The Brasserie

The Brasserie Restaurant Review:

The ladies-who-lunch set, local businessmen and visitors alike frequent The Brasserie, and this informal venue at Ellenborough Park serves them well. On one end of the space is the bar and a high-top communal table and on the other is the rustic, well-lit dining room with its partially exposed stone walls, white linen-topped tables and cozy booths and banquettes along the walls. The ambience is Old English with a touch of modernity. The à la carte menu features appealing comfort food with some presentation without being overdone. Start off with a seasonal soup (squash, perhaps) or pork croquette with artichoke purée and pear and sage relish. Spiced apple and pear chutney complements venison and pistachio terrine served with brown bread crisps. Continue with hearty fare like roasted monkfish tail with lemon mash potato, glazed truffle and cauliflower macaroni cheese, or venison sausages with bubble and squeak. British cheeses and homey desserts like creamed rice pudding with spiced poached pear finish things up. The Brasserie and Ellenborough Park’s more formal restaurant, The Beaufort Dining Room, share a very educated wine and beer program that ranges from Tête de Cuvée Champagnes to locally brewed ales. There are classic cocktails as well as contemporary creations like a Blackberry Sidecar made with muddled blackberries, Jean Fillioux La Pouyade Cognac, Chambord and lime juice.