We were very willing guinea pigs at the ‘tech rehearsal’ of Bellanger at lunchtime today, the latest restaurant from Jeremy King and Chris Corbin, the uber-restaurateurs who count The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Brasserie Zédel among their ranks. The 200-cover restaurant replaces Brown’s on Islington Green and follows C&K tradition by being named after a classic car. It takes its name from Monsieur Bellanger (seller of Delaunay-Belville automobiles) and, more importantly, makes a welcome addition to chain-heavy Upper Street.
We ate from a shortened version of a menu which celebrates the brasseurs (brewers) of Alsace, who opened great Parisian brasseries at the turn of the 18th century. Expect a selection of French classics (similar to those which have made its siblings Brasserie Zédel and Colbert famous), alongside more Eastern European-leaning dishes. To start, tangy salad râpées was brought up to date with the addition of celeriac and beetroot alongside the typical grated carrot, while beetroot-cured salmon with horseradish was perfect in its simplicity. Other options included a hearty pâté de campagne with fig jam, soupe à la bière (yes, that’s beer soup), or the 1980s favourite, a crayfish, prawn and avocado cocktail. The modern preoccupation for clean eating has also crept onto the menu in the form of an avocado salad with added superfoods… although we found our virtues somewhat lacking today and steered clear.
For the main event, grilled chicken paillard was light and will no doubt prove popular among lunchtime diners, while the grilled chicken schnitzel which we saw go past looked golden and crisp, for those after something more substantial. Being a Friday, we opted for a fish main of cod à la Grenobloise (lemon, capers and parsley) which was surprisingly rich, made more so by a side of creamy spinach. Other sides include pommes aligot (cheese blended into mashed potatoes) and sauerkraut. Sharing seems to be encouraged: coq au Reisling and baeckeoffe (beef, pork and lamb braised in Gewürztraminer wine) are offered for two or four people, while there’s a dedicated saucisse selection inviting diners to choose from varieties including Toulouse pork and wild boar with cranberry and venison.
For pudding, expect French classics such as tarte au pommes, Crêpe Suzette à la mode and vanilla crème brûlée. We’d been tipped off to order the tarte flambée, however, which arrives paper-thin on a wooden board, smeared with sticky apple and scattered chards of caramelised nut brittle. We’re told that when Bellanger is fully open, these will be available with savoury toppings such as goats’ cheese or bacon: basically the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine at the bar.
Trademark interiors (polished wood, oil paintings, and gold finishes) give the spacious dining room a bright bistro feel, all designed by Shayne Brady of Brady Williams.
We caught a moment with Jeremy King who – with characteristic modesty – described the opening as “like a baby foal struggling to stand up for the first time.” Yes, the pictures were still being hung (under Jeremy’s personal direction) and admittedly the lights did flicker a bit, but we don’t think Bellanger will struggle to find its feet.
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This article was published 11 December 2015