Renowned Belgian brasserie Leon de Bruxelles has arrived in London, bringing you the tastiest mussels in town.
Leon de Bruxelles
Belgian Restaurant in Soho
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All In London Review
Tasty mussels, but room for improvement
There are ten mussel dishes on the menu, three of which are gratinated and available as starters. The three cheese mussels are great, with Cheddar, Gruyere and Roquefort melted over separate parts of the platter so as not to confuse flavours. A large pot of Ardennaise mussels is very satisfying, containing a rich white wine and crème fraiche sauce with mushrooms and a generous amount of delicious smoky bacon.
A starter of fried breaded smelts, which are a little like whitebait, make a tasty savoury dish with homemade tartar sauce.
We’re a bit surprised when a portion of chips arrives with the mussels we’ve ordered as a starter and a further two arrive later with the mains (do they really think we can eat that many?) but more importantly, these are run-of-the-mill chips, not the thin salty frites Belgium is so famous for.
The Flemish carbonnade is also a bit of a let-down. The beef has supposedly been stewing for 6 hours, which should make it fall apart when prodded, but it doesn’t. And the most prominent flavour is that of carrots.
The Grand Pere Léon’s Waffle is another disappointment as it’s served cold and is dry like day-old bread, but it’s redeemed a little thanks to the gloopy hot chocolate it comes with.
Surprisingly the selection of beer is very limited, with only four Belgian varieties, one of which is Léon’s own brew. There is however an extensive selection of spirits, and the wine list has some interesting choices like Muscadet and Sancerre, priced between £16 and £60.
The fact that they’ve stopped serving breakfast since opening at the end of January suggests business hasn’t been going all that well. The mussels are worth going for, but the chips and waffles need to improve. A three course meal for two with wine is around £80.
Reviewed by Leila
Published on Feb 27, 2012
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