We love: Brasserie Zedel

Brasserie Zedel, photo from The Guardian

If anyone is thinking of coming up to London during the festive period for sales, the theatre or some culture, can I recommend heartily the Brasserie Zedel as a great place to stop for refuelling? Canny Londoners may already know about this new, terrific value French-style brasserie just off Regent Street, but those who visit only occasionally might have missed the enthusiastic press it has been receiving.

It is owned by the chaps who own the Wolseley and is a giant, bustling place that is all but invisible on the street -there is a small cafe at the entrance but the real action is at subterranean level. The restaurant looks and feels like an authentic Parisian bistro, with a bit more gilt and sparkle. Service is friendly and very efficient, food excellent and amazing value for money and the table linen is nice quality (I loved the pink napkins). It is big, cavernous almost so you can actually risk just turning up for a table, although it’s doing a roaring pre theatre trade so I’d always advise booking. I know, who knew such a place existed in over priced, book-six-months-ahead, too cool-for-restaurant-school London.

The menu is pure French brasserie, the Prix Fixe is excellent at £8.75, Carrot rapeés to start followed by steak haché and chips, delicious. It’s £11.25 if you throw in pudding. For the Formule menu at £19.75 you can blow out with three course, wine and coffee. A glass of wine starts at £3.50 which is positively cheap for central London.

There’s also a slinky cocktail bar and a jazz club at the same level, so you could drift over after supper should you still have the energy.

Brasserie Zedel is at 20 Sherwood Street W1. www.brasseriezedel.com for full menu and Christmas opening hours. Definitely worth a try.

4 Comments

  • Monix says:

    Love Brasserie Zedel (and the memories of The Atlantic Bar & Grill which it was in a previous life). The cabaret can be rather good too.
    Wishing you both a very happy Christmas and Jane, a very happy birthday for tomorrow (I did read that – didn’t I?)

  • Belinda says:

    Yes – couldn’t agree more, a delightful place and excellent food. Just the right place for a holiday season meal.

  • Malika says:

    the cocktail bar next to it is dreamy. It’s been so nicely redone that even the green Exit sign is in a 1920s font! We stumbled across the bar and the restaurant one night by chance and the best part was that it was full of Londonders – no Essex girls on hen nights (like the Atlantic used to have!) and it was just very relaxed and unpretentious. We tried a post-theatre supper and just walked in no problem. Very lovely!

  • Claire says:

    Shhhhhhh! I wasn’t telling. Such great value, no tourists and a lovely buzz about the place.

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