We all know by now I wish I was French, right?
When Patron contacted me several weeks ago about their beautiful new deli and wine shop that's opened up at 16 Fortess Road I immediately got excited. Combining the elegance of a Parisian épicirerie fine - delicatessen - and the conviviality of a bar à vin, the new site offers a relaxed, more casual approach to the Patron Cave à Manger world. But today is all about brunch. We donned our Breton striped tops, I added a little red lipstick, and headed down to the restaurant's first site just a few doors up at number 26.
We began with coffee (duh) and a Bloody Mary which was excellently spiced with fresh black peppercorns and a dizzying drizzle of Tabasco. That stuff kills me. The vodka was strong (good) and the tomato juice fresh which offered a really refreshing sip. Alex's coffee came beautifully finished with a little swirl on the top and just a dusting of chocolate powder. Rich, creamy, warming - what more do you want?
To eat, Alex surprisingly went for the mushrooms on toast which the chef told us features ceps and chanterelles for a really meaty flavour. Cooked in plenty of butter, garlic and black pepper the perfectly soft mushrooms are then arranged on two slices of homemade French bread. A pretty edible flower and dressed rocket salad complete the plate. I found this dish really full of textures, thanks to the soft mushrooms and crisped toast. The flavour was meaty enough to satisfy any omnivore and the rocket salad adds a little pepperiness.
I went for the mackerel omelet - a protein packed hit before our dreaded weights session at the gym. There was enough mackerel to add that smokey, oily note to the dish without being overwhelmingly fishy and the eggs were nicely cooked. There was too much creme fraiche on the top for my liking but it did provide a sauce of some sorts. The fresh dill and rocket salad, with plenty of salt I might add, was also really nice and refreshed the palette after the richness of the egg and fish.
We also enjoyed a tub of rosemary fries, perfectly crisp and finished with lots of salt. Hey! It's the weekend. The rich aioli on the side was also absolutely delicious and creamy.
We couldn't leave Patron without trying their delicious croissants, with a trio of additions: salted butter (with added salt on the top), melted Nutella and confiture fraise (strawberry jam). The croissant was buttery, flaky and just absolutely delicious. It was soft inside and slightly warm which was a dream when topped with more butter and a swipe of jam. Alex, obviously, loved the Nutella.
Thank you Patron Cave à Manger for hosting this review
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