mixed with the horseradish cream it was cooler.
For the main course, both my dad and sister opted for the Roast Sirloin, with the only issue being that the when the sirloin arrived it was medium rare, and the option to have it well-done had not been offered to either my dad or sister. This was the only issue, which considering my dad's appetite and the fact that he wasn't hungry after eating it, tells you that the portion sizes are generous.
Mum had the grilled marinated sardines with braised fennel and tomato sauce, and whilst she enjoyed the accompaniments, she found the number of bones in the sardines off-putting in what would otherwise have been a perfect meal.
My main course was the smoked pepper, grilled courgette, potato and onion omlette. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the omlette, and was delighted to have selected it over all the other options on the menu.
Finally for dessert, we all opted for the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice-cream, which was the right sweetness for its size; had it been any bigger, it would have been too sweet, had it been any smaller, it would have been a stingy offering.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is formal but relaxed, the staff are friendly and make sure you have everything that you need without hovering around you annoyingly making sure you eat your food, and the food is of a good standard.
As a venue, I think it's perfect for an intimate dinner, or dinner with a group of friends or family party (not kids that are too young). Service is prompt, the presentation is elegant but not over the top, and you don't pay through the nose for your food.
Rating: ****
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