In the centre of Broadgate Circle, and a two-minute walk from Liverpool Street station, you’ll find a new haunt for hungry City dwellers.
Despite being a newcomer to the Square Mile, we’ve seen people spilling out onto the circle on many an evening, so we were excited to see what the fuss was all about.
Heading there on a sunny Thursday evening, the lively French restaurant-come-bar was swarming with thirsty City slickers sipping on an after-work tipple.
Not just your average restaurant, Revolve Brasserie is home to a rotating line up of chefs – the clue is in the name. During the week you can tuck into a menu full of traditional French classics, then, come the weekend, established guest chefs take the helm. Currently, Arran Smith is heading things up in the kitchen but the line up is looking impressive this summer, with each chef adding guest dishes to the main menu.
The restaurant uses a lot of wood and natural greens, which gives the feel of a very classic Parisian brasserie. That being said, the walls are decorated with modern pieces by Damien Hirst and John Hoyland giving the place a contemporary twist with a nod to British artists.
Despite the hustle and bustle at the bar, the main restaurant area is relatively peaceful and is sectioned off for hungry customers hoping to enjoy good French cuisine away from the rowdy crowds.
As we entered the restaurant, warm and welcoming staff greeted us with a smile and immediately made us feel comfortable and relaxed as they guided us through to our table by the window – perfect for people watching on a summer’s evening.
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Within minutes, we were presented with a cocktail to kick things off. French 75 is a must if you visit Revolve Brasserie; the deliciously sharp lemon drink made using gin and champagne is a refreshing palate cleanser and a great way to start the evening.
Revolve Brasserie offers a menu of simple French food with little but good ingredients. We started with the Pâté de Campagne, which came with sweet onions, smoked raisins and toasted baguette, and the Sweet Onion Tarte Tatin with aged balsamic and goats cheese. Both starter dishes were light and flavoursome, but we did feel the pâté needed a few more slices of baguette to smear the delicious spread onto.
Moving to our mains, we opted for two simple dishes synonymous with French cuisine – Moules Marinières and a classic Bavette from the grill. We chose to share a bowl of Koffman French Fries sprinkled with rosemary salt to accompany both dishes.
Both plates were polished off but we did feel slightly underwhelmed by the mussels. What’s that old wives tale? You shouldn’t order the shellfish in a month without an r? We suppose it isn’t the season.
The Bavette, however, was beautifully cooked and the juice from the steak mixed with the peppercorn sauce was perfect for dunking our rosemary chips in. And, let me tell you, the chips were incredible and we haven’t stopped thinking about them.
We ordered a bottle of the Ultimate Provence Rose (very apt) which was well received, pairing perfectly with the pâté and Moules Marinières. The light and delicate wine was very easy to drink and transported us to the coastal shores of the French Riviera. We will be returning to enjoy another glass in the outside seating area with some nibbles from the bar menu soon.
Last but by no means least, the pièce de résistance has to be the final course. The apple Tarte Tatin with vanilla and thyme ice cream was delicious. Placed between us in a warm pan to share, we tucked into delicately caramilised fruit on a crispy bed of pastry, melting the cold, rich ice cream in our mouths. It was even hailed as the best tarte tatin the French waiter had ever eaten. Perhaps biased, but we completely agree with them.
A truly pleasant experience with simple, delicious food, Revolve Brasserie is the perfect way to indulge without breaking the bank. Plus, with an ever-changing weekend chef, we are sure to be returning on the regular.
Revolve Brasserie
Broadgate 100 EC2M 2PP
revolve.london
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