Head to Randall & Aubin Brewer Street for a little French in the city. It’s a restaurant you won’t be able to wait to head back to… 

Picture it; Christmas week in London’s Soho. The streets are heaving with shoppers and party-goers as I make my way to Randall & Aubin on Brewer Street. It’s only 6.30pm and as I approach the entrance there are at least 15 people standing outside, in the cold, forming a vaguely orderly queue waiting for a table. I step into the warmth of fires in the open kitchen, tables huddled together, Parisian chandeliers and clinking glasses all contrasting against white tiled walls. It feels like Paris. It could also be a French bistro in New York. There’s something of the elsewhere in here.

My server is quick to make me comfortable; sparkling water (no ice) with a lemon beside me sooner than I’ve asked for it. More importantly, she’s informed about the menu as we go through it later. Nothing worse than waiting staff running back into the kitchen to find out what the soup of the day is (only happened once but the scar is deep).

Randall & Aubin have been in Soho for 20 years. In a city with over 30,000 restaurants and coffee shops that longevity speaks volumes. Serving Anglo-French cuisine using British, French and Irish produce this tiny restaurant packs a mighty punch. Head Chef Ed Baines pulled off a Christmas miracle on my visit (as he does most nights no doubt) on what was otherwise a rather dull day.

On the advice of my server I opted for six mixed oysters to share (two Cornish, two French, two Irish – £24) served with ponzu sauce. As an ardent fan of seafood, and born and raised island girl, I say these were exceptional; so fresh I could still smell the sea. A glass of Tournée du Sud Malbec (£6.80) was a perfect choice, I thought, for such a cold evening as it sipped easily and slowly. Although I didn’t know it at the time the next dish would become etched in my memory forever. Chef Baines’ French onion soup with comté cheese and sourdough croutons (£6.50) was as perfect as perfect could be; full of sweet onion flavour equalling the cheese and filling me with warmth and joy. It made it to my best nine dishes of the past year. If I had to quote just one reason for returning here this would be it.

The roast Suffolk lamb steak with roast onions with a mint, caper and parsley sauce (£15.75) too was exceptional. Despite being rather full, at this point, I continued eating just for the pleasure of eating such an incredible meal altogether. My companion opted for grilled Scottish halibut with potato terrine, peas and beans, mussel fritters and shrimp cream (£24.85). She loved it all and accompanied it with a Martini cocktail (£14).

We shared a sticky toffee pudding with milk ice cream (£7) and I couldn’t have wished upon a star for a nicer dessert. Well-executed traditional British puddings are my favourite winter desserts. They remind me of simpler times wrapping me snugly in memories of school dinners. And boy did this deliver! Sticky, steamed hot pudding on this chilly, sparkly yuletide. I’ve never said this before and I don’t know if I will ever say it again but I can’t wait to go back.

www.randallandaubin.com
14, 16 Brewer St
Soho
London
W1F 0SG