Bouchon, Kingsland

When you go to a French restaurant you never just go for the food. You go for the experience, the "Bonjour, Madame", the cute moustached waiter; the attempt to sell you excessively overpriced sparkling water when tap would be more than sufficient. Half of the enjoyment is the life that the French inject into the experience. The French joviality and the love for food and eating with your friends, compliment any meal just as much as a glass of wine.

Bouchon on the whole lacked this element of atmosphere. Although the decor was undeniably quintessentially French with red and white wicker bistro chairs, wooden tables and prints of Paris, the life that can only be provided by the maître de, chef and wait staff was missing. This can potentially be attributed to the fact that the original owners of the restaurant have moved on, and a French restaurant will never be more than an imposter if it is not run by French people, regardless of the quality of food.

The menu itself was relatively comprehensive, covering most of the requisite bases: beouf bourguignon, onion soup, escargots, crêpes and a multiplicity of cheese, however, although the food wasn't bad, it wasn't great. The touch of perfection and pride that marks French cuisine was not there. The confidence that verges on arrogance as to their culinary superiority and elegance was missing. I guess it's not something that can be merely copied. It's not something that gets put into a recipe. It is a way of cooking and dining that is as much part of culture as the language itself.

The crêpe Latine was pleasant but needed more flavour, with the chef not quite pulling out the individual flavours of each vegetable that is the hallmark of a good ratatouille. The blue cheese salad was nicely combined, with a generous balance of greens to cheese, pear and walnut, however using dessert pear in a savoury dish was something of an unforgiveable faux paux. A sprinkling of freshly cut pear slices would have added the requisite twist of freshness to the dish. The presentation of the escargots was quite effective, hidden under a small salad. The flavour of the dish did not draw forth the expected praise, and a like the other dishes simply seemed to lack lustre.

The dessert crêpe with stewed apples and Calvados was served excellently, albeit the waiter looked extremely tense at having to pour flaming liquid onto a plate being served to five girls. Again, although not bad, the crêpe was a disappointment, the alcohol being much to overpowering, dominating the dessert instead of complimenting the crepes apple filling. A touch of sugar in the alcohol might have help to create the paradoxical burnt but slightly sweet flavour aimed for.

I feel as if this review has been somewhat harsh given that the meal was not horrible. In fact it was pleasant, with the food being totally inoffensive to the palate. However I think it is just that, the lack of definition that the dishes exhibited that has made this review so harsh. French food should be bold and rich and the restaurant and the staff serving it should be robust and confident to match. These elements were at Bouchon sadly missing. One thing I cannot fault however was the company. Until next week. Au revoir mes amies.

- Madeleine Wright