L'Absinthe made my heart grow fonder
A cheery "Bonjour!" answered the phone when I made my reservation, an early sign that this place was full-on francais. All bent wooden chairs, chalk menus and authentic French staff, it's like stepping into a twisty stair-cased French bistro on Primrose Hill. It's even got its own wine shop as well, so if while perusing the impressive wine list you think £8.95 is a lot for a glass of Rosé, you'll be ecstatic to know it's actually the price of a bottle.
The menu was sublimely French, bar the lone Scottish beef burger (£7.50). My starter, a crispy croque monsieur (£3.95) spirited me right back to my Paris gap year. My friend loved her chunky tartare of organic salmon (£6.95) with lemon vinaigrette and fierce little capers. Now, steak frites is surely the test of any French bistro and our £14.50 rib-eye looked a bit over-done but was so soft you didn't need a steak knife and so flavoursome I didn't want to slather it in sauce, saving the bÈarnaise for home-made chips that had a satisfying crunch. The duck confit with sautÈed potatoes and garlic (£9.95) was just as tender but cried out for a side salad.
To finish we shared a superb tarte au citroen, (£4.50) with a fantastically biscuity crust. I couldn't resist a glass of absinthe at the end but it made me feel as green as it looked, and our solicitous matre d' knocked it off our bill.
The staff are friendly, the dishes simple and cooked with love. If you can't afford to go abroad this year, here's a trip to France at prices even Ryanair can't beat.
L'Absinthe
Chalcot Road, London, NW1 8LS
