It’s time to meet Wild Honey’s little sister
A visit to a newly opened restaurant is always exciting, especially as the new restaurant in question is Bistrot at Wild Honey, the little sister to Michelin-starred Wild Honey. Bistrot is a restaurant inspired by the bistronomy movement in Europe. With Bistrot, Chef Anthony Demetre is looking to create a seasonal, French-inspired menu and drinks list that is accessible to all. This type of dining appeals to me, so I headed down to 8 Pall Mall to find out more.
Usually and logically, I sum up my dining experience at the end of the review, but I’m breaking with tradition as I can’t wait to tell you how good my lunch was. Actually, a small part of me wants to keep this to myself, but a bigger part wants to shout from the rooftops on why it was so good. By eating at Bistrot, you are enjoying exceptional quality food cooked in a Michelin-starred kitchen in a relaxed Bistro setting at prices that if we had a Bank Manager these days, he or she would be very happy, even happier if we treated them to lunch here.
Eating at Bitsrot at Wild Honey reminds me of the sort of Bistro you used to find in every village or small town in France, which is sadly much harder to find nowadays. So, part of my excitement is I do not have to go all the way to France to enjoy great cookery at a value-for-money price in a casual environment.
So, having spilt the beans on how good it was, I had better tell you what I had for lunch. Before I do, I should say a little bit about the decor. The deep red leather seating screams French Bistro and counter dining is ideal for a solo dinner. Just as you would expect when you enter the restaurant, you see a chalkboard informing you about the Plat du jour. If your day has raised your blood pressure, a few minutes here, and you will soon be in a relaxed mood.
I started with a plate of Tuscan Coppa, accompanied by a small dish of delightful cornichons, and sourdough bread. This in itself would make a perfect working lunch; the coppa melts in the mouth. Chatting with Anthony, he recommended an aperitif, the cocktail of the week, called a Bicyclette, a nod to Anthony’s passion for cycling. This refreshing cocktail included gin, sweet vermouth, elderflower liquor and peach bitters. Judging by the number of guests enjoying Bicyclette, I get the feeling that it might gain a permanent spot on the restaurants cocktails list.
On to the starter, I debated between the terrine of chicken, pork, and duck or English asparagus with a crushed poached egg, vinaigrette, and buckwheat tuile. The asparagus won, and it was a lovely starter. Perfectly cooked in season, English asparagus sitting on the crushed poached egg base (another idea for me to borrow), with a vinaigrette made from the restaurant’s own vinegar using leftover wine; what a clever and sustainable way to recycle dregs of wine. Digressing a little, we freeze any wine leftovers in an ice cube tray at home, and then, when we require wine for cooking, we defrost a few cubes.
After the starter, it was time for the main course. I went for the Plat du jour, petite salé; Tamworth pork belly with vegetables and sausage served on a bed of lentils, a classic Bistro dish, and a citrus-based sauce with a slight kick, which worked so well to elevate the pork. In case you would like to replicate the sauce it contains pink grapefruit, orange, ginger, honey and a little chilli. It’s little twists like this that make all the difference.
Don’t ask me why, but I always order fries in a Bistro, so today is no exception especially as these fries were named after a food hero of mine Pierre Koffman. Anyhow, I’m pleased to say the fries would get Mr Koffman’s seal of approval.
The dish was a joy and captured what eating at Bistrot at Wild Honey is about. The anticipation of entering the Bistro and looking at the blackboard for the Plate du jour is enough on its own to keep you coming back.
My dessert choice was an easy one—it had to be Paris Brest. Even though my waitress, Vicki, tried to persuade me to go for her favourite, tiramisu, I was not swayed. Paris Brest is a classic dessert created by the people of Brest to revive and energise the weary cyclists who had completed half of the massive 1200 km Paris to Brest cycle race. The first race took place in 1891, and it still exists to this day.
In stark contrast, my journey was a mere 13 miles door to door, much of that courtesy of Southwest trains, but there was no way I was missing out on this classic dessert. Paris Brest is a choux pastry and a praline-flavoured cream covered with flaked almonds.
Knowing Anthony’s love of cycling, I feel sure this dessert will always be on the menu. I’m sure the Paris to Brest cyclist would have enjoyed their bicycle-shaped wheel dessert, and the same was said for me. Thankfully, I did not have to cycle 1200km to eat it.
After finishing my meal, I had a chat with Anthony about his vision for Bistro. He explained that his aim is to create a place where customers can come in for a drink or a single course and have a great dining experience at value-for-money prices. What impressed me the most was that my main dish cost under £20, which is exceptional value considering the quality of the produce and the level of cookery on show, not forgetting the location of the restaurant.
Additionally, the restaurant offers a Daily Cinq à sept, a traditional French Bistro happy hour—two hours to be precise. Customers can enjoy a glass of red or white wine and a choice of croquettes for just £9 – a deal that seems almost too good to be true.
The fact that I used my closing paragraph at the start of this piece has left me with little to say except a big thank you to Anthony and the team at the restaurant for looking after me and feeding me so well.
Thanks for reading to the end. I hope I’ve inspired you to visit Bistrot at Wild Honey. Please let me know if you do.
Bistrot at Wild Honey is located below the Wild Honey restaurant at St James. It’s open every day from 12:00 pm to 10:30 pm (9:30 pm on Sundays). The restaurant’s address is 8 Pall Mall, Sofitel London St James, London SW1Y 5NG. You can also find them on Instagram at @wildhoneystjames.
If you love traditional French food, I think you will enjoy reading about my foodie adventures in the Perigord region of France.
