Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7ED

Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7ED
09/08/2012
http://www.brasseriezedel.com/

She said… I visited this location many years ago when it was the Atlantic Bar and Grill so was intrigued to hear of it’s reopening as a French brasserie by the folk behind the Delaunay and Wolseley. The initial descent down to the basement is a bit off-putting, especially as on our arrival there was no sign of life upstairs and we guessed our way down the stairs to the restaurant lobby but everything changed when we entered the brasserie. The dining room is a stunning space with backlit stained-glass windows giving the impression of sunlight shining in, high ceilings, gold-leafed relief on towering columns and art-deco features such ceiling with its mix of frosted glass, and brown-gold light fittings. The layout is quintessential brasserie style with banquettes and chairs and starched table cloths in an open plan setting, with an eye-catching bar along one side and a charming boulangerie with ‘designer’  bread in a corner, complete with chef wearing large, pointy hat. What is a wonderful contrast to this glitz is the highly affordable menu which is packed with lots of choice. My starter remoulade for example was only £2.95 and yet a generous portion was presented. Many of the main courses are around the £10 mark (there is even a separate vegetarian menu where mains are below this price). We went for the sauerkraut with seafood which was for two people since it was a departure from the usual. A massive platter arrived which could easily feed four and alongside the picked cabbage contained salmon, haddock, prawns and seafood which I has asked them to hold off on but they forgot. There were also boiled potatoes and it all sat in a creamy sauce. It was delicious and despite it not looking like we’d eaten given the amount left in the platter after trying to ingest as much as possible, the drawback was that I had no room for the desserts I had been eyeing on the menu (which  again were a steal at around the £3.50 mark). We were so impressed by the setting, food, prices and service (good waiter to customer ratio) as well as a buzzy atmosphere of fellow diners that we are going to come back to celebrate mum’s birthday in a few weeks.

He said… This one is a winner. Since going with ‘she’, I have already been back once, and we're booked again for a lunch with the in-laws. That probably tells you all you need to know, but I'm guessing that a two-line review is not what you're looking for. Maybe you know this, but Zedel is on the site of the old Atlantic, a legend on the 90s London scene. As you walk down the stairs you see that a lot of the Deco design has been kept (it must be listed) even though it doesn't quite work with the turn-of-the-century vibe of the main room. I also remember the same strange, stale smell which the Atlantic stairway had; this is not the nicest opening to a meal, but I guess unavoidable being so far under ground, and not an issue once you reach the well-ventilated main room. This definitely has the wow factor - mainly because you don't expect such a large, opulent space so deep down, and because you do get the feeling of having been transported both in place and time. For me, it all had a strong, really pleasant echo of going out to eat when I was a kid in Brussels. Maybe it was the starter (celeriac remoulade) and the main (a seafood sauerkraut) but mainly it was the unfussy, accomplished professionalism of it all, which reminded me of that time when food was food, taken seriously but not a religion. Zedel pushes all my buttons:  my favourite restaurants have a distinctive vibe, and serve well-prepared food that doesn't necessarily rewrite all the rules, at a friendly price. Zedel ticks all the boxes, especially on the value front: though I don't mind spending money, I'm really a cheapskate at heart. Where else in Westminster can you get a starter for £3.50? I simply could not believe it, and had to ask the waiter if the pricing was introductory (it's not). This place is guaranteed to be full at every service, but luckily there's a good allocation for walk-ins. I can't wait to go again and again and work my way through the menu. By the way, Deco fans be sure to  grab a martini or negroni in the amazingly authentic American Bar; and night birds be sure to check out some of the acts in the cabaret.