Du Pain. Du Vin. Du Boursin.
François Boursin lucked out. Wrongly reported in the French press as being on the verge of launching Boursin with garlic in 1961, early publicity for this cheese maker in Normandy sent him scurrying away to his cheese Bat Cave. Two years later Boursin “Ail et Fine Herbes” was launched.
The first cheese featured in a TV ad campaign in 1968, its presence filtered through to the UK and for many (my parents included) this cutesy little creamy cheese from Gournay, shot through with garlic, chives and parsley, was the height (and limit) of French culinary exploration.
Now, the refrain of hypnotic ads from the 1990’s is embedded within my mind with a searing laser quality. It’s for this reason that the Hotel Du Vin group, with their excellent and beautifully appointed hotels in some of the prettiest buildings in their various cities, had me reciting advert refrains in my head every time I walked through their doors. Being their wine rep for a few years didn’t shake the novelty of that snappy advertising land genius, so for me, Du Vin will always have me parroting back the other two musketeers, Du Pain and Du Boursin. No room for D’Artagnan.
So Bistro Du Vin is now being rolled out across London with rapidity, the Farringdon outpost already in place, Soho following quickly, Chiswick, Shoreditch and others waiting in line.
A pewter bar sweeps you from the entrance into the main room, thirteen bar stools announcing another easy drop-in venue for Soho inspired Bacchanalia. Decor is plush enough to make you want to linger, mahogany banquettes, cream wood panelling, moody lighting in the right spots, a separate cosy area wrapping its arm around you with plump seats and bookcases. You could almost jump into a stool from one across the road at Dean Street Townhouse, or down the road at Quo Vadis, a three gear Soho bar crawl. This is now the posh stretch of Soho, dontcha know?
Menu flirts and goes to bed with all the French bistro classics, from Oysters to Lobster Bisque, Moule Frites to Onglet Steak and Frites.
Belted Galloway Bone-in Sirloin - Seductive char on the flesh speaks of heat from the Hellfire of Josper grill. Silken meat, perfectly medium-rare as requested, nuggets of wobbly fat, whack of beefy flavour throughout. Galloway and Josper triumphant. Zealously salty Béarnaise sauce the only off-note.
Hot Roasted Shells - Joyous, rustling bowl of razor clams, Queen scallops, mussels, crab, topped off with half a lobster. Buttery, garlicky liquor at the bottom a sinful dunking sauce. Fun.
Steak Tartare - Boldly laced with a spicy snap of horseradish, good quality tender meat, finely diced. Proper tiny capers. Quivering egg yolk nestled on top. Not as much fun as the rougher hewn meat of the best, but hits the right tartare buttons.
Lamb Sweetbreads - Satisfying pucks of the most fiendishly, deviously named offal on the planet. We don’t wanna be reminded, right? Lightly crumbed, velvet within, close your eyes and pretend they’re the finest chicken nuggets ever. Spiked with salty bits of charcuterie, a welcome counterpoint. Thymus gland? No dear, they’re sweetbreads ‘innit.
Crème Brûlée – Caramelised top you could skate across. Vanilla flecked and luscious beneath. Rich enough, not overblown. Bloody big for £6.50.
The wine list deserves serious mention. The man pulling the strings at the top as Director of Wines and Spirits is Ronan Sayburn, Master Sommelier with a devastating CV that includes time at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, Pied à Terre, and the Gordon Ramsay group as Executive Head Sommelier for eight years – this is big boys league, Grand Cru, stellar wine pedigree. Head Sommelier at Soho is the talented Romain Audrerie who was at The Savoy with Marcus Wareing before helping launch Hotel du Vin Edinburgh.
The relatively short list (160 wines) is a joy, and sends most restaurant wine lists in London cowering to the back of the class for extra homework.
Intent is shown with sixteen wines in the “By the Glass” preservation system, with Californian stalwart Ramey Chardonnay by the glass, alongside iconic names Domaine Leflaive and Sassicaia for fine wine addicts. The confidence shown putting maverick California producer Sean Thackrey’s Pleiades by the glass (a bonkers blend of many varietals), and a German Riesling Kabinett from JJ Prüm, shows they mean business and have the staff that can talk about and sell them. Any wine list having a section entitled “Just Pinot Noir” has already claimed my soul.
Chug along with £5.40 a glass, or go bananas with Château Margaux 1999 at £85.
Cheese fetishes are served by the cute La Cave au Fromage, a glassed cheese room in the corner housing artisan cheeses and charcuterie, headed up by charismatic Eric Charriaux. He unravels a creamy white cheese in the chill blasted room. What’s this he speaks of? A bespoke “Du Vin” cheese, a semi-soft cow’s milk? I’m panicked. Du Pain? Du Vin? The Holy Trinity here in Soho? It is in fact a cheese washed with Austrian dessert wine twice a week for five weeks, with not a hint of garlic, parsley or chive in sight. Creamy, like a Wensleydale he says.
Bistro du Vin has slipped pretty smoothly onto the Soho scene, emboldened by a lavish opening night launch, where lobster and Champagne were plentiful, and cricketers and rugby stars were seen moving amongst the Martinis and the moules. Bohemia has been courted, flirted with, seduced perhaps.
Natty bit of styling of the Du Vin brand too. Soho. Red Light District? Nah mate.
Welcome to the Red Wine District. Du What? You heard.
Not a morsel of Boursin in sight…
36 Dean Street
W1D 4PS
£££ Steak Tartare £7.50, Bone-in Sirloin £32, Lamb Sweetbreads £7.95, Hot Roasted Shells £35, Crème Brûlée £6.50
