As chefs go, Jackson Boxer is a name that packs a punch.
After opening venerated restaurants like Brunswick House and Dove, he’s developed an aura of envelope-pushing talent about him – so it’s no surprise that Henri pretty much a knockout.
It’s a rather pretty & atmospheric little Parisian bistro and he’s partnered up on it with The Experimental Group, who usually traffic in bars like the Experimental Cocktail Club. And the good news is that, so far, the experiment has been a great success.
But the best bit? The team have just launched a ridiculously decadent-sounding whole duck Sunday Lunch menu – and Nudge Members (along with a lucky guest) can enjoy it with complimentary cocktails & desserts when they book it on any Sunday from 23rd March to 25th May.
You’ll find Henri on the ground floor of the Henrietta Experimental hotel, which you’ll find on Henrietta Street in Covent Garden. This is one of the true restaurant nucleuses of London, and you could walk out of Henri’s front door, throw a stick, and hit Notto, Cora Pearl, The Oystermen, Ave Mario, Din Tai Fung, Pivot, Flat Iron and more. It would have to be a good throw but still, you get it – this is a competitive space.
Step inside the handsome the 19th-century townhouse that houses it, wend your way past the hotel reception, and you’ll find a cosy little sleeve of a space. There’s a cocktail bar at one end, an open kitchen at the other, and a bottle-neck in the middle that squeezes the tables so the diners have to sit side-by-side. But the rest of the space is a little roomier, and is made warm & intimate thanks to tables lit by candles, dressed in crisp white linens, and topped with smooth marble veneers.
‘Seaweed canelés’ – not a phrase you expect to come out of your mouth, but they are lovely going in.
On the menu, Boxer has lined up a pretty interesting blend of classic French dishes with frequent creative touches. There are snacks like the seaweed canelés (which are bouncy & earthy, and topped with salty roe) and the fried pied de cochons, which clasp rich pork in an absurdly crispy shell. The starters include a plateful of diver scallops cooked in champagne butter and topped with smoked pike roe, and beyond that that standouts include steak frites served with sauce Henri (rich chicken and veal jus reduction), and succulent Toulouse sausages served with pomme purée.
The Sunday Lunch
So, about this rather lavish Sunday Lunch. It features a whole, dry-aged roast duck, which has been broken down into the crown, which is sliced & laid on a platter, then drenched in duck jus; the confit duck legs sitting atop a warming cassoulet of braised haricot beans & onions; a heaped bowl of duck fat fries; some mushroom Hollandaise to dip; and a blood orange & endive salad to cut through it all.
It takes so long to properly prepare, bookings must be made at least 48 hours in advance, and Nudge Members will be getting either a buttery, praline-filled Paris Brest or some refreshingly bright coconut sorbet served with pomelo & blood orange granita – and of course a seasonal cocktail to open the meal, too.
Speaking of, that cocktail bar is being pressed into service to make Experimental Group concoctions like the Antoine, which blends gin, elderflower, lime, cucumber, and a ‘spicy tincture’ with a delightfully pleasing edge to it.
And that packs a punch, too.
NOTE: Henri is open daily for lunch, dinner, and drinks. You can find out more, and book a table right at the Henri website.
PERK: Nudge Members (+1) are getting complimentary cocktails & desserts when they book into any Sunday from 23rd March to 25th May. This perk is exclusively for Sundays. For details, and to find out how to book, just head to the ‘Complimentary Cocktails & Dessert’ box at the top of this page.
Henri | 14 – 15 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QH
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