Blanchette | French Family Dining in Soho
Generally, you should approach French food with caution.
It could be poisson.
That is, unless, you’re eating it at an establishment like the impeccably turned out Blanchette. Tucked down a Soho side street, it’s a cosy, rustic French bistro with Art Nouveau tiled walls and exposed brickwork, Bentwood bar stools, and shabby chic cabinets lifted straight out of a Provençal farmhouse, all set off with artfully chaotic arrangements of wildflowers.
It’s run by French brothers Yannis and Maxim Alary (with their third brother Malik in charge of music), with the primary aim of creating a convivial atmosphere surrounding good food and drink. To that end, Blanchette also accommodates groups of up to 14 in the Jungle Room, an intimate private dining room adorned with its own hand-painted murals.
Settling down to your table at Blanchette, you might like to begin with some bar snack-style nibbles, of the kind you’d imagine a group of French friends to enjoy with a glass of Pernod as the sun sets. Here they range from classic charcuterie boards and creamy, baked St Marcelin cheese with truffled honey, to more artfully constructed dishes like pork rillettes with pickles and mustard, and cheese beignets with confit onion.
Amping up to mains, the theme at Blanchette is ‘French classics with a twist’ – so you’ll find dishes like chicken pot-au-feu with pancetta and rainbow chard; slow-roasted stone bass with gnocchi and miso butter; and confit duck leg with caramelised endive and lemon gel. The one thing they’re not twisting on is the importance of meat and fish in French cuisine; vegetarians will need to build their own adventure from sides of salad, cheese, and frites.
To cap off the meal, there’s an enticing list of cocktails (with a twist) to choose from – try a Bee Vanilla, with cognac, vanilla, spices and honey syrup…
…and not a drop of poisson.
NOTE: Blanchette Soho is open Monday – Saturday, 12-11pm. You can find out more, and book a table HERE.
Blanchette | 9 D’Arblay Street, W1F 8DR
Fully booked? Take a look at these other great restaurants in Soho