With the area surrounding the South Bank offering little in terms of dining - with the exceptions of the quasi-ubiquitous Ping Pong and Las Iguanas - Waterloo Bar & Grill is in a fortunate location, plus it has the added bonus of being able to capitalise on attendees to the Old Vic.
They’ve recently brought in new chef Kane Marc, however the menu is still composed of Modern European fare – veggies may have a hard time here - and the décor remains sleek and thanks to moody spotlights and elegant dark furniture.
So is it any good? Well, the rabbit terrine is very mild in flavour and distinctly un-gamey, but delicious, presented with toasted brioche and a sweet grape sauce. The tender grilled squid has a mustardy heat to it, its peppery flavour enhanced further by a bed of rocket. The 200g Scotch fillet steak looks small but the juicy meat - paired with hand cut chips with the skin on - ends up being quite a feast. More delicate is the lemon sole, which is wonderfully crisp on the outside if a little boney.
The exploding chocolate mousse, whilst having a slightly exaggerated title for a dessert that’s merely covered in crispy bits is one of those puddings that brings on extreme feelings of guilt, yet it seems terribly wasteful to leave any behind. The cheese platter is a selection of oak smoked cheddar, Brie, creamy blue cheese and quince jelly.
Is it worth coming back? A three course meal with wine is £100, therefore it is a little on the hefty side for relatively simple, if hearty food. It beats eating nachos at Las Iguanas hands down though.
I have often found myself strolling through the areas surrounding the south bank after a cultural day out or a concert at the Royal Festival Hall with an empty stomach and a need for good food to end my SE1 experience. Good restaurants seem to be few and far between around here, unless I’m just not venturing far enough, however my greed often prevents me from doing so.
Therefore I was very interested to sample Waterloo Brasserie, a restaurant run by French chefs who are also responsible for the Cheyne Walk Brasserie in Chelsea. The menu appealed to me, and the press release revealed this to be a rather ambitious affair, opening at 8am during the week to cater to commuters with substantial continental or English breakfasts, right through lunchtimes and onto post-theatre dinners and dances in the late-opening downstairs bar.
As I walked in I found an interior that was highly pleasing to the eye, semi-dimmed lighting and graceful furniture, I also noted with interest a large round table in an alcove complete with a hanging chandelier, perfect for a private party.
Once seated we perused a menu which contained a combination of French and English dishes which seem to have become the staple food of eateries that deem their cuisine to be ‘Modern European’: Home Made Game Terrine, Foie Gras, Chicken liver parfait scented with truffle butter, mains of Pan Fried Sea Bass or Cod, Corn Fed Chicken Breast, and a couple of vegetarian options in the form of a Wild Mushroom & Peas Risotto and a Butternut Squash & Mushroom Lasagne. We eventually opted for starters of Roasted Goat’s Cheese with marinated mandarins and honey dressing (£9) and the Duck Foie Gras terrine with tomato chutney and toasted brioche (£12). The goat’s cheese was creamy and delightful, the foie gras was rich and perhaps too large a portion for the brioche, however this is something I have encountered many times. I had slight reservations about the texture of the tomato chutney however as it was a little drier and stringier than I had expected.
For the main course I heeded the caution of the waiter when he advised that the dressed crab was in fact a whole crab, only to be faced with something the size of a small principality on my plate. It was absolutely delicious, and at £23 rather good value for money given its size. The waiter suggested I dip salad leaves into the crab, stir around and eat, and this ended being a sensational combination of seasoned crab meat, rocket and watercress leaves. My companions’ English Sirloin Steak (£19.50) was also a generous portion with dauphinois potatoes in a red wine sauce.
Unable to eat much more we opted for a cheese platter rather than individual desserts, thankfully this steered away from the conventional brie and edam, for Waterloo Brasserie really have made an effort to provide classy, gourmet food. My only issue perhaps is that the food whilst tasty doesn’t merit the price tag. This is not to say Waterloo Brasserie is hugely expensive, it is merely leaning towards the upper end of the mid price range. Though I couldn’t fault any of the dishes, I feel the menu is a tad on the uninspired side, and selections like this are available all over London. In fact I couldn’t help but compare this to a more upmarket Café Rouge. In addition the downstairs bar, which is open till 3am with a resident DJ every Friday, appeared rather closed and empty at the time of my visit.
Aside from these little niggles WB has got a lot going for it, staff are attentive and helpful, the décor is quite a draw, and overall this is a pleasant atmosphere for a pre or post-theatre meal.
