There are always a few restaurant openings in London every year that are near enough impossible to get a reservation at
In 2023 that was very much the case with Bouchon Racine, which got glowing write-ups from nearly every critic going and was subsequently booked out for months. We tried a few times to get in but ultimately we had to place it on the hit list and move on.
We were very pleased indeed then, when looking for a last-minute dinner spot in Farringdon recently, to rock up to Bouchon Racine and get a walk-in table at 6pm on a Tuesday. Now we can’t guarantee you’ll be so lucky, but if you’ve been wanting to go then there is hope in this tactic.
Henry Harris has created a gem of a place here, along with co-owner and GM Dave Strauss. The menu is loosely based on Henry’s legendary Knightsbridge restaurant, Racine, which closed back in 2014 and that basically means classic, rich French dishes delivered with absolute aplomb. There’s a big chalkboard menu carried around to each table, a charming touch but it’s much easier to just take a picture of it, which is exactly what our server suggested we do, as the room was filling up and getting busy for the night.
We loved a simple starter of egg mayonnaise and salty Cantabrian anchovies, mopped up with fresh crunchy baguette. Two glistening squares of fatty middle white pork belly rillons served on a bed of simple salad with vinaigrette were also superb.
For mains, there will always be a couple of big sharing meat steaks and chops on offer, but we went for the option of trying more things. First, an excellent roast rabbit dish with mustard sauce and bacon; and then confit lamb with wild mushrooms on a bed of mogette beans and a rich meaty jus. Do not miss out on the excellent chips and the insanely good creamed spinach spiked with foie gras either. And for dessert, there’s a must-order creme caramel that’s out of this world – we don’t even really like creme caramel but this was exemplary.
Bouchon Racine is just as good as everyone says and was well worth the year-long wait. We can highly recommend you try your luck too.
66 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6BP
bouchonracine.com