9th April 2014

Hello friends.  I’ve been storing this one up for a little while!  

Those of you who are London based will probably have heard me go on about The Delaunay at some point.  It’s a Corbin & King classic – if you haven’t heard of them, they’re the restaurateurs behind The Wolseley. More recently they’ve also opened Brasserie Zédel (W1) and Colbert (in Sloane Square) – both also great.

I love going to The Delaunay.  It’s the perfect place for a special treat meal, without breaking your budget for months to come.  Don’t think ground-breaking morsels of gourmet food, topped with froth and exotic flavour combinations.  Think – comfort food… if you were about town in Vienna circa 1930.  

Things I like about it: The grand entrance and marble floors, the handsome bar, the white linen table cloths, the sharp service, the pastries and mille-feuille peeking out from glass covers, the antique clock, the leather banquettes, the Tarte flambée (see below)

Things I don’t like about it: Not much

One evening a little while back, L and I made our way down Aldwych, and met at the Delaunay bar.  A glass of wine later, we were joined by A and B (who has since gone to New York – we miss you!).  This is what our evening looked like at one of my favourite restaurants…

Tarte flambée – the absolute must to order.  A thin, crispy delight – and no, it’s not too big for a starter (promise).

Weiners, schnitzel burgers, steak tartare, crispy fish goujons – you’ll find them all on the grand European Café style menu.

Final note – when The Delaunay first opened, I had in my head that it was pronounced ‘The De – lane – ey’.  Not sure why.  But O and I had a disagreement about it, resulting in me phoning up to hear them say ‘Hello, The Delaunay’ at which point I said ‘Thank you, that’s all I needed to know’.  So, O was right, and I was wrong.  (Not often I’ll admit to that!)

Spring might be sprung now, but if you need somewhere to pass a rainy evening, you can’t go wrong with cosy glamour at The Delaunay.

                                                          Walking South of the River Thames after dinner