Langan's Brasserie

"Probably passed it peak, but still serves good food and a large dose of nostalgia.."

Added Fri 08 Aug 2008 by KimT

I used to work in Stratton Street so for many years this was practically my business local (on one occasion having both lunch and dinner there on the same day!) – but I still have the occasional business lunch there with my colleagues from the property businesses that congregate around Mayfair.

There used to always be some paparrazi hanging around in the evenings as it was a regular haunt for minor celebrities. But don’t go there expecting to eat with the stars. I think originally the place was co-owned by Michael Caine.

Anyway, there is a large downstairs area and a similarly large area upstairs – no doubt that there is significant difference between the two but I have never quite worked it out although upstairs seems quieter, more sedate and a tad more formal. I am usually downstairs which is buzzier.

The menu is huge and kind of handwritten on a large card. It takes a while to read through it. Whilst there is an English and French (especially all the steaks) influence, there are all sorts of things there as well as many quite simple options which might seem, well, a little old fashioned. The prices are varied which means that you can either eat there on a surprisingly modest budget or you can go for the full expense account blow out.

Example starters are seafood salad (£8.50), Caesar salad (£6.50), parma ham with melon (£7) and goats cheese salad (£6.50). Mains include items such as steak with bubble and squeak (£18.50), bangers and mash (£14.50), cod and chips (£15.50), roast duck (£17.50) and smoked haddock fillet (£15.50). There are more adventurous options but I like to stick to basics here. Vegetable dishes – including roast, mashed and new potatoes – and a good selection of greens are all £2.50. Desserts (crème brulee, strawberry pavlova, raspberry cheesecake etc) are all £7.

Whilst Langan’s has probably passed it peak, I like the décor and nostalgia here – and all the food I have had there is very well prepared and in sensible portion sizes, even if sometimes the staff are a little bit too formal sometimes.