Brasserie Joël

French Restaurant in Westminster
Brasserie Joël image
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7 / 10 from 2 reviews
Address
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London
200 Westminster Bridge Road
Westminster
London
SE1 7UT
Map
Telephone
020 7620 7272
Cuisine
French
Region
Westminster
Nearest Station
Lambeth North
0.20 miles
Opening Summary
Lunch
Mon: Fri: 12 - 2.00pm
Sunday: 12.30 - 3.30pm
Dinner
Mon: Sat: 5.30 - 10.30pm
Sunday: 5.30 - 9.30pm
Restaurant Facilities

Disabled Facilities

Children Welcome

Credit Cards Accepted

Music Played

Live Music Played

Booking Advisable

The critically acclaimed Brasserie Joël is set within the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, close to the London Eye and National Theatre on the South Bank. Chef Walter Ishizuka is at the helm in the kitchen, his three years at Lyon’s infamous three Michelin starred Paul Bocuse Restaurant and three and a half at Paris Ritz’s two Michelin starred Restaurant L’Espadon behind him as he brings his own blend of creativity and passion for food to London. Ishizuka’s menu contains classic French fare featuring; bold, simple flavours cooked using only the very finest ingredients. Rave reviews from the press and public should be enough to convince anybody that Brasserie Joël is a must-try restaurant.

Brasserie Joël Picture Gallery

Brasserie Joël Picture
Brasserie Joël Picture

All In London Review

Beautiful food, no ambience

From the outside, the Park Plaza Westminster is utterly monstrous. It’s a black, apocalyptic construction that is the architectural equivalent of a dalek. Then as you enter you are lulled into a false sense of elegance, perhaps because of the smartly suited attendants, the gleaming polished floor you can see your reflection in, or the chic Samsonite suitcases waiting to be transported to their rooms. The previous feeling returns once we locate the restaurant, which clumsily hidden behind screens in places where the designers have left gaps in the walls.

Anyway, onto the food, which is a mixture of rustic French fare (beef bourguignon, pâté en croûte) and more gourmet offerings (aged beef tournedos Rossini with foie gras and truffle sauce, wild turbot with shallot confit). Raw tuna tartare is paired with little pieces of velvety avocado in a sesame dressing; less delicate is the lobster salad which is far too big and is a mish mash of ingredients, albeit very tasty ones: cubes of soft Emmental cheese, quail’s eggs and bacon crisps peep out of heaps of lettuce in a garlicky dressing, however the succulent lobster pieces are so perfect they make this hotchpotch starter entirely forgivable.

The meaty roasted monkfish is a delight with tender chorizo and a cassoulet of flavoursome white beans, but they’ve once again overestimated the portion size with the suckling pork shoulder as I seem to have half a pig on my plate. Being unable to finish its tender, juicy meat covered in crispy skin and its accompanying grilled apple leaves me with terrible food guilt.

The desserts are great too - rich peanut butter chocolate mousse with a crispy peanut and oat base plus ice cream, and a lovely apple tarte tatin, both washed down with an exquisitely sweet Sauternes. By now we’re convinced Chef Joël is a master at what he does - heck, even our mise en bouche of savoury tapenade with toasts paired with sweet cherry tomatoes is thoughtfully prepared. A quick trip to the toilets reveals why the restaurant is surprisingly empty – everyone is listening to the piano+singing combo at the bar opposite. It’s a shame such beautiful food is stuck in such sterile surroundings.

Brasserie Joel are currently offering a fast lunchtime service from Monday to Friday when you order their dish of the day. If the ‘plat du jour’ hasn’t landed on your table within 30 minutes of ordering you get your money back, just make sure you notify the waiter on arrival.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jun 14, 2011


User Reviews

Sooz

Jan 9, 2012

We went on a Monday night before Christmas and it was pretty busy so the atmosphere was good in the brasserie itself, but the building is a real evil-looking monsterosity with a cold and sterile-feeling reception space. Even the bar area over the other side of the restaurant was so big and open there was no cosy feel to it and we had no wish to go there after the meal.

The food was very good and the service friendly. Was slightly upset that the waiter told me my card had been declined in front of all my friends, when (on rining the bank later) he hadn't even put a request in to them with the machine, and simply had a faulty card machine.

Good but (mainly because of the building/location) I wouldn't make an effort to return.
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