10 replies to this topic

[akiko]

When Chris and I first moved to London, we popped in here, were impressed, and unexplicably never popped back in. I think it got lost in the whirlwind of trying to figure out London.

We just had brunch there, very nice, and I did some nice shopping while Chris paid the bill (lucky him!).

Brunch menu 31st October
French toast with bacon & maple syrup 7. 50 - (may I add that they also sell oscar meyer american bacon!!! It's not that the flavour is great, but if you want to duplicate the BLT's many if not most Americans grow up eating, then this is the bacon to use. That's completely aside from the item on the menu, I have no idea what kind of bacon they use for this as I didn't have it)
Buttermilk pancakes with blueberries & creme fraiche 8.50
Porridge with stewed apple 7.90

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on sourdough toast 7.90
Full English breakfast with bubble & squeak, Newmarket sausage, black pudding,
bacon, mushrooms, tomato & fried eggs 9.90
House made baked beans with Dorset ham on sourdough toast 6.90
Mushroom & goat's cheese omelette 8.50

Squid ink risotto with chilli & gremolata 11.90
Linguini with girolles & shallot cream 12.50
Warm salad of chorizo, Roast epper, egg, parsley, & rocket 8.50
Chicken saltimbocca, white bean puree & rocket 12.90
Salmon fish-cakes with spinach & beurre blanc 9.50

Mixed leaf salad 2.90 Grilled bacon 2.90 Newmarket sausages 2.90
Sauteed mushrooms 2.90 Bubble & squeak 2.90 Roast tomatoes 2.90
Baked beans 2.90 Sourdough toast 1.50

Selection of cheese from Neal's Yard & La Fromagerie, London
Ragstone, Cashel Blue & Fleur du Chevre with sourdough bread 8.90

Dessert
Lemon ricotta cheesecake 5.50 Moist chocolate cake 5.50 Pineapple upside down cake 4.90 apple streusel cake 4.90 Blueberry Cheesecake 5.50 Banana Walnut cake with toffee sauce 4.90 Orange creme caramel 5.90 Poached pears with mixed berry compote 5.90 Sponge fingers with strawberries and chantilly cream 5.90 Sticky toffee pudding 5.50 Baked rice pudding with confiture de myrtille.

There is also an extensive drinks list. But, I'm not going to type that, you can go and see for yourself!

Chris had the full english, which I'm not sure was the best thing to get. Simply because there are so many other wonderful places to get full english in this city. I had the goat cheese and mushroom omelette which was the real deal. Omelette, not perfect but very well done, still creamy on the inside just a little too done on the surface and this particular goat cheese was a perfect partner for eggs.

As I wandered I bought, ventresca tuna, smoked anchovies, EVOO, champagne vinegar, special peppercorns from sri lanka (never seen these, I just couldn't resist trying), french chicken boullion.

They had a lot of other things that were tempting but I figured I'd wait till next time.

[ranitidine]

Sounds good. Where is it? I want to put it on the list for our next trip.

[Vanessa]

41 Faringdon Road. Come out of Faringdon tube and turn right instead of left towards St John's. At the end of the road it's opposite, a little to the right.

v

[ranitidine]

Thanks. Now, to arrange a visit.......

[yvonne johnson]

How does it compare with The Quality Chop House? (Just down the road, no?)

[Ms J]

I walk past Flaneur every day and STILL haven't been in. Thanks for reminding me I've been meaning to stop, Akiko.

[Wilfrid1]

The name rather suggests that one should amble quietly past, perhaps pausing to glance in the window.

[Ms J]

That would certainly be the suggestion. However, I tend to dash past clutching a coffee and with my eyes fixed grimly forward, contemplating the state of the day's to-do list.

[Ms J]

Update: I've now been in Flaneur several times, with yesterday actually seeing TWO visits (for a quiche at lunch and for stocking stuffers after work). It's a good resource, especially in Farringdon where the shopping isn't exactly thrilling. However, it is expensive. They currently have baby Vacherin Mont d'Or for a tenner each. I definitely paid less than that for it at La Fromagerie, and I was also given advice on storage and optimium ripeness to boot.

[MobyP]

It's also one of the very, very few places where you can buy San Marzano tomatoes - although recently they've only been sellng the crushed, rather than whole variety. Every couple of months, I put on sack cloth and ash and make a trip.

[Ms J]

I've been Flaneuring rather often lately. Today I lunched on a mini quiche lorraine, which featured a very thin, crisp pastry, rich custardy filling and HUGE hunks of ham. It was moreish, though perhaps a bit rich for lunch. (Urp.)

On Friday I dragged Mr J in for dinner after a couple of vodkas at Potempkin around the corner. We decided to have a main each and a shared dessert, which proved a good idea as the portions were extremely generous. I ordered confit of duck with white beans, which I ended up regretting only because I later realised the duck was the same as the tinned stuff on sale in the shop, and Mr J ordered the plaice and chips. Both dishes were good without being exciting, but that's what you get for ordering tinned confit and fish & chips.

The stunner of the evening was a knee-meltingly comforting banana-walnut cake witih toffee sauce. Served warm, drenched in toffee, and with a large bowl of softly whipped double cream on the side, it was fabulously rich and caramelised. Sticky toffee pudding fans; this is a shortcut pud worth trying.

Service was irritating and off the ball throughout. Fortunately we weren't in a hurry.

This abbreviated meal, including two glasses of wine, two espressos, and a glass of PX and service, came to £60.