Bistrot Bruno Loubet is attached to the fashionable Zetter Hotel, although it’s a destination restaurant in its own right. Loubet’s modern take on French bistro classics has been a huge success since the restaurant’s inception in 2010; the dining room is packed most nights of the week. Loubet is no stranger to going it alone, after working as head chef at Le Manoir with Raymond Blanc for two years he opened Bistrot Bruno in Soho.
On the menu here you can expect to find traditional recipes like salad Lyonnaise, but brought bang up to date with perky flavours. Take the loin of pork for instance, which comes with kimchi.
Bistrot Bruno Loubet
French Restaurant in Clerkenwell
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Opening Summary
Breakfast: Monday - Friday 7:00-10:30, Saturday - Sunday 7:30-11:00
Lunch: Monday-Sunday 12:00-14:30
Dinner: Monday - Saturday 18:00-22:30 & Sunday 18:00-22:00
Breakfast: Monday - Friday 7:00-10:30, Saturday - Sunday 7:30-11:00
Lunch: Monday-Sunday 12:00-14:30
Dinner: Monday - Saturday 18:00-22:30 & Sunday 18:00-22:00
Restaurant Facilities
Smoking Area
Disabled Facilities
Children Welcome
Credit Cards Accepted
Music Played
Outdoor Area
Booking Advisable
Bistrot Bruno Loubet Picture Gallery
All In London Review
Beautiful starters and desserts in a lively and modern setting
Starters were the visual highlights of the meal. Three chunks of flame grilled mackerel, skin expertly scored, sat amongst dainty blobs of smoked cod roe, topped with micro-herbs. Opposite a swoosh of vivid green apple purée rounded off the vibrant presentation. In terms of flavour the components were distinct, fresh and complimented each other, the mackerel was perfectly cooked. The apple compote was slightly puzzling, it worked with the dish, yet was so sweet it could've been a dessert. Our resident vegetarian opted for the beetroot ravioli, which was perhaps ever so slightly undercooked, however, the dish was light and proceeded to create a smeared purple plate worthy of the Tate Modern when finished.
The vegetarian main was a true bistro sized portion of wild mushroom, spinach and Jerusalem artichoke pancake gratin. The huge black cast iron dish was filled with beige! Although tasty, the three pancakes, stuffed full, were slightly on the heavy side. The partridge was also slightly disappointing. There were no complaints regarding the breast and legs of the bird, tender and gamey. Yet, the dish seemed to be missing a component. The pieces of apple worked excellently with the partridge, dainty cauliflower florets played their role equally well. However, the choucroute was merely a bed of shredded cabbage, lacking bulk. A scoop of the mashed potato side order would have elevated, literally, the rather flat looking arrangement in both appearance and taste.
The dessert of citrus gratin was the surprise package of the meal. Nuggets of pale green pistachio crumble sat atop the baby flan dish and tempered the overall sharpness, in addition to adding just the right amount of crunch. Under the crisp sugar topping was an unctuous warm yellow citrus filling. Segments of pink grapefruit and orange appeared as if by magic, passion fruit seeds rounded off the flavour explosions delivered by each spoonful. An over-enthusiastic love of citrus on my part meant flawless is the only word left to describe that particular pudding.
Overall Bistrot Bruno Loubet met expectations. The atmosphere was lively but relaxing, and the meeting was carried out without distraction. The service could have been slightly improved, perhaps we caught a new recruit on his first day. Lastly the food delivered on flavour. An enjoyable, productive evening, and most importantly we left full.
Reviewed by James Whiting
Published on Feb 6, 2012
In The News
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Bruno Loubet’s busy bistro is located within the trendy Zetter Hotel, and benefits from the chef’s flair for turning French classics on their head, like serving snails and meatballs together, and pairing grilled mackerel with smoky cod roe and apple purée.
User Reviews
Susan
from Abbey Road
from Abbey Road
Jun 23, 2014
This place has a great, buzzy atmosphere, both at lunchtime and in the evening, and I really enjoyed the experience of being there. The shape of the restaurant (around a corner) and the large, glass windows add to the effect of the interior. It's a great location too in lively Clerkenwell. The food was delicious and I thought reasonable given the reputation of Bruno Loubet (and the fact he's been on Masterchef!!).
Sooz
Jan 16, 2013
The setting was great - informal and lively even on a weekday. The service was very friendly and efficient and the food was generally good. The beetroot ravioli was particularly tasty, but I found the veggie main rather heavy and ill thought-out.
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