Brompton Quarter Brasserie

BQ Brasserie, or Brompton Quarter Brasserie to give it its full name, aims to provide honest, modestly priced food in the heart of extravagant Knightsbridge. Its sleek interior is certainly befitting of the SW3 postcode, luckily the prices are not.

The wine list is a prime example. Wines start from around £20, and are mostly Spanish, Italian or French. The Rioja Bodegas Navajas for £25.75 is a blend of oak-aged and younger wine, which gives it depth of flavour while remaining light enough to go with most foods.

Brunches are supposedly extremely popular here and one has to book to secure a table. A glance at the menu reveals a highly appetizing selection of eggs done in various ways, full English, continental or vegetarian breakfasts made with organic, locally sourced ingredients.

The a la carte menu has hot and cold sharing platters with a distinct Mediterranean/Middle Eastern influence: falafels, couscous, rice salad with pomegranate and almonds and chicken on skewers with spices and mint yoghurt all make an appearance. The main dishes have Modern European flavours: English rack of lamb, pan fried foie gras and lobster spaghettini feature.

The food turns out to be of varying degrees of satisfactory, with the meat dishes faring better. The aged beef carpaccio looks anything but thanks to its resplendently bright pink appearance, generous parmesan shavings and rocket leaf with a balsamic dressing complement the delicately sliced fillet. The seared scallop risotto with sorrel is a tad on the meagre side where scallops are concerned, with a mini-congregation of four sitting atop the herby rice.

The seared calves’ liver has been prepared Bourguignon-style, accompanied by a rich, red wine sauce, chopped Serrano ham and mushrooms, making it a hearty and very filling dish. The grilled swordfish with roasted aubergine and peppers is agreeable, however the drizzle of spinach and basil pesto is too frugal as the fish needs a little more flavour.

A three course meal for two with wine is around £90. BQ Brasserie is currently offering customers the opportunity to lunch or dine here for £28.95 and catch the Shadow Catchers: Camera-less Photography exhibition at the V&A until 20th of February.